X Factor Australia 7: Top 8

I seriously cringed at the theme when I learned about it last week, but there were some pretty outstanding performances in here. I mean, the usual suspects were still good, a couple of decent performances and some shockingly fantastic ones. Just when I thought this season's becoming a dud, they pulled something like this. Very nice.

On with the show!

08. Mahalia Simpson
Need You Tonight
[GIRLS]
Sure, Mahalia's vocals will always be incredibly recognizable, but there's something lazy in her delivery that didn't work in this performance. Plus, her diction was almost non-existent. 4.5

07. In Stereo
Demons
[GROUPS]
Not bad. The verses sounded a tad monotonous - maybe it was the actual melody of the song? - and the "oohh" was a lot louder than usual, but this was pretty decent performance from the boys. 6.5

06. Michaela Baranov
Wild Horses
[GIRLS]
The verses were pitched so low that I wanted to write her off this week, but when the chorus hit, her vocals soared. Look, there's nothing particularly exciting about Michaela's voice, but there's something oddly interesting about her. 7

05. Jess & Matt
Sweet Disposition
[GROUPS]
First few notes from the duo and I was sold. Their harmonies were awesomely on point! Yes, they got a little excited in the middle that they slightly lost focus on their vocals, but that's just me nitpicking. To sing this song was a tall order and they passed it with flying colors. 7.5

04. Cyrus Villanueva
It Ain't Over Until It's Over
[BOYS]
Vocally, it wasn't flawless, but his smooth stylings and that indelible sense of coolness was radiating in his performance. His falsetto sounded solid and it was another solid one from Cyrus. 8

03. Natalie Conway
Alone
[OVERS]
I seriously had reservations with the song choice - I've heard A LOT of covers of this song in my lifetime - but Natalie somehow managed to pull it off. No, it wasn't anything special, but her vocals rose above the loud band, her pitch for the most part was impressively intact, the staging worked to her advantage, and it was an all around great performance. 8

02. Louise Adams
Dream On
[OVERS]
Dream On isn't an easy song to cover - ask Danny Gokey - and while she somehow cheated at the song's treacherous high note, the intensity, stage presence, and swagger was all there. Her vocals weren't too shabby as well. She added some interesting texture to her vocals that I didn't know exists. 8.5

01. Big T
Whole Lotta Love
[BOYS]
Quite frankly, I was ready to despise this, but Big T worked this song like there's no tomorrow. The grit to his voice worked well with the song, there's attitude to his delivery, and that added effects to his sound was a nice little touch. His best performance yet. 8.5

BOTTOM 2 PREDICTION

Mahalia Simpson

Michaela Baranov