On with the show!
All About That Bass / Bang Bang
[OVERS]
While I don't necessarily consider Anton Stephans a joke contestant - he can actually sing - this type of production gave me those godawful flashbacks of Wagner's performances during his season. I just couldn't take this seriously. 3
Somewhere Over The Rainbow / What A Wonderful World
[OVERS]
Why does he always look like he's in constant pain whenever he's on stage performing? I don't know. His vocals were mostly fine - I thought his voice soared towards the end - but other than the mash-up and his incredibly hysterical facial expressions, there's nothing particularly interesting about this performance. Nada. 5
Sound of the Underground / The Clapping Song
[GROUPS]
Eh. Performance-wise, this was slightly better than last week - the choreography was a lot tighter and I liked the staging more - but the vocals were all over the place. The harmonies were inconsistent, their pitch was problematic, and the random runs and ad-libs sounded unpleasant. Plus, the backtrack was way too loud that it almost drowned them out completely during the chorus. Such a shame. 6
Teardrops
[BOYS]
Mason may not be the best singer in the competition, but there's something undeniably current about him. I thought his performance of Teardrops, though a tad cheesy, had the swagger and the right amount of attitude and confidence. I would've liked a better arrangement with far more interesting build-up, but I digress. 6.5
What Makes You Beautiful / Cheerleader
[GROUPS]
Say what you want about this duo, but there's something incredibly entertaining about them. No, I don't think they outsang most of the remaining finalists - even with a pretty genius mash-up of One Direction and OMI - but the infectious energy was all they needed to pull off this performance. That said, there's nothing else to get from the performance other than fun. I'm afraid the novelty will run out soon. 6.5
Hold Back The River
[GIRLS]
They tried to create a moment for Lauren, but failed. Don't get me wrong. I thought it was a solid effort, but her lower register and her choppy phrasing during the first verse somehow pulled me away from the performance. If not for the backing choir and her soaring vocals during that moment, I would've ranked this lower. 7
Crazy In Love
[GIRLS]
Vocally, Monica delivered, but her movements were far too distracting that I almost felt like I was being punk'd. She looked uncomfortable throughout the performance and just like Lauren, that pulled me from a potential showstopper. Why didn't Rita tell her to just stand there and sing? Lost opportunity. 7
Return of the Mack
[GIRLS]
Whoa. Where did this come from? This was a HUGE IMPROVEMENT from last week. Sure, her vocals weren't perfect - she hit a couple of wobbly notes here and there - but I did not expect the sass and that breakdown was fantastic. Now I understand what Rita saw in her - she's a potentially "moldable" popstar. 7.5
California Dreamin'
[BOYS]
For some strange reason, Seann and his affinity for theatrics worked yet again with this performance. I mean, I would've liked a lot more stripped down version of the song for him, but there was something deliciously compelling about it. I thought the arrangement had great dynamics, his vocals were on point, and the staging added dimension to the number. 8.5
You Can't Hurry Love
[BOYS]
I feared that Ché will ruin this again with one gratuitous run after the other, but he kept things simple and that made this one stellar vocal performance. The brilliant arrangement gave his voice an opportunity to navigate the melody with ease. Totally effortless. 8.5
Billie Jean
[GIRLS]
Who knew? I'm very well aware that Louisa can blow everyone away with her vocals - she's probably one of the best singers this season - and her soulful voice was arguably her best asset, but to deliver a performance and nail the vocals and choreography all at the same time was just pure awesome. Easily the best performance of the night. 9
BOTTOM 3 PREDICTIONS
Max Stone
Kiera Weathers
Anton Stephans
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