The X Factor US 2: Season 2 Preview!

So, here are three promos The X Factor US  aired for their Season 2 premiere, which now includes Britney Spears and Demi Lovato as part of the judging panel - replacing Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul. The X Factor US will premiere on September 12, 2012.

I must say, I'm actually liking the vibe of this season a lot more than last year. I mean, this one looks more fun and has that certain lightness to it. Last year looked smug and intimidating, and yes, we know what happened with that attempt. Haha. I'm also liking the Demi snippets. This young girl can hold her own with the much older judges.

Oh, and the chemistry of this panel seems just about right - again, compared to the mess that was Simon-Paula-Nicole-LA. Shockingly, I'm quite excited for this season.

SEASON PREMIERE PROMO

DEMI LOVATO vs. SIMON COWELL

BRITNEY SPEARS AND DEMI LOVATO

X Factor Philippines: Top 11

This week was a bit of a mixed bag for everyone. There were a few contestants who have managed to build some incredible momentum, but a couple of them were pretty atrocious. I thought the theme was lame, it was like "We were too lazy to think of a theme so you just pick some random word.. Yay! LIFE". Haha. Oh, and the judges suddenly became cheerleaders. Haha.

I have nothing more to say, so here we go!

DISCLAIMER: I am no expert, but this is my opinion - to each his own - and yours will be in the comments below! Haha.  

Movie Review: Step Up Revolution

You know what, this movie was too derivative of it's predecessor from the basic storyline to the fantastic dance sequences that I could basically just copy paste the review I wrote for Step Up 3D in 2010.

Admittedly, the dance sequences were still top notch, but slightly better than the previous installments as this infused more styles of dance other than what we've seen before. Here, they incorporated contemporary and modern dance to successful winning measures. Add to that the idea of an elaborate, cutting-edge flash mob crew and this was easily a "step up" from the rest. Ha.

X Factor Philippines: Top 12

DAM Nation has covered American Idol since Season 7, X Factor UK for two seasons, and even The Voice and X Factor US. So, why not give X Factor Philippines a shot and dive down the proverbial rabbit hole in the quest to find a new recording superstar capable of taking the Philippine music industry by storm.

How did everyone do last night? I thought that this was a pretty solid first live show. Sure, there were some missteps here and there, but we finally had a chance to see which contestants were smart and which ones believed in their own hype. The stage looked great - not at par with it's international counterparts, but good enough - and the production of the performances looked sharp.

Well, it's about time. I’ve been waiting to get to my traditional ratings for weeks now since the show started. Here's a quick reminder on what I look for: strong vocals, unique qualities, artistic merit, strategic decisions, appearance and stage presence. Which contestant last night got to bolster their case of why he should win X Factor Philippines? It's nothing scientific, of course, but whatever.

Here we go!

DISCLAIMER: I am no expert, but this is my opinion - to each his own - and yours will be in the comments below! Haha.  

Movie Review: Brave

Although Brave fell slightly short to the ridiculously high standards of the Pixar brand, this was still a stunningly animated delight on its own.

Let me start with the obvious: Brave looked spellbidingly gorgeous. Without one iota of exaggeration, I found the film to be visually stunning. The animation looked vibrant, the backdrops were exquisitely rendered and the characters had excellent detail especially the fiery red hair of the lead character, Merida.

Music Video: Home - Phillip Phillips

 

Talk about perfect timing no? After the song hits #1 on iTunes AGAIN - thanks to the Olympics exposure that the song got during the Girls Gymnastics Team competition - Phillip Phillips debut the music video for his coronation single, Home.

Despite the fact that this has no proper narrative, I must say that the music video is ridiculously arresting. I felt a certain level of authenticity to this and somehow the "style" fits the song perfectly. Laid back. Honest. Simple. Add to that Phillip's screen charisma and yes, we have a winner! Enjoy!

Music Video: Blown Away - Carrie Underwood

Finally, the long wait is here! Here's Carrie Underwood's new music video for her second single, Blown Away, off her latest studio album of the same title. 

To me, this is probably one of Carrie Underwood's better music videos conceptually and visually. Yes, it's not perfect - I felt the ending to be a bit sudden and almost an afterthought - but it's quite a powerful video combined with the actual song. Beautiful cinematography. Great acting. Stunning Carrie. Enjoy!