‘The X Factor’ top 4 performance show recap
THE X FACTOR: TOP 4: Carly Rose Sonenclar performs live on THE X FACTOR, Wednesday, December 12 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. CR: Ray Mickshaw / FOX.
I apologize for not finishing my recap in a remotely timely fashion. I have been tied up with the Frank Ski/Wanda Smith departure on V-103.
I still think it’s going to be Tate vs. Carly Rose. Fifth Harmony had a moment of life there thanks to their first performance. I’d say Emblem3 has a small shot of knocking Tate or Carly Rose from the finals. We shall see.
1) Tate Stevens (”Bonfire’ Craig Morgan/ Team L.A.) – Clearly, Tate picked this song himself. L.A. looks ridiculous in a cowboy hat. But Tate feels like home, even with the over-the-top pyrotechnics behind him. This song with its upbeat country/rock vibe is right up his alley. “You look like a man who believes he can win this competition,” Simon said. Britney, clearly aware he is Carly Rose’s biggest competition, said it wasn’t his best performance. Grade: A-minus
2) Carly Rose Sonenclar (”Your Song” Elton John/ Team Britney) – I always found this song boring. She does okay with it but as Demi Lovato likes to say, I was a wee bit bored by it, even with Carly’s vocal stylings giving it a little bit of spice. She said this was her father’s favorite song so I can’t blame her for picking it. “It’s still very predictable,” Demi said. “Another slow song. But the R&B side of your voice is so magical. I don’t care it was predicable.” Grade: B-plus
3) Emblem3 (”Baby, I Love Your Way” Peter Frampton/ Team Simon) – If this show is trying to find a modern artist, why does Emblem3 keep carting out songs long before they were born? What is Simon thinking? They do modernize this a bit with some reggae feel and a bit of rapping. It’s actually not half bad. They shake it up enough to make it work. “I saw you as stars. It was inventive,” L.A. said. “The very first time since the first auditions: that’s what Emblem 3 is,” Demi said. Grade: A-minus
4) Fifth Harmony (”Anything Could Happen” Ellie Goulding/ Team Simon) – I have never heard this song but it’s a winner for this group. I have not been a fan of anything they’ve done until last week and this performance was impressive across the board. The look, the vocal mixes, the harmonies, it all worked really well. They are finally feeling like a group. Good timing. “That performance was the very best vocal performance you’ve ever done,” L.A. said. Grade: A
5) Tate Stevens (”Fall” Clay Walker) – Another ballad and he’s very earnest. He’s likable, which helps him get through a fair slog of a song. “You’ve done enough to make it to the final,” Simon said. Grade: B-plus
6) Carly Rose (”Imagine” John Lennon) - She takes a risk by adding some big notes on such an iconic song. I tend to agree with Simon that she worked the vocal gymnastics a bit much but she is so good, I still enjoyed it. All the movement from piano to stage and back “made the song fussy,” Simon said. “I’m not sure the song needs big notes. It was overcomplicated.” Grade: B-plus/A-minus
7) Emblem3 (’Hey Jude’ Beatles) – Another ancient song for a group that needs to be doing more modern stuff. This is sweet and cute but is this really what Emblem3 wants to be? One of the guys is reminding of Bobby or Peter Brady. It’s a perfectly amiable version of a Beatles classic but I am confused what they ultimately are going to be in the pop marketplace. Grade: B
Fifth Harmony (”Impossible”/ Shontelle) – This attempt at drawing a Hispanic audience wasn’t nearly as embracing as their first song. There were even some bum notes. A bit of a letdown and a bit of a snooze to boot. L.A. said they had sung this before, a “lazy song choice.” Britney said she would be surprised if they survived. Grade: B-minus
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99 comments Add your comment
Seth T
December 12th, 2012
9:35 pm
Female Music Celebrity – estimated gross income over the past year — (per msn)
5. Katy Perry = 45 million
4. Lady GaGa = 52 million
3. Rihanna = 53 million
2. Taylor Swift = 57 million
1. Britney Spears = 58 million
Brit’s ready to start Carly into the Big Leagues, so fear not for Carly.
Pitchy
December 12th, 2012
9:36 pm
Thank you, DanJ. I really like that and the sentiment it conveys. Beautiful. I wish to one day have someone feel that way about me.
Pitchy
December 12th, 2012
9:40 pm
Yes, she should have stayed at the piano.
Oh my, growing up listening to Hey Jude always depressed me. Now that I’m older, I can appreciate the song.
The fact that Emblem 3 is singing it, takes away from the sentiment of the song 110%.
Pitchy
December 12th, 2012
9:40 pm
Hey Jude, juda juda juda….UGGHH!
Pitchy
December 12th, 2012
9:42 pm
They may be teen hearttrobes, but nothing like The Beatles.
DanJ
December 12th, 2012
9:44 pm
I didn’t really hear the note that well! It was like the mic was too far away from his mouth! I’d bet the farm that Simon has them already signed! Probably all 4 acts!
Harriett
December 12th, 2012
9:46 pm
Dan, I knew Vern Gosdin and his brothers before he struck gold. He was a fantastic singer who could interpret a song like no other in his genre. He was part of the Atlanta music scene in the ’70s. Chisled in Stone would have been perfect for Tate.
So, to me, and even though I am not a fan, Tate won the night so far.
Seth T
December 12th, 2012
9:50 pm
Agree – Emblem 3 is nowhere near the Beatles, in their time. Not even a logical comparison, as The Beatles were all good musicians and sang very well together.
Pitchy
December 12th, 2012
9:53 pm
Harriett, that is really cool you knew Vern Gosdin and his brothers. Reminds me of when I used to hang out with Indigo Girls before they blew up.
Seth T
December 12th, 2012
9:55 pm
5th Harmony just doesn’t get to a real break-out, hot, sexy, dynamic upbeat song — just predictable and bland songs.
DanJ
December 12th, 2012
9:57 pm
I do hope 5th Harmony makes it over E3! Didn’t like the Spanish parts…confusing.
Harriett I’ve always been a Vern Gosdin fan and that song and the emotion he puts in it? Amazing! I also Tate should sing one of a couple of Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin brothers songs.
Pitchy
December 12th, 2012
9:58 pm
As always, I’ve enjoyed your company this evening. My cat is sleeping, so I’m going to try and finish my tree before my daughter comes home on Friday.
Good night my virtual friends!
Pitchy
December 12th, 2012
9:59 pm
I definitely can see Tate singing a Gatlin brothers song! Nite!
Seth T
December 12th, 2012
10:00 pm
I enjoyed Nicholas (bigfoot) David’s rendition of Over The Rainbow on The Voice recently – more than anything I heard on X-Factor tonight.
Harriett
December 12th, 2012
10:01 pm
Vern’s brother, Rex, was a talented songwriter and partnered with Atlanta DJ Les Reed. They had a hit with George Jones called “Someday My Day Will Come.” a very talented family. Youngest brother, Adam, is the only one left and hear he still plays.
Harriett
December 12th, 2012
10:33 pm
Good night
Mercedes S.
December 12th, 2012
11:06 pm
My two cents… only fun part of the evening was the Fifth Harmony Mad Hatter tea party… the choreographed(!), youthified Tate felt as fake as the line he uttered before the second song when he’s having a deep conversation with his wife and says that if he wins, “I would take care of you the way you should be taken care of” – to the camera.
Much as dislike the Emblem boys and their desecration of Beatles, they got the crowd going.
Carly Rose was a disappointment. Agree with Simon that “Imagine” was a trainwreck. Maybe the melismatic warblinbg was meant to make us not notice if the forbidden “and no religion too” was there or not. The high note was a sad scream. Bad mentoring advice.
Deirdre
December 13th, 2012
7:23 am
Morning!
I only saw a few minutes of XF last night. Emblem 3 singing Hey Jude. I have to say that I liked it better than anything else they’ve done. The first guy to sing has a really nice voice. Unfortunately, he’s saddled with the other 2 yahoos.
Highlander
December 13th, 2012
7:42 am
Morning!
Haven’t seen last night’s X-F yet. Will watch it later. For now I’ll just say y’all are correct in your assessments. …Until I watch it and make my own, anyway!
Harriett
December 13th, 2012
8:21 am
Good morning.
Nothing I saw in the recap did anything to change my prediction that Tate took the night last night. And, as I have repeatedly said: I am not a fan. Sorry for Carly Rose and her mentor screwing her over.
Sam-A
December 13th, 2012
8:53 am
Deirdre: recorded the 12*12*12 concert last night, mainly of course for Sir Paul; however the concert ran over by 2 1/2 hours, and of course they always save Paul for last to close the show, so he was not recorded, and the AJC said he did 40minutes!!!!! Crap! We set up for 5 1/2 hours – who knew it would never end!
ashley brown
December 13th, 2012
8:57 am
My cat was sleeping in my lap and when Carly hit that big note the cat jumped up and stared around looking for whatever made the noise. I didn’t like either of her songs tonight and someone should really coach her on some of her facial expressions while singing. Hopefully, if she wins, she won’t have all the problems her coach has had growing up.
joshua melton
December 13th, 2012
8:59 am
I think Tate deserves a contract for he is as good as any of the singers I have heard on CMT. His voice is smooth and is never pitchy. If Carly wins, I sure hope she doesn’t let success ruin her like it has for Miley Cyrus and Brittney.
MoFaux
December 13th, 2012
9:14 am
I agree that Carly did not do herself justice. I still don’t get the love for Tate. Yes, he’s a great guy and would win hands down if this was a “nice guy” contest. But, his voice is very mundane. He sounds like a million other country singers and there is nothing really distinctive about his voice at all imo. But, he should do well in the country world, if you’re into that. Carly, to me, is the only one worthy of winning, based upon her past performances. The first song was pretty good though. Simon was dead on regarding Imagine. I’m afraid she might actually not be in the finals. To me, she’s hands down the best singer with the most potential. However, we should give her props for at least trying the song her own, and slam Britney instead for poor mentoring.
Harriett
December 13th, 2012
9:24 am
Mo F, I totally agree about Tate’s pedestrian voice, but he did very well last night and was head and shoulders above the rest, including Emblem 3, IMO. I have known much better singers than Tate, but then they are not contestants on XF. He’s at least deserving of the top two.
Deirdre
December 13th, 2012
9:29 am
imo, ALL the mentors have done a very poor job. Simon may understand what tween girls want but I think Emblem 3 will be eliminated based on his mentoring. Demi, while starting off well as a judge, has made a total mess out of her contestants. Most of the time I didn’t know whether they were trying to be singers or performers in a Cirque du Soleil show. Britney was lucky to have Carly but she has done little to improve her and much to cause her harm. LA is totally useless unless he’s given rappers.
Deirdre
December 13th, 2012
9:31 am
Sending a shout out to JT. I know that Portland is a big city and the chances of friends or family being caught in the mall shooting are slim to none but I’m a mom…it’s in my nature to worry.
DanJ
December 13th, 2012
9:40 am
I rewatched the show and I think either Carly Rose or Emblem3 goes home. 5th Harmony did well and had the pimp spot and I think to increase the drama they will be the first act through leaving Carly, Tate and E3 for the final two spots. Tate will go second to the final given the country voting block. Honestly I hate to say it but I think Carly goes home albeit with a contract from Simon. Of course I’m usually wrong but I did want to go on record just in case I luck up and right! Of course knowing Simon it will probably come down to Tate and Carly for the final spot.
JTesla
December 13th, 2012
10:10 am
I’m good. Opposite side of town from me, but it was scary hearing the first reports and scrambling for news.
Missed X Factor again, I watched 30 seconds of the hosts boosting the judges egos. Just can’t get into it.
Mercedes S.
December 13th, 2012
10:30 am
Morning!
Good to hear JT is well. I have nephew with young family in Portland, and hope no news = good news.
The immaturity of the female judges is lamentable. They treat their mentoring as some kind of doll-playing. My young cousin Mary, just turned twelve, is an excellent dresser, like most of her friends, and I think if the three 13-year olds had been left to their own sartorial devices they would have done much better on this show. Beatrice always looked like a ragamuffin, and Diamond, the most attractive girl in this competition , was either tarted up or boy-ed down. What is it with the compulsion to plop men’s hats on young girls?
Carly wore the same unflattering lace top twice yesterday, only in different colors.If I was her no-neck mom, I would have stepped in.
Sam-A
December 13th, 2012
10:32 am
Hold on there, JT – just over a month until “Idol” starts.
Kelly (per ad on tv) will appear Monday on “Voice” season ender. I’ve heard a new song of Kelly’s played on the radio, and it doesn’t seem to be on latest CD. Don’t remember name, but it’s a really great song (Not “Dark Side”). Would ;anyone (K&CF) happen to know the name of it so I can grab it and put into my Grooveshark?
Mercedes S.
December 13th, 2012
10:32 am
And JT, the way to watch the X-Factor is to pre-record it. The judges comments never vary, and you’ll get through the show in 30 mins or so.
Jubie
December 13th, 2012
10:47 am
Hi everyone. I haven’t been too big on Xfactor, I much prefer AI. But I really wanted to vote for Tate last night but I just could not do it because of that stupid chain.
Mercedes S.
December 13th, 2012
10:56 am
Lol, Jubie… the chain was part of my youthification problem with Tate.
MoFaux
December 13th, 2012
11:13 am
Harriett, I agree that Tate did well enough for the finals. I just don’t think he’s all that special, voice-wise. Also, I think most people vote based also on past performances, so her fans will vote no matter what…she just didn’t pick up many new votes most likely. E3 is irritating to me and the muscle shirt guy not only can’t sing very well…he’s not a great rapper either. The comparison to the Beatles probably made George, John and even their late, great buddy Ravi turn over in their graves (not sure if he’s buried yet, RIP). I was hoping Simon would acknowledge how dumb that comparison was, but since they are his act…
Pitchy
December 13th, 2012
11:29 am
My cat was sleeping in my lap and when Carly hit that big note the cat jumped up and stared around looking for whatever made the noise.
Exactly how I felt. It I were a cat, I would have arched my spine, hissed at the TV, then coughed up a fur ball!
Pitchy
December 13th, 2012
11:29 am
Good morning!!!
Sarah
December 13th, 2012
12:19 pm
I agree with a majority of these grades, though I wouldn’t go as far as to grade Emblem3 an A. They have ventured so far from what they started out as, and now their performances seem contrived. But after debating tonight’s elimination with a coworker at DISH, we still think they will move on over Fifth Harmony. The choice to sing a song they had previously performed was a flaw on their part, and it’s likely that like Diamond, this choice will get them sent home. I am interested to see if our predictions are correct tonight, I’m glad I won’t miss anything with my DISH Hopper. My crazy schedule always interferes with my favorite shows, so I love that I can program my DVR to automatically record entire seasons. The 2,000 hours of recording space is more than enough room for everything, and I love that I can fast forward through commercials on my recordings. It’s clear that either Tate or Carly will win this competition, but I am still interested to see who will join them in the finals. Even though Fifth Harmony is the stronger group, it seems like the boys charm and charisma will get them more votes.
DanJ
December 13th, 2012
12:23 pm
I would agree that Tate doesn’t have a great voice but honestly what male country stars do? I can’t think of too many country songs that male artists sing that have big notes. It’s more about singing with emotion, telling a story. I think that’s why more people relate to country music. Tate can sing with emotion and honestly he is very likable. The problem I have with Scotty McCreery is I don’t feel his emotion.
DanJ
December 13th, 2012
12:26 pm
Why are so many spammers pushing DISH? I dropped them years ago because of poor customer service! Won’t say what I have now but it isn’t DISH! Geez!
Dum-Bass
December 13th, 2012
1:09 pm
All of these X Factor singers are second rate to those on The Voice, and I use to hate The Voice. X Factor reminds me of a second rate AI. It’s obvious it is European-influenced(Simon) and the times I have seen Carly whatshername while waiting for Tate, she is rather pathetic, with a “blah” personality! What bothers me most is that RoHo did not even cover The Voice until he found it there was a kid from GA on there, and now he’s gone, just as RoHo started covering it. He missed my favorite, Melanie Martinez who got bumped last week, and even though 17 had me hooked. She had that “Jewel-like” quality, even a crack between her front teeth like Jewel, which gave her some originality. Melanie could mesmerize me with a song. I kept wanting to hear her sing “Brand New Key” which strangely enough was done many years ago by an artist named simply “Melanie”! She will be heard from again down the road, bet on it. Those puppy-dog eyes and soft, sexy voice will get a contract in a couple of years.
Dum-Bass
December 13th, 2012
1:14 pm
Sorry, should have said “until he found OUT, not IT”. And should be “a crack between her front teeth SIMILAR to Jewel’s problem”. I know hers is on the side and is just a crooked tooth. Always wondered why Jewel didn’t have that fixed with all her money.
SonnieK21
December 13th, 2012
1:21 pm
Perfect name for this kid to rise up the ladder. Kind of reminds
me of the television sweetheart Miranda Cosgrove who shares
her character’s moniker. Now with ICarly gone forever and
Cosgrove on hiatus from acting because she is now a
freshman at USC, Sonenclar has the tools to become
OurCarly.
♥ kelly&carriefan ♥
December 13th, 2012
3:23 pm
Hi y’all,
I think Emblem3 are the ones who deserve to go home ahead of Fifth Harmony, but we shall see. I still think it’s Tate or Carly’s to lose. Btw, Britney did her no favors last night. Imagine? Really? And am I remembering this wrong, but didn’t Archie do Imagine on Idol with a piano as well? Sometimes my memory can be a pain…
Sam-A, Kelly’s new single is Catch My Breath. It’s on her Greatest Hits (along with 2 other new songs, People Like Us, and Don’t Rush). She’s performing it on The Voice. Also, she is doing a special, charity event in Nashville tonight, called A Night for Hope. For those wondering why I’m not going, work obligations prevented me from attending. Boo. It will be streamed online at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/jillandkatelive and starts around 9pm EST. The performers are Kelly, her former back up singers, Jill and Kate, and Tyler Hilton. Proceeds benefit Houses of Hope in Southern Africa. Kelly wrote a song about her travels and performed it during the Spring version of the Stronger Tour.
Sam-A
December 13th, 2012
3:43 pm
Hi, K&CF! Kelly’s apparently also appearing this coming Sunday night on a “Diva” show – but the article I was reading didn’t mention where it was on – maybe VH1? Thanks for the name – love the song. I’ll have to try and find the Greatest Hits album this weekend.
Deirdre: Paul is the musical guest on SNL this weekend.
♥ kelly&carriefan ♥
December 13th, 2012
4:12 pm
Sam-A, yes, it’s VH1 Divas. Adam Lambert is also performing. (No jokes needed!)
Highlander
December 13th, 2012
6:01 pm
At the expense of waking the rabid Glamberts, Adam has been successful enough yet to be called a Diva (in the good sense of the term). I don’t know if he qualifies for the negative, bytchey connotation.
Highlander
December 13th, 2012
6:02 pm
CRAP! Meant to say he HASN’T been successful enough yet…
Highlander
December 13th, 2012
6:09 pm
I think Fifth Harmony deserves to go forward over Emblem3 (who have been slowly going downhill) but if history tells us anything regarding these shows, you can never underestimate the voting power of the tweenie-girl block.
I think Carly will be in second place again tonight. ‘Imagine’ is one of those iconic songs that an artist can screw up trying to “make it their own.”
If Tate does win the whole thing, I’m prepared to hear all the WGWG posts from G.