Somehow, X Factor managed to fill the first 15 minutes of the show with pure filler. The contestants told us what goes on behind the scenes during the week, in a really unnecessary video package. But right after, host Mario Lopez got down to business. The first contestant to be sent straight home was Ellona Santiago. As Mario said her name, a look of pure shock crept up Ellona’s face. Seems like all the praise from the judges had gotten to her head. “This is ridiculous,” said judge Demi Lovato. Although I am surprised Ellona was sent home, I am not upset to see her over the top performances go. Sorry.

Emblem 3 from last season of X Factor performed their single “Just For One Day.” These guys are from my hometown, so I’m going to throw some love their way and just say the song is super catchy. It’s also nice to see that they stayed with their original California surfer sound they began with last season. After their performance, the bottom two were revealed: Carlito Olivero and Rion Paige.

Before Carlito and Rion sang for their lives, Little Mix, from X Factor UK, performed “Move,” from their second album, “Salute.” The performance just proved further that X Factor is actually pretty good in every other country. But moving on, Rion Paige was up first with Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me.” Her spirit was obviously shaken, and her downward spiral continued. While Rion went for emotion, Carlito played up the sex appeal with Usher’s “You Make Me Wanna.” He walked through the audience, even finding a girl to sing to from the crowd. While I haven’t been a fan of Carlito’s, he has been improving. The competition seemed to be getting to 13 year old Rion, with each week getting worse and worse. It’s no surprise that the judges voted to send Rion home, except for Rion’s mentor, Demi Lovato.

The only reason I’m sticking around to finish watching X Factor is for Alex and Sierra. And, let me be honest, to get a few laughs from Paulina Rubio’s incomprehensible critiques. And before I get any “English is her second language!” comments, it also is for my mom, but she can form comprehensible sentences in English. But anyway, X Factor had the contestants sing two songs last night: a divas song, as well as an unplugged rendition of whatever they wanted.

Restless Road started off the night with Taylor Swift’s “Red.” Not sure Taylor Swift should be considered a “diva,” but okay. The band actually seemed to have practiced a little bit. They looked so much more comfortable on stage, and their harmonies seemed to be a little tighter, although I can’t help but think they had help from some back up singers. The deep voiced one, Zach, needs to be careful and take more control of his voice. Judge Kelly Rowland said they “found that thread that ties you guys together as a group… but you need more energy.” Paulina Rubio said something about someone named Collin, and Simon Cowell told them they “HAVE to be in the final.”

Rion Paige sang Carrie Underwood’s “See You Again,” which proved that being in the bottom two last week really got to her. She had sharp notes everywhere, and it was a bit painful to listen to. Simon told her it was “not the best song to choose perhaps,” which was the closest any of the judges to giving Rion a real critique.

Jeff Gutt sang Mariah Carey’s “Without You.” Not sure if this should count as a diva song since it was originally done by Badfinger. But the performance began a little sleepy towards the beginning, but got much better towards the end. He hit the notes, and on this show, that’s more than expected. Demi Lovato told him, “You got the X Factor.” Paulina Rubio must be drunk as she again just threw some words together and hoped for the best. Simon told Jeff, “You are quite boring as a person,” which sadly, is true. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jeff go home tonight.

Ellona Santiago wowed the judges with Lady Gaga’s “Applause.” I just don’t understand the praise thrown at her. Her “fierce” attitude, her outfits, and her dancing, just don’t mesh with her innocent 13- year old like face. She had a ton of pitchy moments, but somehow the Simon still believe she went from “being a mouse to a little tiger.” Demi, taking a cue from Paulina’s language skills, told her, “I couldn’t be more prouder of you.”

Finally Alex and Sierra came on to perform “Say My Name” by Destiny’s Child. I love them. They’re stage presence is improving every week, especially for Sierra. Her vocals were so on point for this. The simple arrangement allowed for their vocals to truly shine, and it was nice to see Alex without a guitar. Amazing. Amazing. These guys don’t need to win this competition for me to buy their first records. Simon told them they could win this show, and gave kudos for taking risks and not using gimmicks to get votes.

Carlito Olivero performed Jennifer Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud.” I stopped paying attention after a few moments, but could immediately tell that switching songs last minute hurt him. He needs just go home already. I have nothing else to say about him.
Restless Road was up again to take on the theme of “unplugged.” They gave a nice rendition of Avicii’s “Wake Me Up.” I’m still not sure why Colton is the lead singer. Andrew has a nicer tone, and with some more vocal coaching, could easily front the band. Their harmonies still need some work, which makes me think they’re not getting enough vocal lessons, or they’re just tone deaf. The band finally showed some emotion other than just cheesy-ness, and Colton was even crying! Which made Demi cry and tell them how beautiful their performance was.

Rion Paige did slightly better with her second song, “Glass” by Thompson Square. She still messed up a few notes, but the judges, of courses, failed to mention so. Demi was in tears again, as she told Rion, “Every word of that song is what you’re about… It’s so inspiring and I love you.”

Jeff- performed Elton John’s “Daniel,” for his brother, who was in the audience. He sounded just fine, and it was nice to see him with a guitar. But just like Demi told him, it was a bit “stale.” Two boring performances, and I’m sure Jeff will be going home tonight.

Ellona Santiago tried and failed to deliver on Beyonce’s “If I Were a Boy.” The beginning was problematic, and she failed to hit the final run, causing the begninng and end to be a pitchy mess. There were some nice moments in the middle, but she shouldn’t have picked such an ambitious song. Without the craziness behind her, her vocals are front and center, which unfortunately was not a good thing. The judges seemed to be listening to a different person as Demi told her, “I’m so happy that you know, that Simon gave us that advice because it really did showcase your vocals.” Kelly noted that she enjoyed when Ellona softened her notes, and to explore the softer tone a little more. I think that was the nicest way to tell her that her big notes were awful.

Alex and Sierra, once again, delivered an amazing performance. These two are geniuses when it comes to song choice as they took on A Great Big World’s “Say Something.” Sure, they didn’t stray from the original much, but why should they? Sierra was noticeably shaky on the piano, but didn’t miss a note. The duet was simply beautiful. If these two get sent home tomorrow, I will lose all hope in America’s musical taste. (Or atleast the 14 people who vote for the show.) Demi was moved with the performance, and with the fact that the duo couldn’t take their eyes off each other. Paulina said something about mathematics and babies. Simon said the most obvious statement of the night, “In so many ways, this is my favorite performance of the season.”

Carlito butchered “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King. His flip flop between Spanish and English here didn’t work. There were a few times I couldn’t understand him at all. The arrangement was corny, didn’t feel “stripped down.” GO HOME ALREADY. But, I’m not holding my breath for that. Kelly somehow thought that was his best vocal so far. Paulina, after saying something about “open his nose” which Simon thought was “oily nose,” said “we’re not going to ‘loss’ you.” And that unfortunately, is probably the sad truth.

Prediction: Jeff Gutt and Rion Paige will go home.

I’m not sure what the rest of America is seeing when they watch X Factor. Maybe those with their own opinions aren’t voting, and those that are, are simply voting for who the judges gave the most praise to. In a horrendous (but half expected) turn out, Lillie McCloud and Josh Levi were sent home.

Lillie was sent home at the top of the show, which meant she had the absolute lowest amount of votes. Before announcing the two who would sing for their lives, Demi Lovato performed a super pitchy rendition of her latest single, “Neon Lights.” Not sure what was going on with her, but she seemed out of breath throughout most of the performance as well. But, back to the results. Josh and Rion Paige were the bottom two after Lillie. Rion sang Pink’s “Perfect” and Josh took on another Bruno Mars song (after Paulina Rubio made the mistake of introducing Carlito, which if anything, just proves further he should have gone home), “When I Was Your Man.” Both gave their all, and the judges voted with a tie. This meant the result would be based on who truly had the least amount of votes, and shockingly, it was Josh.

Going into deadlock with the votes was a stupid choice by Simon Cowell. He should have saved Josh, who clearly has more star potential than Rion. Oh, well.

It’s big band night on X Factor, which probably meant absolutely nothing to most of the contestants, as almost all picked a contemporary song and turned it to fit the theme. The performances were mediocre as per usual. And I’ve officially decided, this is the last time I’ll ever keep up with X Factor.

Rion Paige sang John Anderson’s “Swingin,” which got her praise from all the judges. Her vocals were not on point, as she seemed to struggle through the song as she skipped around on stage. She sounded out of breath the majority of the time, so I’m not quite sure how to take Simon Cowell’s comment that she showed what kind of artist she would be in the “real world.”

Restless Road gave a painful rendition of “Life if a Highway.” Sure, Kelly Rowland was right when she said the guys sounded more cohesive, but that didn’t stop lead singer Colton Pack from bombing a good majority of his solos. Why he’s still the lead singer, I’m really not sure. Demi said they “look like stars up there.” Okay, then.

Jeff Gutt impressed with Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good.” The simplicity really allowed his spot on vocals to shine through. He felt genuine with his performance. The judges agreed it was his best performance so far. I’m still not sure I can see Jeff having much of a career after the show, but he is by far the most consistent.

Jeff Levi stole the show with Bruno Mars’ “Treasure.” This kid has the best stage presence out of anyone on this show. It comes so naturally to him, and so far, he’s the only contestant I can see “making it” outside the competition. The judges loved it, but Simon felt the choreography was a bit dated and theatrical.

Carlito Olivero was cheesy beyond belief while performing a medley of Ricky Martin’s “La Copa de la Vida/Maria Maria.” This performance was much better than his past few, but that doesn’t mean much. He’s back to his “latino” roots, and as a latina, I don’t care for it. He doesn’t have as much “swagger” as the Ricky Martin’s and Enrique Iglesia’s of the world. He stills seems to be trying way to hard, and he doesn’t seem original. The judges loved him, Kelly noting that he finally looked like was having fun.

Alex and Sierra completely reworked Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble.” The outcome was ambitious, and while some moments didn’t work for me, it, again, showed the duo’s creativity. These guys would have been better suited for a show like The Voice, but what can you do? It’s nice to see contestants taking risks on such a stale show. Alex still performed circles over Sierra, but her voice and stage presence is improving fast. While Kelly wasn’t a fan of the rendition, Demi said, “You guys made me like it… It’s so different from the original song… and that’s what artists do, you turn a song into your own.”

Lillie McCloud sang “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess. To be completely honest, I don’t have much to say about her performance since Candy Crush stole my attention during her performance, except during the super powerful last note, which allowed her to show more range. She has the best voice on this competition by far, but she’s dull. Simon told her the entire performance was too contained, which Kelly simply replied, “Shut up.”

The last solo act was Ellona Santiago with “Mama Knows Best” by Jessie J. Her vocals were much better than last week, but she still hit a few sharp notes. I understand that other 17 year old artists have worn outfits like hers on stage, but Ellona just looks too young to pull it off. It made me uncomfortable to watch her prancing around in super short shorts. Her dancing, the stage, the outfit, the dud notes, all made me feel like I was watching a pop star wannabe still. The judges threw tons of praise at her, except for a tiny bit of criticism from Simon who remarked, again, to lose the dancers since “it’s a bit dress up now.”

All the contestants came together for a group number of “Cry Me a River,” which I’m not even going to bother critiquing because those things are horrendous. Also, way to try to bring in a celebrity mentor a la The Voice…

Although I’ve given up trying to figure out how America will vote…:

Prediction: Lillie McCloud and Carlito Olivero will be sent home.

After the graphics error on Wednesday night’s show, all the X Factor contestants were given 24 hours notice to prepare a song for last night’s episode. The contestants were given a second chance to perform, with audiences voting again last night. Nobody will be sent home this week, but two next week; one on Wednesday, and the other back on regular schedule to be eliminated on Thursday. Some contestants proved themselves under pressure, while others fell flat, and some stayed the same. One thing was very obvious, the show is full of unnecessary filler. Yes, the judges were a little rushed in their critiques, but who really cares about what anyone but Simon Cowell has to say?

The contestants performed in the same order as Wednesday’s show to remain fair. So again, first up was Josh Levi. The second chance performance was a saving grace for him, as he performed far better in the second go-around. He sang Rihanna’s “Stay,” and although he sounded great, was a bit boring. Simon believed it was “a winning performance.”

Rachel Potter also redeemed herself from the previous night with Martina McBride’s “Anyway.” While the song choice was safe, she sounded great, and she earned herself a backhanded compliment from Simon who remarked that she must have a twin sister since she was “incredible” but the night before was “horrible.”

Carlos Guevara stayed consistent from the previous night, and not in a good way. Carlos failed to impress on Wednesday with “What’s Going On,” and failed miserable last night, as well. He sang Damien Rice’s “Cannonball” which proved to be an awful song choice as his voice cracked the entire time. Paulina Rubio said, “This performance has been the most amazing performance.” Why give him false hope Paulina? Carlos is definitely in danger of going home next Wednesday.

Simon’s latest money making wet dream, Restless Road, delivered an okay rendition of Jason Aldean’s “Don’t You Wanna Stay?” The trio, again, had some pitch and harmony problems, but that probably won’t matter since the girls clearly love them already. Demi Lovato believed this performance was better than the previous nights. Doesn’t really matter, these guys will be safe.

Seventeen-year-old Ellona Santiago slowed down David Guetta’s “Titanium” for a more intimate performance. Some notes fell flat, while others impressed. The judges believed it was her best. As far as her vocals go, I agree. She was able to focus on her singing rather than her dancing, which left her looking dull on stage.

Jeff Gutt sang Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.” He sounded just fine, but the song choice might hurt him. The song dates him, which could make his performances come off as boring. Simon told him he needs to work on his phrasing, and that parts came off as “corny” because of it.
Alex and Sierra performed an “immaculate,” as Simon called it, cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Give Me Love.” As per usual, the duo gave the song their own little twist which allowed their voices to just wow us. With their good looks, chemistry, and beautiful, beautiful voices, these guys have become my favorites, even with their sometimes annoying lovey-dovey performances.

Khaya proved to also be exquisite with song choices as she stuck to what she does best with Duffy’s “Distant Dreamer.” Her voice is by far the best in the competition, but she still lacks something when it comes to connecting with the audience.

Poor Carlito Olivero. He had a mediocre night on Wednesday, but things went downhill on Thursday. Carlito picked an ambitious song, Daniel Bedingfield’s “If You’re Not the One.” The performance was a disaster as Carlito failed to reach the falsettos and even bailed completely on one. It’s a bit confusing as to why he would pick this song if he knew he couldn’t hit the notes. Simon asked if he was sick, which mentor Paulina confirmed. But, who knows. While I don’t think he’ll go home just yet, Carlito probably won’t stick around for very long.

Lillie McCloud sang Queen’s “Who Wants to Live Forever.” This was Lillie’s worst performance. She was a bit off on her vocals, and her performance was a bit awkward. Regardless, she still proved she’s more talented than most of the contestants on the show. She’ll probably keep getting flack from Simon about being outdated, but there’s a market for that somewhere, right? Where’s Susan Boyle at?

Sweet Suspense was also a flop last night with “That Should Be Me,” by Justin Bieber. What happened to the girls from yesterday? The harmonies were off. There were some nice moments, and each individual has a decent voice. Maybe those backup vocals were more prominent Wednesday night than they should have been, and swallowed up their off key harmonies? Simon was obviously disappointed in the performance, saying, “That was a very difficult song to sing. I want everyone to remember the performances from the last two weeks.” In other words, that sucked.

Tearjerker moment of the night went to Rion Paige who sang a slowed down “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga. Not only did this performance showcase Rion’s vocals, but proved how smart she is. The song choice was brilliant for her. Demi told her, “I saw the same Rion I saw in the beginning,” and Simon chimed in, “Let this girl choose her songs from now on.”

Tim Olstad ended things on a sorry note once again. He sang a very predictable, very boring version of “I Believe I Can Fly.” To try to improve his stage presence he let out a “woo” in the middle of the song, which led Simon to simply critique, “You can’t do woo in the middle of the song.”

My prediction: Tim will go home, which is a shame since he does have a nice voice. He just wasn’t able to find his place.

Last night’s X Factor started off with a glimmer of hope for the show after last week‘s questionable eliminations. The show began by announcing that after some evaluation, they would bring back a contestant as a wild card. Would they bring back fan favorite Danie Geimer? Nope, of course not. Why would we possibly think that X Factor would bring back someone with immense talent? Instead, Josh Levi, who gave an awful performance last week, was brought back.

Josh kicked off the Motown themed night with Jackson 5’s “Who’s Lovin’ You?” His performance was a huge improvement from last week’s flop, but that’s not saying much. While the style of music was very suited to his voice, the vocals were at time shaky, and he lacked any passion in the performance. Nevertheless, the judges loved it, Simon Cowell even claiming he went from “zero to hero” from last week to this.

Rachel Potter followed Josh’s performance with a country version of The Isley Brothers’ “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You).” While Rachel demonstrated flawless vocals, and an energetic performance, the version of the song felt inauthentic. While Demi Lovato enjoyed the performance telling Rachel she brings “so much to the stage,” Simon felt differently saying that she made a beautiful song “insane.” Harsh, but we have to agree.

Carlos Guevara sang Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.” Carlos was barely audible for the first part of the song, and once you could hear him, it lacked all charm. The performance and arrangement was lazy and dull. If it weren’t for the second chance the contestants have been given for tonight, I would suspect Carlos would be in danger of going home. Also in would-be danger of going home had last night’s votes counted, Tim Olstad. The singer performed last, a great spot, and yet failed to deliver. Tim performed Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There.” Demi and Kelly Rowland agreed that while Tim has a great voice, he still lacked any sort of performance skill. Kelly said, “It was a watered down version of ‘I’ll Be There.'”

Country trio Restless Road performed “Easy” by The Commodores. The harmonies were much tighter than last week’s performance, but lead singer Colton made a lot of pitch mistakes, which Paulina Rubio called out in one of the rare moments she had something smart to say. Regardless, the audience loved it, with the girls screaming so loud Demi gave up trying to give feedback and left it with a simple, “Well done, boys.” Despite the mistakes, Simon believes these guys will make it to the finals, and let’s be real, they probably will.

Ellona Santiago, who was having SUCH a hard time juggling the competition and taking her SATS, wowed the judges and the audience with The Supremes’ “Baby Love.” This young 17 year old clearly has the superstar dancer/singer image in mind for herself, and she can do it. She impressed with being able to dance and sing, with only a few breath issues. But, perhaps it was the outfit, came off as trying a little too hard. Regardless, the girl can sing. Jeff Gutt also impressed the judges with his take on Lionel Richie’s “Say You, Say Me”.” This performance was easily Jeff’s best, as he not only sounded great, but was passionate. Simon told him, “That was outstanding. Really, by a mile, the best vocal of the night.”

Boyfriend/girlfriend duo, Alex and Sierra gave a sultry rendition of Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” The two have an ease at mixing their voices, and clearly know what type of artists they want to be, which in a competition like this, is refreshing. But, as I’ve said before, the way the two perform needs work. Sierra was staring at Alex lovingly, but the song is about cheating? Maybe I’m just being picky, but they need to show some range in performance ability.

Khaya Cohen made The Temptations’ “My Girl” into a current jazz song, which is all due to her Amy Winehouse-esque voice, as Simon commented. She, with Ellona, is a powerhouse young singer in this competition. The difference between the two is what Simon commented on last week: Khaya isn’t likable. She needs to rewatch herself as she’s getting critiqued, and see how she comes across. Not good. Carlito Olivero seems to have the opposite problem (not exactly a good thing?). While his rendition of “Stop! In the Name of Love” showed off a more tender part of his voice, he still had pitch problems. The judges didn’t like the performance with Simon even remarking he took a step back in the competition. But, the girls love him, and he’ll probably be safe.

Lillie McCloud was told she was outdated last week. This week she faces the problem of delivering a Motown song without coming across as old. She took on Stevie Wonder’s “All Is Fair in Love”,” and again proved how talented she is. She wasn’t able to overcome the outdated issue, and the performance was boring. Kelly felt the same sentiment, but Simon believed it was “absolutely fantastic.”

Sweet Suspense, made up of Summer, Celine, and Lilly, sang “You Keep Me Hangin’ On.” The backup singers seemed to have a much bigger presence in their performance than in the others. The girls were impressive, but it’s questionable to who that could be credited to. Demi told them they’re stars. Simon believed there’s something “special” about them. Hopefully tonight they’ll have less help from the production, and rely more on their voices.

Rion Paige was another victim of a boring, sleepy arrangement. She sang a very slowed down version of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” which gave mixed feedback from the judges. I agree with Kelly’s statement, “I’m not sure that I liked than rendition, but I still love hearing you sing.”

As I have mentioned, the finalists will all sing again tonight. Last night during the east coast telecast, the graphics displayed the wrong numbers for the audiences to vote. Fox explained, “As a result of a graphics error (incorrect voting numbers were displayed on screen) during the performance recap at the end of [Wednesday’s] East Coast broadcast of ‘The X Factor,’ the Top 13 acts will perform their ‘Save Me’ songs for America’s re-vote, in a live, one-hour performance show airing … Thursday, Nov. 7.” Audiences will vote again on Thursday. The results will be revealed next Wednesday, followed by another elimination on Thursday.