After a laughable, strange, weird, annoying third season of X Factor, the winner will FINALLY be announced. Kelly Rowland says someone will win the million dollars, and it will change their liveS. Yep, an S. So, either one person has multiple lives, or that was her slip on who she believes will win… (Alex and Sierra). Also on the show, a ton of randoms, and ONE DIRECTION!

The top 13 came out to sing U2’s “One”, and reminded us how horrendous most of the acts were, but also how much of a shame it was that singers like Khaya Cohen were eliminated so quickly. Mario awkwardly interviews the top 3, asking obvious questions like how much would this mean to you, how bad do you want this? There is then a video package mocking Paulina Rubio, which does not do justice to how stupid most of the things that came out of her mouth were…

Each contestant sang a Christmas song, which began with Carlito. He sang “Christ (Baby please come home)” with barely clothed women in Santa wear following him around. No thanks. He didn’t sound very impressive either. But I guess the judgement is all out the window at this point, and I swear if he wins… His performance was followed by a package with his family calling him kiddo a lot and his adorable grandparents.

There was an awkward montage of Kelly flirting with young guys before Jeff Gutt performed “O Holy Night.” He sounded strained for most of the song, but again, judgements are void at this point. Skipped over his video package, because, let’s be real, it’s going to be all about how he NEEDS THIS FOR HIS SON. Alex and Sierra performed next, and although I believe they should have gone with “Baby Don’t Go,” I’m okay with their rendition of “All I Want For Christmas.”

And the award for most awful thing to happen on X Factor goes to the package about Demi Lovato and her “annoying juice.” The package seemed to insinuate that her juice was alcohol. For anyone who doesn’t know, Demi was in rehab for drugs and alcohol, among other things. She was clearly not happy. And if there was any question about whether or not Demi would return, I guess now you know…

Lea Michelle performed her single, “Cannonball,” and as always, sounded incredible. But the song was dull… The repetition in the song was annoying, and catchy. But at least she’s a super adorable person?

Finally, we get to some results. In third place is.. CARLITO! I’m glad that despit some bad choices, America got it right with this one. And as much as I’ve been mean about Carlito, I wish him the best…

After some more random recaps and Leona Lewis, Alex and Sierra performed a duet with Jeff. I wonder if they paired up duets with every possible outcome? The three performed a lovely rendition of John Newman’s “Love Me Again.” There were some pitch problems, but oh well, I’m sure they were anxious to hear the results.

One Direction performed “Midnight Memories” and Louis sounded decent! Harry and the rest of the guys are such cuties, and I have to admit that I’m a little bit in love with this group. I can’t help it. Such a fun song, such a great little boy band. Oh and, swoon at Harry’s scream towards the end.

Finally the winner is announced, and it is, ALEX AND SIERRA! Jeff Gutt was visibly upset, but made sure to let everyone know that he met the right people during the competition to continue his career. Okay. Alex and Sierra tred to sing “Say Something,” through tears. All the contestants rushed out to hug them as they finished their performance. Beautiful. Amazing. I’m so happy.

As for their future, I hope Alex and Sierra don’t follow in the pattern of the previous winners, and disappear. Let’s hope they pull a Phillip Phillips and stick to their sound to make good, memorable, music.

Last nights episode of X Factor was about 45 minutes too long, filled with way too many unnecessary video packages, cuts to the contestants’ hometowns, Paulina Rubio… Couldn’t Alex and Sierra just have taken over the entire 2 hours and played some beautiful music?

The contestants all sang three songs, their song to win, a duet, and a song of the series. All three categories were basically pointless. I mean, shouldn’t they all be songs to win?

Carlito was up first, with an absurd video package about how he’s a fighter! This win will mean so much to his family because he came from nothing! He even proclaimed, “This is our one chance! There’s nothing else out there for me after this… I need this,” which is probably sadly true, as I can’t imagine him having a real career. I mean, he did fail with Menudo. But anyway, he sang Shontelle’s “Impossible.” The verses were a little too low for him, and he seemed to be straining. But the back track was nice, and was it just me, or did it seem as though he was lip syncing during the chorus? I don’t think I’ll ever understand Carlito’s appeal. He’s unoriginal, his voice is mediocre at best, and he’s really not that great of a performer. Kelly Rowland told him, “What I’ve come to love about you, is your heart.” Translation: You’re a nice guy, but you’re not all that great. Simon Cowell once again stated that he’s not the best singer, “but that’s not necessarily a problem.” Oh, right. Okay.

Video packages are almost always corny, but what I loved about Alex and Sierra’s was how genuine it felt. They don’t need a sob story, an I’m a fighter! story, or any gimmick. They’re just super talented cool people in love, and I want to be their third wheel and have them sing to me all the time. (Sorry, that was creepy). They sang Ed Sheeran’s “Give Me Love” for the second time (the first after the wrong phone number mistake during the Top 13), and the improvement was so evident. It was beautiful, it was touching, it was everything I’ve come to expect from the duo. Alex’s raspy “Love me! Give Me Love!” shout was so perfectly contrasted with Sierra’s soft tone. Was this song supposed to be a duet, because. Yeah. Perfect.

Jeff Gutt’s life is all about his son and how bad he wants this! He’s a genuinely nice guy! Got kelly a photo of the two of them. They cried. He couldn’t have done this without Kelly. Sob. He says, “I’ve been waiting for 37 years for this one chance.”  A+ for effort in trying to show more personality from Jeff wit that package. He took on Aerosmith’s “Dream On.” He sounded just fine, but something felt missing. The laser show was a bit much, and his energy level never seemed to reach a good spot. Props on that high note, even though it was cut a bit short. Demi Lovato said it was amazing, even though she couldn’t hear him. So that’s makes sense. And perhaps for the first time in the history of this show, Paulina Rubio said something smart. I think she was trying to say that Jeff needed a band behind him, and that is 100% true. Perhaps that would have made him more comfortable and energetic.

Before the contestants moved on to duet with special guests, Paulina Rubio “sang” an awful song called “Boys Will Be Boys.” Isn’t she a little old to be singing about boys? There’s a reason why Paulina hasn’t crossed over to America. And I’ll leave it at that.

Carlito sang “Stand by Me” with someone named Prince Royce. The arrangement was cheesy, the performance was dull, and I think a new rule to my X Factor drinking game is to shot gun a beer every time Carlito yells “Latino!” Oh, you’re Latino, Carlito? I had no idea. The judges threw undeserved praise at him, Demi slightly mentioning that at first the energy was low.

For the first time, Alex and Sierra did not have a good performance, but I don’t think it was their fault. They sang “Bleeding Love” with Leona Lewis, who for some reason, was given all the glory notes. Leona sounded a bit sharp, which maybe through off the duo? Perhaps having a third person in the equation just kind of threw off the Alex and Sierra-ness. But, their worst performance is still far superior than anything Carlito has done, so it’s okay. Demi admitted it wasn’t their best performance but, clearly was did not catch Leona’s mistakes as she said, “She out shined you a little bit.”

Jeff was up next with John Rzeznick of the Goo Goo Dolls. The two sang “Iris,” and Jeff more than held his own. John (can we talk about plastic surgery?) seemed only half interested in what was going on around him, which maybe tripped Jeff up a few times. Someone messed up the words into the last chorus, and I’m going to go ahead and blame it on John. (Note, John was the only one not asked about what it was like to work with the contestant.)

After a strange package for Covergirl with contestants I’d already forgotten about, the top 3 sang their Song of the Series, a song they’ve performed previously. Paulina introduced Carlito by announcing, “Carlito has been here for a few weeks,” (Oh has he?) before he sang an awful rendition of Santana’s “Maria Maria.” The vocals were sloppy, the dancers were cheesy, the jacket was horrendous. Kelly said all his performances last night were “nice.” Maybe I’m projecting, but I’m going to go ahead and assume that was shade.

Alex and Sierra memorized everyone with their beautiful, beautiful performance of “Say Something.” The duo somehow managed to have more haunting emotion in their voices the second time around, and I will admit, I finally bought the song on iTunes. They are perfect. I want their album. Now.

Jeff Gutt ended the night with Radiohead’s “Creep.” His vocals were on point, and the simplicity of the staging was a nice change from the lasers. The only thing I’ll say about Jeff is that each performance is kind of the same. Take away the weird stages and lights, and he performs the same way each time. Something different would have been nice, but he’s a talented guy. With this song choice, and the pimp spot, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jeff ends up winning the competition.

To be completely honest, I think Jeff really does need to win more than Carlito Olivero or Alex and Sierra. Alex and Sierra will succeed regardless of the outcome, and well, everyone knows how I feel about Carlito. I don’t really mind who wins tonight, as long as I still get an album from Alex and Sierra (and okay, as long as it’s not Carlito).

Before I start my recap, I’m going to go ahead and predict that Carlito Olivero is going to win, just to spite me. Now that that’s out of the way…

Before an excruciating long recap of Wednesday’s show, the final four contestants did a group number, singing Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger.” These things are always horrible, but Colton somehow managed to out-bad everyone during his solo. It also sounded like someone was messing up the lyrics during the chorus. But anyway, Mario revealed that the contestants would start campaigning NOW for the finale, whatever that means. AND GUESS WHAT! ONE DIRECTION WILL BE BACK NEXT WEEK! (Take a drink!)

More filler with the contestants all talking about what winning means to them. Twenty minutes in, and still, nothing of importance happened. Finally the contestants began to be called to safety. First contestant moving on to the finale is Carlito Olivero. And to begin his campaigning, he sang Elvis Crespo’s “Suavemente.” The performance was actually pretty good, until he decided to shout, “Latinos!” in the middle. Was that necessary, at all?

Enrique Iglesias “performed” his single, “Heart Attack.” He was lip-syncing the entire time. So, was this supposed to be an example for Carlito, or?

Alex and Sierra were called to safety next and performed, Passenger’s “Let Her Go.” I feel as though these performances were rushed together. The two sounded just fine, but something about it wasn’t as special as their performances normally are. After the duo sang, we were reminded that the biggest boy band in the world.. wait for it.. ONE DIRECTION, will perform next week. (Another drink).

And finally, Jeff Gutt was the last contestant to make it to the finale. Before Jeff performed, Colton of Restless Road announced, “This isn’t the end of the road for us. You’ll be seeing us.” The video package showed mostly just Simon Cowell throwing praise at the boys, which is interesting.

Moving on, Jeff sang Journey’s “Open Arms” for his campaign to win the finalw. The song choice, as it so often does, dated him. It felt very 80s rock, and was just a bit too scream-y for me.

If Alex and Sierra don’t win, I give up on America officially.

With how much I’ve slammed X Factor in my past recaps, I’m glad I decided to stick around. The top four performances showed all the contestants’ growth, some more than others, to make for a solid two hours, of mostly good music. The contestants each sang three songs, one voted on by America, a duet, and a judge’s choice.

Kicking off the night was Carlito Olivero with Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend.” He played up his sex appeal by singing to girls, bringing them up on stage, etc. On top of that, though, he actually sounded decent. Depsite my incessant need for Carlito to go home the past few weeks, he proved himself with this performance. The judges all agreed. Simon Cowell noted his lack of vocal ability, saying, “You’re not a great singer, but you make up for it by being a great performer.”

Next up was Restless Road with Luke Bryan’s “That’s My Kind of Night.” The vocals were shaky, the performance was dull… My prediction is that by this point, girls have probably chosen Carlito over the country trio, and Restless Road will go home tonight. Demi Lovato, being the most truthful, unbiased judge, said the performance was “awkward.”

Alex and Sierra sang “Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men, and absolutely blew everyone away. The harmonies were impeccable, and Sierra began to really shine. No longer is she merely hiding behind Alex’s shadow. My only complaint is that they didn’t allow for their artistry to show through, leaving the song pretty much the same as the original. Perhaps that just means this is the sort of record the duo would be making, though. Regardless, the judges loved it, Demi going so far as to say she was looking at the winners.

Jeff Gut was given the most over-sung competition song in the history of reality shows, “Hallelujah.” I don’t think there has been a single season of any singing competition that didn’t have a contestant sing this song. Jeff gave the song a rock twist, and delivered an amazing performance with amazing vocals. Demi told him that he would be joining Alex and Sierra in the final, and Simon commended the sincerity and passion behind the performance.

Next up, the duets. Alex and Sierra were up first, singing “Falling Slowly” with Carlito. Carlito’s voice didn’t seem to go deep enough for the opening line, but continued the performance with good vocals, despite one too many runs. Alex and Sierra stole the show, despite a few flat notes from Alex, and especially Sierra with her big note, you KNOW which one.

This left Restless Road to sing “Every Breath You Take” with Jeff Gutt. To be honest, this performance was neither bad nor good. Both contestants had good moments and bad moments, and the pairing was just strange. The song went from “rock” to country in a split second, leaving a weird hybrid. The judges did agree though, that Jeff delivered the better vocals.

Carlito sang Marc Anthony’s “I Need to Know” in his final performance of the night. The dancers popping out of the speakers were a bit distracting (and annoying) but Carlito actually sounded pretty good. He looked confident on stage, and didn’t seem like he was trying to hard, like in his previous efforts. Kelly Rowland wondered where this Carlito has been hiding.

Restless Road ended their performances with “Wanted” by Hunter Hayes. These guys NEED vocal training. They don’t know how to control their voices. There were some really nice moments, like Andrew and Zach’s harmonies. But there were also some really awful moments, like Zach’s solo. But somehow the boys got a standing ovation from the judges. Despite their best efforts, I still believe they’ll be going home.

Alex and Sierra sang Sara Bareilles’ “Gravity,” which was somehow, better than their performance last week. Alex’s falsetto, Sierra’s high notes, everything was perfection. The simple piano allowed for their voices to completely shine, and they nailed every single note. If somehow these guys don’t win the competition, I really hope someone snatches them up to make a record. I want it already, and it doesn’t even exist yet.

Finishing the show was Jeff Gutt with “Demons” by Imagine Dragons. Jeff picked an awful time to give a weak vocal performance. Jeff never found his place with the song, leaving lots of pitch problems. The judges enjoyed it though, only Demi even kind of mentioning how “peachy” the performance was.

I think it’s still safe to say, Restless Road will go home.

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.

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.

It’s British Invasion week on X Factor, which only means one thing: I hope you have your alcohol ready for the X Factor drinking game because this might as well have been called, “One Direction’s New Album is Coming Out Next Week, So We Need to Remind You How Successful They Are Because of X Factor, In Case You Forgot.” And guess what, ONE DIRECTION WILL PERFORM ON THE SHOW TOMORROW!

The mentors mostly had strange song choices for their team members, which led to disappointing performance after disappointing performance. With British acts crossing over so well to America recently, it’s a shame that the mentors picked mostly songs from the old big guns: The Beatles, Elton John, Queen, and The Rolling Stones. More contemporary artists would have made the show more entertaining. There was no Adele, Cheryl Cole, Jessie J, Ed Sheeran, or an obvious choice for Khaya Cohen, Amy Winehouse.

Jeff Gutt opened the show with Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” While Jeff has a cool voice, Kelly was delusional in thinking he could hit Freddie Mercury’s notes, and alas, he didn’t. He struggled here and there, and made no attempt to make the song his own. The stage set up with the thrown was beyond cheesy. Jeff is becoming more and more a caricature of rocker. If he doesn’t find a way to become his own artist, he’ll be out soon. The judges loved it, though, Simon even calling this Jeff’s best performance.

Tim Olstad decided to get behind the piano to show more personality with Elton John’s “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.” While the piano playing allowed for Tim to look slightly more comfortable on stage, he was still dull. Some people can sing, but not all of them can be entertainers, and unfortunately, this just doesn’t seem to be in the cards for Tim. I’m not sure what Kelly and Demi saw onstage, but they went so far as to call Tim sexy. Simon called him a hamster. If Tim doesn’t go home this week, there is something seriously wrong with X Factor.

Khaya Cohen went with The Beatles’ “Let It Be.” I can’t really wrap my head around this. Why did she not sing an Amy Winehouse song? Was Demi purposely trying to sabotage her? The performance was good, because girl can SING, but not one of her best vocals. I feel for Khaya, she shouldn’t go home, but there’s a strong chance she will. Simon told her, “The fact that you were in the bottom two last week was a joke.” He also said her shyness was holding people back from voting for her, and that she needs to “smile, bring puppies,” whatever it takes to come across more likable.

Josh Levi was up next with “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by the Eurythmics. This kid is definitely the most commercial performer on the show, but needs to take more control. The staging was cheesy, and the dancing took away from focus on his vocals. Kelly says he needs more “freedom” in his performance, and Demi admitted the dancing needs some work. Simon told Josh,  “Your mentor is actually mad.” There was a battle of accents, but Simon was right.

Alex and Sierra sang, wait for it, One Direction’s “Best Song Ever.” (Take a drink!) I love that they are artists. Every week they show something original. The rendition was really cool and collected, but Sierra was all over the place. Alex upstaged her a bit with his vocals and overall better stage presence.  Kelly felt the same as she said, “Alex, you were so much stronger than sierra.” Demi on the other hand said “This was your best performance yet. I’m actually going to go home and download that on iTunes.” Simon always proud of his groups predicted, “You carry on like this, guys, and I think you could win this.

Rion paige gave her best performance so far with Elton John’s “Your Song.” It was a great song choice. She kept it simple, and commanded the stage with just her voice. For the first time, it didn’t feel as though she was over singing with too many runs. The judges loved it, and Simon was in disbelief that this powerful voice came out of a 13 year old.

Carlito Olivero created a mess with The Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction.” While his vocals were a bit better than previous weeks, the arrangement was awful. He would have been better off singing the Britney Spears version. The backtrack was overpowering, the screens were horrendous. Paulina is proving to be an awful, awful mentor, and I have a feel she won’t be back next season (if the show comes back even). The judges all gave out different advice, and Carlito seemed eager to oblige all of them, which is most likely his problem. Carlito seems to have no input in his performances, from song choice, to arrangement to staging. If he does, well, then.. He should stop trying to be a performer.

Lillie McCloud took on Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work.” Lillie’s main problem this season has been coming off dated, so I don’t really understand why Kelly gave her this song to sing. A more suitable choice would have been Adele. Lillie is an incredible singer, nobody can deny that, but she’s just so dull. I’m indifferent towards her as a performer, until she starts getting better songs. Demi said, “I think I’d like to see you utilize your range more.” Not sure what Simon was listening to, but he “thought that was absolutely brilliant… You just made me realize how good you are.”

Ellona Santiago was also on board the disaster train with Carlito. Her rendition of Ellie Goulding’s “Burn,” was pitchy, cheesy full of awful hair and clothes. Demi’s face in that quick shot during the middle of the performance said it all. While this girl sometimes impresses, I’m over it. Her determination to be next teen pop star is coming across as trying too hard.  Kelly told her, “You always bring something extra to the stage, and I was missing that today.” Simon was more harsh saying,”You’re a brilliant performer… However, at the moment it’s like I’m watching an actress… at the moment you’re like a dancing, singing puppet.”

REMINDER, One Direction is going to be here tomorrow! (I don’t think I have any more alcohol left to take another drink.) After the little reminder, Restless Road was given the pimp spot with “Fix You” by Coldplay. The guys attempted to turn the song into a country track, which just didn’t work. While Zach was certainly trying to be less awkward and move around more on stage, he still looked stuff. I laughed during that performance, and I shouldn’t have given the subject of the song. This is all over the place. Kelly felt the same way adding, “It needs to be more cohesive. Zach, you gotta loosen up” Paulina went in a compete circle with her critique saying, “You guys don’t show yourself… you need more, (bah bah bah look) at eachother. Uh but youre good,” or something like that. Demi gave the best criticism saying, “I think you’ve done better. I feel like Andrew your harmonies were off… It’s what Kelly said, it wasn’t blending well. I think Simon spent more time focusing on your performance than your vocals his week.” Simon was a bit deluded in his comments (probably couldn’t see clearly with those $$$ in front of his eyes) saying, “I think it was by far one of the best performances of the night.”

Sorry X Factor got your drunk, go drink some water.

Prediction: Carlito Olivero and Tim Olstad 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.