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.

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.

Last nights X Factor had some outrageous 80s Halloween costumes (for the 80s themed night), horrendous dancing by Mario Lopez, and mostly horrifying performances from all the contestants. At this point, the show is only worth watching for the one or two redeeming performances, but only if you can sit through the rest of the two hour show cringing at flat notes, off key harmonies, weird staging, bad costumes (yes, costumes), and Paulina Rubio.

Immediately at the top of the show, Carlos Guevara was sent home, which was not at all surprising. Although, I was expecting Tim Olstad to get the boot first. After the quick goodbye, Lillie McCloud took the stage with Chaka Kahn’s “Ain’t Nobody.” I feel bad for this woman. Simon Cowell’s comment about her being dated is going to stick with her for the entire show. She wore a younger outfit, she had dancers and a DJ on stage with her, surely she would come across more current! But, she didn’t. The whole thing felt a little bit desperate. While it was nice to see her moving around on stage, she slacked on her vocals a bit. Simon somehow saw this all as her successful “attempt to be current.” Moving on…

Carlito Olivero flopped for the third time in a row. His vocals could only improve after his disasterous performance of “If You’re Not the One,” last week, so he should pat himself on the back for that feat. Unfortunately though, he was eaten up by everything else going on onstage. Although he showcased his dancing ability, he didn’t take any control of what he was doing. He didn’t focus enough on either his dancing or singing, half-assing each. Kelly Rowland commented on his struggle and noted, “You’re supposed to be smooth.” Paulina, in an attempt to say he looked scared on stage, said, “You’re struggling with your face.” Simon doubts that he’ll stay in the competition to redeem himself next week, and we agree.

Rion Paige, who made us all feel old when she revealed she thought the Spice Girls were from the 80s, sang Pat Benatar’s “We Belong.” Rion started off shaky, but picked it up towards the end of the song. The thirteen-year old lacked any connection to the song’s lyrics, though, and delivered a dull performance. Simon told her she always puts 110% into her performances, but needs to have more input in her song choices. I believe it’s officially time to call it; Simon has gone soft.

Next up was Sweet Suspense, who left the judges unimpressed with their cover of Toni Basil’s “Mickey.” The girls had a cute stage set up, and looked great. But just like last Wednesday, who was really singing? The backup vocalists played a large part of their song, and again, it was hard to tell where the voices were coming from. Kelly didn’t feel like the girls were coming together as a group. Demi laid out some harsh criticism, saying they were too focused on the choreography and the most interesting part of the performance was the fire. When Simon interrupted to say it was the best performance of the night, Demi chimed, “They’re no Fifth Harmony!” Ouch. Oldest member of the group Summer Reign looked like she going to burst into tears.

Funeral director, as Simon appropriately called him a few weeks ago, Tim Olstad had the strangest performance of the night with “Against all Odds” by Phil Collins. Tim is the perfect example of why not everyone with a good voice is a star. He lacks any sort of stage presence, and was completely overshadowed by the strange dancer in front of him. Demi agreed with the sentiment stating, “You do have an excellent voice… but no X Factor.” Simon was too distracted by the dancer and said it looked like a murder movie.

Kaya Cohen turned Madonna’s “Borderline” into an Amy Winehouse, Duffy-esque song. While Kaya’s stage presence is improving, she still has a lot of work to do. Some of the movements felt staged and awkward, while a few looked organic and seamless. She has a few bum notes, but overall, had one of the best vocals of the night. No comment on her outfit because that’s not her fault. But these contestants need to learn to say no to their stylists sometimes…

Restless Road had the perfect song in Kenny Loggins’, “Footloose.” The song allowed them to still have their country twang, while sticking true to the theme of the night. Lead singer Colton still had some pitch problems, but wins “most improved” this week. The band as a whole have a lot of work to do still, with vocals and their stage presence, but these guys aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. The judges threw praise at them, but did mention that the other two guys, Zach and Andrew, need to step it up.

Rachel Potter was another victim of strange staging with her rendition of Heart’s “Alone.” She was awkwardly hanging onto a fence while singing, which made her performance come off as a joke. Some shaky notes and a peculiar scream towards the end of the karaoke arrangement left me disappointed. Demi predicted she could win this thing, while Simon had some reservations about Rachel’s vocals. Unfortunately, Rachel may be in danger.

Ellona Santiago was feeling very ambitious with Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” She never really quite found the melody, hit some bum notes, and even fell in the middle of the performance. The dance moves, the outfit, the dancers, the staging, screamed “I’m cheesy!” While yes, the girl has talent and has potential to become a pop star, she needs better guidance. Simon said most of the performance “mad,” and would like to see less choreography.

Josh Levi proved that the judges decision to have him back was worth it. He sang Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up,” and made it current. This mini Bieber proved he could command the stage, as he shined through all the back up dancers and made the show entertaining. His vocals still need some work, but he’s improved greatly. Kelly told him, “…you have just arrived.”

Jeff Gutt performed Journey’s “I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight.” His performances was what I expected it to be. The predictably isn’t good for Jeff. He did nothing to liven up the arrangement, which made the performance a bit boring. It’s unfortunate that Jeff wasn’t in his teens or early twenties in the 80s, because he would have fit right into a classic 80s rock band. Simon admitted his problem with Jeff is that he isn’t showing originality, and that he needs to push himself to come out of his comfort zone.

To conclude the night, Alex and Sierra performed “Addicted to Love” by Robert Palmer. The duo were separated by a wall for most of the performance, which was exactly what I’ve been wanting to see. Sierra proved she didn’t have to be starring at Alex to give a sexy performance. The duos vocals weren’t as on point as usual, but the performance itself was an improvement for me. So, the judges comments were a bit surprising. Kelly and Demi didn’t like the separation, and Simon noticed that Sierra lost the melody from the beginning. I enjoyed it, people love them, it’s pretty obvious the couple isn’t going anywhere for a while.

Prediction: Tim Olstad and Carlito Olivero will be going home tonight.

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.