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.

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.

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.

Two contestants were sent home last night in another double elimination on X Factor. Again, America failed to give the boot to the appropriate contestants, but at least got it half right this time around.

Khaya Cohen was sent home right at the start. The teen kept her composure after hearing the news, which made me like her even more. It’s a shame she never broke out of her shell, because she had one of the best voices in the competition, and didn’t deserve her fate. But hey, One Direction didn’t win on X Factor either, and speaking of…

DISCLAIMER: Before you keep reading, and hate me for my 1D review, I love One Direction, I SWEAR.

If you’ve kept up with my drinking game for the show, you were probably still drunk last night from Wednesday’s One Direction pimping, and were probably obliterated by the first five minutes of last night’s show when the band was mentioned about 435 times. Host Mario Lopez introduced the guys, and mentioned a new member to replace Liam, “Lie-am.” (Come on Mario, don’t pull a Paulina.) The boys sang their latest single “Story of My Life,” and it was mostly rough. Harry sounded sick, the harmonies were off, Louis was pitchy, but “Lie-am”, Zayn, and especially Niall sounded excellent. I’ll cut them some slack and say it was probably due to jet lag and perhaps a lack of rehearsal? Regardless, the guys looked great (especially compared to their X Factor audition tapes that were shown in the package before the performance. Hello, puberty), and still showed the contestants what could be (but lets be real, nobody can touch the success of One Direction.)

After the guys performed, the bottom two contestants were announced: Tim Olstad and Carlito Olivera. Although the two of them should have been sent home, it’s good to see that America voted slightly better this week. Tim performed Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up” (another ballad, shocking), which was boring, but showcased nice vocals. Paulina called him a “multi-facetic” singer. Oh. Carlito sang Labrinth’s “Beneath Your Beautiful.” Carlito brought out the charm that has been missing the past two weeks, and showed more consistent vocals throughout the song. The performance won over all the judges, with Kelly, Demi, and Paulina voting Tim off, leaving Simon the freedom not to make a decision (although we’re sure he would have also ousted Tim.)

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 brought the Four Chair Challenge to a close, and revealed the top 16 that will move on to the live round.

Already seated, and waiting with anticipation to see if they’d remain in the competition were Girls United, Glamour, Wild Things, and Restless Road. Waiting for a chance to steal one of the seats was Sweet Suspense. The new group of now BFFS put together by destiny (Simon) sang “Wishing on A Star.” Although the vocals started a bit shaky, the girls mesh well as a group, and you could tell the girls understand the concept of harmonizing. Demi said she was proud of their hard work and Simon said he believed they had all the elements of a successful group- “chemistry, talent, fun.” While I would have replaced Girls United with Sweet Suspense, it came to no surprise that Simon said goodbye to Wild Things to make room for the girls.

If you had any doubt that this season’s format change was a bad idea, Yellow House Canyon’s “Hell on Heels” performance will kindly confirm it. The duo of actual best friends (not the “I feel like I’ve known them my whole life” bit) had undeniable energy, but failed to impress the judges. The girls showed a lot of future potential, but as Demi told them, “I don’t think you have what it takes to be sitting in one of those four chairs.” Meeting the same fate was Good News (ironic?). The two teens sang a boring off-key rendition of “Landslide.”

Before Good News was sent home, Forever in Your Mind snagged Glamour’s seat. The 1D wannabe trio of young guys, which the girls clearly love, sang the JoBro‘s “Love Bug.” The also now BfFs4LiFe seemed to have put this performance together the night before, and the lack of experience was obvious. Kelly told them it felt like they were “missing a lead singer.” Simon agreed that the vocals need work, but kept them anyway.

The saving grace of all the groups, Alex and Sierra, came up next. The couple sang “You’re the One That I want,” and showcased their velvety smooth vocals. Maybe this is the bitter-single-lady in me coming out, but something about their lovey dovey stage presence doesn’t seem like the right way to go about every single performance. The two are undoubtedly the best of the groups, but there are other ways to be endearing. (For example, Karmin, another duo of bf/gf). Demi perhaps agreed with my sentiment when she asked, “What would happen if you ever broke up?” Simon insisted it was a silly question, and the two took Girls United seats.

The last group to perform was Roxxy Montana. The trio of sisters sounded good when singing separately, but still have not perfected their sound as a group. Simon told them, “You haven’t worked out who you want to be, and we can make you incredible.” The sisters get a seat, and we say goodbye to Forever in Your Mind.

X Factor returns for the live rounds with the top 16 October 29.

Last night’s episode of X Factor reassured that Paulina Rubio has no idea what she’s doing/talking about, and that she has the weakest team in the competition with the Boys.

The show began with Al Calderon. The performance, as I’ve said in previous recaps, proved that narrowing down the contestants based on one performance was a huge mistake. The cutie-pie ,that girls obviously love regardless of his talent, performed a strange, shaky version of “Call Me Maybe.” Simon told him, “We can make you into a much better singer.” (Auto-tune?). And Al gets a seat.

But the disappointing performances didn’t stop there. Isaiah Alston, who wowed the judges in his first audition, failed to find the right key during his performance of “The Greatest Love of All,” and was sent home on the spot. Football player Isaac Tauaefa was also sent home after his nerves clearly took over during his dull performance of Colbie Caillat’s “Bubbly.”

Carlos Guevara broke the spell of absolutely awful singing with “Ain’t No Sunshine.” This time around was much better than his audition, but he needs to work on his stage presence. Having your eyes closed for 99% of the song doesn’t allow for much connection. After telling the judges he doesn’t “want to be a sob story, I just want to be an inspiration,” (remember, he has Tourette’s), he gets a seat. Also getting a seat is One Direction- obsessed Stone Martin, who sang Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn.” (Hm, didn’t One Direction sing that when they were on X Factor?)(Also, take a drink for the mention of 1D, don’t think we forgot about that drinking game) Finally, to complete the four before any switches occur, Chase Goehring sang “Airplanes,” which showed that many of these young guys lack so much experience.

Next up, nervous guy Tim Olstad. He showed that there is some talent in this competition with his rendition of “The Climb.” While Demi said she couldn’t see him being let go of the competition, Paulina had to wonder if he’s special enough. She switched him with Stone Martin, which, was a bad move at this point. It should have been Al or Chase. Carlito Olivera also got a seat, sending Chase home, as he sort of impressed the judges with his spanglish version of “Dreaming of You.” The performance had it’s highs and lows, and made Kelly wish he “would have gained more control of that vocal.”

Timmy Thames sang “The New Girl in Town,” which had the young girls in the audience screaming. Kelly called him a “little Michael Jackson.” While Demi didn’t understand his appeal, Paulina did and he got a seat. Who would be sent home? Tim. The boo’s in the audience were loud and clear. So loud, that Paulina realized how dumb her decision was, and she quickly took it back. So Tim took his seat again, which left Al packing.

Finally, 14- year old Josh Levi performed a slightly pitchy “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” The judges all loved him, so much so, that Paulina gave him, in another stupid move, Timmy Thames’ seat. And with that, Paulina has her final four: Carlos, Carlito, Tim, and Josh.

Finally, Simon’s turn for the Four Chair Challenge began. The first four to perform all got seats, which will surely lead to some “drama” in tonight’s episode. Girls United and Glamour, both trios of all girls, performed with decent vocals and cutesy choreographed dances. The difference? It fit for Glamour, but as Demi put it, was a “little young” for Girls United. Both groups probably won’t stick around anyway.

The “Country man band,” as they put it, made up of Andrew, Zack, and Colton, was put together by Simon after the three were cut as solo acts. Demi called Simon a genius for putting these guys together, and we have to agree. Not only are these guys super adorable, but they can actually sing well together. Wild Thingz, a rap?pop?joke? duo, also got a seat, which again, probably won’t last, seeing as Simon didn’t even seem to understand how or why they got this far…

This week on X Factor we finally discovered how the “Four Chair challenge” works.

Each contestant is to perform in front of the four judges. After performing and receiving feedback, the contestant’s mentor decides if they get to take a seat in one of the four chairs, or if they go home. Once you’re in a seat, it doesn’t mean you’re safe until all 10 contestants have performed. If all four seats are taken and another contestant has been told “You made my final four” (except, as we see, not really), the mentor can decide to switch out a seated contestant, and send them home. Weird right?

First up for the four chair challenge were the over 25s with mentor Kelly Rowland. The performances proved that Kelly’s team is on the weaker side, with only two performances showing any sign of the “X Factor,” (although I’m starting to think that on this show that means little).

Victoria Carriger, 41-year old mother of eight, sang first. She performed a weird rendition of “To Make You Feel My Love,” and just like in her first audition, had weird enunciation issues. Were the over 25s really that bad that Carriger made it to the top 10 over the others? Probably. Simon told her he wouldn’t put her through based on that audition. But Kelly, taking the strategy most of the judges probably will, decided to fill up her seats first, in case nobody performed better (and on this show, it seems to be likely).

Kristine Mirelle performed next. Either she was not memorable at all in her first auditions, or this is actually the first time we’re meeting her. She did an … interesting version of Britney Spears’ “Oops I did it Again.” She proved to have a miniscule amount of talent. Demi told her it was pitchy, and Paulina, who seems to never have an original thought, agreed. Simon on the other hand, liked her potential. Kelly tells her to take a seat, and like Carriger, will probably get switched out.

The theme for this round seems to be strange versions of pretty amazing songs, and Jeff Gutt followed suit with “Amazing Grace.” He has an interesting raspy rocker voice, which didn’t fit this soft, yet powerful song. However, my opinion doesn’t matter yet, and the judges seemed to love it. Simon went so far as to call it the best performance of the night so far, and sadly, it was true. Kelly tells him he has a seat, as she quickly shrieks, “I HAVE ONE MORE CHAIR.” Kelly’s acting chops need to be perfected a bit, since she, and the viewers know, that two of those seats are easily replaced.

Rachel Potter turned “Irreplaceable” into a country song. She was out of breath the whole time, which in turn led to tons of pitchy moments. Demi told her it was kind of rough after Rachel admitted she’s been sick. She gets a seat anyway.

Ex- football player Lorie Moore sang “I’ll Make Love to You,” a boring choice in my opinion. She has a powerful voice, but I see no signs of an entertainer, if starting a game of Candy Crush about 15 seconds into the song is any indication, anyway. Demi agrees with my sentiment, and tells Lorie she’s not sure if she’s looking at a superstar. Paulina, of course, agrees with Demi. Simon didn’t like the choice of the song, but sees Lorie’s talent anyway. Kelly says, “I don’t know if you’re ready for this industry, this competition,” but has Lorie take Kristine’s spot after a heartfelt speech she gives about working hard, which let’s be real, was probably used as a pep talk before one of her football games.

We meet Allison Davis who was only given a short clip during auditions. Her package reveals only three of the judges sent her through during auditions (is this the only person the judges didn’t all agree on?) How she made it this far is a wonder to everyone as soon as she sang the first two words of Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok.” The performance only became worse. This looked more like a reject audition performance than a fight to stay in the competition. This is a perfect example of why the judges shouldn’t have based their top 40 based on one audition… Needless to say, she was sent packing.

Jeff Brinkman gave a pretty dull performance of “Without You.” Although he has a unique tone, it also seems like one that could get old really fast. He did enough to earn a spot in a chair, and Carriger got a well-deserved boot.

Denny Smith, also known as Santa Clause, sang “Midnight Hour,” which the audience loved. This should have been a huge indicator for Kelly, since this is an AUDIENCE voted competition show, but she unfortunately sends one of the only acts that has talent and is entertaining home.

James Kenney sang a beautiful rendition of “Lean On Me,” which proved to be the best of the night. Everyone loves him. Instead of taking into consideration what the audience was telling her and sending Potter home, Kelly switched Brinkman with James. Bad choice.

Lillie McCloud was the last to perform for Kelly’s team — and she delivered. McCloud sang “A House is Not a Home” perfectly, and left Demi clearly in awe. Lorie Moore was given the boot, which was a bit surprising given Kenney still had a seat, and Lillie took her place.

So, the four to move on in the over 25 category are; Jeff Gutt, Rachel Potter, James Kenney, and Lillie McCloud.

Next up were Demi Lovato’s girls. First up, 20 year old Bree Randall who looks exactly like Diana Agron. She definitely has the look down, but her voice needs work. She sang The Wanted’s “Glad You Came,” which didn’t allow her to showcase any ability — if she has any. Simon told her she “brought the right outfit, right personality, but you didn’t bring the voice.” Bree began to grovel, as many of the contestants have awkwardly done so during this round, and she gets a seat.

Khaya Cohen showed her talents with Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven.” She even stepped up her performance game a bit. She gets a seat. Jamie Pineda sang a half-karaoke sounding- half pretty decent performance of “Don’t Speak”. She also gets a seat!

Ashley Williams, with another boring song choice, sang a pitchy rendition of “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing.” Simon told her there are much better singers in this competition, which makes me question why we haven’t seen them. But she gets a seat anyway.