Do you know what? (Get it? Bupsi's catch phrase) While I was making up the list of highlights from this season I realized something...X Factor isn't about singing. Which really caught me at a crossroads because I am someone who appreciates, above all else, a good vocal performance. I've been really knit-picky about vocal techniques when this show is really just about having a good time and being entertained, this season more than ever (given the fact that Reggie N Bollie made the finals). If this was just based on vocals, it would have been a list filled with just Che, Louisa, Lauren, Seann and 4th Impact. I added in a few performances that I really thought embodied excellent performances. Keep in mind, I'm in no way affiliated with The X Factor, or anybody else, these are just my personal views! On with the list!
20. LAUREN MURRAY
"We Belong Together" // Top 7
I wasn't a big fan of this performance initially, and it's still not a performance I would show someone if I wanted them to become a fan of Lauren. First of all, up at this point in the competition I started getting sick of Lauren showing off her bubbly personality but then looking absolutely bored and uncomfortable when she was on stage because she kept doing ballads. I thought the first half of the performance didn't work because she has such a strong voice and the way Mariah did it showed her beautiful softer voice, which, unfortunately I don't think Lauren has completely. However, halfway through the performance she started smiling and it made me feel something and then she hit the chorus again and the performance absolutely sold me. She has such a strong voice and it was in top form at the end of the performance. I wish that this little bit had been throughout the whole song because the little bit of amazingness saved the entire performance, so had she done this the whole performance it would have ranked much higher.
19. MASON NOISE (BOYS)
"Sorry" // Top 13
Ah, Mason. Bad boy Mason. He had been subtly hinting towards this song choice throughout his run on the show, post "the incident". His song choice was "Sorry". I thought the beginning he was almost inaudible, and from what I could here he was very flat. By the time he got to the chorus his "Sorry"'s were gorgeous and as smooth as butter, he sounded amazing. Mason Noise gave us a SHOW every time he was on that stage and this was an amazing way to reintroduce himself to us. The one thing that I didn't like was his hops during the dance break. Because now when I hear the actual recording when I get to the dance break I just imagine him hopping like a rabbit doing the arm things and eh, I just didn't dig it. Everything else was great.
18. LOUISA JOHNSON (GIRLS)
"The Power of Love" // Top 4
It's great when you can say that one of the most basic performances from Louisa still ranked in the Top 20 for me. Her voice sounded absolutely amazing in this song, I thought the first half was gorgeous, but it was basic Louisa. The thing that drove the song over the top great for me was when she held out that one note and grew wings. It was an absolutely beautiful visual and led into the best part(s) of the song. Another thing I like about her is the fact that she plays to the camera. Every time the camera changes, she meets it right there and stares right into your heart. Her vocals were, expectedly, stunning but I have to say as she reached the climax of the song and held out that note that lead into the chorus and just continued bringing the note higher and higher it was beautiful. Not only beautiful to listen to, but beautiful to watch as those angel wings sprouted and she took us home.
17. LOUISA JOHNSON (GIRLS)
"God Only Knows" // Top 13
I thought it was hilarious that Louisa had no idea what the song was but it worked for her. First off, I liked this this much better than the original arrangement of the song. She was able to do something different and more contemporary with it. The dark background with the stars in the background was beautiful and she sounded absolutely fantastic. She was already a front runner at this point but she was able to come into the first live show and prove that she wasn't one to be messed with.
16. 4th IMPACT (GROUPS)
"Fancy/Rich Girl" // Top 5
At this point in the competition, I was learning to live with 4th Impact possibly winning the show. Their fanbase was rabbid on social media and by this performance they really cleaned up with their vocals. I had constantly loved their production and dance moves, basically I loved everything about them but their vocals. But their vocals were in top form here and Celina's rap was so great to listen to. The way that they mashed up the two songs was absolutely genius because they sounded like they naturally mashed up together. The end of the performance "SIMON, remember my name!" was spectacular and gave me so much life.
"California Dreamin'" // Top 11
I wished more people "got" Seann. He was absolutely amazing in his run and he was vocally amazing and an actual threat to Che and Louisa because, much like Mason, he was a very powerful performer. Mix that in with the fact that he could actually sing his ass off? He could have really shaken things up, had the judges sent Mason home the week Seann left. Can we take a minute to discuss how gorgeous Sean's face is? I never really noticed it before but when the camera gave us a close of shot of his face it was like perfection. From his makeup, to the look he was giving the camera. I just thought "All the leaves are brown" and him holding a brown leaf was way too literal. It was funny, though. He lost his way into the second verse but after the first few words he picked everything back up. It was such a powerful performance. It was absolutely stunning to watch, it was intoxicating, like Rita said. I think this was the type of performance you would see on the Grammys (maybe not the VMAs - there was no twerking or cultural appropriation). It was gorgeous to watch and beautiful to listen to.
14. CHE CHESTERMAN (BOYS)
"Can't Hurry Love" // Top 11
The top 11 was a pretty good week for the boys, aside from 67% of them being in the sing-off. This was the second week of the live shows so I wasn't sick of him at this point and watching his performance again, it was absolutely stunning. It was so perfectly simple . He didn't over sing it and he actually looked like he connected to the material, which - as we know - is one of his weaknesses. The reinvention of the song was good enough but to have his beautiful voice sing it was just the cherry on top.
13. ALIENS UNCOVERED (GROUPS)
"Do It Like a Dude" // Top 13
I LOVED them. I haven't really paid much attention to them throughout the show but they've always stuck out, like a sore thumb (in a good way). They are very hip, they know how to work a crowd, they now how to travel the stage and they are just a very lively group on this show. Their stage presence prevailed in their rendition of Jessie J's "Do It Like a Dude". They worked the stage like masters, they got the audience hyped up, their vocals were tight and I really was rooting for them when they performed. Unfortunately, they were prematurely booted from the show after this performance. I would have loved to see what they could bring to the show next week but we won't get the chance, unfortunately.
13. MAX STONE (OVERS)
"Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" // Top 11
This performance still gets me every time. He was one of the few contestants that week who actually took a song (two) and reinvented it into something wickedly creative but just as simple. The thing that Max had over most of the contestants was that if you closed your eyes you felt something. There's just something so raspy and wonderful about his voice that just captivated me from the 6 Chair Challenge. He was able to bottle up everything that was great about him into one little performance that stood out on an already spectacular night for everyone else.
12. MONICA MICHAEL (GIRLS)
"Make It Rain" // Top 13
Haha, Monica is so extra. It's part of why her rendition of "Crazy in Love" fell apart. Everything was just so over the top and there was no real reason for it but here everything worked. The staging was beautiful, she was fierce, she was powerful and she owned the stage. Her vocals were actually much better than they had been the whole season and it was an amazing note (literally) to storm back onto the competition with.
11. LAUREN MURRAY (GIRLS)
"You Don't Own Me" // Top 5
The sass was absolutely off the charts with this song. Her phrasing was absolutely gorgeous and it looked like she was having actual fun on stage! She's been great these past few week but...the song choices have just been putting a damper on how perky she usually is. But it was so great seeing her take a midtemp song and seeing her just stand there and get consumed by the song. It felt like she was telling a story and midway through the song I felt myself getting goosebumps. Tis was undoubtedly her best performance in the competition up to this point. No idea how or why she was in the bottom this week.
10. MASON NOISE (BOYS)
"Men In Black" // Top 9
Ugh, this performance is just a testament to what The X Factor is all about. He performed the living daylights out of his song. The rap was pretty good, his singing was alright, but the dance was out of this world. His vocal abilities are questionable, even though he's not a bad singer. He was a little out of breath the whole time and his voice isn't all that powerful, but all of that was knocked out during the dance break. Child, that dance break gave me so much life.
09. 4th IMPACT (GROUPS)
"I'll Be There" // Top 5
This song was the rise and fall of 4th Impact in one performance. This was personally my favorite vocal performance from them. For weeks I had been saying "I really want them to do a stripped back performance where they just stop trying to do too much" and they did that this week. I'm guessing the public didn't like seeing a change because that's the only way possible this fantastic performance could have factored into their elimination. Their chemistry gave me goosebumps and Almira's vocals were in absolute top form, when she did that whistle, I had to step back and stop myself from crying tears of joy. Everything about this performance was beautiful, their harmonies were gorgeous and the second half of the performance was just so powerful!
08. 4th IMPACT (GROUPS)
"Ain't No Other Man" // Top 7
These girls and Reggie N Bollie are always at the top when it comes to giving you a flawless produced and choreographed performance. It was sort of adorable who they were dedicating the song to......but this song choice. It was a very obvious choice for them. From the moment I was made aware they were doing it, I wanted to jump out of my skin simply because I really thought they were going to overdo the hell out of it. Especially that first note that is usually what makes or breaks the song. Immediately as the song started, I didn't care. They started the song off FIERCE. And their harmonies were intact and I was getting my life. These girls has so much sass, which is such a great contrast to their actual personalities. It's like Sasha Fierce (Beyonce's alter ego) takes them ALL over every week. Dude, but their vocals were actually really strong! And the high note that is usually hit was actually on point! The only reason why I liked last week better was because of that flawless dance break they had but they were very solid this week and I loved it! This made me a true fan of them.
07. CHE CHESTERMAN (BOYS)
"When a Man Loves a Woman" // Top 9
Unfortunately, this was Che's last truly amazing performance. He had some decent ones here and there, but he's unfortunately one of the contestants who peaked way too early and this was his peak, in my opinion. When I first heard this song, I remember shoving the keyboard off jumping up and standing back because I couldn't handle how absolutely amazing his vocals were on this song. He didn't look as disconnected as he usually did and it was truly a show stopper. He hit so many perfect runs, I had absolutely no idea what he was doing or how he was doing it. This would have ranked higher had he not done so much at the end that the song just last note just completely fell apart and was out of key but the overall effect had me jumping up and down for joy.
"Billie Jean" // Top 11
Ugh, okay, so I stand by everything I said about this song in my initial review. While Louisa did sound fantastic, she completely over sang the song and turned it into a "ooh, how can I show off even more?" performance but when you step back and look at the performance, it tops most of what we've been shown this season. There was an incredible amount of energy, she looked like she was having the time of her life and she hit every note on the dot. It was almost too perfect. Take into account that it was the only upbeat song she did the whole live show stage of the competition, that makes it even better.
05. LAUREN MURRAY (GIRLS)
"Vision of Love" // Top 5 Sing-off
I wasn't planning on making this a part of the official ranks but, dude, are you kidding me? First off, Lauren had an amazing week to begin with so why she was in the Bottom 2 completely escaped me. I thought the poor girl was absolute toast (and she sort of was, because the wrath of those 4th Impact fans, oh my goodness) when she was announced to be in the sing off with 4th Impact. She ended up giving her absolute best performance of the season, not only vocally, but performance wise. There was so much passion behind the performance, I had no idea she was even capable of the type of fire she lit that night! BITCH WHEN SHE HIT THOSE HIGH MARIAH NOTES, I COULDN'T EVEN SIT STILL. The run was a little messy, but who cares? Jesus, this performance, mixed in with 4th Impact was probably one of the most memorable moments in X Factor history. GEEZE, LOUISE!
04. LOUISA JOHNSON (GIRLS)
04. LOUISA JOHNSON (GIRLS)
"Everybody's Free" // Top 9
The beginning of the song felt a little like "God Only Knows" as she stood there just singing and kind of smiling but also emoting a strong feeling. The beginning of the song was also extremely very well controlled and not as over the top as I was expecting. She once again, by the chorus, was doing run after run and belting the rest of the song. I can't complain because it fit the song so well and she's so flawless at making you feel something when she performs. It felt like she was breaking free of all the constraints and finally being herself and as she begun to tear up I got goosebumps. It was very reminiscent of Jessica Sanchez' rendition of "And I Am Telling You." You knew she could sing the song in her sleep. You knew that she would absolutely crush it vocally. But during the song there's this sort of intensity you didn't expect and it was as if she let out every bit of emotion she's had in her body for the whole week and left absolutely everything she had on the stage. Simon was spot on. Last week it felt like she was just belting for it. This week it felt like she had vocal intent and every note she hit was for something, for some particular amazing reason. It was a beautiful moment to be able to witness.
03. LOUISA JOHNSON (GIRLS)
"This Is Man's Man's World" // Top 4
Look, man, was there any doubt that Louisa would knock this song out of the park? She once again did a song that a previous contestant already blew out of the water (Che Chesterman) but Louisa is able to match Che vocally and this is the type of song that calls for a powerful voice, where I felt "Jealous" last week was a bit too intimate of a song for her extremely powerful and belt-y voice. By the end of the song when the vocal acrobats were in absolute full affect, I had my hand covering my mouth because how can you sing that good? The vocals were pitch perfect but what really sold the song was her performance of it. She nailed all the emotional cues, she brought the sass, she brought the soul, she brought the blue and she brought the chicken.Who even cares that this song is extremely overdone on shows like this when delivered it like that? She may have done a little much at the end but, first of all, who gives a damn when you song that fantastic? And second off, I think it absolutely worked with what she was going for, for the performance and the runs and extremely high random notes were earned/warranted. Are you kidding me? She's seventeen?
02. 4th IMPACT (GROUPS)
"Work It Out" // Top 9
Prior to this, I couldn't stand 4th Impact. They were overrated, and their vocals weren't as stellar as everyone kept saying they were but I knew they could perform really well. Aside from a few bum high notes, this was the most exhilarating performance in the competition the whole season. You know me, I love a good dance break, so everything flew out of the window and I started dancing along with them at this point. Their was so much sass, there was so much energy and the final moments gave me goosebumps. Also, take into account that Celina nearly passed out and was ill the day, this was just one of the most impressive things I've ever scene on the show. They weren't X Factor contestants, they looked absolutely professional. This is where 4th Impact came of age as a group, and the one to beat for me.
01. LOUISA JOHNSON (GIRLS)
"Let It Go" // Top 7
I was so in love with "Everybody's Free" the week before, I didn't give this performance the attention and the love it deserved. As Simon said, this was Louisa's "moment" on the show. She looked like an angel, and the staging was absolutely perfect. There was just so much raw passion that she injected into the performance that drove it over the top. I knew the song before, but she just pushed the "epicness" of the song through the rough. Halfway through, she just started hit all this notes. There was one note, I don't think I've ever heard hit with such ease on one of these singing shows (Papasidero tried his hardest with Titanium, though!). The end of the song was a bit extra when it came to all the big notes, but it all strangely worked perfectly together and added to what made the number so unbelievably special. Easily the best performance of Louisa, the best performances of the season, and possibly in the top performances of all time on X Factor.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
REGGIE N BOLLIE - What Makes You Beautiful/Cheerleader (TOP 11)
KIERA WEATHERS - Return of the Mack (TOP 11)
LOUISA JOHNSON - Jealous
SEANN MILEY MOORE - Life on Mars (TOP 13)
JOSH DANIEL - Style (Judges' House, shh)
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