Disclaimer: The thoughts expressed in this post are subjective and clearly biased. I am not affiliated with ITV, X Factor or Syco! Recap of the Top 11 after the jump!
I knew this was going to be a big hot mess but I didn't expect to genuinely enjoy some of the performances! I was surprised by some of the contestants who really pulled some great performances out of their asses. If the show isn't going to retire Louis from the actual program, at least retire the term "pop star" from his vocabulary. It doesn't have any meaning coming out of his mouth because he says that to, like, everyone. And let me just say I lived for Mrs. O tonight! She might have been drunk but whatever she was drinking, I hope she has a shot of it every week before she goes live. From her not knowing where Saara was from to her flirting with 5 AM to her covering Nicole's boobs up...I absolutely lived for her, that's the Sharon I've been waiting for! You never know what to expect with her! And for whatever reason, all of the groups changed their names. Also, you're not crazy. There were only 11 acts left in the competition after Brooks Way were disqualified, speaking of groups. Apparently Josh (the one with the mole and the better voice) was pretty abusive to his girlfriend and still is with his twin [source].
However, the show must go on! Here's a recap of the night:
5 AFTER MIDNIGHT
"Can't Stop The Feeling"
I wish I could stop those vocals. I really like these guys but their vocals were all over the place, especially at the beginning. Overall it was a really fun performance and they pulled it together during the last half. Compared to a lot of the other acts, it was fantastic, but it wasn't their best. B
SAMANTHA LAVERY
"Impossible"
I thought she looked great but her vocals were a little bit underwhelming. She has a very nice voice but I was just left wanted a little more after hearing her voice, almost like she was shouting at some points (and really flat when she hit the big note in the beginning). She's been pretty inconsistent as well, almost as much as Freddy. Haha. C+
SAARA AALTO
"Let it Go"
Okay, Saara! That's how we're doing things in the live show? I was surprisingly very impressed with her. I called her a bit theatrical before, which she is, but she really used it to her advantage this week. Her vocals were outstanding, she has great vocal control! I thought it would of helped the performance if she didn't smile as much in the first half but it was a pretty magical moment for the woman from Lapland Norway Finnland! A-
RYAN LAWRIE
"Perfect"
If X Factor is looking for a marketable pop star, as they keep mentioning time and time again, Ryan's doing pretty well. I was a bit generous when I said he was a young Ollie Murs, but I thought the song choice was perfect for him (considering he looks like he's in a boy band) and he did an alright job! Not my favorite but I quite liked it. B-
GIFTY LOUISE
"That's My Girl"
Hands down, Gifty is one of the best performers this season. I thought the performance was a lot of fun, although I might be biased because it's one of my favorite Fifth Harmony songs. Fair is fair and I thing Gifty did it justice! She had a few vocal issues, at one point relying way too much on the background vocals, but she gave us a fun and truly entertaining show! B+
RELLEY C
"Shackles"
Relley did a complete 360 on me. She wasn't memorable, mostly gave okay vocals throughout the beginning stages of the show but everything just came together this week. Her look, her personality, she had some stage presence, her connection to the material and voice was undeniable one of the best of the night! That key change? Yes! She did hit a few wobbly notes but it was one of the stronger performances and pleasant surprises of the evening! B+
MATT TERRY
"You Don't Own Me"
Look at Matt living up to his potential! After a few shaky performances in the middle stages, he came back full force this week! Once again, he seemed really connected to the material and it made the performance much more believable. And that voice? He had a near perfect vocal. The beginning was fine but once the chorus hit there was this strange power to his voice that lifted the performance from good to amazing. His tone is just crystal clear and the transition to his falsetto was seamless. I had the performance stuck in my head the whole night. And Sharon covering Nicole's chest at the end was just...superb. A-
FREDDY PARKER
"Killing Me Softly"
This entire time I thought Freddy was spelled "Freddie". I thought the first half at the piano was superb. It wasn't that the performance fell apart after he got up from the piano but it just seemed awkward to stand up and kind of move around while he just sang one word over and over again. His tone was lovely, I think this style of music really works for him and the last little riff he did at the end was lovely. B-
BRATAVIO
"Boom Boom Boom/ Barbie Girl"
D
EMILY MIDDLEMAS
"Closer"
Simon continuously told Samantha she had no idea who she was as an artist. He had the opposite issue with Emily, she knew who she was an it really worked for her. This performance...didn't. I thought the first acoustic half was lovely, but the second half was a bit stressful. Her vocals really suffered, she was all over the place and it sounded like she was a note away from her voice shattering. Great contestant, confusing performance, wrong song choice. Simon may have his strokes of genius, but he takes criticism horribly. Nicole was being honest with Emily and even after Emily all but yelled out "GIRL PREACH, I GET IT", Simon told her to shut up. Twice. If anything, Freddie's song switch was the one that worked. C+
HONEY G
"California Love"
"When you grab your crotch...really grab it!" In some sick twisted way, Sharon is the only judge craziest enough to actually take Honey G's insane personality and make it kind of...work. Obviously, something's something really wrong with this show if she ends up winning...but I really enjoyed this performance. Her rapping wasn't God awful and when she said Honey, I found myself saying G. I can't describe why I thought this hot mess was so entertaining but I had a great time watching Honey G having her time to "shine". And she's so sweet! C-
RANKINGS:
11. Bratavio (GROUPS) D
10. Honey G (OVERS) C-
09. Emily Middlemas (GIRLS) C+
08. Samantha Lavery (GIRLS) C+
07. Ryan Lawrie (BOYS) B-
06. Freddie Parker (BOYS) B-
05. 5 AM (GROUPS) B
04. Gifty (GIRLS) B+
03. Relley C (OVERS) B+
02. Saara Aalto (OVERS) A-
01. Matt Terry (BOYS) A-
My bottom two: Bratavio & Honey G
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