X Factor UK 13: Top 9 Report Card

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 9 after the jump!

Well me high, oh my, we might just have a competition on our hands! There were a few predictably killer performances, and one that came out of nowhere and stole the night. 

GIFTY LOUISE (GIRLS)

"In Love with a Monster"

Another Fifth Harmony song? Don't get me wrong. Gifty sang and performed the song quite well, but I just thought it was kind annoying that half the songs she's done live so far are both from Fifth Harmony. After taking a step out of her comfort zone last week (that was brilliant), she decided to go back to the up tempo numbers. I loved the little hip hop break down during the bridge. I thought parts of it came off a bit shouty but it was solid, overall. B+

MATT TERRY (BOYS)

"I Put a Spell on You"

Oh, gee, Matt has a lovely falsetto? I sure wouldn't know that based on this performance! Now, there's no doubt in my mind that Matt is an absolutely fantastic singer. There's this clarity and clearness to his voice, and his diction is flawless. For me, personally, the tone of his voice became a bit annoying this week. While he nearly hit every note perfectly and the performance was haunting yet strong and powerful, it just seemed like a bunch of random (albeit, pretty) notes that were strung together. Does that make sense? I thought the performance was pretty good, it was just a lot for me. The performance just felt like one big glory note. B

5 AFTER MIDNIGHT (GROUPS)

"Thriller"

This is why I love them so much! I pretty much loved everything about this. The vocals were more cleaned up, the choreography was beast, and it was really, really creepy. Kieran really scared me towards the middle. Haha. Obviously there was a lot of dancing too but it's Thriller, so I wouldn't expect anything less. It's screaming to be compared to Fleur's Thriller, a few years ago. While I preferred hers, this one was pretty spot on as well!  B+

HONEY G (OVERS)

"Men in Black"

I had to watch Mason Noise's performance of this to get the taste of Honey G out of my mouth. The dance break was great to watch because she just looked so dreadful. D

RYAN LAWRIE (BOYS)

"Everybody"

Ryan has such nice hair, why does Nicole keep messing with it?? I actually thought this was pretty decent! As long as Honey G's still in the competition, there's no reason Ryan shouldn't stick around as well. I thought the first half just sounded like him whisper-talking, but the second half actually sounded pretty good! Aside from the hair, he looked pretty cool too. 
B-

SAM LAVERY (GIRLS)

"Total Eclipse of the Heart"

Dang, if Sam had really nailed this she could have had a water cooler moment! I thought this song could have really worked for her, but her voice (once again) just sounded a little hollow. I'm just waiting for her to find her sweet spot again because she's proven before that she capable of greatness. Once again, she captured the intensity of the performance! That's...something, right? C

SAARA AALTO (OVERS)
"Bad Romance"

Saara is insane and I love it, it seems fitting that she did a Lady Gaga song. It wasn't as ball to the walls crazy as last week but it was still different (in the good way). There was this weird intensity to the performance that I really enjoyed, especially the bits where she was at the piano (or keyboard). Her vocals were very good, as usual! Like Gifty, some of her 'belts' can come off as a bit shouty. But still, very good! B+

4 OF DIAMONDS (GROUPS)
"Ghost"

Good news: This was their best performance so far. Bad news: That's not saying much. Louis (or they) seems to think that their voices are much bigger than they are. The chorus was the strongest part of the performance (and I'm not sure if that was them, or the background singers helping them out). The solos were pretty weak. I don't know, every week it feels like their missing something. C

EMILY MIDDLEMAS (GIRLS)
"Creep"

Absolutely stunning. I was captivated the entire time. The production/staging was brilliantly simple and it seemed like everything just came together for her. Her voice/tone worked seamlessly and she really committed to the performance. Definitely her shinning moment and what I think we've been waiting for from her. A

RANKINGS:

09. Honey G D (Last week's position: #10 // +1)
08. 4 of Diamonds C (Last week's position: #9 // +1)
07. Sam Lavery C (Last week's position: #5 // -2)
06. Ryan Lawrie B (Last week's position: #8 // +2)
05. Matt Terry B (Last week's position: #6 // +1)
04. 5 After Midnight B+ (Last week's position: #4 // +0)
03. Gifty B+ (Last week's position: #1 // -2)
02. Saara Aalto B+ (Last week's position: #2 // +0)
01. Emily Middlemas A (Last week's position: #7 // +6)

My bottom two: Honey G & 4 of Diamonds