X Factor UK 13: Top 4 Report Card (Semi-Finals)

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 4 after the jump!

Now that Honey G has finally been defeated, we're left with some actual competent talent in the semi-finals. We have the Silver Boy (sorry, he's not Golden to me), the glorious underdog, the wasted potential and 5 After Midnight. It was pretty much a run of the mills episode of X Factor this week. Nothing too surprising, but nothing truly awful unless boredom means awful.

CHRISTMAS:

MATT TERRY (BOYS)
"Silent Night"

This performance is a bit take it or leave it. He didn't miss a beat vocally (aside from the obvious same falsetto note he thinks he has to hit in every song he does, towards the end...you know what I mean). But his vocal control is absolutely superb. Overall it was a little bland, but Nicole was right, it's not a song that's meant to be messed around with. It was predictable, but executed quite well. B-

5 AFTER MIDNIGHT (GROUPS)
"Stay Another Day"

Vocally, this was probably their best performance of the show so far. Kieran was the only one with solos this week, but I have no complaints because it's no secret he's the strongest singer out of the trio. Visually, it was just about as stunning as it was vocally and it was a reminder that they don't need to dance, or do up tempo songs, to have a strong week. I felt like I was transported back to the '90s. Haha. The song didn't really go anywhere, but they've reserved the right to a more simple, laid back performance. B

EMILY MIDDLEMAS (GIRLS)
"Happy Xmas (War is Over)"

I didn't think it was possible for me to check my watch as much as I did watching this. It seemed as if Emily was really trying to breakthrough and have the song go somewhere but it just didn't. Once again, her soft voice was swallowed up a bit (the background chorus of children were overpowering her at times). Not her best, watching it felt more like a chore than a treat. C-

SAARA AALTO (OVERS)

"White Christmas/All I Want For Christmas Is You"

I can't stress how utterly overdone 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' is on X Factor. I groaned at the song choice. Aside from that, this was kind of the best of both worlds, no? You got classic Saara vocals (excellent) but then heavy production towards the end. It wasn't the balls to the wall crazy, but it didn't matter. The choreography was fun, her dress was more simple and she didn't miss a beat the entire time. That last note? Forget about it. B+

CONTESTANTS CHOICES:

EMILY MIDDLEMAS (GIRLS)
"Mad World"

This would have been utterly stunning if we hadn't seen this from Emily twice already. Her vocals were much stronger and this was much more believable than her first performance, and more engaging. But Emily just seemed tired, or something. It didn't wasn't able to evoke the impact of 'Creep' and 'It Must Have Been Love', it was mostly just boredom for me. This could have a been a moment, but it fell flat. C+

MATT TERRY (BOYS)

"Say You Love Me"

First and foremost, this song should have been retired the moment Lauren Murray did it at Six Chair Challenge last year. There was nothing particularly wrong with Matt's version of this song. As usual, he was pitch perfect for the most part (especially during and after the key change) and it's about as raw as I've seen him try to be. Some of the notes towards the end looked like they HURT, judging by the look on his face. Haha. B+ 

SAARA AALTO (OVERS)
"Chandelier"

Good grief, Saara. This competition is no joke to her. I don't think she's ever really had a particularly bad week on the show, ever. This was, once again, exquisite. The song had a fantastic build that allowed her vocals to soar. It was extremely dramatic, theatrical and everything we've come to love from Saara. There was something about this performance that felt off to me, though. She was either really nervous or was confident enough in herself. That's not to take anything away from the performance, though, it was the strongest of the night and still once of her best. A-

5 AFTER MIDNIGHT (GROUPS)
"Sign Sealed Delivered (I'm Yours)"

Welp, 5 After Midnight is back in the competition! This just had all the ingredients for why 5 After Midnight has been one of the consistently best acts this season. It was entertaining, not over the top, the modulation was perfection and the ending was awesome. They're much better when they're not focusing mostly on dancing and, well, not being lazy like they were last week. Haha. B+

PERFORMANCE RANKINGS:

08. Emily Middlemas (Hapy Xmas (World is Over)) C- 
07. Emily Middlemas (Mad World) C+ - 
06. Matt Terry (Silent Night) B-
05. Matt Terry (Say You Love Me)  B+
04. 5 After Midnight (Stay Another Day) B
03. Saara Aalto (White Christmas/All I Want For Christmas Is You) B+
02. 5 After Midnight (Sign, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Your)) B+
01. Saara Aalto (Chandelier) A-

 CONTESTANT RANKINGS:
04. Emily Middlemas C (Last week's position: #3 // -1)
03. Matt Terry B (Last week's position: #4 // +1)
02. 5 After Midnight B+ (Last week's position: #2 // +0)
01. Saara Aalto A- (Last week's position: #1 // +0)