It's Live Show Week 2 and twelve will become eleven. You folk in the States will know pretty soon if not already who gets sent home but if it's not one of Leroy, Lakoda Rayne or InTENsity then they've had a lucky escape.
Stereo Hogzz ♫ 8 ☼ 8
They looked the part, all nicely dressed up in red to match the inevitable flames or fiery background that would be bound to appear at some point or another. SYCO like that sort of thing. They did the cool and heavy impressions in the pre-vid just to make it clear they were different to Rachel Crow in case we got confused. So far so good but then one of them started singing. What an awful start. Who chose that? Once he'd stopped veering around the scale looking for some notes to sing that anyone could hear over the background noise they did get going a lot better. Compared to the heavy, hard-hitting backing guys, the lead singer seems a bit weak and uncomfortable. He sort of got it going but never really joined his mates in being 'part of their Rhythm Nation'. It does seem like it worked better on set than it did on telly as the crowd loves them. There again, this was the first act so they may just have been relieved to get someone other than Steve warming them up with a few Welsh jokes. Simon was well over the top in his praise. That's him in Paula's good books for a while.
Chris Rene ♫ 7½ ☼ 6
If the first act seemed a bit strange then watching Chris, much improved with his makeover, sing a Carpenters' number kept up the mystery. For some reason best known to LA Reid the stage appears to catch fire and we get some massive (and visually brilliant) display of flames on the rear screen and Chris dives into rap amidst the smoke. For all that, it probably was quite a good choice as it suited his voice well and this was a big improvement on last week and almost justified his inclusion in the Top 12. Simon wonders what on earth the hell set look was all about. LA Reid attempts to explain it with something along the lines of 'Cos he's hot'. That didn't work. Steve tries to say it was more heavenly than hell. That fell as flat as a pancake. Someone really does need to write him some lines or, at least, run his autocue a bit faster.
Leroy Bell ♫ 8 ☼ 4½
Already There is a big, big number and Leroy was brave to take this one on. As an older, father-like figure he can deliver this with genuine emotion but this was just too big a risk and too many comparisons can be made. He could be vulnerable, despite being a really nice guy. Unless he can make some genre his own and begin to appeal to a group which his personable charm can appeal to and become marketable he's not going to last long. He's also up against some remarkably good singers who do have that 'X Factor', including Josh in his own category.
Rachel Crow ♫ 6 ☼ 7½
Great little personality from the character most featured in all the early promos. Simon made a brilliant choice in choosing Katrina & The Waves "Walking On Sunshine". In theory. But, too low for her at the start and with a strange re-working of the lyrics this wasn't so good at all. "You're My Sunshine" in place of "Walking On Sunshine" just doesn't sound right. There was a horrible last note too. Rachel's a cheery character but not someone who is likely to win X Factor USA unless they're thinking of cancelling America's Got Talent where she'd be much better suited.
Lakoda Rayne ♫ 7½ ☼ 5
Landslide - a Stevie Nicks number and anything by Stevie is fine by me. As long as it's not messed up. This nearly was. These are lovely girls, each with considerable talent - but together? Do they make sense as a group? If they'd delivered this with one taking a clear lead and the others hanging on for the ride with a harmony or two then it would have been better. Instead we got a pretty forced and unnatural performance that was in tune and tight but without any character or meaning. Despite their looks and potential capabilities as individuals, I feel Lakoda Rayne the group is vulnerable this week.
Steve only ever seems to interact with Simon. Maybe he doesn't realise that Americans do speak English too. Even if they do spell realise with a zed. Sorry, zee. Simon makes the reasonable comment about the girls' dresses making them look a bit old-fashioned. Steve says, blandly "They're beautiful." Yes, Steve, we know that. It's the dresses ... "Beautiful." he repeats for no obvious reason. Hopeless.
Josh Kracjik ♫ 9 ☼ 8½
Nicole makes a risky choice with Jar Of Hearts. In X factor UK Craig Coulton has just done that track too but with nothing like the impact and meaning that Josh manages to exude. They said Craig was wonderful and he sailed through his round. Josh was incredible and should also be firmly into Week 3 and still rejecting the advances of the stylists and make-up people. He has to be a contender.
Melanie Amaro ♫ 10 ☼ 8½
Desperado. Another excellent and inspired choice by Simon. anyone would think I'm looking for a job with SYCO if I carry on being so complimentary. He's just so good at matching the singer to the song. And to us, the audience. This was a superb production too, stripped of all the distractions and silly effects, and she brought back to life the Eagles track even better than Linda Ronstadt did. And that's saying something. Her pitch was perfect and I reckon she has a great deal more to bring to this competition. another contender from tonight.
Astro ♫ 9 ☼ 8
Obviously being called Brian doesn't suit the rebel mini kid. Being Called Brian is a bit alien or adult-sounding so we get Astro and, in case we weren't hearing properly, he gets his name spelt out in polystyrene letters on the stage. I have no idea what this is all about. We get a lot of what I first thought was Brian attempting to spell his new name but missing out the middle letters. "Ay-O" he chants. But then I realised that is was "Hey-Ho" which still didn't make a great deal of sense although you have to hand it to the chap for getting some extra pay from SYCO for the X Factor mention in what will be a few million YouTube views this week. He is a seriously talented kid and he'll sell records, no problem there. I'm not so sure how he'll go down with the voters watching the programme who, presumably aren't just kids and their mums. Basically, I still have no idea how well he'll do. Unlike Rachel, he hasn't yet shown any weak spots in his ability to perform, unless you count the gold trousers but LA probably insisted on them anyway.
InTENsity ♫ 5½ ☼ 6½
Kids In America. Wo-oh. Or more like Uh-oh. Whilst that bit worked I'm not sure about the switch to rap in the middle. All I saw was some mass of kids jumping around behind two or three decent lead singers. Most of them could just as easily been the dancers that other acts have. Paula does deserve a bundle of praise for keeping them all together and coping with all the mums still hovering around rehearsals and making sure they get their porridge in the morning and are tucked up in bed before Stereo Hogzz start playing the 18 rated movies. I am still desperately trying to get my head round a show that moves us with Josh and Melanie one minute and then gives us Astro and these kids the next.
Drew ♫ 8½ ☼ 9½
Just Drew. Simon must have decided that the long surname was too difficult to spell or Russian-sounding. Try cutting that out of polystyrene and spreading the letters across the stage. One slip and who knows what offence could be caused in another order. At least the worst Astro could turn into would be Roast or Ars OT.
Yet another great choice in Just A Dream and, once she gets up from a weird pink spotty mattress and starts to move around you could see that this girl is almost instantly marketable. Modern, different to the original Nelly version and with a unique Drew style that I think the public will love. She's likely to build a huge fan base and is mature way beyond her years, handling the awkward interaction with judges well. No-one mentions 14 any more. Another major contender in my book.
Marcus Canty ♫ 8½ ☼7½
La Reid wrote this track for Bobby Brown when he was famous for singing rather than being horrid to Whitney so he got a double whammy on the fees for the extra play. Marcus started well but then with every step he took you could hear him getting more breathless which spoilt an otherwise pretty good performance. It sounded like Bobby Brown on the obvious backing track and you heard that as much as you did Marcus which may or may not have done him much good. He should be safe but he needs to given tracks he can make his own in the next round.
Stacy Francis ♫ 8½ ☼ 5
Her attitude in the pre-vid wouldn't have appealed to voters and the unsympathetic camera and lighting crew didn't do her bone structure any favours there. However, on a platform and better styled, she did produce the one anthem-like performance of the evening and did so well. A screech or two nearly ruined the good work she was doing and the excessive oo-oos didn't help either. Someone does need to tell this lady simply to sing the damn song and stop showing off. So, yes, you guessed, it wouldn't be Stacy if there wasn't a screeching whine at the end and she delivered as is getting painfully familiar. Paula called it a shining moment which I don't get at all. Whining moment would be better. She is, though, one of a very few who can do the lower register notes properly. Pity about the high ones.
Her future is so in Nicole's hands.
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