The X Factor USA - Auditions #4 - Recap and Live Blog - 09/19/2013
Welcome to the live blog and recap of The X Factor Auditions #4 for September 19, 2013!
The auditions are heating up as the judges assemble their roster of potential finalists for the season! Here's hoping we get some interesting new groups for the underrepresented Groups category.
Credit: FOX
Let's get this show on the road!
8:00 PM
-We open with a recap of last night, and a preview of what's to come. Hopefully, they don't start out with another joke act.
-Well, it might not be a joke act, but it is a comedy skit. We view Charleston, SC through a sepia-toned silent movie filter as The X Factor bus comes storming into town.
-Mario reminds us about the four categories as we get to our first contestant, for the Boys...
ANDREW SCHOLZ, 18, is up first!
-In his pre-performance video, he talks about being an active guy, doing gymnastics and other such activities since he was a kid. He just wants to have a good time, although he states he does think he has what it takes to be a star.
-Andrew enters to cheers from the ladies in the audience, and even Kelly has to address just how handsome he is, prompting Simon to address her as "Cougar".
-He sings "Too Close" by Alex Clare, and it's kind of middle-of-the-road. I think he has a decent enough voice, but this just isn't the right son. The crowd absolutely loves him though. But Simon cuts off the song before he gets to the chorus.
-Kelly thought Andrew was a bit too glued to the microphone, which made it seem a bit karaoke. Demi acknowledges Andrew's appeal to the female audience, but thinks he'll need more than that, saying that he lacks stage presence. "I felt it was a bit awkward," she says.
-Paulina thinks Andrew is really cute, but didn't get why he picked that song. Simon, meanwhile, DISAGREES with all three of the women. He thinks Andrew has natural charisma, and could be great with a little mentoring. "It would be crazy to let someone like you go at this stage."
-Simon fights for Andrew to stay, but Demi just doesn't get it, so it's a no. In a desperate attempt to save this guy, Simon gives Andrew a chance to sing something else, preferably something "a little old-fashioned."
-Andrew sings "A Little More You" by Little Big Town, and it's a thousand times better than the first song. Not perfect or anything, but better. I kind of see what Demi is saying about how awkward he is onstage, but I think he has something. I don't really know what, but there's definitely a certain "X factor" about this kid.
-Demi's mind is completely changed after that performance, and Paulina kicks off the voting. All four judges say "yes," and send a thankful Andrew on his way, with Simon giving him the advice to stay in the country route, since he has an all-American quality to him. He adds that Andrew was lucky to have him on the panel, since he would have been "mauled by three cats" otherwise.
ANDREW SCHOLZ advances to the next round!
-Andrew celebrates with his family backstage, and vows to put in the necessary work to show Simon and the other judges what he can do.
-Discuss Andrew's performance: Andrew Scholz, "Too Close" / "A Little More You"
8:15 PM
-Back from break with an obscenely good-looking guy who's one of the most self-absorbed contestant the show has had yet, saying that people ask him for his autograph without knowing who he is, and even states that people tell him he looks like Robin Thicke, Justin Bieber and David Beckham. He's even gotten Adam Levine, though he doesn't see it. He wants to be famous very, very badly, saying he wants to be a household name. Let's hope he can sing...
BLAKE SHANKLE, 19, is up next!
-Kelly immediately notes that he can just stand there and say whatever he wants and have her attention, because he's just so ridiculously hot.
-Blake sings "Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri, and while it's not exactly the worst thing in the world, it's pretty rough.
-After the song, Kelly defers to her other judges for their opinion, with Demi and Paulina talking about how theatrical he is, and how it didn't really fit with his look.
-Simon is at odds with Blake's assertion that he wants to be an R&B singer, since his theatricality doesn't fit. Blake tries to argue that he can kill it, and "can rap," but Simon insists it's over. Blake gets four No's, and muses backstage that he never imagined in his wildest dreams that the judges would say no.
8:17 PM
-We get an awkward montage of terrible contestants, from a woman who delivers an awful rendition of "Diamonds" and another woman who performs her song in Pig Latin. And then we...go to a commercial? I swear, this show is such a mess in the editing department.
8:25 PM
-Back from break with news that Paulina is missing auditions because she's sick (it's either one thing or the other), and we meet our next auditioner, who looks eerily like Jessica Sanchez.
ELLONA SANTIAGO, 16, is up next!
-Wait, wasn't this girl in inTENsity? My memory is hell when it comes to the amount of talent competitions I digest in a year.
-She sings "Wings" by Little Mix, a song I absolutely love to a fierce degree, so I'm already on this girl's side. But she does a killer job with it in her own right.
-Kelly is great, doing an imitation of how Ellona went from meek to fierce in zero seconds flat. She applauds Ellona's 'tude and talent.
-Simon says Ellona is now the person he wants to mentor the most. Ellona then asks if he remembers her. From Season One. Simon draws a complete and total blank. Ellona reveals she was in the top 12. Simon STILL has no idea. Ellona then says she was in inTENsity, "the girl in the red jacket," and suddenly Simon remembers. We get a flashback to season one (the closest this US version of the show has ever come to being what it should be), and I begin wondering if every season is going to feature a different member from inTENsity re-auditioning, between Ellona and Aron Ray.
-Demi says if she'd been on season one, Ellona would have gone through. The judges all vote, and it's a yes from each judge.
ELLONA SANTIAGO advances to the next round!
-Ellona celebrates backstage with her family. This could be her year.
Discuss Ellona's performance: Ellona Santiago, "Wings"
8:34 PM
-We're back from break, and so is Paulina! Unfortunately, so are all the joke acts, such as a guy who Simon says he would hire to sing at the wedding of a person he hates. There's also a group that Simon insults so badly that Kelly feels the need to stick up for them. Thankfully, this is all very short.
-We move on to our next contestant, who talks about how badly he wants this, and this is all scored to "All Time Low" by The Wanted, a song I think exists solely to serve as incidental music on reality singing shows.
STONE MARTIN, 14, is up next!
-The girls immediately love him, and Simon is over-the-moon about his popstar-sounding name. Dude's got classic Bieber hair (or Brewer Boys hair, if you're an XF fanatic), and I guess his look goes a long way in covering up how awkward he is. He somewhat sheepishly answers "Yes" to Simon's question of whether he thinks he can actually win the competition, and it's strangely endearing, I think.
-Stone sings "Little Things" by One Direction, and the girls in the audience are practically crying, throwing up heart signs and screaming their lungs out. It's actually a pretty damn smooth audition. Not perfect, but one of the best of the day so far.
-Kelly, Demi, and Paulina absolutely love him, with Paulina saying his life is about to change forever. Simon thinks he has tremendous likability, in addition to a subtle star quality.
-All four judges give him a "Yes"!
STONE MARTIN advances to the next round!
-Stone seems to be in total disbelief. He really does come across as immensely likable.
-Discuss Stone's audition: Stone Martin, "Little Things"
8:45 PM
-We come back with our latest contestant, a 24-year-old named Ashly Williams, a name shared by the actress who plays Victoria from How I Met Your Mother, and the Gunnery Chief from the Mass Effect series. You know, because it totally makes sense to point that out right now.
ASHLY WILLIAMS, 24, is up next!
-Ashly is here with her family, all of whom Simon can hear screaming from backstage. Ashly says she wants to sing, which is what she feels she was put on this Earth to do.
-When Simon asks about her back story, we learn that Ashly is dedicating this to her mother, who was murdered when she was still a kid. She wants to make her dreams happen in her mother's honor.
-Ashly sings "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston, and while it's a song I don't think I'll ever not hate (I know, I know, my credibility goes soaring out the window), Ashly does a damn good job with it. I mean, it's not flawless, but it's definitely a great vocal. And we hear the whole song all the way through without Simon randomly cutting it off like he has with previous good auditions (for no reason, really; which is awkward, because he'll occasionally let a terrible audition play all the way through).
-Her family is in tears backstage, holding their breath throughout the entire song. Simon has a huge grin on his face while the female judges are near tears. The crowd, meanwhile, gives her a standing ovation before the song is even over.
-Aaaand Demi is crying during Ashly's killer last note. All four judges are on their feet, with Simon giving her two big thumbs up. Ashly mouths "thank you" to the judges and to the crowd.
-Kelly says she shouldn't be thanking them, they should be thanking her for that performance. Paulina is floored by the power of her performance.
-Demi talks about how moved she was by the performance, while Simon declares that THIS is the reason they brought The X Factor to America, to find a talent like Ashly. He feels like they've only just scratched the surface with her. The praise is a bit effusive for my tastes, but I can certainly understand why Simon would see this as a watershed moment in the series, especially if they've spent as much time suffering through joke acts as the show implies. And Ashly definitely CAN sing. I can get on board with this.
-Kelly says she's so happy for Ashly, and kicks off the voting with a "yes." Demi says she wants to mentor Ashly, a prospect that thrills Ashly. Demi says "yes." Paulina says "yes." And Simon says Ashly has "4,301" yeses.
ASHLY WILLIAMS advances to the next round!
-Ashly's entire family rushes the stage, and it's an awesome moment. I didn't think the audition was perfect, but she's definitely a keeper. I'm rooting for her.
Discuss Ashly's performance: Ashly Williams, "I Will Always Love You"
8:59 PM
-Back from break as we close out with the same obnoxious "This season on The X Factor" promo, with only a few new clips thrown in. Where the groups at? Come on, now...
That said, I mostly enjoyed the show tonight. The ratio of good acts to bad acts was much higher than in previous episodes, and it's something I hope the show keeps up. I'll be back next week for the Thursday live blog, with Trey doing Wednesday. Stick around as we'll be posting videos from tonight's audition throughout the night! Just keep on refreshing!