The X Factor USA – Trey & Nick’s Week in Review – Top 13
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It's time for another installment of Week In Review: The X Factor USA Edition, as myself and Trey M. will dissect what's been yet another hectic week for Simon Cowell's beleaguered singing competition. How did the top 13 do? Let's get to it!
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Best performance of the week?
Since the top 13 had to perform twice, we're simply picking out our favorites from the overall 26 performances we saw this week, instead of breaking it down into who did best on separate nights. Hey, it's not our fault this show can't be bothered to have its s*** together better than the Obamacare website.
As for best of the week, Trey is firmly Team Khaya, as his favorite performances on both nights were “Distant Dreamer” and “My Girl” by his girl, Khaya Cohen. In particular, the tone and richness of her voice helped the performance stand out, and Trey felt she was the most consistent performer of the week, delivering two killer vocals.
He also singled out several honorable mentions, and some of those performances were actually the ones I chose to top my list. For example, Rion Paige's "Born This Way" won both nights for me, followed closely by Lillie McCloud's soaring take on "Who Wants to Live Forever". Alex and Sierra also brought the goods with a very raw, intense rendition of one of my favorite songs, Ed Sheeran's “Give Me Love.” All in all, the second night of the competition was the stronger of the two, as nearly every contestant brought his or her absolute best to the stage. I don't think I've been as impressed by a single episode of The X Factor USA since season one.
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Worst performance of the week?
Trey and I are in complete agreement: Carlito Olivero's "If You're Not The One" was the biggest blemish across both nights, and that's kind of a shame when you consider that his Wednesday performance really was one of his better vocals of the competition so far. Yet while we both were in agreement about Carlito, Trey adds that he just doesn't understand what the big deal is with Restless Road, and I can kind of see where he's coming from, if we're just going off of their uneven work from this week. Personally, I'm not wild about the boys so far either, but I can see miles of potential on this road of theirs. It's just a matter of realizing that potential, and I think they have a greater chance of blossoming into something special than most acts in the competition (though I'd argue their fellow category-mates Alex and Sierra and Sweet Suspense are just as likely to go far). So much of the good or bad of their performance is rooted in song choice. The quicker Simon starts digging for the country music deep cuts (assuming the theme allows it, and this week's 80s theme should be a good one), the better off they'll all be.
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Who did better on Wednesday than on Thursday?
Again, Carlito Olivero. We both were surprised at how much we loved his performance on Wednesday, but Thursday was the kind of mess that would land someone in the bottom 2 on any normal week. Yet while I enjoyed her vocal more on Thursday, I was actually far more impressed with Rachel Potter on Wednesday, as I felt she delivered a total star performance with "This Old Heart of Mine". The vocal wasn't really up to the caliber of her take on Martina McBride's "Anyway" the next night, but even without the voting graphics error, I thought her performance was more than good enough for her to have easily avoided the bottom 2.
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Who did better on Thursday than on Wednesday?
Trey was really impressed by the improvement in Sweet Suspense & Josh Levi. While he already loved both of their Wednesdsay performances, he felt that the stripped down productions on Thursday allowed their voices to shine. As for me, I was absolutely floored by Rion Paige on Thursday. I haven't seen a more compelling vocal this season than her take on “Born This Way,” and I'd go as far as to rank it in the top 5 performances of The X Factor USA, full-stop. With that said, there were other laudable moments: namely from Ellona Santiago, who knocked it out of the ballpark with “Titanium,” showing that sometimes just using that big voice can payoff better than tackling the “all-dancing pop princess” act, which I'm not sure she's entirely pulling off just yet. I also thought Jeff Gutt was vastly underrated by Simon on Thursday, as that was a damn good vocal, particularly towards the end.
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Most disappointing performance of the week?
Trey felt that while we all know Lillie can blow, he really needed for her to bring something more to the table than she did this week. He also feels that Ellona Santiago is falling flat a little bit, and isn't entirely sure what's going on with her. With Ellona, I agree somewhat -- at least on her Wednesday performance, which I didn't think was as great as the judges thought it was. But I actually felt that Lillie was one of the week's strongest performers on both nights. “All In Love Is Fair” is a fairly overdone song, yet Lillie managed to find a way to add nuance to what is a pretty straightforward, if vocally complex, arrangement. And her “Who Wants to Live Forever” was remarkable, so I'm firmly Team Lillie this week.
However, the act that disappointed me the most this week was Josh Levi. I was so stoked to see him come back, and while his “Who's Loving You” was a solid vocal, his version of “Stay” was too sleepy for my tastes. It felt like all of the swag had been sapped out of him, replaced by a less dynamic version of Burnell Taylor. It was just so weird to see him so lifeless. Hopefully, he doesn't pay the price with his life in the competition, as I still think he has a lot left to offer.
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Biggest surprise of the week?
Trey felt that Rion completely stole the show with "Born This Way," and added that Sweet Suspense and Josh Levi delivered supreme vocals. Yet my biggest surprise this week was Tim Olstad, whose version of “I Believe I Can Fly” was better than it had any right to be, given how tired that song is and how sleepy his arrangements tend to be. This was the first time where he genuinely felt like a star to me, and I was impressed as hell with that vocal. I'm actually starting to get a bit excited about Tim, which would have been ludicrous to think about a week ago.
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Which acts will be at risk for elimination?
Trey predicts that Carlos Guevara, Tim Olstad and Carlito Olivero could end up on the chopping block, and he adds that he wouldn't even be surprised if the Boys category was the first to be cut completely. I'd be hard pressed to disagree with 2/3 of that prediction, yet I'm actually feeling pretty confident that Tim is 100% safe. I'd swap him out and put Khaya in his place, unfortunately. Khaya was solid, but not memorable. And Josh suffered for the same reasons. I'm not sure who will end up going home, but I honestly don't feel like there are any other possibilities for elimination this week but Carlos, Carlito, Khaya and Josh.
Of course, I've underestimated Carlito's fanbase in the past and paid for it, so he could easily end up sailing through to next week. But I can't think of who I'd put in his place. Maybe Lillie? I'm not sure she's actually connecting with voters, at least not from what I've read here and in other places online. It should be a very contentious result this Wednesday either way.
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Given the quality of Thursday night's show, in which the judges had virtually no input, should the role of the mentors be reduced or eliminated altogether once we get to live shows? Or is their role a necessary one for the show?
Trey feels the judges should be ditched entirely. Between Paulina never getting her acts' names right, and Simon always pushing the agenda of one manufactured group every season, they don't seem to serve an actual purpose. And I'm pretty much in agreement here. I don't mind that the judges stay on to actually judge, but their contributions to their own acts seem uninspired at best, and downright harmful at worst. The difference in quality of the show we got when the contestants were left to pick their own songs vs. the shows we've gotten when the judges were in control is night and day. Maybe the judges' role won't be reduced, but if nothing else, the contestants' role in planning out their own performances should be significantly increased. Granted, not every act will be able to guide themselves half as well as the thirteen acts here guided themselves this past Thursday, but it's inconceivable to me that even the least knowledgeable act wouldn't do at least as good a job as their mentor.
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Song suggestions for 80s Week:
Lillie McCloud: Lillie is the kind of singer “Purple Rain” was made for, so I'd love to see her slay the Prince classic. But I'd be equally excited if Kelly branched out a bit more and gave her “Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS, since I think she's one of the few acts in the competition that could pull it off.
Josh Levi: I would love if Paulina went uptempo again and gave him “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross, but I think that might be too big of a song for his voice, so in that case I recommend...you know what? Screw it, give him “Ghostbusters”. I'll add four more phones to my cell plan and hire hobos whose sole task would be to vote round the clock to keep Josh in if that's the song he actually performs on Wednesday. Just let him swag out with it and have a ridiculous time. It'd at least be more productive than giving him something obvious like “My Prerogative.” Come on, Paulina, give Josh a song about ghosts. You know you're crazy enough to do it. (It was an Oscar-nominated, #1 Billboard hit, after all. And he wouldn't be able to do it any worse than Jedward did)
Khaya Cohen: “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell could fit her like a glove if the arrangement gets changed up in a more Duffy/Amy Winehouse-esque fashion. I also think she could absolutely slay “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes. I genuinely believe she would surprise people.
Carlito Olivero: “I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight” by Cutting Crew could fit him if he does to the arrangement what he did to “Stop In the Name of Love”. Otherwise, I think he actually might end up doing something like “Careless Whisper” by Wham, which could either be a great choice or a complete disaster, depending on whether we get “restrained Carlito” or “vocal gymnastics Carlito”.
Alex and Sierra: “Maneater” by Hall and Oates or “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper (the Busby Marou version performed by Taylor Henderson on The X Factor Australia)
Rion Paige: A countrified take on “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler, or perhaps a stripped back, acoustic version of Bon Jovi's “Livin' On A Prayer” would suit her better. Either way, I think she should be one of the easier contestants to pick for, given the range of her voice.
Jeff Gutt: I could easily see him doing Chris Cornell's version of “Billie Jean” or simply going the more expected route with U2's “With or Without You,” a song that would give his voice some real moments. But I'd love to see him do “Sweet Child O' Mine” from Guns N' Roses.
Tim Olstad: I have a hard time imagining he won't end up doing something like Foreigner's “I Want to Know What Love Is,” but if Paulina wants to give him a song that hasn't been beaten into the ground yet, why not Spandau Ballet's “True”? Sure, it likely won't measure up to Nicholas McDonald's take on the song, but it could be a hell of a moment for Tim in and of itself. I also think “Lady” by Kenny Rogers would fit his voice pretty well.
Ellona Santiago: Though she might be a bit young to convey the emotional depth behind the song, I think Ellona could really do wonders with a version of “Time After Time” that's less like Cyndi Lauper's and more like Eva Cassidy's. She definitely has the vocal prowess to have a moment with it. But barring that choice, I think she could really “wow” people with Roxette's “Listen to Your Heart,” or this version of Whitney Houston's “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”
Carlos Guevara: I worry for Carlos. Not because I think he'll be eliminated before he even gets the chance to perform, but because I suspect the song Paulina will saddle him with will be something like The Police's “Every Breath You Take” or “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.” Hopefully, he's able to avoid these sorts of song choices altogether and instead go for something unexpected, maybe New Kids on the Block. “I'll Be Loving You Forever” would be perfect with a Ray Lamontagne type arrangement. But if he wants to do something less patently ridiculous, “Heaven” by Bryan Adams would be a good fit for him. I kind of wish he'd do something uptempo though, but I run into problems as I can't really imagine him doing something all that lively, nor can I think of any uptempo songs that would really fit his voice. Any help, guys?
Sweet Suspense: “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” would probably be a better fit for these girls than for anyone else, but I think it's too obvious a choice. Granted, I'm not sure a Madonna song wouldn't be just as obvious, but that's exactly what I'm going to recommend for these girls. The question is what song? “Like A Virgin” is off the table because...well, because that'd just be a gross pick coming from Simon. Maybe “Crazy For You”? “Open Your Heart” or “Papa Don't Preach” would be good too. But if he really doesn't want to give them Madonna, “I Think We're Alone Now” by Tiffany IS RIGHT THERE. Seriously, Simon, don't mess this up.
Rachel Potter: At the risk of turning this into Cyndi Lauper Night, I think Rachel could really have a moment with “True Colors”. I also think a country version of “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” by Belinda Carlisle would be pretty damn great for her.
Restless Road: If they want to keep it in the country lane, they could do “Swingin'” by John Anderson, which Scotty McCreery covered on American Idol Season 11. But if Scotty's seconds aren't really their ticket, well, it's impossible to go wrong with George Jones, so “He Stopped Loving Her Today” could be an amazing choice for these guys. But I think “Forever and Ever, Amen” by Randy Travis should be the choice they stick with, unless they want to rearrange a rock hit like Starship's “We Built This City”. Either way, should be an interesting week for Restless Road.
What do you think? Sound off in the comments below!