'X Factor' Top 6 strip down
- Simon and Demi did more bickering
- Khloe looked great in Dolce & Gabanna
- Carly Rose rocked the house again
- L.A. got harsh about Cece
"A big congratulations to Mario, who got married last week!" said Khloe Kardashian Odom as co-host Mario Lopez waved his wedding ring at the start of Wednesday's X Factor. "Thanks," he said. "It was a blast."
"May I say, Khloe, You look very cute," said Simon Cowell. (Khloe tweeted that she was wearing a Dolce & Gabanna dress and Jimmy Choo headband.) "And, Mario, congratulations."
But enough personal chit-chat. On with the show.
The Top 6 remaining contestants had to sing two songs — one unplugged number and one chosen by viewers. Everyone was feeling the pressure as only four will advance to next week's semifinals. A winner will be crowned on Dec. 20.
Cece Frey. "I think Cece should have gone home a long time ago," said L.A. Reid, not mincing any words about the polarizing performer from Decatur, Ill. "And by the way, I know I'm not the only one who thinks that." Cece's mentor, Demi Lovato, totally disagreed. "More and more people are falling in love with her every day." Cece took the stage, wearing a simple black dress, seated on a piano, and sang Lady Gaga's Edge of Glory. The crowd loved it. And L.A. had to eat his words. "That was really good." Britney Spears disagreed. "I think at this point in the competition it should be great, and it was just good for me." Simon said she's not "worth the $5 million recording contract." He felt it was a "little too cabaret." Demi thought it was one of Cece's best vocal performances.
Simon and Demi got into a squabble because he and Britney have two acts left in the contest and L..A. and Demi only each have one.
Simon started to introduce his next group. "My first act is singing..."
"A very predictable song," said Demi, grabbing his microphone.
"You will go to the naughty corner in a moment. I mean that," he said to her. And then he introduced boy band Emblem3.
For her second song, Cece sang Part of Me by Katy Perry. With colors in her straggly blond hair, jewels on her face, super high red shoes and a glittery shorts outfit, she looked and sounded like a white-trash Katy imitator. Behind her, dancers in jeans gyrated their way around the stage and bright, colored lights flashed above and around Cece. L.A. said, "Now that was karaoke." Britney found it "very entertaining. ... I loved it." Simon said he liked that she was "defiant" throughout the song. He said if she gets the boot he'll miss her because she is a "tryer." Demi said, "You made me proud. And if the Princess of Pop is sitting right here saying you did a good job," said Demi, pointing to Britney, "I think you did a good job." Cece spoke to the camera, saying, "Thank you guys for making me strong. Sticks and stones and all that."
Emblem 3: The guys — Drew Chadwick, Keaton Stromberg and Wesley Stromberg — sat on stools, looked into the camera and crooned Bruno Mars' Just The Way Are. It was not like their usual bop-filled performance. But squealing ensued, nonetheless. L.A. said it was "pretty good." Britney said it was "hands down" their best performance. Demi said, "You guys did great, but it wasn't the best." She called it a "downgraded version of the Jonas Brothers five years ago." Simon called her remark "incredibly dumb" and said they did "amazingly well."
For their second song, Emblem3 went back to their boy-band sound with Jay-Z's Forever Young. L.A. said he's a "fan." Britney agreed. "I thought it was a superstar performance." Demi said, "I am a fan. I just want to see you command the stage more." Simon said to Demi, "What is the matter with you?!" He said she was "silly" and said Emblem3 was "really, really good."
Carly Rose Sonenclar: The teen who was No. 1 on the leaderboard last week tackled As Long As You Love Me, picked by mentor Brit Brit. Sitting on a stool on the stage, a guitarist and drummer adding accompaniment, Carly Rose more than did the song justice. The crowd applauded like crazy. L.A. said he loved that she showed restraint by not doing a lot of vocal acrobatics and thought it was her best performance. Demi said it was "better" than Justin Bieber's recorded version of the song. Simon said, "I am seeing a star emerge." He added, "A lot of girls your age, they can actually be quite annoying when they're singers. But you're actually very cool. I know how seriously you take this." Britney said, "The most impressive thing about you is that each week you continue to make each song your own."
Carly's second song was a beautiful version of Beyonce's If I Were a Boy. L.A. chanted with the crowd, "Car-ly! Car-ly!" He added, "You're so talented." Demi said, "That's a phenomenal vocal." She said she wants to hear something uptempo, but told Carly, "Your vocals are amazing." Simon disagreed, telling Carly Rose not to listen to Demi. "I said it was amazing!" said Demi. Simon continued, "It's an odd lyric for you to be singing," and Demi cut in. "No, it's not. Beyonce sang that song." She added, "You interrupt me every time I speak so don't think I'm not going to interrupt you." Britney said to Carly Rose, "I think you are the definition of The X Factor. It was stunning."
Fifth Harmony: The girls were a little worried because Ally went home for part of the week to Texas to attend her grandfather's funeral. L.A. Reid complained in the taped segment before their performance that they "never sing harmony." They sang Adele's Set Fire to the Rain. Again, it was more about showcasing each singer. L.A. said, "I still didn't hear any harmony. I think you have the wrong name. They should have called you Fifth Unison." Britney was lukewarm. Demi said, "The group thing hasn't really clicked for me. I feel like there's a couple of you that should just be solo artists." Simon defended them and said, "There aren't any girl groups out there in the market. There's a gap."
"America chose the songs this week and, annoyingly, they've chosen a song by Demi Lovato," said Simon. For their second song, Fifth Harmony sang Demi's hit, Give Your Heart A Break. L.A. said, "Unbelievable! I actually heard harmony." Said Britney, "A friend of mine does this song very good. And so did you guys." Demi said, "I think this song should have been your song. ... You guys definitely sang it better than the original."
Diamond White: Britney picked James Brown's It's A Man's World for teen Diamond White. The teen sported a fedora and bright jeans as she tried to bring a toughness to the song, which she has already song once. She ended the performance by throwing the microphone stand down. The crowd seemed to like it. L.A. liked her "attitude" and "showbiz." Demi said it was "risky" but she "pulled it off." Simon thought it was "a little screechy." Britney said it was "incredibly hard to pull off" but Diamond "not only nailed it," she "destroyed it."
For her second song, Diamond sang a shouty version of Rihanna's Diamonds. L.A. "didn't love" it. Demi thought she "definitely did it justice." Simon said, "Overall I think you've had a good night." Britney said the song was "made" for her.
Tate Stevens: "Being the last of the old guys, it's tough," said Tate in his taped segment. He and L.A. went out for a beer and Tate said it's been hard for his wife, who wonders what will be next for Tate and his career. The country singer covered Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer, giving it a bit of twang and opting for low notes instead of high ones. Did it work? Britney said, "I feel like you're getting away from what you do best ... country." Demi said, "I truly believe I'll be buying your album one day ... I just feel like this performance was a little boring and you skipped out on a high note, which is the best part of the song." Simon said it was "like taking a goldfish for a walk. In other words, you can't." L.A. disagreed. "I love the song. I think you did a really good job."
For his second song, Tate got back into his country wheelhouse with Garth Brooks' If Tomorrow Never Comes. Said Britney, "That felt like a Tate Stevens performance." Demi said she "got a little sleepy on that performance." She added, "But I'm also really tired, so it's probably me. Regardless... you have a huge future ahead of you." Said Simon, "Welcome back, Tate Stevens, to the competition." He added that he was "really happy" Tate had come this far. "You don't put an age cap on talent."
Who's most likely to leave? Fifth Harmony and Diamond White.