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Tag: Astro

  • The X Factor – Who Makes The Top Five?

    Before we get into the show, I learned that Paula Abdul and Chris Rene are linked in some odd way. I have a friend who has met Paula Abdul before. If you know me or read me at all, you know I’m a huge Paula fan. So what if she didn’t have a fantastic voice. She was a huge pop star at one time and I wanted to marry her.

    The way my friend knows Paula is that her aunt (who has been in a few things herself) and Paula used to be best friends. I’ve seen photographical evidence. My friend’s aunt is Chris Rene’s cousin. So back in the day, little Chris and Paula may have crossed paths. Why is that at all meaningful? Well, maybe when my friend and I go to LA, we’ll “run into” Paula and now Chris. Maybe I’ll get to sing background on the Young Homie remix. Okay, onto the show.

    It was Michael Jackson night last night. Tito, Marlon, Jackie, Mama Katharine, Prince, Paris, and mean-muggin’ Blanket were all there. Where was greasy Jermaine?

    If you didn’t see last night’s show, you can get the recap on Popblerd.

    Based on last night, here’s my top 2 and bottom 2:

    Top 2
    Melanie Amaro and Astro

    Bottom 2
    Drew and Marcus

    I’ve been on a roll in picking who goes home, but I’m not quite confident now. With two more going home tonight, we’ll be down to five. I think Drew is caught in the crossfire of the Simon/LA turf war and it could be her undoing. And I just think Marcus’ lack of vocals are catching up with him. His charisma may possibly get him through though.

    The finalists are performing Man In The Mirror. Let’s just say that Chris Rene struggled. My man is out there without a life jacket when he has to hit certain notes.

    We’re getting right to at least one of the eliminations. It’s quite apparent who is running the show. LA and Simon still have all of their finalists left. Poor Paula.

    Chris Rene, the Teflon Don is through to next week.

    Melanie Amaro is also through to next week.

    Rachel Crow is also through to next week. Marcus, Astro, Drew, and Josh are still on the chopping block. Only one of them is completely safe from elimination. Drew looks terrified. Astro is swaggin’ it out. Marcus says he’s staying strong. And Josh is a little nervous.

    Tinie Tempah is performing tonight. If you watched WrestleMania or any of the baseball playoffs this year, you heard his big single, Written In The Stars.

    His performance consists of him jumping in place. If you can’t rap better than Astro, I’m not sure you should be on the stage on this show. Then again, my man sold millions of his single, so I guess he deserves to be there. At least he got Nicole and Paula to shut up and dance. Whoops, I mean stand up and dance.

    And Josh Krajcik is through. Well, my bottom two are in the bottom three. I really hope Astro gets through, but at this point, if Drew doesn’t make it, it’s entirely LA and Simon’s fault. And she’s already crying.

    And it’s Astro who is a goner. You can blame that one on Simon for two weeks ago. Blood on your hands Simon!

    I would imagine that my man is tied up with whatever Sony record label they are working with. LA should definitely be involved in the making of his record and call in his friends. I think it could be a decent sized success.

    Drew is up first to sing for her X Factor life with Listen To Your Heart. Based on her first few lines, vocally, this is going to be a complete mismatch. Marcus is going to have to get on his knees and beg. Drew is killing it on her way to next week. LA may lose two of his guys on the same show.

    Marcus has those “I’m done” eyes. What’s interesting is that Paula and Nicole have to make the decision. They both seem to be huge Marcus fans. But Marcus’ voice is just cracking all over the place. There’s no way he should make it.

    Predictably, LA is sending home Drew.

    Simon says it’s his fault that Drew is in the bottom because he has presented her wrong. He’s sending home Marcus. Simon cut a really nice “save Drew” promo. The guy is a master.

    Nicole says that based on the song each just performed, she’s sending home Drew. Nicole is deaf. Marcus was terrible.

    Paula says the save me song has to move her and she sends home Drew. Paula is not on my good list anymore. Nicole is deaf. Paula is blind. They’re both dumb. Game over. Simon and LA should be ashamed of themselves, but so should Paula and Nicole. The vote was in their hands.

  • The X Factor – Who Makes The Top 7?

    Last night, Mr. Anti-charisma, Steve Jones said there would be two eliminations tonight. And the judges will only be able to save one. The contestant (or contestants if it’s Lakoda Rayne) who has the least amount of votes will automatically be eliminated. The contestants with the second and third lowest amount of votes will be in the bottom two and have to sing-off for their lives.

    I have two worries tonight. One is your young friend and mine, Astro. I lambasted Simon last night for his treatment of Astro from last week on my Popblerd! column. I fear that Simon sabotaged his chances to go any further. My other worry is Drew. She’s in the crossfire between Simon and LA Reid. Simon can’t take it when Reid bags on his contestants, though he’s quite fine bagging on everyone else’s.

    But it’s turning LA Reid from a smart judge of talent into someone who is simply trying to get Simon back, and throwing Drew under the bus in the process.

    Since the field is narrowing, I chose a top and bottom two, rather than three for last night’s performances. So far, during every week, one of my bottom three went home. We’ll see if I can continue the pace.

    Top 2
    Josh Krajcik and Melanie Amaro

    Bottom 2
    Lakoda Rayne and LeRoy Bell

    Kelly Clarkson opens up the show with her new single What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger). Not a bad little ditty, but there wasn’t much to her performance.

    For their group performance, everyone is dressed like a circus performer, and if I was Marcus Canty, I would’ve thrown some punches before they put me on stage like that. He looked like a short-haired girl. I guess the circus theme equated singing Pink’s So What.

    Mr. Anti-charisma asks Lakoda Rayne and Drew to come to the stage. One of them is going home and one of them is going through to next week.

    Lakoda Rayne is going home. Drew made it through the fire. What the heck does Paula do now?

    Bruno Mars is singing It Will Rain from the Twilight movie Breaking Dawn. Sadly, Kristen Stewart isn’t there glumly staring at him like he’s a pasty vampire.

    Chris Rene is through! He’s the Teflon Young Homie.

    Rachel Crow is also through to next week. As is Josh Krajcik. Well deserved for both.

    Melanie Amaro is going through. The last three are Marcus, Astro, and LeRoy. If LeRoy makes it through, we have quite the conundrum for LA Reid.

    Astro is in. LeRoy and Marcus have to sing for their X Factor lives.

    Marcus is singing first and he’s singing You Lost Me from Christina Aguilera’s much forgotten recent album. I wouldn’t imagine that ballads would be his strong point, but he has a K-Ci Hailey from Jodeci kind of voice for them, without all the rasp.

    LeRoy is next up singing Don’t Let Me Down and he did his usual job, which is decently in voice, but just lacking of any confidence whatsoever. I’d guess they’re keeping Marcus, but I’m not confident in that pick.

    LA is trying to make a case for his boy Marcus, selling his possible star power. He’s going to send home LeRoy.

    You know Nicole is going to stick with her guy. It’s going to be decided between Simon and Paula.

    Paula sends home Marcus because she thought LeRoy’s performance tonight was better. I think Simon sends home LeRoy and leaves it up to the vote. We’ll see.

    And, that’s exactly what he did. It’s up to the votes now. LeRoy Bell is going home. Nicole is down to one act, but damn, she might have the winning one.

    By the way, I hit on both eliminations tonight. I’ll gloat now because it will be impossible to predict from here on out.

  • The X Factor – Who Makes The Top 9?

    Rihanna Esquire Cover
    In my X Factor live blog last night for Popblerd, I gave out my top and bottom three based on performances.

    Top 3
    Melanie Amaro, Josh Krajcik, Astro

    Bottom 3
    Stacy Francis, LeRoy Bell, Chris Rene

    We’ll see if someone in my bottom three goes home.

    The show starts with the entire crew singing We Will Rock You with Josh Krajcik and Rachel Crow front and center. And then, LeRoy Bell misses his only solo line. Come on old man!

    Rihanna’s on the show! That’s much better than what they’ve had in the recent live results shows.

    Paula says she feels confident tonight. That’s the kiss of death. Mr. Anti-charisma Steve Jones says the first part of the results are coming now. There’s no drama in the people who make it Steve. The drama is in the people who go home. Who cares about the first two acts?

    LeRoy Bell is through. People like them some nervous old man. And Lakoda Rayne is in as well. How can you get this wrong? All anyone wondered that is if they were going to make it through? Why didn’t they wait until the end to say they made it?

    Rihanna is performing We Found Love. She’s wearing torn jeans that expose leather garter belts. Actually, she’s wearing jean shorts underneath the torn jeans. I’m just trying to get a view of the back shot and FOX isn’t giving me any. I’m not surprised. They almost never did it when J. Lo walked out on American Idol last year. I hate you FOX.

    Astro must be wearing contacts. He’s without the specs tonight.

    Back to the elimination …

    Next to make it through to next week is Chris Rene. I think Simon is holding his breath on his girls. I don’t think he expected LeRoy or Lakoda to get through.

    Melanie Amaro is the next contestant in. Simon breathed a sigh of relief. I think he thinks he’s getting hosed tonight.

    Josh Krajcik is also through. If Stacy Francis makes it through, we riot.

    Marcus Canty is in next. That leaves just Astro for the boys. For the girls, Drew and Rachel aren’t yet in.

    Rachel and Drew are crying. Stacy is giving everyone the gas face. And Astro looks confident.

    Drew is in. So that means either Rachel or Astro got the second lowest amount of votes. America, you stupid.

    And Rachel Crow is in. She was sobbing.

    Stacy Francis can’t speak with that gas face when Mr. Anti-charisma put the mic in front of her face. Astro says to not be sad because hip hop has made it this far.

    I can’t imagine any of the mentors taking Stacy and her gas face over Astro. There’s just no way.

    Stacy is up to sing first. She’s performing Amazing Grace. I guess Rock Week is out the window. It started fairly shaky until she got into her groove. I think she’s having a problem getting to the higher notes. And she sounds way nasally.

    Astro asks LA Reid if he should perform. Yep, I don’t think you deserve to be here either little homie. He performs a slicked out song with the Jacksons hook for Never Can Say Goodbye. He even spit about all the judges. This dude is amazing.

    LA says that Stacy did a really good job, but Astro acted a little bit like a quitter. I didn’t see him give up at all. LA is sending home Stacy.

    Nicole respects Stacy and sticks with her girl and wants to send home Astro.

    Paula says it’s not how you start, but how you finish. Paula sends home Stacy.

    Simon says he doesn’t like Astro’s attitude and makes him unfold his arms. Astro says he’s not being disrespectful and just didn’t want to perform for the fans if they want to put him in the bottom two. The tears are flowing. Simon expects him to act like an adult. Isn’t the kid 14? Simon keeps Astro and sends Stacy home.

    Stacy is dramatic to the core. She was dramatic on her way in and dramatic on her way out.