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Tag: LA Reid

  • 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.

  • The X Factor – Who Makes The Top 10?

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

    Top 3
    Rachel Crow, Josh Krajcik, LeRoy Bell

    Bottom 3
    Stacy Francis, Chris Rene, The Stereo Hoggz

    I hit it right on the money with InTENsity last week. We’ll see if anyone from my bottom three goes home tonight.

    If you thought Marcus Canty’s glitter jacket was a bit obnoxious last night, he’s wearing a white tux tonight during the group song. So is Rachel Crow, but she can get away with it.

    Also, in case y’all are wondering, Astro can rap. Chris Rene can’t.

    And as much as I wished it wasn’t the case, Mr. Anti-charisma, Steve Jones is back. I sort of hoped he was hit by a bus this morning and broke his foot. Alas, my terrible wishes didn’t prove true.

    LA Reid apologized for saying that Melanie Amaro’s performance wasn’t all that creative. He admitted that he was drinking a tall glass of haterade last night.

    Willow Smith is on stage performing Fireball. I have nothing against Will and Jada’s baby girl, but I’m not exactly sure what I just saw. She kind of half-rapped half-sung a mess of a song in a tight overalls jumpsuit. Rather than hit us with some of the elimination, Mr. Anti-charisma introduces Jessie J who has sold over 8 million records worldwide. She’s sold so many records that I’ve never heard of her. She’s either a Katy Perry or Lady Gaga knockoff, I’m not sure which.

    (If you watched the most recent MTV VMAs, she was the girl singing songs between commercials for the audience.)

    Finally, it’s elimination time.

    The first person in is Stacy Francis.

    Your boy Astro is also in.

    Your girl Melanie Amaro is also in. No groups are in yet and Paula is nervous.

    Marcus Canty is next, glitter jacket and all.

    LeRoy Bell is also in and Nicole is so happy that two of hers made it through.

    Rachel Crow is also back next week. Paula is now really, really nervous.

    Josh Kracjik is in. I think both of Paula’s groups are in the bottom two. She might go crazy.

    Drew is in. It’s now between Paula’s groups and Chris Rene. Rene deserves to go the most.

    Chris Rene is through. Uh oh. The Stereo Hogzz and Lakoda Rayne are in the bottom two. The groups are cursed! People don’t want to be fans of more than one person.

    Lakoda Rayne is singing No Air for their survival song. It started out very shaky, but they did their best. Their harmony was off.

    The Hogzz won me over at hello. They’re singing Michael Jackson’s You Are Not Alone. Well, at least the lead singer is. He sort of sounds like Slim from 112. To me, they are the better group, but I imagine it’s much easier to sell four fair-skinned girls to a country audience.

    LA Reid chooses to send home The Stereo Hogzz.

    Nicole admits to choosing Lakoda Rayne because of female empowerment. Ass!

    Paula chooses to not vote, and then says she’ll choose to send home Lakoda Rayne just so the Hogzz have a chance. She was an absolute nut case, crazy mess during this entire process.

    Simon is so going to send home the Hogzz. I can just feel it. He sends home the Hogzz. Damn.

    It goes to show what I said last week. America can’t latch onto groups like they can latch onto solo acts. Next year, they shouldn’t even have groups.