'The X Factor' Recap: Thriller Wanted
Few truly shine on Michael Jackson-themed night
By Jilliane Johnson
Brace yourself: The remaining contestants perform songs from the late, great Michael Jackson. We already lost two contestants last week, but Thursday night we will lose two more on "The X Factor." Plus, Paula is now the only partial judge. (What does that say about her as a mentor? Think about it.)
Last Night on TV: Watch recaps | Photos: See performance pics
Is anyone else scared about some of these performances? I'm thinking Marcus Canty, Melanie Amaro and Josh Krajcik will be pretty good. As for everyone else ...
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Brothers Marlon, Tito and Jackie Jackson are in the building! No pressure, everyone. Kids Prince, Paris and Blanket, as well as mother Catherine Jackson, are also in attendance. "'The X Factor' is my favorite show," says Momma Jackson. How cute is she?
Josh Krajcik -- "Dirty Diana"
One of my personal favorites, Josh tries out his own spin on it. It starts off a little weak, and there is a lot of music and distraction with the half-naked women, but it sounds pretty good. No one can deny his guitar playing skills are impressive, though. Oh, yeah, and my previous prediction was proven wrong!
Astro -- "Black or White"
The production looks great. All the dancers are dressed as dancing soldiers, and Astro even does a little jig at the end. He has some fun with it, but I don't believe it's his best performance. Astro really needs to find another way to wow the crowd. The same format will get old eventually. Every judge but Nicole loves it, though.
Drew Ryniewicz -- "Billie Jean"
Simon has struck gold with this performance. Drew sits on a chair, looking like a schoolgirl. Under a spotlight, she sings, almost pleading the audience to believe when she says, "The kid is not my son." I love it. Her voice sounds great on this track. So now, next week, Drew should do a really fun song.
Rachel Crow -- "Can You Feel It"
So Rachel is cute. We all know this, but this isn't working. There's too much sparkle with the outfits, the gloves, the shows, the disco balls. Plus, her vocals could be a lot better. Rachel seems to be very much out of her element this week. Side note: Simon does not take criticism well -- as if we weren't already aware of this after "American Idol."
Marcus Canty -- "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"
This choice of song is perfect for Marcus. The entire setup is like something from the I Don't Want to Be in the Bottom Three Again Tour. He even has some audience participation going after a backflip and great vocals. Everyone loves it except for Simon. Apparently, he thinks he knows what it takes to perform as part of a spectacle. I would pay to see that.
Chris Rene -- "I'll Be There"
You know, it's hard not to feel for this guy whenever he steps on stage. I can respect his dedication to commit to the song in MJ fashion, but the vocals are not his strongest. Chris connects to the lyrics and the audience, more importantly. Paula makes a point on this night, though. He does his best when he can rely on his original lyrics.
Melanie Amaro -- "What About Us/Earth Song"
Once again, she is in her element. With a choir-like backup, Melanie shines and dominates, both in her leather outfit and her performance. Nicole says, "If that performance doesn't save a small country, I don't know what will!" Quite extreme, but I believe I understand how she feels. Best of the night, easily.
That's all folks, until tomorrow. Tune in to see which two contestants will be leaving the competition. Tinie Tempah will also be onboard for a special guest performance!
"The X Factor" airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.
RELAX everyone!!!!!!! These forums are for commenting on the story, not arguing back and forth. Not all of us want to read your bickering Take it elsewhere.
Anywho.....I think Astro needs to go and even though she is a good singer, Rachel Crow needs to go to. I think the age limit needs to be raised because both of these kids are to young. Josh and Melanie are clearly the best singers on this show and one of them absolutely deserves to win.
And the judges need to stop insulting each other. Can't stand it!
I am SO not going to argue with you bruh. Let me tell you why.
There was an image floating around on the web some years ago with a (Dare I say it) a retarded kid running a race. The caption said "Arguing on the internet is like running in the special olympics. Even if you win you're still retarded".
Oh and I'm from St. Louis. Aside from NYC they don't come more arrogant. I can be a crass bastard myself.
Deuces.
How come no one ever thinks I'm arrogant on line? Did I tell you Houston was my home town? If someone says you're not arrogant, it's like an insult.
Anyhoo, Imjustbryan, I have this sudden urge to ditch the topic at hand and just argue with you about music. There's so many questions I have. Like, little kids get shot at you should know. Nice fellows get shot at sometimes too. What if you are by your definitation, a relatively law-abiding and community respecting hip-hop performer and lo and behold, you get shot at it? Are you now, 'rap'? and if you are 'gangsta' rap, like say imo nice fellows that get shot at (such as 50 Cent), then you aren't hip hop anymore? Why not? I mean, he was just going to his grandma's house, didn't you see the movie? I like 50. A lot of people like Wayne too. He's creative don't you think? Tupac got shot, and only a nice person could have written "Dear Mama" or "Keep Ya Head up" or "So Many Tears."
Slim K.
To the manhood and sissies comment I'll just bypass that one and assume you're being facetious.
Hip Hop was/is a culture. It was/is a way of life that artists engaging in the rap art form lived and there were no color barriers. See Rick Ruben, Beastie Boys, 3rd Bass etc. Hip Hop was Krs1, BDP, Run DMC, again Beastie Boys hell Kurtis Blow just to name a few. The music had substance at that point and many performers were college educated with content to speak of. Artists kept their beefs in the studio and it sold records. The BIGGEST difference; Hip Hop never got anyone SHOT! That should clear it up.
Now that it's clear (at least I hope) what Hip Hop is; rap on the other hand is Lil Wayne, Plies, Souljah Boy and all this other bullspit that's flooding the market making my ears hurt.
If one doesn't LIKE rap; fine. People like what they like. I don't like some rock, don't like metal, only a little country but if a contestant is in the talent contest and is good at it what can you say? I'm not going to deny it as a valid genre just because it's not my genre of choice.
If I'm misreading your comment as arrogance Slim K I apologize in advance. Either way from what I'm reading you seem intelligent enough to understand where I'm coming from whether you agree or not.
Respect
Imjustbryan:
I'll defer to your judgments on manhood and sissies. We'll both pretend that you know what you're talking about and are an authority on both subjects. 
But, let's make this a 'learning moment', shall we? for me, too, I mean.
What are the "huge differences" between hip hop and rap? Thanks, and word to your mother and so forth.
Slim K I agree with you on all but one point. While Astro's behavior 2 or 3 WEEKS AGO was pretty deplorable it really didn't phase me much. Astro is NOT hip hip. Astro is rap and there are huge differences. I've never understood the notion nowadays that rap is the only genre of music where art has to imitate life. If you rap and you whine or cry it's not "hip hop" or you're more b!tch made than if say an R&B singer did.
eg. 2Pac was an adult than ran around acting like a 15 year old continuously. Every time he landed his butt in jail he cried like a sissy.
Oh yeah. No offense to any self respecting sissies out there. lol.
Who cares if they're not his biologically? He was raising and taking care of them as far as anyone here knows. When did this show or message board become about that? You sound like a bitter clown who grew up without a father and no one else willing to take the job.
If you meant that MJ's work is over rated then I take back everything I said about you because you're obviously an uneducated 5 year old. I don't get a thrill bashing kids for being dumb. I'd be just like these other folks here bashing Astro for being not much more than you sound.
What can be said about last night? It was not a good noght for many of the performers. Melanie Amuro was the best of the night. She gave a stellar performance. She always does and she's my pick to win. I thought Marcus did a great job and though vocally he isn't that good Chris Rene had one of his best performaces last night. On the other end of the spectrum as much as I llike him I didn't care for Josh's performance last night. But the two worst without question were Drew and Astro. Astro does not sing he talks and it sounds like he's doing the same song every week although you couldn't know for sure becuase he talks so fast you can't understand a word he's saying. Dial X-Factor has him dead last,not even close to anyone else and while I know that people can vote in other ways I hope truly is last and goes home tonight because I've had my fill of him. As for Drew,I don't know what drugs Simon is on but she is absolutely awful. Her performance last night was horrible. She keeps singing slow songs and the way she sings them she just drones on and on and then there's that annoying yodel she has in her voice. And what was Simon thinking having her sing BIllie Jean? it was a poor song choice to say the least. Dial X-Faxtor shows her next to last and again I hope she goes tonight too. If she has to do a sing off she most likely will as Simon is the only judge who is so enamored with her. The others have been quite critical of her performances and I think would send her home no matter who she sang against.
I agree with a couple of comments by others. First, Paula is doing well as a judge on this show, very lucid and accurate. It's kind of a shame she has no groups left. Again, I wanted the Salt Lake City guys--! We need more groups in music, there's hardly any. Quick: who are the TLC of today? There's not one, right? Why not? If you go abroad, you see versions in other cultures. But not the U.S. 2nd: a potential short-coming of the show is the ostensibly unimportant competition among the judges, as if to say 'hey, look at me, MY mentoring singer is still around, YOUR's isnt'...and it pains me to say, I like another mentored singer' and so forth. This should not happen, when a judge is in effect arguing for his 'team' rather than for whom really performed the best on any given night.
Honest answer everyone: Drew is being mentored by Paula, and she performed in the chair last night the same. What would Simon Say? How about "it's really ridiculous that during the most famous Michael Jackson dance song of all time, you have a young girl sitting on a chair like she's in church, angry that she's been accused of making another woman pregnant."
I think the notion of a kid rapping has very VERY large problems if he's going to cry like a little girl when he's placed into the bottom 2. Wasn't it 2-sh$rt who said, "the stories I tell might seem amazin, but tell it to a kid in the ghetto and it wouldn't phase him"? Finsihing 2nd to last, on one night, makes this spoiled little non-ghetto boy, whine. So, what's so hip-hop about THAT?
That being said, I don't care for Drew, or the chubby bearded guy who would never ever be a star, even on the top 40 night at his local karioke where they finally got in the Blood Sweat and Tears and Chicago tunes that he requested...
Fatty Disney girl, is aaaa'ight, but my little sons aren't impressed. In fact, Astro's performances haven't been able to pull them away from "Regular Show" from the other TV.
Melanie's perfomance was incredible.
Liked Josh's performance was good. But not his best.
Astro as usual was GREAT! So what if you don't like him.
Rachel. Cute but not good. Sorry. Wrong song, wrong voice. Just wrong.
Marcus was ok. Not great.
Drew was just rancid. As usual. Scratching a chalkboard. Hideous singer/performer.
Chris; Ehh. Take or leave this one. Definitely out of his element. Weak singer, good performer. But we've always known this.
I think that Rachel and Drew are going home and Marcus is going to be a decoy also like Drew was last week with Lakoda Rayne. I think an MJ night is tough on acts. Melanie has proven that she's the top contender for any genre really. Her talent is effortless for her.
Newsflash. No one and I mean NO ONE cares about you (you know who you are) saying that you won't watch the show if Astro continues. The show will go on and the ratings will stay the same. Who cares.
Again this is NOT a singing contest. Say it with me. It's NOT a singing contest. It's a talent contest. Astro belongs there so deal with it.
I do agree that the judges are being real jerks to one another. I also believe that Paula not having any mentees isn't a reflection of her as a mentor. Not sure that America is really ready for groups in this competition.
Stop comparing this show to Idol. I stopped watching that crap because it's rigged and some who have ZERO talent get really far. Only reason I'm watching it this year is because my church youth choir leader is in this coming season and has gotten really far at this point. Other than that, skip that show.
Respect.
primetime tonight
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