Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Having just watched some superb performances by singers on The Voice this evening, let’s see what The X Factor has to offer.

One thing I’d like to see is fewer elaborate productions. Last week, I think a couple of singers — Willie Jones and Cece Frey, among them — saw their vocals suffer because of all the dancing they were expected to do in order to put on a big X Factor show.

This week, the power to say yea or nay to the performers goes to the voters at home, though the coaches do have the ability to save.

And we start with a twist. The X Factor has brought back Diamond White.

Ugh. Not over the return of Diamond. But over the endless gimmicks on this show.

Actually, when they announced that, I suspected they might be bringing back Willie Jones.

Down to the performances.

1. Arin Ray: He’s going to sing “American Boy.” It’s another big dance number. A week ago, Arin found himself singing for his life and says he was surprised to have survived. Honestly, Arin’s dancing might be better than his singing. This is just a very mediocre vocal. The only thing that stood out in that performance was the snippet of rap. Grade: C.

2. Paige Thomas: Paige showed up in strange outfits twice last week. Yet it was Cece who caught flak for what she was wearing. Hmm. Tonight, Paige starts off suspended midair and slowly drops to the stage. No fancy headgear though. She’s singing “Take My Breath Away.” That was much better than last week, but I would have preferred to have heard just her on the chorus instead of Paige plus a legion of background singers. She delivered a couple of very nice moments, but the vocal also got overshadowed by the stage production: Grade: B

3. Vino Alan: From a pure vocal standpoint, this guy is one of my favorites in the competition. He’ll sing “When a Man Loves a Woman.” Wisely, L.A. Reid keeps the performance stripped down so that the focus is on Vino’s voice and Vino’s voice alone. And he delivers a solid … albeit slightly overbaked in parts … rendition of that song. There’s no doubt he’s the best singer in the over group. Demi says she has trouble visualizing Vino as a pop star. Well, Miss Silly Annoying Voice Demi, I doubt Vino envisions himself as pop star in the Demi Lovato mold. For one thing, he sings too well. Grade: B+

4. Emblem 3: Now comes the most over-rated act on this or any other singing show. One solid performance, and they were being proclaimed superstars a week ago. This time, they’ll do a mashup of “California Girls” and “Sunshine on a Cloudy Day.” Well, they jumped around a lot. They did a pretty neat rap in the middle of the song. They got the young girls to scream. From a vocal standpoint … so-so. That performance didn’t smack of superstar for me, but I’m sure the judges will have a different opinion. Grade: B-

5. Beatrice Miller: She’s struggling with her vocal cords. But she’s going to tackle “I Just Want You to Know Who I Am” anyway. Love the grit in her voice. And love the way she worked the stage. She has pretty remarkable stage presence and passion for a 13-year-old. Pretty nice rendition of that song, though you could tell her voice was straining in spots. Grade: B+

6. Jenell Garcia: The 17-year-old is going to rock out, singing Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock and Roll,” clad all in black. Not sure it’s the most challenging song you’re going to find, but Jennell is belting it out and selling it on stage. And she’s looking pretty hot doing it. This might be my favorite Jennell performance so far. After a strong start, there were a couple of spots near the middle and end of the song where the vocal seemed to go off course a bit. All in all, solid. Totally disagree with L.A. and Simon’s criticism. That was every bit as good as Emblem 3. Grade: B.

7. Tate Stevens: Good song choice by Tate, who’s going to sing “Dead or Alive.” Not sure Tate is up to it vocally. The song is a little bigger than his voice. But I’ll be interested to hear what L.A. and Simon have to say, because this is pretty much a straight-up cover of the song — the same strategy they just criticized Jenell for. I root for this guy, but I’m not sure that was his best. Naturally, he gets a pass on the straight-up cover. Rather hypocritical if you ask me. Grade: C.

8. Lyric 145: OK, they’re going to do “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from Mary Poppins. Check out those outfits. Incredible. OK, this performance, complete with the ad libs, just made me smile. Loved the opening. Loved the creativity. Loved the energy. Loved that they pulled it off. That’s the first big production on this show that I’ve enjoyed in Season 2. A case where the production helped sell a brave, brave song choice rather than detracted from the vocal. Grade: A

9. Diamond White: The 13-year-old gets a second chance on The X Factor, brought back just a week after her elimination. And, of course, the cameras are rolling as she gets the news. Her comeback performance will be a simple rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing.” No, Diamond, no. This song is beyond her abilities, and it’s showing from start to finish. I’m afraid her comeback might be very short lived. That was easily the weakest vocal of the night. No idea what the judges were hearing, because that was pretty brutal. Grade: D.

10. Cece Frey: The gone-blonde rocker will sing “Eye of the Tiger.” And the paw prints are back on the side of her face. From a performance standpoint, Cece is trying to do less this week. That’s probably a smart move because she was dancing all over the stage last week and her vocal suffered. Unfortunately, she sounds off key through the whole song. And, sorry, Cece, but a couple of big notes near the end of the song can’t salvage that. Grade: C-

11. Carly Rose Sonenclar: What, no school girl outfit? No dancers? Nope, Britney has come to her senses and decided Carly Rose is best when she just lets Carly Rose sing. The opening of that performance of “It Will Rain” was superb. It might have been a little overblown near the end, but you can tell from the crowd reaction that fans love this 13-year-old. She’s got a great voice. She’s got range. And she certainly pours passion into that performance. Right now, I will be shocked if she isn’t in the show’s finals. Grade: A-.

12. Jason Brock: Somehow, he survived an absolutely horrid performance last week. He should have been long gone by now as a result. It was truly the worst I’ve seen on a show like this. Now he’ll sing “I Believe I Can Fly” with dozens of huge candles burning on the screen behind him in a truly hokey set. Having him follow Carly Rose to the stage might just do Jason in once and for all, which wouldn’t be a bad thing. This is nowhere near as bad as last week’s travesty, but it’s miles short of the best performances tonight. Britney describes it as a Vegas lounge act in her first truly astute critique since the live shows started. Love Simon’s comment: “I don’t believe you can fly. Maybe jump. A couple of inches off the ground.” Grade: C-

13. Fifth Harmony: Yep, the group has another new name, their third since they were formed by Simon. They’ll sing “A Thousand Years” from Twilight. And I’ve gotta say, they sound absolutely fabulous when they harmonize. That was a great way to unveil their new name. It’ll be interesting to see how they do in the competition because Lyric 145 has talent, Emblem 3 is popular and, when they get it right, Fifth Harmony sounds superb. Simon should be pleased with his acts this year. Grade: B+