By Jessica Galang
Emblem 3, Fifth Harmony, Tate Stevens and Carly Rose Sonenclar are the final four left standing in the competition, and it’s getting super intense. You can tell all the musicians have their game face on and are bringing it with everything they have. Like last week, the acts will sing two songs: One chosen by the singers themselves, and one chosen by their mentor. Every performance is getting better and showing the true potential of the artists, which is why it’s getting hard to pick just three favourites.
Emblem 3 – “Baby I Love Your Way” (Picked by Emblem 3)
Emblem 3 picked this song because they said it’s their mother and father’s favourite song (Aww!). I’m a sucker for oldies, and I felt like their cover was really modern and creative; I wasn’t a big fan of the rapping part, but I still liked that they put their own personal spin on a classic. Like LA said, they’re super charismatic and they’re good at getting the audience into every performance. Demi said it was the first time she felt they actually lived up to what she expected of them. Twitter user @sassquatchet tweeted “I actually really think Emblem 3 deserves to be in the finals — they have such a unique, raw sound that’s so different than everything today”
Tate Stevens – “Fall” by Clay Walker (Picked by LA)
LA picked an emotional song for Tate, and he performed it so well I felt like he was singing on his wedding day. I don’t even know what to say about Tate anymore – I think everyone understands that his voice is impeccable and unwavering in every performance, and even if he doesn’t win first place, this show won’t be the last we’ll see of him. Demi said: “Your wife must feel like the luckiest girl in the world, spending your fifteenth anniversary singing your heart out to her.” Simon said he was happy that Tate decided to enter the competition.
Carly Rose Sonenclar – “Imagine” by John Lennon (Picked by Britney) Read more…
By Jessica Galang
Tonight’s show was unique as the contestants had to perform two songs each. One of those songs was chosen by the very people that keep the show going: the fans. The Pepsi Challenge assigned three songs to each contestant and the songs that got the most votes was performed on last night’s show. The contestants even tweeted what they were wearing; CeCe Frey tweeted a photo of her shorts and asked “denim or no denim?” The other song wasn’t revealed until they actually performed it — it was called the ‘unplugged’ song.
For tonight, here are my top three favourites:
Emblem 3 – “Forever Young” by Rod Stewart (From the Pepsi Challenge)
Emblem 3 is so adorable; they remind me of a boy band from the 90s. I felt it was really appropriate that they sang ‘Forever Young’, since they really embody youth and that boyish charm that makes preteen girls go nuts. I felt they did a really good rendition and they all sang the song on point. While not all their performances are amazing, they really know how to keep in harmony together and make it work. Demi had the biggest smile on her face and told they judges they all know she’s a fan, but she wants to see them command the stage more. However, @SimonCowell tweeted “I have no idea what Demi is talking about @emblemthree were amazing.”
Carly Rose Sonenclar – “If I Were A Boy” (From the Pepsi Challenge)
This performance can literally be summed up by one line she sings towards the end: “But you’re just a boy, no you don’t understand.” As soon as I hard her vocalize that line, I pretty much just accepted that the competition is probably over because Carly is phenomenal. Though this is an overplayed song, she performed it just as well as Beyonce herself, and it looks like she’s getting more confident every week. “As a fan I get very excited because you never let me down, you are so talented,” LA says. Demi said her vocals are amazing, but she wants to see her sing more up-tempo because it is predictable – Simon quickly interrupted and told Carly not to listen to anything Demi has to say. I must agree with Demi; it would be nice to see Carly go beyond the slow tempo and do something different rather than pick the same kind of song every week. Still, it was a flawless performance.
Tate Stevens – “If Tomorrow Never Comes” Read more…
