12/12/12 - Top 4

Hey there. Well today's date is one we will never see again. And soon this particular competition will be coming to an end. Our hosts let us know before the intro to the judges that only three acts will be in the finale next week. We also find out that each of our four acts will be performing two songs tonight. One is of their own choosing and the other by their mentor. Now come the mentors; L.A. Reid, Demi Lovato, Simon Cowell and Britney Spears. The leaderboard is wiped clean and is now a goner since from now on only the voting public will be making the decisions on who goes and who stays as well as who will win the competition.

Up first is Tate Stevens from the "over 25's". I don't know why but I just get this guy and really can not wait to get music from him although I have downloaded a couple of his performances. His choice tonight is "Bonfire" by Craig Morgan. I am once again loving the staging behind our contestants. Tate does a bang-up job with this number and he is my numero uno for the win. L.A. felt he lit up the stage as well. Britney on the other hand did not feel this was his best . Demi for once disagrees and calls him freaking amazing. Simon feels like this is the type of song that all can appreciate from Tate and calls it one of his favorites. My grade: A

Tate's second song is "Fall" originally from Clay Walker. I loved how we saw a small clip of Tate and his wife celebrating their 15th wedding anniversay. He also dedicates this number to her. His voice and passion really drew me in and again I am digging this guy the most. L.A. his mentor calls him consistent and great. Britney likes this one better and says it is a direct hit. Demi appreciates that Tate is such a good guy and likes it. Simon thinks it was a great song and feels there is no chance that Tate is going home. My grade: A

Carly Rose Sonenclar is indeed a very good singer for her 13 years however on this night I was so disappointed in both of her performances. Her pick to sing on the first song is Elton John's "Your Song". Her lower register in the first part was shakey and overall I was fairly bored with the whole number. L.A. felt she did well on this difficult song. Demi calls her predicatable but does like it. Simon thought it was a beautiful version however he feels she could have done better. Britney of course thinks Carly has blossomed on this show. My grade: B-

Carly's second song was also not her best. She starts her number sitting at the piano and singing John Lennon's classic "Imagine". She only played a few bars on the piano and then gets up to finish most of the song. For some reason I felt the disconnection of the whole number although her big notes were good. Simon also mentions this performance seemed complicated with too much going on and Carly should have stayed at the piano for the whole number. L.A. appreciated that she took her artistic ability up a notch. Demi calls it amazing (no so Demi). Britney of course disagrees with Simon and likes what Carly did. I'm with Simon all the way on this one. My grade: B-

Emblem3 takes the stage to perform Peter Frampton's song "Baby I Love Your Way". This dedication to their mom was one of their better performances I think even though these guys are really not that good of singers. The harmony was quite good in the beginning but then they go back to being predicatable as they work the audience which of course has all the young girls screaming with delight. I feel these three are getting by on their looks more than their singing overall. L.A. calls them charming and feels like they are 5 million dollar stars (is he nuts or what). Britney thinks the number felt special. Demi finally approves of them. Simon of course is pleased as punch with his boys. My grade: B

How on earth could L.A. Reid even compare these guys to The Beatles? Yep he did as Emblem3 performs "Hey Jude". The first half was so boring even though Keaton (not the lead singer) proved he could at least sing some. The second half was a mess in my opinion. L.A. not only compares them in the same caliber as The Beatles but feels they are teen heartthrobs. Britney says this was an A level performance. Demi is more subdued and thinks they have potential. Simon is so proud of them. My question is what are these judges on? My grade: B-

Finally Fifth Harmony shows a wonderful harmonious performance as they sing "Anything Can Happen" by Ellie Goulding. They look adorable in their fluffy dresses as they sing at what appears to be a tea party setting. Sadly the solos were not as good but overall I enjoyed this number. L.A. calls it their best vocal so far. Britney loved everything about it. Demi calls it cute and thinks they have sparkled. Simon mentions that they are the underdogs but feels anything can happen and they did well. My grade: B

Is Simon trying to sabotage this group? His choice for them to sing is one they did way back in the judges audition process. The song is "Impossible" by Shontelle. What I did like about this is the solos were much better this time around however again some of the harmony was lacking even though they incorporated some Spanish lyrics into the number. L.A. felt they did a decent job even though the song choice was a lazy one. Britney calls it pretty good but does mention she thinks they are going home. Demi is also worried for them. Simon stands by his decision and felt this song was the right thing to do. My grade: B

Final Thoughts;

Sadly I think Fifth Harmony will be gone this week although I truly wish it will be Emblem3. Tate Stevens remains my top act with Carly Rose Sonenclar being with him in the finale although she was not so good tonight. As the saying goes "Anything Can Happen". Be back later with the results re-cap.

Till then:

I only saw the first two performances and fall sound asleep. By the time a woke back up it was 1:35am. I am surprise that you like Tate seeing he is country and all.

I know Mae, it is strange but I think he is the real deal and I really like his voice. He is the only one I am voting for although I do like Carly Rose Sonenclar also. Carly will get a contract I am sure one way or another but Tate's chances are somewhat limited I think because of his age which is another reason I hope he wins.