Coming off the heels of Vino Alan’s shocking elimination on The X Factor, the six remaining contestants have reason to be nervous.
“It’s anybody’s game,” said Fifth Harmony member Dinah Jane Hansen. “He was top three and then he went home.”
“You can’t be complacent,” added Lauren Jauregui.
PHOTOS: An 'American Idol' to 'X Factor' Timeline
Alan’s biggest problem in his departing week was arguably song choice, and the soul singer fired a warning off to the California trio Emblem3 as he left the competition.
“He looked at us and said, 'This is the perfect example of why you should be able to choose your songs,'” recalled Wesley Stromberg.
This week, the fate of the final six is not in their hands, but those of the fans, who chose each contestant's song, staging and wardrobe as part of the Pepsi Challenge.
Although country singer Tate Stevens expressed concern that the public may make him wear a pink dress, Texas pop girl CeCe Frey joked that that wouldn’t be a problem.
“He could borrow one of mine,” she laughed.
PHOTOS: 'X Factor' Season Two: Meet the Contestants
While being at the mercy of the public could be a scary thought, nearly eliminated teen singer Diamond White is excited for the opportunity and believes the experience could only net a positive outcome.
“If I were a fan, and I got to choose what my favorite act gets to do, I would totally vote for them more this week because I had more impact on it,” she said.
Current top vote-getter Carly Rose Sonenclar agreed with her teammate, saying,"It makes me feel that whatever I do, I have some support, because they chose it. If they don’t like it, I don’t know why they chose it. It's an interesting little twist on the show."
So who loves their song this week? Who gets to do one of the judges songs in front of them -- again? Read on for the answers:
How does White feel about performing "Diamonds" by Rihanna? "I really love the song they chose for me this week. I think they did an awesome job for what they take me as. They understand the artist I want to be."
How did Britney Spears’ teens celebrate their mentor's 31st birthday? Carly Rose Sonenclar said she got Spears a special gift that she will present to her later this week. White said she and Sonenclar both sent out birthday tweets and tried something else, but were thwarted by technology. “We were trying to take a video on our phones and send it to Britney over Twitter, but our memories were both full."
How does Sonenclar feel about performing Beyonce? "I think it’s a very big song, it’s a diva song, and I think maybe that’s what they see me as. I think it’s a complement. I love the song. I think it’s so pretty and powerful. I think it will be very relatable to a lot of people."
If the girls had a choice to do a Britney Spears song, what would it be? White’s choice and Frey’s are the same: “Toxic.” (Frey jokes: "Maybe in a few years, [Diamond] could do that. Whenever she's 18, then she can do that.") The girls of Fifth Harmony favor “I’m Not A Girl (Not Yet a Woman).”
What does CeCe Frey think of the fans choosing “Part of Me” by Katy Perry? "I think it speaks volumes that people chose this song for me because it’s like they knew by the lyrical content that this is the perfect song for me. In the beginning, I was trying to please the judges and it was all about getting the judges’ approval, but that wasn’t going to happen no matter how hard I tried. It also made me realize that people are still voting for me, so it’s not for the judges, it’s for the people at home. It’s for the people really supporting me, because the judges don’t get it."
What would Emblem3 object to if a fan suggested it? "If [the wardrobe] was speedos and cowboy boots, I would say no," said Drew. "That's only for special occasions."
How does Fifth Harmony feel about covering "Give Your Heart A Break" by Demi Lovato? The girls are happy to sing another song by the judge, having already done “Skyscraper,” but have planned a surprise: they are going to perform “two songs that we love” and plan to go “unplugged” on song No. 2. “We found our lane again. We have two songs that we connect to that we would put on our album,” they said.
What advice does season one runner-up Josh Krajcik have for the finalists? My best advice to them is winning shouldn’t be their only goal. They have to do their best, but that was always my thought. I’ve been playing in bars for 15 years. My goal was not just to win the X Factor, but to have an amazing career.
What songs are each of the contestants doing? Here is the list:
Diamond White: "Diamonds" by Rihanna
CeCe Frey: "Part of Me" by Katy Perry
Fifth Harmony: "Give Your Heart a Break" by Demi Lovato
Tate Stevens: "If Tomorrow Never Comes" by Garth Brooks
Emblem3: "Forever Young" by Bob Dylan
Carly Rose Sonenclar: "If I Were A Boy" by Beyoncé
What do you think of the choices? Tell us in the comments below.
Twitter: Michele Amabile
Reporting by Sophie A. Schillaci
