Author: Cortney Wills

Michael Becker / FOX

Jeff Gutt

The final four contenders brought their A-games to The X Factor semi-finals on Wednesday night when each act performed three songs; a duet, a song selected by their mentor and one chosen by viewers.

The jam-packed format left no room for a guest performer, but there was plenty of excitement to fill the two-hour running time without any extra fluff. 

Carlito Olivero impressed the judges with his version of “Boyfriend” that was perfectly suited for his swooning fans. His mentor, Paulina Rubio, selected Marc Anthony‘s “I Need To Know” as his last attempt to snag a seat in the final round and the judges were pleased with his spicy delivery.

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Simon Cowell said he didn’t know if it was enough to get him to the finals, but said it was the Menudo cast-off’s best night of the season. 

Restless Road struggled through “That’s My Kinda Night” but redeemed themselves with Simon’s pick; “Wanted.” Kelly Rowland praised their performance and noted that the usually reserved trio really rose to the occasion to stay in the game. 

Alex & Sierra lived up to the bar they set last week when they tackled “Little Talks” and all four judges agreed it was one of their best showings so far. They did even better with their second song of the night and drew tears from Demi Lovato and the other two ladies on the panel for their emotive take on “Gravity.” 

Cowell didn’t shed any tears but he sang the duo’s praises after they took their final bow.

“I would like to bottle the last ten seconds of that song and keep it for the rest of my life because it was perfection,” he said. 

Even though the lovebirds maintained their front runner status, Jeff Gutt gave them a run for their money with “Hallelulah” earning him a standing ovation from everyone on the panel. By the time the show was over, his version had already crept to the No.1 spot on iTunes. 

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His second song, “Demons” was almost as captivating as the first and he proved he has a real shot at taking home the big win with his raspy-rocker flair.

The duets were an interesting way to pit performers against each other in a head-to-head style showdown. First, Olivero went up against Alex & Sierra with “Falling Slowly” and the couple was clearly cut out for the romantic sentiment of the song, leaving Olivero in the dust. 

Gutt and Restless Road battled over “Every Breath You Take” and the rocker proved victorious over the country trip, despite their best efforts. 

With all four finalists displaying solid singing chops on Wednesday night, it’s anyone’s guess who will land in the Top 3 come Thursday. 

Michael Becker / FOX

Rion Paige

Thursday night’s results show brought another double elimination on The X Factor and cut the top six contestants down to the final four.

Simon Cowell dedicated the show to the late Nelson Mandela, who died earlier in the day and set a somber tone for a night that would crush two hopefuls’ dreams.  

Ellona Santiago was the first girl to get the boot despite her strong showing on Wednesday night. Her take on Lady Gaga‘s “Applause” and Beyonce‘s “If I Were a Boy” failed to earn her enough votes from home viewers to stick around another week.

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The teenager was shocked when she heard she was heading home and her body language showed her disappointment. The whole crowd seemed surprised, but at this stage in the game, is anything really a shocker?

Before it was time to make the night’s tough calls, season 2 finalists Emblem 3 took the stage to perform “Just For One Day” and reminded the crowd that they’re still on a music-making mission.

Jeff Gutt, Restless Road and Alex & Sierra were sent to the safe zone leaving 13-year-old Rion Paige and Carlito Olivero to sing their “save me” songs yet again.  

There were no real surprises there, considering Alex & Sierra’s standout performance of “Say Something” was Wednesday’s show stopper for sure. 

Gutt had one of his best nights as well and the country trio has remained a fan favorite throughout the season. 

While Paige was a frontrunner from the start, she was a bit off this week and failed to give her usual gusto. Olivero maintained his safe (but nothing special) rep, but rose to the occasion when it was time for him to sing for his spot. 

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After U.K. winners Little Mix delivered an action-packed performance of “Move,” it was time for the bottom two contenders to take one more stab at a shot in the final four. 

Paige take on Miranda Lambert‘s “The House That Built Me” wasn’t as moving as her other attempts. Olivero opted for sex appeal over sympathy with his choice of Usher‘s “U Make Me Wanna.”

When it came time for the judges to render their verdicts, Demi Lovato decided to “stick with her girl” and send Olivero packing. Paulina Rubio remained faithful to her team’s last man standing and Kelly Rowland reluctantly picked Paige to get the axe. 

Once again, the choice came down to Cowell who settled on Olivero for the win. 

After the show, Cowell explained his motivation for saving the former Menudo member had more to do with his background than his actual performance. 

“I didn’t think she could win. She’s 13 or 14 years old and she’s got a long way ahead of her and she’ll be remembered,” he said of Paige.

“I thought that with Carlito, if you look at his background, how hard he tries the underdog, I just kind of felt that maybe he deserves that extra shot.”

Michael Becker / FOX

It might have been a sleepy post-Turkey evening for most of America, but there was plenty of action on The X Factor as another double elimination knocked the top eight down to a final six. 

Warning: spoilers ahead…

But before the drama began, the contestants were treated to a Thanksgiving dinner with their families along with a performance by judge Demi Lovato, who took to the stage for an electrifying performance of her latest hit, “Neon Lights.”

Lillie McCloud, the 50-something soul singer with impressive pipes, was sent home first. Her mentor, Kelly Rowland, looked as stunned as the finalist herself. “This has been a major ride for me and I learned a lot of things and I’m good,” said McCloud after getting the boot. “God knows what he’s doing.”

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Host Mario Lopez was a relief for the fortunate four who were sent to the safe zone — Carlito Olivero, Ellonna Santiago, Restless Road and Alex & Sierra — leaving Rion Paige, Jeff Gutt and Josh Levi in the bottom three. 

The crowd was in for another shock when it came down to Paige and Levi in the bottom two, pitting the teenagers against each other in a battle to save themselves.

Paige hit the stage with a look of fierce determination and chose Pink‘s “Perfect” as her “save me” song. She nailed it as usual and the lyrics seemed perfectly suited to her inspiring backstory.

Paulina Rubio was noticeably flustered when she accidentally named Carlito Olivero instead of Josh Levi before he made his last attempt to stay in the game. Levi picked Bruno Mars‘ “When I Was Your Man” and the vocals were strong. The judges had a tough choice to make between two of their favorite contestants.

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Admittedly torn when it came time to make their decision, it was painfully clear that nobody liked making the tough call on a holiday. But Lovato and Rubio stayed loyal to their mentees, voting to keep Paige and Levi, respectively.

Rowland, who said she admired both contenders and saw growth from each of them, struggled to reach a decision. In the end, she voted to send Paige packing, leaving the final call up to Simon Cowell.

He insisted that both of the teens are ready for the music business and decided to send Levi home, ultimately letting the viewers’ votes break the tie. Lopez revealed that Levi earned the least number of votes from fans and would be heading home for the second time this season.  

Thank goodness for Michael Buble, who lightened the mood earlier on with his silky smooth rendition of “It’s a Beautiful Day.” Sadly, for at least two people on Thanksgiving night, it was more like a disappointing one.

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