14th and 15th December 2011
As semi-final night kicked off, stakes were higher than ever, but there was a sense of inevitability from the get go that proceedings would result in Canty finally leaving the competition, having dodged the bullet over the course of the past few weeks on numerous occasions.
Reprising last week’s failed theme of Pepsi Challenge songs that got canned at the last minute due to a technical failure, the acts hit off round one performing songs chosen for them by the American public. Round 2 was to have no theme – leaving it up to the artist themselves to pick the song they thought would get them through to next week’s final showdown.
For Marcus, the public opted for the Boyz II Men song I’ll Make Love To You, which fit his style perfectly, with him putting in a solid vocal. He was up against it tonight with his competition of the highest calibre, but this was still a great performance.
Chris Rene was to tackle Sugar Ray’s Fly, which was a new one on me, but which saw him do a fine job yet again. Melanie Amaro singing Mariah’s Hero was an unforgettable sight, her voice really shining through yet again, on a soaring, note perfect rendition of what must be considered one of the hardest songs of all time to sing. She nailed it, leaving the judges in awe of her gift, and she was left to receive yet another standing ovation from everyone in the room.
The Beatles song Come Together was yet another perfect choice by the American public, leaving Josh Krajcik with plenty of opportunity to work his raspy overtones on a classic, for another scintillating and engaging outing.
Melanie pipped it for me though in round one this time out.
With the shackles removed, the contestants had no limits for their last song of the evening, and they took their chances well.
Marcus went out all guns blazing on a dance remix of Careless Whisper, which I thought worked really, really well, but which was royally slated by Cowell, who called it “horrific”. It worked though for me, with Canty allowed to let loose his electric dance moves to the beat, and make a classic track all his own with his remix. He really looked the part also.
Chris Rene threw down hard too, starting off at the piano for Alicia Keys’ No One, before letting loose on the chorus and prowling the stage like the winner he really is. The styling has clicked too now, and he is looking (and most importantly sounding) like a bona fide crossover superstar right now. L.A. Reid has worked marvels with him, and Rene took flight tonight in round 2.
Melanie had another powerhouse run through of the hit Feeling Good, before Josh stripped it back to an awe inspiring performance of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah on piano. It was a beautiful version, which deservedly left him to receive all the plaudits once again. Stunning, and a performance which the judges admitted makes him a contender for the crown. The guy is simply flawless, and the model professional. He has not let Nicole down once in this series, and he thoroughly deserved his inevitable place in the final off the back of his two performances tonight.
Round 2 was a little harder to call for me; the judges thought Josh owned it, and I agreed, but I did also really enjoy Rene taking on Alicia Keys, which is no mean feat.
On the following night’s results show, the four remaining acts mashed up Blackstreet’s No Diggity into Shout by Tears For Fears. It was one of the worst choices of the series for me. Florence and the Machine was pretty dull too (performing Spectrum) and Nicole Scherzinger stepped up from behind the judging panel for a sensational and atmospheric performance of her track Pretty. She really pulled out all the stops in front of her peers, and it was an immense performance. I also loved Cowell’s quirky “critique” of it, opting to use a Nicole-style review, likening it to waterfalls and rainbows amongst a number of other varied clichés. Hilarious.
Being so close to the final, there was no sing off for survival, with the act getting the lowest amount of votes from the public going straight home in fourth place. As expected, Marcus ended his tenure on the show, coming a respectable fourth place. He did really well throughout the show, and he deserved to get this far. He could still have a really good career after the show, but it has been on the cards for weeks now with him, and he didn’t stand a chance up against Rene, Amaro and Krajcik.
. . . and then there were three.
The race is wide open, and next week the show will crown it’s inaugural winner. Who will pip it? Melanie Amaro, Josh Krajcik and Chris Rene could all win, and it will be up to the performances on the night and the public vote as to who will take the crown.
You wouldn’t want to miss it, that’s for sure.
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