THE X FACTOR: The Live Semi-Finals!

This is it, people- the semi-finals! We have come so far, there are just 3 episodes left! The top 4 will be competing live tonight for a place in the finale! The contestants will be singing two songs, one of them being the Pepsi Challenge Song, a song that America choses for them to sing. Tonight, they must be at their best, since they need to impress viewers more than ever. One person will be going home tomorrow and the judges have no say in this. The contestants' fates are completely in the hands of America. We are just one week away from crowning the winner of the X Factor!

First up was Marcus Canty. The song that America chose for him to sing was "I'll Make Love to You." He sounded great and he really shined. The judges enjoyed his performance. Nicole said, "You are bringing sexy back," and Paula said, "You didn't let anyone down." For his next song, he sang "Careless Whisper." His vocals were very good and his performance was strong again. The judges had mixed opinions about his performance. Paula said, "It worked, it was changed to an up tempo, and you did a really good job." Simon said, "That was horrific, absolutely wrong, grotesque, a joke. As bad as I've ever seen" (This seemed a little extreme, Marcus performed well, he's done better in the past, but this definitely wasn't his worst performance).

Chris Rene was next to perform. His Pepsi Challenge Song was, "Fly." His performance was good and he really worked the crowd. The judges liked his performance. Nicole said, "You just make me feel good" (I agree with this, he has a contagious positive attitude when he performs), and L.A. said, "Just keep doing what you're doing." The second song he sang was "No One." His performance was very strong and it was impressive to see him successfully take on Alicia Keys. The judges praised his performance. Paula said, "I love you. Your confidence and transformation is inspiring" (He really has come a long way!), and Simon said, "You delivered big time! Your dad would be incredibly proud."

America chose "Hero" as the song for Melanie Amaro to perform. Her performance was great and her vocals were beautiful. The judges liked her performance. Nicole said, "I loved America's choice song for you. You've grown, your power and strength is inspiring, and liberating." Simon announced, "That was putting your stamp on a song. That was bloody fantastic!" The second song she sang was "Feeling Good." She did an incredible job! Her vocals were extremely powerful and her performance was solid. This was definitely one of my favorite performances of the night. The judges loved her. L.A. called her "the greatest female that ever graced the stage." Simon said, "This is why we brought the show to America. This is your greatest performance of the show" (I completely agree!).

Next up was Josh Krajcik. His Pepsi Challenge Song was "Come Together." His performance was very strong and he really did this iconic song justice. The judges enjoyed his performance. L.A. said, "I rather enjoyed that. Best in the competition, you made your return (I agree, he is definitely the one to beat!), and Paula said, "You attack our souls. I would pay anything to see you perform." He sang "Hallelujah" as his second song. He was amazing! He really put his heart into this performance. He was definitely my favorite tonight! The judges all liked his performance, except for L.A. who said, "That lacked excitement for me." Paula responded with "How can you say that? He makes every song original. You're the one. That was beautiful and brilliant." Simon said, "This put you into the final. Congratulations" (I agree, I can't imagine him not making it to next week after that performance!).

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