THE X FACTOR: The Top 7 Compete Live!

Tonight is going to be a "thriller," people- its Michael Jackson night! The finalists take on the King of Pop as they compete live for your votes. The competition is getting tough! We lost two acts last week, LaKoda Rayne and Leroy Bell, and are now down to the top 7. Paula no longer has any contestants left in the competition and Nicole only has one. Not only do they have the weight of performing songs from the world's greatest stars, but another two acts will be sent home tomorrow night. The number of acts is shrinking and we can now see the finish line. Who will do the superstar's music justice? Who will choke under the pressure of taking on such a large feat? We will soon find out!

In keeping with the tribute to Michael Jackson, members of the Jackson family were brought on stage and in the audience. They gave their words of wisdom to the contestants.

Josh Krajcik started the show on a high note. He sang "Dirty Diana" and gave a great performance. He made the song his own and was really entertaining. Although this definitely wasn't his best performance, it was something very different for him and he still managed to perform well. The judges were mixed about his performance. Paula said, "You continue to raise the bar," and Simon said, "I think it was your weakest performance so far."

Next to perform was Astro. He sang "Black or White." His performance was very strong. He added great lyrics that honored Michael and he put his all into the performance. This was definitely one of my favorite performances of the night. The judges enjoyed his performance. Paula said, "I think you can win this competition" (I agree, this performance really shows his potential to become a star), and L.A. said, "That was truly, truly amazing."

Drew sang "Billie Jean." She put a new twist on this classic song by slowing it down. Her vocals were beautiful and she gave a great performance. While her performance was one of the best of the night, she once again played it safe by doing the same type of song. The judges liked her performance, but still hope to see her do something different. Nicole didn't like that she sat in a chair the whole time and said, "Its exactly what I expected." Paula said, "This was your best vocal performance," but wants her to do an up tempo song next time.

Next up was Rachel Crow. She sang "Can You Feel It." This definitely was not her best performance. Her vocals were good, but she didn't seem to put her all into the performance and something felt off. The judges weren't crazy about her performance. L.A. said, "That wasn't the best I've seen you," and Nicole said, "I don't know if I felt that you felt it."

Marcus Canty sang "P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)." He did an amazing job. His vocals were great and his performance had so much energy, he even did a back flip! His performance was one of the best of the night. The judges praised him. Paula said, "You are the whole package" (He really is, he brought so much to this performance).

Up next was Chris Rene. He sang "I'll Be There." His performance was solid. His vocals were great and he was very entertaining. This was definitely one of his best performances. The judges enjoyed his performance. Nicole said, "You sounded the best you ever sang," and L.A. said, "I think the performance speaks for itself."

Last to perform was Melanie Amaro and she closed the show with a bang! She sang "Earth Song" and once again was incredible. Her vocals were beautiful and her performance was very strong. She was definitely one of my favorites of the night. The judges loved her performance. Nicole said, "Not only was it the best of the night, it was the best performance of the competition." Paula said, "It was flawless" (I completely agree!).

America is going to have a really difficult decision to make! The contestants all did a great job and gave Michael Jackson a beautiful tribute. Two contestants will be leaving the competition tomorrow, so get your votes in so the best of the best can move on and be in the final 5!

Tune in to THE X FACTOR tomorrow at 8pm for the Results Show. Check back in to BroadwayWorld for another recap! Visit TheXFactorusa.com for up-to-the-minute news, videos and information. Become a fan of THE X FACTOR on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheXFactorUSA and follow the series on Twitter @TheXFactorUSA.

THE X FACTOR is produced by Syco Television and FremantleMedia North America. Rob Wade and Siobhan Greene are executive producers for Syco Television. Cecile Frot-Coutaz, Richard Holloway and Andrew Llinares serve as executive producers for FremantleMedia North America.

Photo Credit: Ray Mickshaw / FOX