The X Factor has entered the final stretch before its live shows, and there was plenty of drama do go around on the road to get here. Whether you missed the show or just want to re-live a performance, read on for a full recap of tonight's episode!
They lead off the show by telling us "only" 120 made it to boot camp. Luckily, things were cut down very quickly - and will be down to just sixteen by tomorrow - so it's probably possible for The X Factor to show all of them instead of just flicking through faces and hoping you can guess who made it and who didn't.
There will be four groups of six singers each - Teens, mentored by Britney (she's ecstatic when she finds out what group she'll be coaching); Young Adults, coached by Demi (she's excited); Over 25s, coached by LA (who slams his phone and acts like he's been given a group from a senior home to work with); and Groups, couched by Simon (he's underwhelmed but thinks, of course, that he has the Midas touch). Each act in judge will then cut two singers.
The young adults are up first. Cece Frey is the first to be chosen (I spend her whole segment wondering how long it takes Cece to draw those leopard spots on her forehead - and her whole leg! What?!? I hadn't noticed that before). Country crooner Willie Jones and 18-year-old Jennel Garcia will be joined by Nick Youngerman, Paige Thomas and Jillian Jensen to complete the team, seeing the elimination of Sophie Tweed-Simmons, Ally Brooke and more.
The Over 25s team will consist of Jason Brock, Daryl Black, David Correy, Tara Simon, Tate Stevens and Vino Alan; Freddie Combs, Jeffrey Gutt and more are sent home. This group is a little heartwrenching - with the kids and teens, you don't feel that they want it quite so badly.
For the teens, it'll be Beatrice Miller, James Tanner, Carly Rose Sonenclar, Diamond White, Reed Deming and Arin Ray. I'm happy with these choices, though I have to admit I'm biased - Carly was a definite standout to me in Frank Wildhorn's short-lived Wonderland on Broadway last year so I have to root for her - but Diamond and Beatrice were standouts throughout the competition in their own right, too.
Sister C, Dope Crisis and Emblem3 are chosen for the Groups team; since there are still a few spots left, they're filled with groups that are made up of stragglers who were cut earlier, including "Playback" (made up of a bunch of 16-17 year old boys who were cut from the teen category); "Lylas," featuring Dinah Jane Hansen, Lauren Jauregui, Ally Brooke, Normani Hamilton, and Camila Cabello; and "Lyric 145," which consists of One4Five and Lyric Da Queen.
Marc Anthony will help Simon coach the Groups, which kicks off with Playback. Marc Anthony finds them boring, but Simon liked it; they agree, though, that Emblem3 is rather rough and so's Sister C. Lyric 145 is up next, and I'm surprised at how much I like it. I don't know if it's any good as far as rap goes, but I like it. "Very impressive," Marc says. Dope Crisis gives what's dubbed "a good audition" and Lylas seem to each be trying to sing louder than the person who sang before them, resulting in a really uneven performance.
Nick Jonas is Demi's guest mentor for the Young Adults. They agree after the performances, in whispered comments to one another, that Jennel's light has become a bit "dim," Willie is good but a bit inconsistent and Jillian's shaky but they like her. Demi can't decide if Nick Youngerman was great or super annoying (I kind of agree). Of course The X Factor pits Paige and Cece against each other again. Paige does okay, but she's super upset afterward because she feels she could've done a lot better. Cece says before her performance that she keeps her emotions inside because the way she expresses them is "not always deemed normal," which strikes me as a pretty weird thing to say for so many reasons. Anyway, she does pretty well, so Demi and Nick say that it'd be tough to send her home.
Who's headed home? That's for tomorrow's episode to decide. Meanwhile, LA chooses Justin Bieber (and Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun) to help mentor the Over 25s. I'm surprised LA didn't push them off the side of the giant hill his house is on since he clearly thinks they're the worst group he could possibly have and won't stop saying so. Britney enlists the help of Will.i.am to coach the Teens - but you'll have to tune in tomorrow to find out how those two groups do, too. How did your favorites do in the latest rounds of competition? Is there anybody you wanted to see make it through who didn't? Sound off in the comments!
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