The X Factor 2016 continued tonight as Diva week arrived, pushing the contestants to their vocal limits.
With only 10 acts left in the competition, the pressure is getting more and more intense as the weeks go on. Last weekend saw Freddy Parker sent home after losing the sing-off to Saara Aalto, who was in the bottom two for the second week in a row.
Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh were on hand as always to spur on their contestants and offer their critique after every performance.
The show opened with Nicole singing a medley of I’m Every Woman and Respect.
Find out who soared and who didn’t impress on tonight’s live show…
Ryan Lawrie
The song:Adele – Rolling in The Deep
Our verdict: Ryan really underwhelmed tonight and I don’t think he did enough to stay in the competition. It was all a bit flat and he doesn’t have the range to tackle an Adele song.
The comments: Louis said it was like a busker and told Ryan he didn’t like it. Sharon criticised his decision to play guitar and got his age wrong. Simon had a dig at Nicole saying that she put her attention on her own performance rather than Ryan’s. Nicole argued back with the other judges and told Ryan he made it his own.
Gifty Louise
The song:Sam Smith – Lay Me Down
Our verdict: Gifty really wowed tonight. It’s the first time we’ve heard Gifty singing like that and she gave a very strong vocal. I prefer Gifty when she drops the bravado and shows what she’s capable of.
The comments: Louis said ‘Gifty, that’s how you do it’ but told her he didn’t like her hair extensions. Sharon said that Gifty’s song choice was emotional and she told her she’s a star. Nicole said Gifty gave a ‘stellar performance’ and told her that she didn’t expect it. Simon said that everyone has got to know Gifty for the first time and told her he’s proud of her.
5 After Midnight
The song:Amy Winehouse – Valerie
Our verdict:Normally I like 5 After Midnight but tonight they were a bit of a mess. The amount of dancing they were doing definitely affected their vocal performance and I’m not sure it was necessary for the song they were singing. It also sounded like they were singing at the same time rather than in harmony.
The comments: Nicole said that she loved the energy and the choreography but didn’t like the song choice. Simon said he’s a fan but told the group this week was terrible. Sharon said that she loved the song choice and told 5 After Midnight that they gave it their all. Louis said the performance may not have been as good as previous weeks but told them he would take them to the final.
Sam Lavery
The song:Michael Jackson – Earth Song
Our verdict: That was very, very painful. For the most part Sam was belting tunelessly and she was completely flat. She missed the emotion and nuance of the song.
The comments: Louis said that it was Sam’s best performance yet. Sharon said that she loved the song choice and told Sam she put her edge into it. Nicole disagreed with Louis and Sharon telling Sam she didn’t believe the performance and didn’t like the song choice. Simon told Nicole that Sam’s performance was the best of the night so far.
Matt Terry
The song: Mariah Carey – I’ll Be There
Our verdict: Tough song to sing but Matt made it his own. There were a few iffy high notes but overall it was a great performance.
The comments: Louis told Matt that he was going to go far and that he could sing anything. Sharon said that Matt’s falsetto is amazing and she told him that his vocals get better and better. Simon said he wasn’t sure about the song choice until he heard Matt sing it fantastically tonight. Nicole said Matt was effortless and natural, telling him she was proud of him.
Honey G
The song:Vanilla Ice / Queen – Ice, Ice Baby/Under Pressure
Our verdict:I don’t even know where to begin with Honey G. I’m pretty sure she’s not really a rapper because if she is, she needs to learn how to rap convincingly. As for that dance break, it was like watching your mum after too many glasses of wine. Stop voting for her people!
The comments: Louis said everyone is talking about Honey G and he told her she was amazing. Nicole said that Honey G’s flow is getting better each week and told her she loved the dance break. Simon said he’s had a lot of calls about Honey G and he admitted he’s becoming a fan. Sharon said that Honey G nailed it this week.
Relley C
The song:Aretha Franklin – Natural Woman
Our verdict: Considering she’s been sick all week and lost her voice, I thought Relley C did really well tonight. You could hear her struggling in parts but overall she sounded fantastic.
The comments: Louis called Relley ‘a fighter, a survivor and a diva’. Nicole said that Relley is the perfect Diva and told her the performance was beautiful. Simon told Relley she has a great voice but told her she was too clean and predictable. Sharon said she was proud of Relley but told her not to worry about a thing.
Emily Middlemas
The song:Whitney Houston – How Will I Know
Our verdict: It wasn’t so much her own spin, as it was a cover of Sam Smith’s cover. Still it was a lovely rendition and Emily sounded fantastic. She doesn’t have the biggest voice but she knows how to use it.
The comments: Louis said that Emily’s version of the song could be John Lewis’ Christmas advert song. Sharon said that Emily made the song her own and complimented the production. Nicole said that Emily’s sweet tone is her money maker but told her she’d not had her big moment yet. Simon asked Nicole if she’d gone deaf tonight before telling Emily tonight was her moment.
Four of Diamonds
The song: Lady Marmalade/Bang Bang – May, Pink / Lil’ Kim, Jessie J, Arianna Grande.
Our verdict:
The comments: Nicole said that the girls sounded great but told them to loosen up and have fun. Sharon agreed with Nicole and told the girls they need to let their sexiness out. Simon said the performance was too American and told them there was huge potential. Louis said that the group did well and promised they would be even better next week.
Saara Aalto
The song:Bjork – It’s Oh So Quiet
Our verdict: Saara actually gave a performance this week and the production definitely helped change perception of her as something other than a big voice kooky singer. I actually really liked her performance!
The comments: Louis told Saara that she was amazing and incredible. Nicole said that Saara had the perfect song choice this week. Simon said that Saara’s performance was incredible and told her it’s what he’s been waiting for.
The X Factor 2016 continues tomorrow night 8pm on ITV as another act is sent home.
