(VIDEO) 11/30/11: X FACTOR USA RECAP; MICHAEL JACKSONS’ BROTHERS, MOM & KIDS ATTEND LIVE SHOW

WHO WENT HOME ON X FACTOR 12/1/11?

The X Factor rolled out the red carpet for the Jacksons’, during the Michael Jackson themed night.  Fans were stunned to see MJ’s brother’s Marlon, Tito and Jackie Jackson at the opening of the show.  Also in attendance of the live show, was his mom Katherine and his three kids, “Blanket”, Prince and Paris.  It was amazing to see how mature his kids have become.  The Jackson’s were probably celebrating the conviction of Dr. Conrad Murray this week, and were all smiles.

Audience members cheered as they were announced, but this probably put extra pressure on the contestants. Luckily for the viewers, the first performance was one of the fan favorites who still seemed to hold it together.

Josh Krajcik was the first out to sing and the last of the “Over 30’s” remaining.  He was extremely nervous and let us know that in advance, saying he did not feel ready.  Although he is my favorite to win “Dirty Diana” would not have been my choice for him.  I could not tell what he was singing at first, but the judges seemed to like it.  Well, except for Simon…unfortunately tonight I have to agree with him.  It seemed a bit too much and did not showcase his voice.

Astro was next up and although his fan base has dropped since his “outburst”, he still stepped up his game. This kid has what it takes to be a star, personality, originality, and a bit of a “Diva” attitude.  While singing “Black or White” with a twist, his rapping never stopped the flow and his song writing abilities is genius. No matter the outcome, he will certainly become a recording super star.

Drew had some of the judges begging her to sing an up-tempo song.  Well, she kind of took their advice selecting the classic hit “Billie Jean”.  However, while it was still a slow version, she sounded really good and it was extremely authentic.  Most of the judges seemed to think Simon failed her this week, without her having more excitement during her performance.  I have to disagree, it was solid.  But Simon lashed out at Nicole and Paula for their comments, he seems to be able to dish it out but not take it.  Why would he say Paula was being disrespectful if she was only voicing her opinion?  He has some nerve challenging her statement, with his background of offering some of the harshest critiques, that seemed ridiculous.  Simon…learn to take what you dish out!

Rachel Crow has stuck around a bit too long in my opinion.  She has had a couple of good performances and I am happy that she made it this far.  But her singing “Can You Feel It”, brought out her attitude which did not come across well on screen.  This may cause an issue with securing votes tonight.  Sorry, she just does not seem to be a $5 million vote.

Marcus Canty on the other hand is very likeable.  He is talented and has a great voice, but still has not come across as unique or authentic.  Anyone who ends up in the finals needs to be an instant super star and I’m not yet convinced he is there.  Singing “Pretty Young Thing” did fit his style and he sounded fairly good, but not sure he flipped his way into votes from his fans tonight.  However, I actually liked his version of the song better than the original.

Chris Rene has a huge fan base and him singing “I’ll Be There” was a great song choice.  It is a crowd pleaser and although he was not always in tune, he still pulled it off.  Simon seemed to think it may not have been enough to keep him around, but his fans are forgiving and strong.  He actually still came across likeable and will get the votes needed to make it to the finals. Simon is wrong once again.  On another note, it was surprising to hear Chris say his grandfather wrote the hit MJ song “Rockin Robbin”.

Melanie Amaro singing “What About Us” was a strong song choice.  Her voice is powerful and always in tune, so it would be surprising if she does not sail through.  Her performance was the strongest of the night.

If I were to bet, Marcus and Rachel will be in the bottom two tomorrow.  With the double elimination, I expect them both to be heading home.  However, we know how much I got their song choices wrong for tonight…not one of them sang my selection!  Once these two are gone…it is going to get extremely tough to vote anyone off.

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