X Factor final sing-off is on
We can check The Voice off our list. Now, who’s got The X Factor? It seems like not long ago ex-American Idol judge Simon Cowell’s new show was so full of promise. And here we are, about to crown the winner of a second season that’s already seen a ratings dip (down from an average of about 11 million U.S. viewers per week to about eight million) despite sexy new judges Britney Spears (whose one-liner critiques got old after the first week) and Demi Lovato (whose fatherdaughter ‘feud’ with Cowell got old after the first episode).
But the show will go on; X Factor is already scouting talent for its third season — which won’t include Epics Records head L.A. Reid, who’s leaving the panel to focus on his day job. In the meantime, there’s still tonight’s final two-hour performance episode followed by Thursday’s similarly lengthy grand finale featuring performances by boy band One Direction (Cowell’s latest success story on the British version of The X Factor) and rapper Pitbull.
Here’s a look at who’s left — and who’s likely to take it all.
Carly Rose Sonenclar: Team, Britney Spears; Age, 13; Hometown, Westchester, N.Y. Predicted finish: second. There’s no denying Sonenclar is a prodigious little wonder. And young girls and talent competitions go together like Britney and hair extensions. But Carly Rose is a little bit too young, and, like most young competitors, she tends to over-sing. A lot. She’ll get plenty of viewer votes after tonight’s performance show. But not enough.
Tate Stevens: Team, L.A. Reid; Age, 37; Hometown, Raymore, Mo. Predicted finish: first. His collar is blue. His roots lie in Missouri. He wears a Stetson as if it were attached at birth. A winning formula when it comes to rounding up the cowpoke vote. And while he might not be the next Tim McGraw, Stevens is a consistently solid country singer who’s proven his value again and again — perhaps most passionately motivated by the thought of never having to return to his construction job.
Fifth Harmony: Team, Simon Cowell; Age, 15-19; Hometowns, San Antonio (Ally Brooke); Houston (Normani Hamilton); Miami (Camila Cabello and Lauren Jauregui); Santa Ana, Calif., (Dinah Jane Hansen). Predicted finish: third. After barely getting by each week with their iffy vocals, this cutesy girl group slipped through yet again last week, shockingly landing a spot in the finals over boy band Emblem3. The chances they’ll sneak into the winning spot? Highly unlikely. (Fox, CTV — 9 p.m.)