Episode 7 of X Factor Australia has aired and is now up on the official site! Here is the link. It is region locked to Australia, but thanks to the Chrome Extension Hola, you can watch it anywhere. Many of you may have used this extension to watch X Factor UK a day early via ITV’s website, but it’s even easier for X Factor Australia. No zip code or account is required.
But if you want to just watch performances and (with some videos) judges comments, and don’t care about the introductions, you don’t even need to use Hola. You can just watch the videos embedded below. Read on for my thoughts on episode 7 of X Factor AU featuring judges Adam Lambert, Iggy Azalea, Guy Sebastian, and Mel B.
Judge Adam Lambert narrowed his 12 Unders today on X Factor Australia via the always dramatic 3 chair challenge. Read on to find out who made and kept a seat. Do you agree with the singers Adam chose for his team?
Isaiah has the first seat. Nobody is safe until everyone has sung. Adam says narrowing it down to 12 unders was hard enough. Adam wants to put entertainers through, he knows what it takes.
Bailey Spalding is up next. After seeing a clip of her audition again, we see that Bailey is suffering a crisis of confidence. Jason Dundas asks her how she’s feeling, and she says she’s very nervous. Adam says she looks gorgeous, needs to hear something that makes him feel she could win the show. She sings Heroes by David Bowie. She is good, but with only three people getting through from this category, I don’t find her stellar. And some other people are stellar. Adam likes the choices she made, but is worried about the nerves. He saw her shaking and heard it in her voice. She gets a seat for now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgcMyq4fYl8
Next up is Maddison Milewski, our second returnee to face the 3 chair challenge. She’s performing a Queen song in front of Adam. This could send her home or send her through. She attempts Who Wants To Live Forever-everyone says its a lot of pressure. I love how Adam does this song-my favorite song in the Queen+Adam show. She’s not changing it up enough for me to love this. It’s good. But it’s not good enough. Guy says “wow what a voice, Adam has a tough job.” Iggy says “vocals were technically there, but it was missing emotion.” Adam did not like that performance. He didn’t like the phrasing, didn’t believe her. Iggy and Adam talk about Mel being able to fix the storytelling aspect. She gets a seat for now. All three seats are full.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5hvmjxq6AQ
Montage of people not making it. Benny Nelson, someone we haven’t seen at all before today and who didn’t get any setup package, doesn’t get a seat. No shock. Same thing for James Kernick. Veronica Bravo is particularly painful to listen to.
17 year old Vlado Saric is attempting to get the first swap of the night. I hated his audition because I can’t stand Shawn Mendes or Shawn Mendes clones. Let’s see if he can win me over tonight. He sings Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift. His song choice sucks again. He sound less like Shawn Mendes this time so that’s good. But his voice still isn’t nearly as strong as Isaiah’s, and I think they are competing for the “heartthrob” spot. I can’t see both of them making it through. Audience loves him though, because he’s a cute guy. They can’t be going that crazy for his vocal. Guy says there’s a lot to like about him. Iggy somehow has no criticism of the performance. Adam says there were a couple clunky notes. Crowd chants swap. Adam gives him a seat. Obviously Maddison is the one to go. Adam didn’t like her performance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRvu7G6Q0Is
Next up are Janea Rosa who sings I’d Rather Go Blind, and Mi-Kaisha Masella who sings a song I don’t know. Neither of them get seats, and Janea is the one of the two that slightly disappoints me. Adam tells Mi-Kaisha that the lyric “I hit a wall” perfectly describes what happened with the song.
Ivy Adara is up next. She sang Alive by Sia at her audition, and she was stellar. Let’s see if she does well today. She sings “Remind Me” by Conrad Sewell. I think she’s even better than she was at her first audition. Effortless vocal. Guy stands up for her, says she’s why they do the X Factor. Iggy says Adam has to swap. Adam says he was captivated immediately, but Ivy lost him at the big part of the song. Guy says Adam is crazy. Adam puts her into the top three for now. Adam says “now this part is hard” and Ivy tells the three in seats that she’s sorry. She swaps with Vlado. Correct decision that the audience is NOT having for some reason. Lots of booing. Guy and Adam agree that Vlado was the weakest singer of the three. Iggy says “but people loved him”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0P2DewXTO0
Amalia Foy is up next. She had one of the best auditions of the season, and she’s only 14 years old. She sings Piece By Piece by Kelly Clarkson. This could either be disappointing or amazing. Luckily for Amalia, it’s great. She doesn’t sound like Kelly which allows me to like it more. It’s nice to know that someone who killed this song at an audition makes live shows on X Factor somewhere…cough cough Caitlyn Vanbeck. All three judges stand for Amalia, along with the entire crowd, as she squees and cries. Guy calls it mind-blowing, feels for Adam because a swap is coming. Adam says had high hopes for her, and she delivered. She obviously gets a seat. The question is who goes home for her. And since Bailey is a similar singer, Amalia gets her seat. Bailey takes it extremely well, and makes me like her a lot more than I did before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7Nyhe3Pk5Q
Last up, 15 year old Natalie Ong. She slayed The Voice Within by Xtina at her audition, but she wasn’t different enough from the original in my view. Let’s see if she can change up her song today. Adam talks about throwing shoes at her at the acapella bootcamp challenge. She sings “I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James. She slays the song, and it doesn’t sound the same as any other version I’ve heard. She does different things with the high notes. And it was stellar. Adam and Guy throw shoes at her. Melinda Doolittle would be happy right now. Guy says that was ridiculous, doesn’t know what Adam would do. Iggy says she has to get a seat, would have thrown her shoes if they weren’t thigh high boots. Adam says he’s missing a boot so he was clearly moved. She gets a seat. Adam wants three different types of singers. Natalie gets Ivy’s seat. Ivy had better be picked up by Mel. Adam goes up to hug his top 3.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYwGeUOpHZw
Adam’s Top 3 Unders: Isaiah Firebrace, Natalie Ong, Amalia Foy
My thoughts: The last four people left were the best four. Having said that, I think Adam nailed his top 3. Isaiah was the best guy singer. Natalie was the best powerhouse. And Amalia is special. I think Adam has a damn good chance of winning X Factor Australia this season with any of his top 3.
