Did anyone manage to top the extraordinary talent we saw during the X Factor season 3 premiere on Wednesday night? Considering how loaded the hour was with strong singers, night two was most likely always going to be a letdown.
And while there were no Lillie McCloud’s in sight at the Denver and Long Island auditions, there is one singer whose voice I’m still thinking about and want to hear again, like, now. But before we get to her, what about the other contestants who tried out?
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The first name I wrote down last night as someone to put under consideration was Jeff Brinkman, who sang “You Are You Beautiful.” (He’s the one with the doggy daycare who had a baby born six week premature.) There’s a lot of soul and depth to his voice.
But as the performance went on, I started to take notice of his weakness, which is that he can’t really hold out his notes for very long. It’s like he sings the note, then let’s quickly move on to the next one. If he wants a shot at continuing beyond the next round, he’s got to learn how to present his range better, if he’s even able to. So because of that, I ended up crossing his name off my list. Time to start over again.
There were a couple acts who the judges felt very tepid about at first, then gave them a second chance to impress: Roxxy Montana and Denise Weeks. Once they sang again (a church song for Roxxy and an a capella rendition of “The Greatest Love of All” for Denise), the judges were completely on board and loved them.
Me? Not so much. I’m still not all that impressed with Roxxy Montana. Yes, one of the girls is the standout and I’m sure she will now take on lead vocals, but they’re still a bit of a mess. As for Denise, because of her age, she’s going to be compared, fairly or unfairly, to someone else in her age range: Lillie McCloud. And when you compare, well, there’s really no comparison.
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So who did I actually like, you ask? My runner-up for The One Singer to Watch is bartender Rachel Potter from Nashville. She’s a country singer, but ended up performing Queen’s “Somebody to Love.” And while there wasn’t a whole lot of country infused into that number, she has great control, and there’s just something about her voice that I really like.
It’s too early to tell her chances in the competition. Who knows, she may end up not standing out in the next round and be eliminated. And if that happens, so be it. But for right now, she’s only one of two auditioners who I took note of from the Denver/Long Island auditions.
One final comment on Rachel: I was a little taken aback by her constantly saying that because she’s 29 years old, she’s considered too old for the music industry, or over-the-hill, if you will. Wow. I’m glad I’m not trying to break into the business, because if so, I’d be at the top of the hill teetering on the brink of going over it, according to her logic.
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The One Singer to Watch: Simone Torres
While there were about three singers during the premiere to root for, only one managed to rise above everyone else on Thursday night, and that’s 19-year-old Simone Torres. She’s a little quirky, which makes her even more lovable.
When she started singing “Mustang Sally,” I knew I would be instantly on her side. Her voice is a tad deeper than I thought it’d be, and with more soul than I expected. That style will work in her favor, and I definitely want to hear more from her. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Simon seems to really like her, both with her talent and her personality.
What did you think of the second night of X Factor auditions? Did anyone match Lillie McCloud or any of the others from the premiere? And who is your One Singer to Watch? Let us know in the comments below.
The X Factor airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8pm on FOX.
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(Image courtesy of FOX)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
Jeff Dodge, a graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena.
