'X Factor' Recap - LA Auditions

I’m a bit of a reality television junkie, especially those that involve competition. I’ve watched shows where people had to cook, dance, do stand-up and survive on a deserted island in order to win the big prize (thankfully, not all at the same time). But my favorites are the singing competitions, both because I enjoy music immensely and I have an actual background in singing and vocal performance which means I can judge the competitors with a certain degree of accuracy or at least informed opinion. I love watching SYTYCD too but my critiques for that show can only be as technical as Carly Rae Jepsen’s.

That being said, I’ve never watched The X Factor before besides a couple of YouTube clips from the British version and a few auditions from last year’s American season. As far as I’m aware, its biggest success story is One Direction, a fact which I will try not to hold against it as much as possible. Because I’m a veteran of other singing shows like American Idol and The Voice, I thought now would be a perfect time to delve into The X Factor and take you along for the ride.

For the premiere of the third season, creator and judge Simon Cowell is back. I’ve always liked Simon, he’s no-nonsense and actually has a good ear for talent. Sure sometimes his shtick feels a little…2002 (oh, isn’t he delightfully mean!), but he’s one of the best TV personalities in the genre. Joining him on the judging panel are Demi Lovato, Kelly Rowland and Paulina Rubio.

Truthfully, going into X Factor I knew very little about any of them. Demi’s an ex-Disney starlet who has overcome some dramatic personal issues with grace (and without any dancing teddy bears or foam fingers, thank you very much). I don’t know much about her music, but I will admit to liking her hit ”Skyscraper” -- piano ballads and raw, heartfelt vocals always get me even though the lyrics are your standard empowerment fare – a fact I probably shouldn’t disclose. But, then again Demi is a talented singer, songwriter and musician who has overcome a lot and is still two years younger than me. Other judge Kelly Rowland is best known as “that girl standing next to Beyonce” in every Destiny’s Child performance despite a quite successful solo career. The last judge, Shakira…I mean Paula Rubio, is a Mexican pop star who, according to a quick Google search, has sold over 20 million albums.

But let’s get on to the auditions, shall we? In X Factor, contestants are split up into four categories: boys, girls, over 25 and groups. Eventually, the teams will be separated and each given a mentor, but for now everyone’s in the same pool.

While the LA auditions did come up with some good talent, it’s worth noting a few big clunkers got their 5 minutes of fame too. Sally Hessnice, a 55-year-old nurse with an infectious smile, gave a cringe-worthy performance of “The Greatest Love Of All” reminiscent of the end of a long of night of community theater auditions. Valeria Colombo, who sang a tone-deaf version of a Maria Carey number, though, made Sally seem like Whitney come back to life. It was John Tanner Davis, a sweet-looking recent high school grad that took the off-key cake. I don’t believe his “My Heart Will Go On” contained a single note in tune and featured some of the worst white-boy-trying-to-do-vocal-gymnastics-like-Mariah runs I’ve seen outside a drunken night at Karaoke.

On to the good people!

Right out of the gate was Carlito Olivera, a wannabe pop singer who told the producers he was “the Latino Chris Brown.” While the choice of comparisons was questionable (let’s hope he was speaking strictly professionally), Carlito had the pipes to back it up. Performing “Stay” by Rihanna (which, on second thought, made that Chris Brown comment even more icky), he had great stage presence and a strong falsetto. His lower register, although a tiny bit shaky at times, had great color and a unique, wide vibrato. While this kind of style isn’t that typical for pop/R&B singing, (a great example of vibrato that is both really wide yet effective would be Raul Esparza, a musical theater actor best known now for his role as the AD on Law & Order: SVU ) with a little vocal training Carlito could be something really special.

In tonight’s “good backstory that overshadows the actual singing ability” slot was Rion Paige, a 13-year-old with arthrogryposis, a rare musculoskeletal condition that leaves her with misshapen joints. The spunky, curly-haired tween was excessively cute and had a personality that jumped right out of the TV screen. Her vocals, on Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away,” were a bit forced and scream-y (a symptom of bad song choice, I’d guess a smaller song would have fit her much better) but no doubt Rion is talented and the judges just ate her act up. Something tells me Rion won’t go far in this competition – to be honest she's terribly forgettable if not for her backstory – but, as far as audition shows go, Rion is a headliner. If X doesn't work out for her might I suggest a role in one of those Disney Channel kid-coms. Isn't it time someone with a disability has their own show?

Another favorite who might get lost without the novelty of audition might be duo Alex and Sierra whose awkward, lovable stage presence and lovebird chemistry was a standout of the LA auditions. Singing a lovely Hipster arrangement of “Toxic" in a lovely, jazzy mode by both vocalists, the performance was bolstered by the real-life couple’s obvious, if not a bit over-the-top cutesy, chemistry. They were a hit with the judges but, to me, they seemed a little too small and a little too amateur to go far on X Factor. Something tells me they should start at coffee shops and local talent shows before taking their act nationwide.

The best act of the night – and one that combined a winning story with a winning voice – was Lillie McCloud. Now I don’t know what’s in the water in Orlando, but Lillie, a 54-year-old woman with three kids and seven(!) grandkids, has the voice and body of a twenty-something. Singing “Alabaster Box,” this soul singer has some amazing pipes that are somewhat reminiscent of Whitney herself, with just a touch of Macy Gray-esque squeak. The tone, control and stage presence is just spectacular and left many of the judges in tears. Who knows if Lillie will continue her amazing streak further in the competition, but McCloud’s an old pro who has somehow slipped through the cracks and now deserves her moment in the spotlight. This is the kind of person these singing competitions are made for.

Photo courtesy of FOX