I’ve been complaining about all those modern but fairly inconsequential song choices on The X Factor, so I was thrilled to see the show going back into the vault for 90s night. The decade might not be music’s strongest, but there were certainly some gems that I hoped to hear trotted out.
When I spotted on the ad that someone was doing Meat Loaf, I was thrilled. I was also convinced we’d hear the Meat number coming from Andrew Wishart, as my husband and I have been comparing their vocals for weeks now (good Meatloaf, not AFL Grand Final era). But sadly it was Johnny Ruffo that trotted out “I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That),” and he made it some weird electro pop number. I hated the treatment. I thought the whole thing made him seem even soulless than last week’s performance. This song should never, ever sound like this.
Mitchell Callaway showed his tender side with REM’s “Everybody Hurts.” He had his reservations, but I think this was the perfect song for him. I’m not sure I saw the brilliance the judges’ seemed to see, but I do think this was miles better than he’s been in recent weeks.
Three Wishez stepped things up again with “Ghetto Superstar.” This band has really hit its stride; everyone worked together so well, and they were all stellar in their own right. I think we’re finally starting to see their potential, and it’s exciting.
When I heard Reece Mastin was taking on a female vocalist, I prayed for a little Alanis Morissette. I didn’t expect his version of “Ironic,” but I think I liked it. I was thrown when it kicked into gear, but Reece has a way of selling a song. When all was said and done, he won me over.
Audio Vixen brought us Tina Arena’s “Chains” and sadly got panned for it. But honestly I’m finding their lack of flash refreshing. I appreciate that they’re relying on their vocals and the emotion they bring to their performance. Isn’t that really what this competition is all about?
Andrew Wishart gave us another heartfelt performance with “Nothing Compares 2 U.” It’s just a shame we had the dancers distracting us. I felt they were a real stumbling block to getting completely involved in the song, which is the biggest shame. He’s so consistent, and I felt they spoiled it.
When Guy Sebastian changed up Johnny Ruffo’s song at the start of the night it felt innovative, if not to my taste. By the time Declan Sykes came around with his version of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” it felt gimmicky. It also wasn’t in his vocal pocket, which makes me wonder why it was so radically different from the original. I didn’t get this at all. Declan is a lot better than what we saw tonight, and I’m worried for him.
Young Men Society did their best to stay out of the bottom two with “Black or White.” I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t their best. Perhaps it’s because they set the bar so high so early on. However, I felt they did really well with the vocals considering the amount of dancing. I’m also not sure you can go wrong with dancing ninjas.
Christina Parie showed us why she deserves to be Mel B’s last girl standing with The Cranberries’ “Zombie.” It was breathtaking to see her at the piano singing, without anything else to distract us. This is what this program should be all about. We definitely saved the best until last.
With bottom two regular Jacqui Newland out, I’m interested to see who lands in the bottom two. I’m really worried about Declan, and if there’s any justice Johnny Ruffo will join him there. Who do you want to see leaving the competition?