Image Credit: Fox
The judges certainly don’t! Their collective uttah indifference throughout season 2 — save for the occasional scripted standing O, shown above — has made it damn near impossible for me to feel that strongly about which of three talented but not awe-inspiring contestants should win. I tried to give The X Factor the benefit of the doubt this season. But if the judges can’t even remember these people’s names, why should viewers? READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Ray Mickshaw/Fox
Last night, The X Factor pulled off its second live show of the season without any wardrobe malfunctions. Viewers watching at home saw some stellar and some not-so-stellar performances, Mario Lopez daring to correct Simon Cowell, a recently announced safe Jason Brock awkwardly struggling to pick between hugging the eliminated David Correy or embracing host Khloé Kardashian, and some over-eager Emblem3 boys tripping all over each other. But what didn’t make it onscreen last night? EW was on the scene for Thursday’s live taping. Read on to learn five things that were going on in the studio during the show that you didn’t see on TV. READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Fox
The X Factor starts its live shows tonight, and frankly, I can’t wait.
Season 2 of Simon Cowell’s U.K.-import competition show is loaded with talent that’s far more compelling than season 1 (sorry, Melanie Amaro –no, really, I’m sorry you had to be in this video). This season’s crop of contestants — shockingly, I’m finding myself rooting for LYLAS — have the potential to create viable vocal moments on stage.
So I’m hoping that the live shows, which will be hosted by Mario Lopez and Khloe Kardashian, showcase that talent more effectively than the early rounds of The X Factor has, because, let’s be honest, this season, which was supposed to establish The X Factor as the utmost singing competition on TV, has been a hot mess.
I believe that The X Factor, underneath all its contrived gaudiness, wants to be a great show. But the only thing standing in the way of that becoming a reality is, well, everything. So here are 10 recommendations on how to improve The X Factor as we head into the second half of the season. READ FULL STORY »
Demi Lovato sang the National Anthem during Game 4 of the World Series yesterday before the San Francisco Giants swept the Detroit Tigers.
The pop star displayed impressive vocal range, but didn’t quite possess an X factor. Smooth at times and pitchy at others, she definitely didn’t hit it out of the ballpark this time around. Her rendition of the song was much more memorable during Game 5 of last year’s World Series.
Lovato followed in the footsteps of American Idol‘s Phillip Phillips, Glee‘s Matthew Morrison, and New Girl‘s Zooey Deschanel, who set the bar high during their respective World Series performances last week by bringing their own unique flare to the anthem.
Watch the video below and tell us what you thought of the X Factor judge’s performance: READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Ray Mickshaw/FOX; Mark Seliger/NBC
Oh, it’s on.
The Voice is officially challenging The X Factor for the title of Biggest Non-Idol Singing Show. NBC just announced that next week, it will air The Voice on three consecutive nights rather than two — meaning that on Wednesday, the series’ third audition episode will go head to head with The X Factor‘s season premiere on Fox.
Simon Cowell isn’t too pleased about this development: “This is a cynical, cold-hearted, unprofessional way of doing business,” he told TMZ today, explaining he thought NBC and Fox had a “gentleman’s agreement” to air The Voice on Mondays and Tuesdays, while X Factor would appear Wednesdays and Thursdays. “Britney’s not going to appreciate the fact that Christina — who has been a bit of a rival — isn’t allowing Britney to have a night of her own,” Cowell added. And whether or not Cowell’s assessment is correct, these shows are clearly engaged in a battle for melismatic dominance.
So, what will it be: Britney or Christina? Flash or substance? Chairs or another kind of chair? Let’s examine what we know about both The Voice Season 3 and The X Factor Season 2, category by category:
Image Credit: Kevin Winter / Getty Images
All of those crazy kids’ favorite vamps, wolves, “unique” hairstyles, a bunch of promos for Fox’s fall TV lineup, and scores of unwanted brightly hued surfboards came out to party at last night’s 2012 Teen Choice Awards.
The X Factor‘s Demi Lovato and Glee‘s Kevin McHale co-hosted. Flo Rida, Justin Bieber, and Carly Rae Jepsen performed, and — get this — No Doubt sang live. Hey, it is the ’90s!
The full list of TCA winners is on page 3 of this post; my own personal winners of Fox’s two-hour telecast are below. By all means, list your own in the comments.
Choice Approximation to a Horse’s Ass
Demi Lovato’s head READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: Charley Gallay/Getty Images
The more open Demi Lovato is, the more we like her. The new X Factor judge is Self magazine’s August cover girl and candidly answers readers’ questions about her history with cutting, being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and how she stays healthy now. Asked to explain why she cut herself, Lovato says, “There were times I felt so anxious, almost like I was crawling out of my skin, that if I didn’t do something physical to match the way I felt inside, I would explode. I cut myself to take my mind off that. I just didn’t care what happened. I had no fear.”
After her bipolar diagnosis, she says, her life made sense: “I remember being on my tour bus thinking, My life is so awesome right now, but I’m so depressed. Then, a few days later, I’d be on top of the world. It was really confusing….”
You make a choice to work toward happiness, she says. “I used to expect it to come to me, but it takes more than seeing a therapist once a week. I make time for myself and meditate. And I haven’t used my cell in three months! Subconsciously, it was a crutch. When a room gets quiet, what do you do? Grab your phone! Now I can sit and have conversations with people.” READ FULL STORY »
Image Credit: D Dipasupil/FilmMagic
Demi Lovato must be in la la land now that she and Britney Spears have joined the X Factor circus as judges for next season. The new stars will join music industry veterans L.A. Reid and Simon Cowell on the panel for the show’s second season, but are they shaping up to be the hottest crew to give their critiques on TV? Simon seems smitten with the pair of pop princesses, tweeting: “Can’t believe it’s finally happened. Very exciting! @thexfactorusa #xfactor #SimonBritneyDemiLa.”
Will Howard Stern give Simon a run for his money on FCC-friendly insults when he starts judging America’s Got Talent? And will Britney edge out Jennifer Lopez with saccharin-sweet compliments, or will her wild side get the best of her? Take our poll and let us know who’s the fairest judging panel of them all!
Read more:
It’s official: Britney Spears, Demi Lovato to join ‘X Factor’
Fox’s 2012-13 fall schedule revealed
Simon Cowell’s biography — I read it so you don’t have to!
During last night’s MTV special Demi Lovato: Stay Strong, the “Skyscraper” singer revealed she “hated” how her high-profile start at Disney made her a role model for young girls. Lovato has candidly discussed her struggles with drugs and and body image, and she said she felt “shame” at how her public image didn’t measure up with her private behavior.
Lovato admitted she felt like a hypocrite because she “was partying… self-medicating.” She would wonder, “Why would you [parents] want your kids to be like me?” According to Lovato, the stress led to even more self-destructive behavior: “I harmed myself. It was my way of taking my own shame and my own guilt out on myself, and I was just depressed.”
See Lovato touch on these issues in Stay Strong‘s preview below. READ FULL STORY »
