I stubbornly underestimated this Finale. You see, I always do a Wrap-Up of every show I cover listing the best performances of the season and I must confess, I'm done with that post for X Factor Australia 7 including an edited video of these performances.
I mean, based on historical trend, save for American Idol Season 13, finalists, more often than not, are already exhausted from all the months and weeks of singing and for them to churn out an outstanding performance at the final stretch of the competition is almost next to impossible.
So color me surprised when one of the finalists delivered one of the best, if not the best performance of the season. No, I'm certainly not complaing, I'm just in utter shock.
Oh, and good job, Australia! I just realized earlier that they've been pretty spot on with the elimination order this year. The three best acts actually made it to the Finale. United States and United Kingdom, please take note!
On with the show!
AUDITION SONGS
03. Jess & Matt
Georgia
[GROUPS]
Not sure if Matt entered on a different key - I noticed how he dropped it a notch as soon as Jess started singing - but the vocals and their harmonies were shockingly shaky and not as solid as I expected. Was it nerves? I don't know, but this was possibly one of their least interesting performances on the show. 6.5
02. Louise Adams
Feeling Good
[OVERS]
This was pretty strong. It's not entirely shocking though given the song choice - something within Louise's wheelhouse - but I thought the fantastic staging added to the totality of her performance. She hit an strange note towards the end as if she tried doing a certain run and then decided not to, but other than that, good enough. 7.5
01. Cyrus Villanueva
Earned It
[BOYS]
Fan-freakin'-tastic! I never questioned Cyrus' charisma, but Earned It was a proof positive that he could actually exist in the real music world right this second - and outsing the Justin Biebers of the world. This was slick, modern and very well-sung. It would've made perfect sense though if he donned some suit to back up the awesome production, but maybe he didn't want to come off as too obvious? 9
WINNER'S SINGLE
03. Jess & Matt
Nothing Matters
[GROUPS]
This was a pretty decent single for the duo and they actually sold the song quite well, but I honestly found the hook, arguably, weak and the verses a bit tentative. The song came alive though towards the end and that somehow salvaged the performance. 7.5
02. Cyrus Villanueva
Stone
[BOYS]
His vocals sounded a bit uneven - he mumbled some of his words on a much lower register and his upper range was straining and a bit wobbly. That being said, this had a much stronger hook than the two other singles and can potentially be a hit for Cyrus. If only his vocals were a lot better. 7.5
01. Louise Adams
History
[OVERS]I'm not sure if Louise's song was the most current of the bunch, but on a vocal standpoint, she delivered the best. The vocal dynamic was on point, and it somehow reminded me of her gorgeous cover of Birdy's People Help The People. 7.5
GRAND FINAL SONG
Someone Like You
[OVERS]
Yikes. What happened, Louise? This was pretty unfortunate to watch. She forgot her words, her transitions sounded terrible, and as soon as she realized she messed up, she gave up and never recovered. 3.5
Lay Me Down
[GROUPS]
I'm a big fan of this duo even before the live shows started - they remind me of Alex & Sierra - and they've been nothing but consistent throughout the season, and yet, they picked a bad week to be underwhelming. No, this wasn't terrible, but I've seen and heard better than this. Matt started out on a bad tempo sounded like he was being rushed and the number fell apart. They were able to recover, but it was a bit too late. 6.5
I'm a big fan of this duo even before the live shows started - they remind me of Alex & Sierra - and they've been nothing but consistent throughout the season, and yet, they picked a bad week to be underwhelming. No, this wasn't terrible, but I've seen and heard better than this. Matt started out on a bad tempo sounded like he was being rushed and the number fell apart. They were able to recover, but it was a bit too late. 6.5
Jealous
[BOYS]
Damn, Cyrus! Haha. So maybe this cover didn't deviate all that much from the original, but there's something to be said about how he managed to capture the emotional drama of the lyrics and the plaintive flow of the melody. Yes, there were a couple of notes that got compromised by his emotions, but I prefer that kind of slip-up than a note-perfect number void of authentic feeling. This was glorious. 10
WHO WILL WIN?
Cyrus Villanueva
WHO SHOULD WIN?
Cyrus Villanueva
Cyrus Villanueva
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