MikahC

We will release no wine before its time.

I'm generally not in favor of rushing art. But yeah, you have a solid point. There are limits. It's been forever and they've lost a lot of momentum. I also have no real expectation it'll turn out to be a great CD. The music industry sometimes amuses me because they're all looking for something different, then they get you into a studio and make you sound the same. It takes a strong artists to take control of his own fate.

DRG

Agree with this. They originally came out with a semi-unique Sublime/311-ish inspired pop vibe but the instant the competition started, Simon molded them into a stereotypical boy band, which is funny because they were rallying against that image constantly up until they made it onto 'Team Simon'. Remember their reaction when that former boy band guy tried to give them advice in the auditions? They were revolted at even being associated with that scene, yet by the live shows they were happily singing Katy Perry songs over a One Direction beat.

Tom Creo

I hate Fifth Harmony as well. Like LA said, where's the harmony?

Emblem 3 can eat a dick.

madcougar

Do you know what harmony is, because they've harmonized quite well the last few weeks.

Tom Creo

Did you not see the background singers to the left and right of them? They come into view when they show the overhead shot of the stage.

DVDChris

Yeah it's weird that Fifth Harmony has backup singers.

DJariya

http://www.deadline.com/2012/12/la-reid-exits-x-factor/

LA Reid is leaving the show after this season to go back to working at Epic Records fulltime.

mwbmis

Does LA Reid even have any credibility left? On Wednesday night, he compared Emblem 3 to the Beatles, and it took Demi Lovato to reel him back.

Patman

Would have been much better to have both groups in the last 2, and have Simon deal with an inane "Sophie's Choice" question by not-Mario, because everyone knew CRS was not going home this week.

MikahC

I get your point, but yes, he has credibility left, which is why he's going back to an executive job. He has a lot of chops in the music industry. But nobody bats 1.000 on picking talent, and certainly nobody bats 1.000 in making commentary on a TV show (where your job is as much to be interesting as right), which is on the spot. Does LA Reid think Emblem3 will be the next Beatles? I'm going with no.

Anyway, I hope they get another relatively young exec who has truly been able to find talent in the past. It can't be anyone like Clive Davis. In order of preference, I'd say 30's, 40's, 50's. I want someone who has been at it awhile, not a Johnny come lately, but you can't be too old or it's hard for you to enjoy things without thinking how it doesn't stack up to other things. And I want someone who has a wide taste in music. Pop, Alt Rock, Rock, Adult Contemporary, Hip-Hop, R&B, Country. All of it. Because to me, if you start a discussion with "_____ (genre) sucks," you've invalidated yourself as someone not looking for good music, just music you like -- which isn't at all the same thing.

Tom Creo

So I DVRed this last night, minus the Bruno Mars performance I think there was just under 5 minutes of show worth watching. I never really stayed long enough on a karaoke show to watch their finale's, really just the tryouts I watch. This show/time slot was one big commercial.

magiccmom

My husband has this show on for the first time all season. Holy crap this is major crap. Over produced..the hosts are awful and the background is putting me into seizures. How does this show stay on the air?

Mr. J

Good question. From what I remember seeing, the show isn't even getting that great of ratings. My problem with these reality singing shows is that they have become more about the Judges than about the contestants, which isn't right, and it's rare that any of them give any actual constructive criticism that will improve the contestants' abilities. I've found myself watching less and less of these. Soon enough, I won't be tuned in at all.

DJariya

Watching the performance show from last night. Damn I absolutely loved Demi Lovato's duet with Fifth Harmony.

Patman

It's eerie how much Carly Rose Sonneclar looks like a young Sarah Michelle Geller if she had long dark brown hair at age 13.

DRG

I think the big problem with this show versus The Voice is that I'm not really feeling a connection between the mentors and their hopefuls here like there is on that show. You see Blake on Voice and he seems genuinely invested in his team. On X Factor there just seems to be a disconnect most of the time. Britney just looked like she didn't want to be there, even when she had several contenders.

The contestants aren't the problem, they actually attracted a few true talents, but the way the show tries to treat them like superstars from the first live show we never get a chance to enjoy their growth throughout the show. The mentors are chomping at the bit to outdo each other from the get-go, yet by the finale they all just seemed a bit nonchalant about the outcome.

For next season they need to put a moratorium on the extravagant productions at least until the top 5 or so. Seriously, you have nowhere to go but sideways when you've got troupes of backup dancers and choirs and whatever else backing fodder like Lyric 145 and the Zachary Quinto-Eric Stonestreet cross gay guy whose name I can't remember in the first few shows.

DJariya

Well congrats to Tate. Although I think Carly should have won. Tate seems like a good guy who deserved a break and very few people his age gets a chance like this. So good for him. I'm a fan of country music, so I think I will check out his music. I will definitely check out Carly's debut album. For a kid, I think she has a lot of maturity. Hopefully she gets to work with some good song writers and producers and not get stuck singing fluff just to sell records.

If they want to continue with the 2 host format next season, they seriously need to replace Khloe. She is just so awkward and uncomfortable to watch on camera. Also, what the hell was up with her changing dresses 3 times last night? Mario Lopez is a good host. Much better than Steve Jones last season.

Tom Creo

Some thoughts:
-Lopez was surprisingly good. Liked how he spoke spanish at certain times of the show.
-Agree about Kloe, what a disaster.
-I don't like Country Music that much but Tate seems like a pro already. His voice got stronger and smoother as he gained more confidence in the competition.
-Carly, to me, was the best singer on the show but at this point in her young career, it seems like she's a natural for Broadway but I just can't see her as a pop star. She's just too good.
-I wonder what the future holds for Emblem 3, 5th Harmony, and that hip hop group.

DJariya

Simon loves Pop and Girl groups. I think he will sign Fifth Harmony to his label.

DRG

Tate winning could be good for the show in the long run. If he gets decent material he could succeed on the country charts, and it would give the show a bit of legitimacy that it sorely needs. So far the season one contestants haven't made much of a mark.... Melanie had that Pepsi commercial that landed on several 'Worst Super Bowl Commercials' lists but otherwise I've heard nothing from any of the contestants aside from a few singles that didn't take off.

Carly is going to be in a tough place. Do they sell her to teens and give her poppy stuff that doesn't really utilize her talents, or do they promote her to the grown-ups who buy up artists like Adele? Despite Carly's talent, I think Fifth Harmony will be an easier act to market.

RoboDad

I think Tate will have a very good shot at success. He has the whole package for the country music genre, and he isn't just a copycat of everyone else. He could be as big as Carrie Underwood.

As for Carly Rose, I don't think there is anything to worry about (yet). She doesn't fit the cookie-cutter pop image of all of the other teen "superstars" (most of whom fade away within 2-3 years), and I think that will work in her favor. But again, only time will tell.

DWilson

My understanding is that Carly has already done Broadway, and the IMDB lists her with at least one movie role and a TV series (a revival of "The Electric Company"), so its not like she's a novice. I just can't accept a 13-year-old singing emotional songs that reflect a more mature life experience (for lack of a better term). I'm sure, though, she'll be successful (probably in the Broadway/Pop style of Lea Michelle or Indina Menzel) as she gets a little older.

DJariya

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...,4638488.story

Not official, but Britney Spears is reportedly being dropped as an X-Factor judge. Simon was apparently unhappy with her performance and thought she didn't earn her $15M paycheck.

I have to assume the network also wants them to cut costs too since the ratings weren't great.

I believe Demi Lovato only made about $2-3M if I'm not mistaken. I liked her and hope she comes back.

DWilson

For better or worse, Lovato was lively and played well with Simon. Britney, on the other hand, was kind of a disaster (considering her paycheck). She seemed disengaged the whole time, rarely offered more than a few uninspired words, and the only entertainment she offered was a gallery of oddand ghastly "takes" (as they poked fun at during the finale, -I wonder if she had anyone fired for that).

DRG

Not shocked by that at all. She didn't draw in viewers and added nothing of interest to the show. Hell, even with her own acts she could barely muster more than a basic, unenthusiastic "I'm very proud of you, sweetie." When the other judges -- who ostensibly have less of a personal connection with these acts -- can string together more words of support for Britney's acts than Britney herself, you have a problem.

Brit only really seemed to peek out of her pre-programmed shell when she had something negative to say, and while I found her willingness to go against the grain refreshing, her critiques were too terse to be worthwhile. Oddly enough, she seemed to be the most effective judge when it came to picking material and productions for her acts, but in retrospect I'm guessing she had somebody making those choices for her. As annoyed as I was with Demi at times this season, I do hope she comes back. She at least seemed to enjoy being there.

As for who should replace Britney, I'd love to someone like Gwen Stefani in there. She did the mentoring thing on Idol and seemed to do well dishing out advice, and since she has both pop and rock experience (and has dabbled in hip hop/r&b and other genres) I think she would 'get' a wider range of acts than a typical diva or pop star.