<p>I think its going to come down to Josh and Melanie and while Josh is my personal favorite, I think Melanie is going to win.</p>
<p>Melanie is clearly a recording star, but she needs to surprise us and come out from behind the mic. Does she have any comfort in moving around the stage? I also would LOVE it if she sang a more up tempo song that hit a different part of my brain’s music enjoyment. I have never heard a note I didn’t like come out of her mouth, and her face is also very enjoyable to watch when she sings.</p>
<p>I do think Marcus should go home … his performance is always good, but the actual sound quality of his voice doesn’t always wow me throughout his songs. His high notes are too nasal and his low notes don’t always land solid. He’s a cutie though, and he should be very proud of how far he’s come.</p>
<p>I do like Chris Rene, but I am biased toward a guy that can move comfortably on stage, play an instrument, and cry. 
I like his voice and his heart, too. I look forward to hearing more original songs that he writes, even if he doesn’t win.</p>
<p>Josh is right up there as well. I love the quality of his voice … great overall sound and strength. Definitely not the most attractive, if that matters, but his voice more than makes up for the scary faces he makes when he hits a particularly dramatic note. He is a musician as well, so he gets my vote there also.</p>
<p>If Josh doesn’t win… I am going to be disappointed…</p>
<p>He sang one of my favorite songs…Hallelujah…and did a fantastic job…</p>
<p>A friend of mine found an online poll that rated last night’s performances…and among the four singers… Josh had over 50 percent of the vote…</p>
<p>Josh is my favorite singer, but Chris Rene is my favorite performer. I am biased towards the type of voice that Josh has and the music he would sing, but I am typically in the minority on these things. </p>
<p>I like Chris best when he does original stuff, and I think he will be a success when he stays in the rap-hip hop genre. </p>
<p>I’m assuming that the demographic of the voters is 15-25 yr old females, and I can’t see them going for Josh. I think about what my teenagers would listen to, and it wouldn’t be Josh, Melanie, or Marcus. </p>
<p>At least it’s pretty much a sure thing that the finalists will be Melanie, Josh, and Chris.</p>
<p>It was right that Marcus go home, but I’ve got a real soft spot for him… from the time he said that his mom had given him two years to make it, or he had to get a “straight” job… I liked him and his mom and rooted for him. So I hope he has a great career from having this exposure.</p>
<p>I’m pulling for Chris Rene or Josh. Melanie sings beautifully but leaves me cold in terms of having anything “special” besides the voice. I can’t believe I’m saying that, but both Chris and Josh are more out of the box, each in his own way.</p>
<p>I like the 3 remaining singers/performers-- all for different reasons. I personally feel that Melanie will be one of the final two, joined by Chris (a mild surprise), leaving Josh in third. I think Chris might win it all. I think he has the best back story, personality, showmanship, and originality and therefore will receive the most votes. However, I still think Melanie will have the most lucrative career with that voice of hers. I still have to keep reminding myself that she is only 16 years old because she sings with such perfect pitch and control that truly defies her age. </p>
<p>If I’m not mistaken, I think we have to wait until week after next to see who gets crowned the winner.</p>
<p>Josh grew up about 6 miles from me, his mom still lives here and I know her. He is amazing! Hope he wins!</p>
<p>It is great that Chris introduced a level of surprise. If the final vote is based on talent and connection with the public only, Josh should win in a landslide. I would not be surprised if he had the majority of the votes this week (why he was placed in the last two.) </p>
<p>However, a few years ago, on the third season of America’s Got Talent, there was a “piano man” who was ten times better than the poor-man Paul Potts copy the show came up. In the end, Eli Mattson lost to Neal E. Boyd. There are similarities in the way, the judges have promoted Melanie over and over. </p>
<p>If the show was really about the advertised X-factor, Melanie should finish third. She has a great voice but does not bring any kind of emotions. This is why Simon invented the circus about saving her and invented that fabricated island accent. It is obvious that he wanted to find an Adele look-alike. However, he is smart enough to know from seeing the various international editions that this girl does NOT have the stage presence of “like” factor. She sings very well, but she is just there. She is very competent, but they could find her in many church choirs on any given Sunday. </p>
<p>Did any of her songs give you goose bumps or bring a tear to your eyes? Think about it! Even Paula cannot bring herself to shed a tear for Melanie, and she would cry for a frozen lamppost.</p>
<p>Speaking about emotions, this performance in Korea is hard to beat. You can feel the pain and suffering in every note of this homeless boy. And, no, he did not win!</p>
<p><a href=“Homeless Boy Steals The Talent Show - YouTube”>Homeless Boy Steals The Talent Show - YouTube;
<p>And for an interesting twist on voices:</p>
<p><a href=“You Won't Believe The Voice on This Asian Kid - YouTube”>You Won't Believe The Voice on This Asian Kid - YouTube;
<p>Is there anything young Koreans cannot do?</p>
<p>Melanie for the win! That duet with R. Kelly was amazing.</p>
<p>Agreed–Melanie beat out everyone tonight with her singing. IMO-her performances are still very boring to watch.</p>
<p>Chris Rene—sings the same song over and over and over again. Enough all ready with–“Hey, what you trippin on?” He all ready seems like a one hit wonder to me.</p>
<p>Josh–I think he needs a rock band behind him to help fill up the stage. His stiffness and inability to fill the stage is going to hurt him big time when it comes to filling the seats with fans.</p>
<p>The three of them definitely sang their hearts out tonight.</p>
<p>I could not disagree more. </p>
<p>The duets were pretty bad all around, but Melanie’s was the worst. She did not even sound good and her voice is her ONLY asset. She has zero stage presence and a very narrow range of performance. The reality is that hundreds of choir members could render an OK Beyonce copy with singing and screaming mixed up. The result is that Melanie is boooooring and does not bring out any emotions. She needs all the production around her. She should be third. </p>
<p>Chris owned the stage tonight. Josh is the most complete artist in the competition. It should be between the two guys.</p>
<p>Agreed the duets were bad, but Melanie’s was good.</p>
<p>If it is true that Melanie had to sing in a key that didn’t suit her (for the duet) to “honor” the original artist, how nuts is that? This is a show where she is singing in competition and the key should work for her. Another nail in the coffin of how this show is produced.</p>
<p>I have to agree with xiggi and others… Melanie sings beautifully. So do lots of people. </p>
<p>Chris Rene has the backstory and the originality. I don’t think he will be a one-hit wonder… it’s strategic that he plays on that in this competition. He’ll have plenty more to say as he goes forward. The joy of his performance was palpable tonight, and contagious. </p>
<p>I love Josh as well and will be happy if either he or Chris is the winner, but I am pulling just that little bit more for Chris.</p>
<p>And, hey, he’d better not let “the life” get in the way of his staying clean and sober.</p>
<p>Gosh, Melanie sooo underwhelmed me in her duet. I felt uncomfortable listening to her, watching her get upstaged, hearing the weakness in her voice in that range, singing that song. The dynamics were loopy and not punchy enough, either. It was an unfortunate situations for her at this stage in the competition.</p>
<p>Anyway, I do not care who wins. I barely watch/listen anymore (I admit I channel-surf), so I guess I am not the best judge. The intra-judge competition and resulting dynamics is so grating and childish. Simon acts like a 10 year old boy: peevish, a bully…, which i do not find entertaining at all.</p>
<p>The many special effects were so distracting tonight. The performers’ voices and charisma and natural affect get lost in such pyrotonics.</p>
<p>p.s. I really hope I am wrong, but I have wondered if Mr Rene has not already lapsed a bit… I am not being mean and know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, but his mannerisms and emotions do make me wonder. I just pray I am seeing ghosts…</p>
<p>I worry about Chris Rene, this competition is alot of pressure for a recovering addict. We were talking last night, regardless of what happens (He wins, he doesnt win) the situation is wrought with danger for sliding backwards.</p>
<p>If I were Pepsi, I’d push for Chris to win. He’d make a great commercial. The other two only have the Zzzzz Factor.</p>
<p>Melanie has a lovely voice, but that is it. She doesn’t have the “X” factor in my opinion. I really like both Josh and Chris and would be happy to see either win based on performances I have seen. I have to admit I also do a lot of channel surfing during this show.</p>
<p>I agree that Chris Rene would be a better choice for the Pepsi commercial. He clearly does not have the best voice, but he seems to have a charisma that draws people, and hopefully he can write more songs. His ‘anthem’ is sure to be a hit on the charts, I would imagine.</p>
<p>Just discovered, however, that the finale tonight is 2 hours long! I don’t think I can suffer through that long. I’ll just tune in for the last 15 minutes and see who wins!</p>
<p>Anyone know how the ratings are going for XFactor?</p>
<p>Just watched last night’s show… I didn’t think the duets worked, but thought the second songs overall by the final 3 were all pretty good. This was the first week I hadn’t voted but still think Melanie or Chris will win and that Josh takes third. I won’t be disappointed, no matter who wins, and think they all are deserving in their own way. I think Chris overtook Josh when he accompanied himself on his guitar that one week. Overall, Josh is more talented but may have not been as expertly mentored as Chris. It would have been nice to see more of Josh’s piano and guitar throughout the season. </p>
<p>Heard that host Steve Jones may not be asked to return next season. I didn’t think he was very good but I’m wondering if he’s being blamed for the less-than-expected ratings? I hope that next season’s show gets a much needed production makevoer.</p>