Duo Alex and Sierra are whisked in by helicopter, Jeff Gutt rides a motorcycle and Carlito Olivero arrives in a town car before opening the show with 'We Will Rock You'.
- Dec 19, 2013
AceShowbiz - One night before "The X Factor (US)" names the winner of its third season, the final three contestants took the stage to win the hearts of voters. On Wednesday, December 18, Alex & Sierra, Jeff Gutt and Carlito Olivero performed three songs: their best song of the season, a celebrity duet and their winning song.
First up, they made dramatic entrances in different rides. Alex & Sierra were whisked in by helicopter, Jeff rode a motorcycle and Carlito arrived in a town car. Upon arriving, they kicked off the night with a group performance of "We Will Rock You".
After an intro by host Mario Lopez, Carlito sang "Impossible" by Shontelle as his winning song. Demi Lovato, who was recently rumored to leave the show after this season, criticized him for being "still in your head," but called it "a passion performance" anyway. Simon Cowell said, "You are not the best singer, but that does not matter," as he respected his efforts so far.
Alex & Sierra covered "Give Me Love" by Ed Sheeran. Kelly Rowland gushed, "Any label would take you now," while Simon believes that he has "found a group that can represent America around the world."
Jeff nailed a rendition of "Dream On" by Aerosmith, but unfortunately the judges could not hear him due to technical problems. Still, Demi praised him for taking it "to a whole new level," and Paulina Rubio called him "a rock star."
After a performance of "Boys Will Be Boys" by Paulina, Carlito returned for a duet of "Stand By Me" with Prince Royce. Kelly felt that it "was easy" for him as Demi commented, "It was awesome to watch. You showed you have what it takes to be a Latin pop star."
Alex & Sierra teamed up with Leona Lewis to perform "Bleeding Love". Demi said it wasn't their best performance, but Simon commended them for respecting the artist. He also thought that "it was a beautiful version."
Jeff was paired with John Rzeznik to perform "Iris". Simon called it "the perfect collaboration," and Kelly said, "You really killed it, congratulations!"
For the third performance, Carlito picked "Maria Maria" by Santana as his favorite song. "Carlito you came with a dream. You have an appreciation and the passion and you deserve this," Paulina said.
Alex & Sierra's favorite song was "Say Something" by A Great Big World. It was probably their best performance so far as Demi said, "You never cease to not blow me away." Paulina dubbed the pair "the perfect artist," and Simon believed they would win the competition.
Jeff rounded out the final performance night with "Creep" by Radiohead. "I had a moment that said I felt like it was a stadium performance," Demi commented. Kelly added, "I have said it before I cannot tell you how much it has made my heart grow watching you," and urged people to vote for him.
On Thursday, "The X Factor (US)" will return with the second part of the finale. Leona Lewis, One Direction, Lea Michele, Pitbull, Ke$ha and Mary J. Blige are tapped as musical performers for the Christmas-themed special.
