The X Factor Season 2 Episode 2 Recap: More San Francisco and Providence Auditions
Sep 13 2012 09:31 pm ET
The X Factor two-night premiere continued Thursday with more auditions from San Francisco and Providence. LA Reid sings along, Simon Cowell is not a fan of glitter explosions, Britney Spears and Demi Lovato are still boy crazy. And by the end everyone is Feelin' Good.
First up tonight is Johnny Maxwell, a 16-year-old student who we follow through the cattle call process. He arrives two-and-a-half hours and receives the following pep talk from mom: "this is the performance of a lifetime: not an audition." Way to set the bar low, mom. After Johnny checks in and gets another pep talk in the makeup chair, he bounds onto the stage. He's really excited to audition and Simon Cowell seems to be receptive to the high energy. Johnny performs an original song called "All These People" - a rap ballad about awesomeness and whoa. Johnny's vocals are pitchy but the rapping is catchy to the point where even LA Reid is signing along by the second chorus. He's a less manipulative version of Chris Rene. LA admires the risk of performing an original song and says Johnny is what the show is looking for. Britney Spears says he was fun to watch and is adorably cute. Demi Lovato agrees, adding, "you have swag." Simon says Johnny is a better rapper than a singer, but the steel in his eyes and his timing in the pop culture universe is really good. Johnny gets four yeses and his family storms the stage.
Lexa Berman, a 22-year-old dancer from Boca Raton, Florida is one of those contestants who is very confident in how she looks. LA and Simon are smitten, with the Brit calling her a cross between Jersey Shore and the Kardashians. She starts singing that awful song from the Microsoft Windows commercials that would NOT stop playing during the Olympics. Her version is worse: flat and monotone. Britney and Demi are instantly unimpressed and Simon cuts the song short. "I like your attitude, but most people won't," Simon tells Lexa. Although he gives her a yes, Britney and Demi voted no. This leads to a montage of good looking people who can't carry a tune in a bucket.
LA starts to complain about the lack of talent in this audition. Enter Jason Brock, a 34-year-old tech support operator/huggable gay. Oh right, huggable gays make Simon and LA uncomfortable. Jason says "konichi-wa" to Britney on behalf of his boyfriend. He then talks about how he envisions his stage show when he becomes a superstar: a dark stage, smoky lighting, dancers descending from the heavens, and power notes punctuated with big, glittery explosions. I love this guy, he's incredibly charming. Simon is not on-board and asks what song Jason will sing. He has selected "New York State of Mind" by Billy Joel. He has some annoying tics from the school of Adam Lambert, but overall Jason's voice is solid. Demi and Britney love Jason. Simon says he dreaded the idea of Jason's imagined show, but now he feels like he is at his concert. Britney and Demi are agog, both thoroughly entertained and sharing in Jason's joy. LA says Jason's voice is "a song's best friend," making it no surprise he gets four yes votes. I hope Jason makes it on to the main show – he's going to be fun.
Tonight's final audition takes place in Providence, Rhode Island, courtesy of Carly Rose Sonenclar, a 13-year-old from Westchester, NY. She exudes confidence as she takes the stage. LA asks what she will sing and she opts for the reality show standby "Feelin' Good." Usually this song is the kiss of death, but Carly has one of the smokiest voices I've ever heard. She instantly takes command of the stage and the song. The only drawback to her performance is she doesn't really know what to do with her arms, but that can be fixed in an afternoon. All four judges give Carly a much-deserved standing ovation."Wow, Miss Thang you are a little diva," Britney says. "Honey, you may be 13 but your soul is old," LA says. Simon teases Carly, accusing her of pulling a Lina Lamont. He then says a star has walked out on stage. She gets all the yeses – 4833 by Simon's count.
Mike McComb – TVLatest.com
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