The X Factor 2011 Top 7 Review: My Power Rankings Of The Top 7 Contestants

Reviews, Top Story

1. Melanie Amaro – I haven’t been the biggest fan of Melanie Amaro but she was clearly the best this week. I suspected her performance would be breathtaking when she was given the last spot (typically given to the best act of the evening) and she didn’t disappoint. With an inspired song choice (“Earth Song”) and without any distracting frills, Melanie showcased her powerhouse voice and was easily the best of the night. Her accent coming out of nowhere is still strange though. How did she hide it for that long?!
2. Astro – Another memorable performance from the show’s brightest star. “Black Or White” was a great song choice and Astro effectively combined his freestyle with the song’s hook. While there are many things that I feel Astro does well, what impresses me the most is how he highlights his own lyrics while still staying true to the songs that he covers. He is talented beyond belief.
3. Drew – Big improvement from Drew this week. I knew she’d be singing “Billie Jean” before the show even started and her rendition was picture perfect. That being said, I agreed with Nicole’s feedback. She needs to do something other than ballads because right now, she is very one-dimensional. More than any other contestant on the show.
4. Chris Rene – Not his best performance, but I thought it was okay. I think Chris could have been more daring. “Man In The Mirror” with his freestyle would have been quite good but he played the safe route. Did enough, but just barely.
5. Marcus Canty – Marcus has the potential to be a big star but I believe LA Reid overproduces him. The dancers are not necessary. I would have much rather seen Marcus dance and sing by himself and that’s similar to how I have felt in previous weeks as well. He has many of the skills necessary to be a star but I feel Reid is turning him into something that he isn’t. At least he sang an uptempo song.
6. Josh Krajcik – I am worried about Josh this week. “Dirty Diana” was a good song choice, but he didn’t look comfortable. Like Marcus, I thought the masked dancers were completely unnecessary. He is capable of better but the theme hurt him. Not sure he can survive a double-elimination. Hoping he can.
7. Rachel Crow – It’s her time to go and you know it.

Murtz Jaffer is the world's foremost reality television expert and was the host of Reality Obsessed which aired on the TVTropolis and Global Reality Channels in Canada. He has professional writing experience at the Toronto Sun, National Post, TV Guide Canada, TOROMagazine.com and was a former producer at Entertainment Tonight Canada. He was also the editor at Weekendtrips.com.