For a show with a huge cash prize ($5 million), “The X Factor” played fast and loose with its final performances Wednesday.
With only a chance to sing just two songs before the deciding round of viewer votes, the first of them for all three contestants was obscured by pairing up with professional singer. Josh Kracjik sang “Uninvited” with its author, Alanis Morrissette; Avril Lavigne came out to sing her hit “Complicated” with Chris Rene, and Melanie Aparo sang “I Believe I Can Fly” with R. Kelly.
Of the three, only Aparo stood toe to toe with her celebrity. In the other two cases, the female guests far outshone the contestants, to the degree that the guys suddenly didn’t even seem worthy to be finalists.
In the solo songs that followed the men went softer in their approaches while Aparo stepped on the gas with another barnburner, Beyonce’s “Listen.” Rene reprised his original song “Young Homie,” which is a little trifle of a ditty, and Krajik took to the acoustic guitar for an unusual version of “At Last.”
Judges kept going on about how it was anybody’s game, but anyone voting on vocal talent would have to go with Aparo. The winner is crowned Thursday, in a show that will feature even more surprise guests singing. This time, they won’t be stepping on anybody’s final performances to do so.