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The X Factor Elimination: A Major Upset or Business as Usual?
Frank Micelotta / FOX
Nicole Scherzinger had no reason to fret tonight—the elimination was entirely out of her hands.
Only the fans' votes counted toward which three contestants made it into The X Factor's final round next week, no input from the judges necessary.
And based on what happened last week, we couldn't just assume that the competition's "three-time bottom-two champion," as L.A. Reid kept putting it yesterday, was just going to disappear into the night.
The X Factor Semifinals: Nicole Gets Booed, Then the Real Battle Begins
Good thing for Nicole Scherzinger that those boos are making her stronger.
"I haven't seen her," Simon Cowell said of last week's The X Factor castoff, Rachel Crow, whose explosive exit made for one of the memorable ousters we've seen. "But she's a fighter, she's a survivor. And she's not at the mercy of these two anymore," he added, pointing to Nicole and Paula Abdul, "so she's fine."
Cue the boos for Nicole, whose reluctance to send anyone home left Rachel at the mercy of...well, America. Which is where she would have been anyway if she had made it to tonight's semifinal round, after which only the fans' votes determine who moves on to next week's two-night finale.
"Rachel, I have nothing but love for her, and, you know what?" Nicole said. "God is good, and I got nothing but love and light tonight! And it's rock 'n' roll time, and it's about these contestants!"
Indeed it is. So how did they do?
X Factor's Rachel Crow Talks Shocking Elimination: Stop Blaming Nicole Scherzinger!
Ray Mickshaw / FOX
The rest of the world is still reeling from 13-year-old Rachel Crow's emotional roller coaster of an elimination on last night's X Factor, but one person has miraculously risen above the fray and is serving as the calm, measured voice of reason.
Rachel Crow.
The X Factor Elimination: Was That the Most Shocking, Tearful Ending Ever?!
Ray Mickshaw / FOX.
The contestants sing, the judges fight, the fans vote. Simple, right?
Not when all five X Factor contestants proved themselves worthy of a spot in the semifinals last night!
But one had to go. Josh Krajcik may have taken the most heat, with Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid positively ripping his first song, Rihanna's "Love in a Hopeless Place." Meanwhile, Chris Rene, oozing star quality from every pore as he rapped his original tune, "Where Do We Go From Here," was every judge's pick for highlight of the evening.
So, where did they go from there?
The X Factor Recap: Why Were the Final Five Already Singing Save-Me Songs?
Ray Mickshaw / FOX.
If looks could kill, The X Factor would only have one judge left.
But Simon Cowell sat down with L.A. Reid, Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger tonight, as usual, and managed to be perfectly cordial, only once referring to his fellow judges as "the piranha pool."
The first part of the show was given over to barely minute-long hit songs converted into dance tracks—a recipe for disaster if given the wrong batch of singers. Then, instead of singing tunes that the fans picked out for them, they were informed just last night that, due to technical difficulties in the voting process, they had to sing the elimination-night songs they had only somewhat prepared.
So, did these singers sink or swim?
EXCLUSIVE!
The X Factor's Top Five Sound Off on Paula and Nicole's Death Threats
Ray Mickshaw / FOX
Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger may not be commenting on the death threats they've been receiving since they voted 14-year-old Drew off The X Factor, but the top five contestants are!
We just caught up with the remaining contestants—Melanie Amaro, Rachel Crow, Josh Krajick, Marcus Canty and Chris Rene—and we had to ask about the death threats heard around the interwebs.
The X Factor: Are Paula and Nicole Really Receiving Death Threats Over Drew's Elimination?
Ray Mickshaw / FOX
Reality TV just got a little too real.
Viewers were shocked last week when Simon Cowell's 14-year-old contestant Drew was sent home after Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger decided to keep Marcus Canty in the competition.
But were people that upset over her elimination to threaten Abdul and Scherzinger's lives?
The X Factor Recap: Michael Jackson's Kids Watch the Top Seven Perform Dad's Tunes
Simon Cowell did promise that The X Factor was going to do it bigger and better than everyone else.
So while American Idol already had a Michael Jackson night three seasons ago and Dancing With the Stars featured a performance from Cirque du Soleil's Jackson tribute show, The X Factor is the program that had Jackson's brothers, mom and kids in the audience for its salute to the King of Pop.
"It's my favorite show!" Katherine Jackson told host Steve Jones as he introduced them. (And later, he got Prince and Paris to say a few words, too, though Blanket proved a quiet customer.)
OK, top seven, no pressure...
EXCLUSIVE!
The X Factor: Paula Abdul Sounds Off on Astro's Meltdown! Plus, Does Her Group Stand a Chance?!
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
Astro, Astro, Astro!
That's all anyone who watches The X Factor seems to be talking about since the young rapper had a meltdown of sorts during last week's results show, almost quitting the competition in the process. But something else they're talking about? Paula Abdul's chances for survival, considering she only has one group, Lakoda Rayne, left in the running.
So what did Abdul think of Astro's mini-meltdown last week? And what will happen to her if Lakoda is booted from the competition?
The X Factor Elimination Shocker: Guess Who Got Dropped Into the Bottom Two?
Ray Mickshaw / FOX
Steve Jones switched it up Thursday on The X Factor.
Instead of putting the safe contestants through all at once, he doled out the good news in little bits—obviously to draw out the suspense and make those finalists, not to mention the judges, sweat.
So who got to actually enjoy Rihanna's performance tonight? And who did Steve (and America) really stick it to?
