It is turning out to be the nightmare competition for Paula Abdul as she attempts to deal with all the demands that are associated with the role of a judge. She has had to lose Stereo Hogzz in the latest round of voting. This is the second straight week when her groups have ended up in the bottom two. Lakoda Rayne was also in the bottom grouping. The pair had to sing off until a 3 to 1 decision meant that Hogzz was taken off the show. Abdul was so emotional about the whole thing that at one point she was nearly giving up her right to vote. Simon Cowell was frustrated by the hesitation that Paula showed when she had to choose between eh groups. Cowell as brutal in sending Hogzz home but that is the currency that has made the show famous. The quintet was not daunted by the elimination. They will have to go back to their home town of Houston but they said that they were blessed to have worked with Paul and other talented artists. It was a very gracious parting speech given the circumstances.
The crunch line for the reality singers
The format used for the X-Factor is brutally efficient. The public can put you in the bottom two. The judges are then given the chance to get rid of one act. In the finals the decision is left to the public. The same thing happens if there is a tie in the judges’ decisions. In many cases this descends into a popularity contest. The people that tend to be voted off are the ones who are either very unpopular or quiet. Being faceless and nameless can be as dangerous as being a hated public figure. Stereo Hogzz must have known that the writing on the wall since they had been in the bottom two in the last week. They sang “You are Not Alone” from the Michael Jackson catalog. Lakoda Rayne had chosen a unique rendition of “No Air”, a duet by Chris Brown and Jordin Sparks. Surprisingly Rayne had earned high marks for “Somebody like you”, a hit by Keith Urban.
It was therefore a question of unpopularity when they were finally voted into the bottom two. Simon Cowell was not impressed by Hogzz when they sang “Ain’t No Other Man”, a hit by Christina Aguilera. He felt that there was a cabaret element to it. Steve Jones was rubbing it in when he asked Paula what it felt like to have two of her acts in the bottom two once again. The judge said that it was a nightmare situation. She was of the view that they would sell records despite the fact that they were facing elimination at this stage. This is not entirely wishful thinking since we have losing acts becoming far more successful than the winners. The adage is that if you are a good singer then the public will eventually come round to your art even if you have been kicked off in a popularity contest.
