‘The X Factor’ USA rankings: Can anyone top Tate Stevens, Carly Rose Sonenclar?
Can you believe that there are only a few short weeks left on “The X Factor” USA? In just one month Christmas Day will be here, and we will also know just who is in possession of a prestigious $5 million recording contract and the hope of skyrocketing their career to new heights. When it come to our rankings, it is also becoming a little bit divided: the top four on the list seem to be serious contenders, but at the moment it is getting hard to see anyone else on the show winning.
We’re not just basing our rankings on where the contestants placed on the show’s leaderboard Thursday; in addition to that, we also consider consistency in the competition, song choice, image, and just perceived fan support online.
8. CeCe Frey (last week: 7) – Not only is CeCe very lucky to still be in the competition at this point, but we really have no idea who is anymore. It is almost as though she saw who she was during the audition rounds, hated it, and has taken a complete 180. We miss the fierce, fun performer that spoke her mind, and all of the tears, sad stories, and ballads are not showing off what made her interesting to begin with. We’ll have more of what she can do to save herself on Tuesday, but one thing she needs to do is focus on bringing back at least some of that sassy side and find a happy medium.
7. Paige Thomas (9) – Considering that Paige’s rendition of “Everytime” was a horrible mess and was the performance equivalent of watching someone drown in their own tears, we are wondering whether or not Demi Lovato is really kicking herself now for letting go of a guy in Willie Jones who would have probably been a top 4 vote-getter every week. Unlike CeCe, the issue here is that there has never been a performance from Paige we have connected to, but we do not know at the moment just what she can do to improve herself.
6. Diamond White (5) – Diamond is a pretty great young singer, but is she ready for this competition? This is what we wonder right now, especially since she has really only had one or two standout performances since the live shows began. While ranking the contestants was an interesting move for the show this season, knowing where people stand in the voting chart is taking some of the bang out of the competition every week.
5. Fifth Harmony (6) – Why were these ladies so close to the bottom this week? The only reason we can think of is that Simon Cowell, despite showing them as relatively fun-loving girls in their rehearsal packages, have yet to allow them to actually sing anything fun. You need some variety to keep people interesting, and thus far their song choices have been a little redundant.
4. Emblem3 (3) – Simon’s boyband-who-hates-being-called-that is doing a good job this season of being a group that knows who they are, and does not stray from that. While their performances are not always the best on the night, we’ll give them this: you know exactly what sort of album they would make, and they have a better show of being pop stars than probably anyone else this season.
3. Vino Alan (4) – Considering that Vino has ranked in third place for multiple weeks now, it’s hard really to put him anywhere else on this list. He has been smart enough the past few weeks to either picks songs that are perfect for his voice or memorable, and he is doing this while still struggling to fully let down all of the walls. We are still waiting for that breakout performance, though, that could carry him to the top two.
2. Tate Stevens (1) – Thanks to the change in the voting results, we have to mark a change for Tate this week, especially when Carly Rose received more praise from the judges this week. However, we would caution you to read too much into the country star’s drop on the chart: he went first last week (a traditionally difficult spot for votes), whereas Carly performed last and had the benefit of extra hype. Don’t be surprised if he is #1 again if the results are revealed Thursday.
1. Carly Rose Sonenclar – Carly’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” was “way up high,” at least when it comes to the best performances of the season. It was effective in more ways than just her vocals, as well: she also showed more emotion than she has all season long, and her rehearsal package was a reminder that despite her poise and her talent, she is still just a teenage girl trying to make her dream come true. A few more strong performances, and she could prove to be a major threat to both Tate and everyone else.
Who do you think is the top of the “X Factor” USA field right now?
Alice
January 24, 2013 @ 6:52 pm
Some of these arguments are kind of silly. Few of the contestants on any of these talent shows are really amateurs. The show is designed to give an “undiscovered” talent a break. I take undiscovered to mean someone who is not well known in the music industry. Any of these contestants would qualify.
Another argument that annoys me is the constant harping on utube statistics. It is not utube that counts, it is the votes following the live show. And that time is limited. The votes have to be made that night. The utube videos stay up forever. And lets face it, between Tate and Carly, you would have to expect Carly to have more utube hits. I suspect that many of her fans are younger and more apt to be on social media than Tate’s. So next season, I hope you will forgo the utube argument. It is not very reliable.
The contest is over and Tate won. Everyone should just accept it and hope if your favorite wins next time, others will respect it. To do otherwise is being disrespectful to the winner and to the loser alike. It would be embarrassing for the loser to view some of the comments that are made on some of these sites.
anonymous
December 21, 2012 @ 9:24 pm
Its all irrelevant now they were both great, but America has spoken and Tate won. And what kills me………all the fighting on here like you people are the one’s who are in it for the $5 million dollar contract, sheer entertainment!
E.A Poe
December 2, 2012 @ 10:13 am
This all sounds like the silly argument of whether Oscar Pistorius had an unfair advantage in the Olymics. If Carly met the rules of entry, then this should not even be an issue and all comments about her “being a professional” should be directed to the the contest itself. Don’t be hating on the player, hate on the game. Oh, and Tate Stevens is 37 years old. This means that he has had 24 more years to practice over Carly. Anyone here talking about that as an unfair advantage. Should feel Carly be made to feel like crap because she had success much earlier? And let’s not forget, she is only 13 years old and all she is doing is singing. Why so much hate? Sheesh people.
Peter Poe
November 30, 2012 @ 11:31 am
I don’t even watch this show but I find it distrubing the young lady that continues to be in the top’s mother owns the biggest PR firm in the US. Check out The Edelmann PR group. Doesn’t sound like an even playing field to me!
Anonymous
November 29, 2012 @ 6:14 pm
Thoughts… that is just because carly is an arrogant girl
thoughts
November 28, 2012 @ 5:12 pm
lets hope carly learns how to not look so ugly while singing. closing her eyes snarling her nose up never interacting on stage. can she once sing something besides a show tune. then theres fake cece shes rude and trying to hide it but sadly failing. remove those two and it would be a nice show.
xx
November 28, 2012 @ 3:30 pm
Carly rose to the topppp. Every week till the end. Till carly blazs throgj the competition. Tate is jusf country copying… blah tate.
Bea
November 28, 2012 @ 2:12 pm
this is way too predictable! And BTW is this girl Paige still on?! I even forgot her existence no offense, but she’s just boring, she’s gotta go. And I kinda like CeCe lol judge me
Jack Meoffer
November 27, 2012 @ 9:31 pm
Why do some folks think it’s ok to post others work without attribution? What the eff?
cindy
November 26, 2012 @ 10:53 pm
I am sorry but I want cece gone and have from the beginning
Her attitude has sucked from the start. She makes everyone think she has changed but she hasn’t. It is just a front!!!!!!!!! DON’T FALL FOR IT PEOPLE!!!!!!!
Christy Lee Ware
November 26, 2012 @ 5:37 pm
I knew Pam posted from a Website, from Facebook! Pam THANK YOU! FOR POSTING THIS! TATE IS STILL #1 AND WILL STAY #1!!Tate is THE REAL DEAL!!
Vero
November 26, 2012 @ 5:24 pm
Pam is right just google first pragraph and you will find this article from September. Also.. Go Tate! Carly is good but is lack of emotion and doesnt get peoples feedback at all
Joe
November 26, 2012 @ 4:34 pm
Jenny, I agree with you 100%. I admittedly like Carly and will vote for her but, if somebody likes and wants to vote for another artist then that’s fine also. I just don’t like people arguing that Carly, or anyone for that matter, should be overlooked or not considered because of decisions made by producers that are out of the contestant’s control. Or that somebody doesn’t have a right to compete or win because they are better trained, have more experience, have more future opportunity, don’t have a sob story to tell, etc. If they are within the rules put forth for the show, then they should be judged by what they bring to the stage and that’s it. That’s my opinion only, and although I might not like it, others certainly have the right to disagree.
And Pam, I’m not sure what you mean by Carly has “had her break”. She’s done a couple of Plays and a bit part on a PBS children’s show. There are thousands of people with more “success” than that who you have never heard of just as most people had never heard of Carly before this show. Compared to a 5m recording contract and the publicity that comes with winning XF, her past doesn’t mean jack.
Pam
November 26, 2012 @ 4:23 pm
And I can’t credit the website, everytime I try to post it my comment goes for review and then isn’t posted!
Pam
November 26, 2012 @ 4:20 pm
I still don’t think what I said was bad.. Simone continues to say these shows are for people who need a break. All I am saying is, it looks as though Carly has her break. I am not talking bad about her or saying she’s not a good singer, her resume speaks for itself. I wouldn’t take it so personal if I were you. It’s only my opinion.
Jenny
November 26, 2012 @ 3:58 pm
I’ve never watched any of these reality shows until I accidentally ran across Carly’s audition video and have been a fan since. I immediately googled her and read her bio. I also read XFactor’s rules. Their main rule seems to be an artist cannot be under a recording contract, so there should be no issue as to Carly’s participation. It seems Simon’s decisions Simon are those of a business man. If the prize is a $5 million contract, then he naturally wants the winner to be someone who will return the investment.
In my opinion Beatrice was sooo not worth it. Although she has a nice bio, too, her voice seems to be gimmicky and not classic. I’d compare Carly and Beatrice to Celine Dion vs Stevie Nicks. They’re both successful but who has the better voice?
Joe
November 26, 2012 @ 3:37 pm
Pam, first of all you don’t credit the story so nobody knows it’s not your own words (although you do finally tell us its an online article in a later post), and second of all you do specifically ague that it’s not fair that Carly competes on the show. From what I see nobody is accusing you of saying anything bad about Carly, we are simply arguing against you contention that its not fair for Carly to be on the show.
Joe
November 26, 2012 @ 3:35 pm
Pam, first of all you don’t credit the story so nobody knows it’s not your own words (although yu , and second of all you do specifically ague that it’s not fair that Carly competes on the show.
Pam
November 26, 2012 @ 3:08 pm
I COPY AND PASTED EXACTLY WHAT WAS ON A WEBSITE PEOPLE. I never said anything bad about Carly.. Sheesh.
Joe
November 26, 2012 @ 2:06 pm
“…hitting the road right out of high school with his band, the Dixie Cadillacs, who opened for many of today’s biggest country stars, including Sammy Kershaw and others”. So he spent time on the road, with a band, performing live shows. Guess they always performed for free and never received a dime. Face it, at one time he was a professional musician. It may not have been as accomplished as others and he may have had to stop and get a regular job to support his family but he DOES have a professional background and has been honing his talent for 30+ years. Carly’s been working on hers for only 6 years so I hardly think it’s fair that Carly has to compete against somebody that has had 5 times as long to perfect their craft. XF should be like American Idol that has an upper age limit so somebody as “seasoned” as Tate wouldn’t have an unfair advantage.
(Yes, this sounds about as ridiculous as the arguments against Carly…)
CarlyRoseFan
November 26, 2012 @ 1:07 pm
Well said Eric! I agree with you 100%.
CarlyRoseFan
November 26, 2012 @ 1:01 pm
@Pam, who cares! Carly Rose has talent far beyond her years. She deserves to be in the competition regardless of her resume, and she deserves to win! Her performances are exceptional! She has a resume because she can sing, and she’s doing everything possible to make her dreams come true right now. She’s on the X Factor because she is trying to win a $5 million contract. She most certainly deserves it! Way to go Carly. I will buy every album this girl makes! If you are going to compete for that amount of money, you SHOULD be able to sing. Sorry for saying this, but Beatrice, CeCe nor Arin should had made it as far as they did.
millz
November 26, 2012 @ 12:43 pm
First of all, his dad wasn’t in a professional band.. Second of all “, Tate would perform at talent shows, oprys, church choir, and school choir before hitting the road right out of high school with his band, the Dixie Cadillacs, who opened for many of today’s biggest country stars, including Sammy Kershaw and others” How in the world does that make him a professional. Grasping for straws guys, come on now.
Crystal
November 26, 2012 @ 12:35 pm
Go! Tate! Hometown proud!
Joe
November 26, 2012 @ 12:22 pm
From the X-Factor USA web site: “Tate Stevens, which is a stage name (his given name is Stephen Eatinger), began performing at the age of 4 when he’d hop up onstage with his father, who was a big influence on him. “I remember knowing that I wasn’t scared and that I wanted to keep singing in front of people. I had so much fun,” recalls the country singer, who is one of L.A. Reid’s Over 25s. From there, Tate would perform at talent shows, oprys, church choir, and school choir before hitting the road right out of high school with his band, the Dixie Cadillacs, who opened for many of today’s biggest country stars, including Sammy Kershaw and others.” Hmmm, sounds kind of professional to me…
Also, from the X-Factor USA web site: “Carly, who is one of Britney Spears’ Teens, first started singing professionally at age seven in the Off-Broadway show, The Night of the Hunter. Later, she appeared in the Broadway production of Les Miserables and in 2009, played Carrie in the national tour of Little House on the Prairie: The Musical. Carly’s credits also include the Broadway show Wonderland and the PBS TV series The Electric Company.” Guess they aren’t doing a very good of job trying to hide it …
Eric
November 26, 2012 @ 12:11 pm
Tate is no young kid who just bounced in and said, “Hey, I’d like to be a star. Make that happen, will you?” The 37-year-old from Missouri has been singing since he was 4 — from talent shows and church choirs to working professionally with his band, The Dixie Cadillacs. He’s opened for some big acts over the years, but he’s never quite hit the major limelight, until now. And it’s about time.
Now what?
Millz
November 26, 2012 @ 11:57 am
Not a good time to quote anything from Michigan. I wasn’t attacking you, you just have your heart on your sleeve! Tate has never been a professional, do your research Eric..
Joe
November 26, 2012 @ 11:54 am
Do you think it’s the young kids voting for Tate? No, it’s the older country music fans that make up the bulk of his votes and you’re right that they don’t spend as much time on youtube as younger fans. So just WHO is generating the MILLIONS of views on youtube that Carly receives. It surely can’t be any younger people because they would never support a 13 year old singing ballads….
Not taking it personally as I will be buying Carly’s music whether she wins or not. I just don’t understand how anyone can think that someone producing the kind of views that she does can’t be marketable. If you’ve seen her cover “Pumped up Kicks” while playing the piano, or covering “Little Talks” or “Help, I’m Alive”, or listen to who her musical influences are (Black Keys and Bruno Mars), then you would know that she doesn’t want to be just a standup Ballad singer. Unfortunately she hasn’t had a chance to showcase that part of her talent yet other than the few seconds we saw during bootcamp. But to say she’s not marketable is disingenuous at best…
Eric
November 26, 2012 @ 11:45 am
Nice job Millz, you first say don’t get personal, then you attack me ……… Well, if your not going to vote for a professional then I guess your not going to vote for Tate, and your crazy if your really believe that social media doesn’t come into play. Just ask PSY. Ohhhhh, and just like Denard and the Wolverines are “Our Boy’s” Carly is one of “Our Girls”….
Millz
November 26, 2012 @ 11:38 am
Again, Joe how many 13 year old kids listen to ballands and the piano? I am not saying Carly isn’t good, we all know that she is great! She probably will get a deal, I think she already has.. However, she’s not a pop singer or a singer that most 13 year old kids will want to listen to. Again, quit taking it so personally, no one is saying that she’s not good. We are just saying, she’s not marketable!!!
Joe
November 26, 2012 @ 11:31 am
Never knew that “X” meant “Last Chance for Stardom” …
Let’s see…Carly, who has received 3-4 times as many youtube views as her next closest competitor on the “X-Factor” (and more than anyone on “The Voice” also) can’t be marketed???
BTW, if you have seen any of Carly’s other youtube videos you know she doesn’t just sing ballads and is a very accomplished piano player also. I’m sure there are producers just chomping at the bit to get a chance to market her (but if true then I guess that should disqualify her by some twisted logic).
Millz
November 26, 2012 @ 11:21 am
Eric “our girl”?? REALLY? Yikes, I am embarassed for you, who says that? But really, Tate was #1 two weeks in a row and #2 last week, the guy doesn’t have that many hits on youtube and it means NOTHING! Your point was just blown up because it doesn’t matter how many twitter followers, Facebook friends or hits on youtube you have. Look at most Country Music Singers, they don’t have that many of any of these because it means NOTHING. Except to you of course..
Millz
November 26, 2012 @ 11:16 am
She is a 13 YEAR OLD who sings nothing but ballads. Please tell me how many kids her age would buy her CD or go see her in concert. NONE! No doubt she’s got a voice but seriously, she’s not marketable. She belongs on a broadway stage, which there is nothing wrong with that. Also, I don’t remember reading a single person faulting Carly for anything, get real folks. This is a discussion board, don’t take it so freaking personal. Carly hasn’t won the X Factor and I would be really surprised if she did win. But for that matter, who knows, each week it seems like everyone is bringing their best and the person who gets the most votes wins. Bottom line is, X Factor is shady for “hiding” Carly’s past by saying she’s a normal 13 year old school kid. Uh she’s not.. They are shady for hiding anyones past that was formally a PROFESSIONAL. If I were you, I would vote my ass off for anyone who isn’t a professional.
Joe
November 26, 2012 @ 11:03 am
I don’t understand the attitude that Carly has “already made it” or “she’s a pro, give someone else a chance”. When I first heard Carly sing her “Feeling Good” audition I immediately googled her because I suspected she would already have an internet presence and sure enough I found out everything mentioned above. So what! This is a talent competition and she is one of the best left and deserves as much a shot as anyone else. As mentioned by others, she is not the only one left that has professional experience. If you look at her youtube views she has 3 to 4 times as many as the next closest contestant, from all over the world, and her past experience has been discussed ad nauseam. But people still watch and vote for her because she certainly does have that X-Factor. I guess since Michael Phelps had already won some gold medals and had arguably the best training in the world, he shouldn’t have been allowed to compete in the past Olympics so someone from Paraguay might have a chance. It’s this “everybody gets a trophy regardless of ability” attitude that has lowered the bar in everything from athletics and education to business and entertainment. I will vote for Carly because I think she is the best in the competition and I can’t stop watching and listening to her. Others might vote for Vino or Tate for the same reason and some tone-deaf people might actually vote for CeCe but that’s OK as long as they are voting for what they actually bring to the stage and not because of some backstory. Don’t penalize Carly, or any other contestant for that matter, because you don’t like the way the show is produced for which the contestant has no say.
Eric
November 26, 2012 @ 10:22 am
The fact that Carly had previous success with her career is irrelevant. I personally have never heard of her before The X Factor USA and have become a fan. It is refreshing to see this young lady grace the stage and put smiles on our faces. If Carly finishes the season like she did last week, she will be our winner. Just look at the amount of views her last performance has on YouTube. While the other contestants are hovering around 500k, our girl just passed 3 million views. It’s evident who the winner should be if we remain on this course.
Pam
November 26, 2012 @ 10:06 am
Paul, Again, read my comments above. What I posted was directly from an article online. I am not picking on any specific person, I am however, stating that I think it’s not fair to the contestants who are doing this as their last chance. Carly is a great singer, I am not taking that away from her at all. I am saying that she is already a professional, why does she need this show? She doesn’t, she’s already been noticed. Tate and Vino, arent’ young this is their last chance. My purpose in posting that was so everyone would know the facts!!!
Jean
November 26, 2012 @ 9:31 am
X Factor needs a country star. Country music is the #1 genre and who else would be perfect? Of course, TATE!! He has worked very hard to be where he is and is giving up a lot to do this for his family. He is too good to just stay at performing at clubs, fairs, etc. Let’s share Tate with the world!!
Carly is just way too young to go on with this honor. Why can’t people just let little girls be little girls? Since she already has a career in music, why did they let her on here anyway?
Debbie
November 26, 2012 @ 5:21 am
X factor is looking for some to turn into a star. I am sure most of the remaing contestants have previevious expierences performaing…. but looking for that one for uniqueness style .. CARLY is young and very talented .She will continue to stardom she is on the right track .. Tate deserves this chance to continue his career. Vino is also good .. These three will be in the top no matter where they go . Im sure a producer is out there just waiting to give them that chance…… Good luck to each of you but my vote is for Tator :)
Paul
November 26, 2012 @ 2:07 am
kdemster TOTALLY changes the view if America knows she’s already a PRO?? that makes no sense, America now knows that she is a pro and they still voted her first place, so can you please explain that….
Paul
November 26, 2012 @ 1:59 am
Pam,,, I cant believe some of your comments.. You are just picking on Carly and Ill tell you why.
First, Beatrice and Diamond have had prior experiences just like Carly.
You say if she gave out her resume that the audience might have a different opinion. Well imagine if some of the contestents didnt tell their sad story before their audition, Im sure what would change the mind of the audience. but the main thing is that by the time the live shows started everyone knew her past experience ( the fans,, the judges, the world) and they still put her in 1st place, you know why, because she is the best,, end of story so obviously your point makes no sense.
Bobby S
November 26, 2012 @ 1:44 am
I totally agree with you Pam….X-FACTOR and Carly should have been upfront at the begining, the rest of the contestant were upfront and along the way to the live shows, but she hasn’t mention her career at all. She’s already has a professional career…This competition should be for a person that is talented and to get a chance…But I will not be voting for her but preferrably giving someone a chance that has the talent, like a Tate Stevens, or Vino..that my opinion…
Bev
November 26, 2012 @ 1:36 am
I agree with Pam. We know Tate and Vino have performed professionally…why are they hiding Carly Rose’s credentials? She’s not just a 13 year old student who can sing well. It’s very misleading and I hope this story gets out and those voting will know the truth about her.
Pam
November 26, 2012 @ 12:31 am
FYI .. The above is from an article online, not from me directly
Pam
November 26, 2012 @ 12:18 am
It should matter.. Some of these contestants, this is their only chance. She’s already a professional, how fair is that???
Linda
November 26, 2012 @ 12:11 am
I hope Fifth Harmony make the finals, their vocals are amazing.
Trent
November 26, 2012 @ 12:09 am
I miss Beatrice already she should have stayed over CeCe, however if I had my choice it would have been Emblem3 or Paige going. I believe Beatrice would have stayed if Simon would have tied it up and it went to the viewer votes, I believe Beatrice is more talented and has a way better personality than CeCe has in her little finger. I love Beatrice and would have loved for her to make the Top 5 with Vino, Tate, Carly, & Diamond.
Anna
November 26, 2012 @ 12:08 am
I agree with Devon. A singing competition is here and now, past history doesn’t matter and has nothing to do with the competition.
Devon
November 26, 2012 @ 12:07 am
I think that’s a bit unfair tbh. The X Factor is a singing competition. Meaning you take all the past accomplishments out of the equation. You say you’re going for Paige, but her vocals are in noway close to the standard of Carly, Tate, Vino even the girls in Fifth Harmony. Simon and the X factor never mentioned she didn’t have any prior acheivements. I think you’re just reading WAY to much into this.
Kdemster
November 25, 2012 @ 10:56 pm
Thanks Pam for posting this as I was just going to do the same! TOTALLY changes the view if America knows she’s already a PRO! She’s on Wikipedia with her resume of her career…..Don’t get me wrong, she’s amazing, but she’s already been on Broadway, in movies, signed by a talent agent and more! BUT America is not to know any of this as Xfactor wants us to think she’s just a girl who is just a student like any other 13 yr old….except she can sing!