"The X Factor" 2011 - Top 4: Did America get it right?

• Yes, absolutely! (85%, 11 Votes)
• Not even close! (8%, 1 Votes)
• Who cares? I'm busy drinking eggnog! (8%, 1 Votes)
• Almost, but not quite! (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 13

 Loading ...

The X Factor Finale performers will be set tonight as the four remaining acts are turned into three remaining acts. The safe bet for elimination is Marcus Canty since he’s been in the bottom three weeks in a row. But can you count someone out who has managed to survive three weeks in a row?

The Idol Radio Show Personalities have made their picks on who will go home. Click here to see them.

Join me after the jump as I live blog The X Factor Top 9 Results. And chat with other X Factor fans during the show in our Shoutbox.

Here we go. After tonight, The X Factor Finale acts will be set. Four acts go in, three will survive. But which three? Will conventional wisdom be correct tonight? Or will we end up with another shocker result? Either way, chances are good that we won’t get any results until the last ten minutes of the show since there is no sing-off or judges’ vote tonight.

The host has taken the stage, given the obligatory “WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN” speech, introduced the judges, and told us there were 30 million votes last night. That can only mean one thing: time for this week’s ensemble performance. Marcus Canty and Josh Krajcik look like they are completely lost as the camera first pans on them, leaving it to Chris Rene and Melanie Amaro to make us believe that they really like this song. I didn’t recognize the first part of the song, but clearly got the “Shout” by Tears for Fears part. Josh still looks like he has no clue what is going on, but Marcus is getting into the grove. Back to the “Shout” part of the song, so excuse me while I sing along.

“Shout. Shout. Let it all out. These are the things I can do without. Come on. I’m talking to you. Come on.”

Ensemble song done, commercials done, so that can mean only one thing: time for the video recap of last night’s show. See you all back here in a few minutes.

The video recap is done, and Steve asks all the judges their thoughts on last night. Then, before sending it to commercial, Steve tells us that he will reveal the first two acts moving through to next week’s Finale after the break. Stay tuned!

Only Steve is on stage when we come back from commercial, as all the acts and judges are backstage. Paula interrupts the shot by first walking off then coming back and kissing everyone on the cheek for luck. Steve attempts to talk to L.A. Reid, but it fails badly. As I’ve said before, would it hurt this show to have some of this discussion face-to-face?

So no results right now as, instead, English indie pop group Florence + The Machine take the stage to perform. No clue what they are singing, and after listening for 15 seconds, I don’t really care what they are singing. There is too much happening on stage to focus on Florence, and she doesn’t sound like she is enjoying this song. Not to mention she looks like she is feeling herself up throughout the performance. No thanks.

After the performance (thankfully) ends, Steve once again promises us that after the break it will be time to get serious and he will reveal two acts going through to the Finale. Heard that promise already, Steve. So don’t say it unless you really mean it.

Back from the commercial, and we get another video montage. This time, the judges are talking about each of the contestants, telling us what they think of each of them. Naturally, each of the judges play up their own acts most of all in their commentary. But even then, the entire tone is one of fawning as not a bad word is spoken about any of the contestants.

Steve says the time has come. And, finally, he introduces each of the acts and their mentor. I’m thinking that Melanie and Josh will be named safe right now, leaving both of L.A.’s Boys up on stage to sweat it out.

The first act in next week’s Finale is Chris Rene. Well, so much for that line of thinking.

The second act in next week’s Finale is Melanie Amaro. Sweet!

That leaves Marcus Canty and Josh Krajcik left to wonder who will be in the Finale and who will be taking that long flight home. Queen Angie, DJ Slim, and I have all picked Marcus to go home. ChuckRitt picked Josh, though more because it’s his only chance to get out of last place in our little Bottom 2 competition than because he thinks Josh will really go home. So what will happen? We’ll have to sit through a Nicole Scherzinger performance before we find out.

Back from commercial, and we get more impersonal conversation between Steve and people backstage. Time for Nicole to take the stage, and…… wait, what is this? Steve actually gives us the name of the song she is singing (“Pretty”) as well as the name of the album it is from (Killer Love). Guess being a judge on the show has its perks, as that is only the second or third time Steve has announced the name of a song before it was sung.

Speaking of singing, Nicole is doing a piss-poor job. Vocally, she is doing a decent job. But she looks so out-of-place up there. Her eyes are bugging out, like she has been stranded in the middle of the dessert and is desperately looking for the road home. She is totally overacting the song, trying to force a connection with it and with the audience. There is a reason why her debut solo album has been delayed multiple times, and I think we just discovered the reason why. Ugh.

Okay. Here we go. Time for Marcus and Josh to find out which of them is going through to the Finale and which of them is going home. Will Marcus finally get the boot? Or will he make it through once again, sending Josh home in the process.

The final act going through to the Finale is Josh Krajcik.

And that means Marcus Canty is going home.

No real surprise, though you can never really know when a shocker like last week is going to happen. And by this time next week, we’ll have crowned the first winner of the U.S. version of The X Factor. Will it be Melanie, Chris, or Josh?

So what did you think of tonight’s show? Did the correct act go home? Vote in our poll at the top of the page and leave your thoughts in the comments below.

And don’t forget to join me for the Idol Radio Show tonight at 11 PM ET / 10 PM CT as I talk about tonight’s X Factor results, American Idol news, and anything else in the entertainment industry that needs to be discussed. Simply click the “Listen Live” banner in the right column when the show starts.