"The X Factor" 2011 - Top 7: Did America and the Judges get it right?

• Yes, absolutely! (36%, 8 Votes)
• Almost, but not quite! (32%, 7 Votes)
• Not even close! (32%, 7 Votes)
• Who cares? I'm still eating Thanksgiving leftovers! (0%, 0 Votes)

Total Voters: 22

 Loading ...

Seven turns into five tonight as another two acts will take that long airline flight home. Just like last week, the act with the lowest number of votes will automatically go home while the two acts with the next lowest fight for their lives. The Idol Radio Show Personalities have made their picks. 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.

The X Factor theme music is playing and Steve Jones welcomes us to the show. Steve says how many people voted, but I can’t tell if he said 16 million or 60 million. No time to worry about it, as it’s time for the Top 7 Ensemble song.

The acts are singing Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.” Drew starts them off, badly. When will the show learn that Drew does not have a low register? Josh Krajcik is up next followed by Chris Rene, both of whom do a good job. Marcus Canty leads up to the chorus on key, with Melanie Amaro delivering a great chorus. Brian “Astro Turkey” Bradley then ruins everything with his rapping. Rachel Crow follows up off-key, and the song turns into mush. Frankly, the man in the mirror is breaking that mirror right now.

Now that our ears are bleeding and on strike, it’s time for a video recap of last night’s show. See you all in several minutes.

We are back from the video recap and the commercial, and Steve welcomes the Top 7 out on stage along with their mentors. Will Nicole join Paula as a judge without any acts to mentor this week, or will she be able to hold it off for one more week?

Time for results. The first act voted through is Chris Rene. The second safe act is Melanie Amaro. Third act into the Top 5 is Rachel Crow.

Time for another commercial. Marcus Canty, Brian Bradley, Josh Krajcik, and Drew are left hanging for now. One is automatically through to the Top 5, one is going straight home without passing Go or collecting $200, and two will fight for their lives.

We’re back from commercial. The four that still haven’t heard their fate are back stage. Steve, while out on stage, tries to converse with the four. It’s very awkward. He really needs to learn how to do that better.

Results are going to have to wait, however, because live on stage now is Tenie Tempah. And I smell smoke. Not from the stage, but from somewhere in my apartment. I’ll be back (hopefully).

Well, no clue what I’m smelling in my apartment. I still distinctly smell smoke, but the live blogging must go on.

The final act guaranteed to perform next week is Josh Krajcik. I guess Nicole lives for another week.

The first act leaving The X Factor tonight is Brian Bradley! YES! YES! YES!

That means Drew and Marcus Canty are in the Bottom 2 and will be singing for their lives.

The first act singing for their life tonight is Drew. Drew is singing in her lower register again, which just doesn’t work for her. She has no ability to give that lower register power, which prevents her words from being understood. She is much better in the upper register, but she has a nasty habit of being off-key, badly, and breaking her words up staccato style. It just doesn’t work. Drew barely holds herself together through the song, collapsing in Steve’s arms when she is done.

The second act singing for their life tonight is Marcus Canty. Before he starts singing, he stops everything, thanks everyone, and says he is singing this to all his fans. Marcus is in his lower register to begin as well, which doesn’t much work for him either. He does move up fairly quickly, however, and begins delivering a soulful performance. Marcus has a great connection to this song and audience, and is delivering what may be his best performance of the season. If there was ever a time to do that, this was it. But will it be enough to save him?

Here we go.

L.A. Reid votes to send home: Drew
Simon Cowell votes to send home: Marcus Canty
Nicole Scherzinger votes to send home: Drew
Paula Abdul votes to send home: Drew

Drew breaks down when she hears that she is going home, and Simon is obviously ticked off! He immediately gets up from the judges table and walks up on stage. He then refuses to say anything to Steve about the results as Melanie and Rachel run out on stage to comfort Drew.

Didn’t Simon take a certain Astro Turkey to task for throwing a tantrum on stage when something didn’t go his way? Shall we play that back for you, Simon?

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.