‘The X Factor Australia’ Recap: The Top 8 Perform Rock [VIDEOS]

“The X Factor Australia” Top 8 contestants took on Rock Week on Sunday, but not everyone was rock ‘n roll enough to pull off their performance.

Dean Ray

Dean was the first to go on stage. As the unofficial rocker of the batch, it’s safe to say that the 22-year-old Melbournite was “born to do this,” as her mentor Natalie Bassingthwaighte said. Taking on

“New Sensation” by INXS, he knew that he had big shoes to fill singing his idol Michael Hutchence’s song.

Ronan Keating said it best when he noted that the week must have been the toughest for Dean as people expected him to be in his element. Fortunately, the judges loved his performance.

Rochelle Pitt

After messing up her lyrics last week, Rochelle and her mentor Redfoo made sure that she remembered the lyrics to Gossip’s “Heavy Cross” for her performance on Sunday. She was able to sing all words, but she hadn’t impressed all the judges.

Natalie said the song was “too screechy,” while Dannii Minogue thought it didn’t feel natural for Rochelle.

“You know what, your attack was great, but it felt like you were fighting too hard. It didn’t feel too natural, but felt a bit you’re putting on a character,” Dannii said, to which Natalie agreed and Redfoo was left agape. “It just felt a bit too much for me.”

She added that while Rochelle has rock, soul and the voice, the mum of four didn’t need the blonde bob wig.

Redfoo was adamant that Rochelle was “rock ‘n roll,” the song was perfect and her wig was fun.

Tee

Tee was given another Queen song. Singing “Don’t Stop Me Now” with heavy eyeliners, the 24-year-old Kiwi looked like the rock singer that he was at that time. However, appearances aside, Tee garnered mixed reviews from the judges.

“There was some connection missing there,” Dannii said.

“I agree and I think it was just the energy in your body that didn’t match the band. I looked back at the drummer and the guitar player and they were having more fun than you on stage. So I just felt that maybe you were focusing too much on the vocal and the notes because they sounded great, but didn’t make us feel…” Redfoo added.

Ronan thought it was great, even saying that Tee perhaps has the best vocal in the competition. This, of course, was refuted by Redfoo, whose Over 25 contestants have exceptional vocals as well.

Marlisa Punzalan

Marlisa had heard of Metallica before, which was a good thing because Ronan gave her the rock legends’ ballad “Nothing Else Matters” for the week. At just 14, the schoolgirl is still learning musicians and songs. Just a few weeks ago she didn’t even know what “Grease” was.

Natalie praised the young aspirant after her performance, calling it her favourite performance of Marlisa to date. Dannii said that Marlisa’s vocals reminded her of Celine Dion’s, while Foo remarked her passionate performance.

“It was fierce, it was aggressive, I loved it,” the American hitmaker said.

Reigan Derry

Reigan already proved that she’s a versatile singer, and she just made that fact even more concrete on Sunday after singing “Boys in Town” by Australian band Divinyls.

“You are a chameleon,” Ronan told the 25-year-old former “Australian Idol” finalist. “Whatever Foo throws at you, whatever genre it is, whatever week, you adapt like nobody else on this show.”

Caitlyn Shadbolt

Caitlyn is first and foremost a country singer, so perhaps she can be forgiven for her not-so-awesome rendition of Thirty Seconds to Mars’ “Closer to the Edge.” Her voice could barely be heard at the beginning. Dannii and Natalie seemed okay with it, but Foo candidly remarked that it was a “horrible” song choice.

“When you first started singing, it was too low, and it was not in the right key at all,” Redfoo said. “I don’t want to say it but I have to say it. I got to be real so we can grow from this. And it just got chaotic around there.

“It’s probably your worst performance.”

Foo’s comments expectedly didn’t sit well with Caitlyn’s mentor, Ronan, was adamant that his friend was wrong. At one time while she was singing, though, Ronan’s face appeared to indicate he himself found fault in her performance.

Jason Heerah

Behind his drums once again, Jason took on The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” like he owned it. Ronan agreed with Foo’s assessment that Jason is the “best singing drummer in the world.”

The praise was not unexpected, though, as Jason has yet to receive a negative comment from the judges. However, with Jason being in the bottom two last week, he needed every positive feedback he can get to convince viewers to vote for him.

Brothers3

As last week’s number 1, Brothers 3 had more to prove that they deserved the votes. But singing Coldplay’s “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall” didn’t help them achieve that.

Redfoo noticed that the brothers did not take much effort in dressing up for rock week. They were still in plaid, and didn’t look like they were ready to rock. Although they sounded good, their performance would have been great if it was any other week but rock week.

“This is the chance for you guys to get aggressive, to get greedy, but you guys played it safe and just did kinda the same old stuff that you guys do. And I feel offended because this is rock week and there was no challenge met here,” Foo said.

Ronan, Natalie and Dannii countered him by singing the boys’ praises again.

“The X Factor Australia” will be back Monday for elimination night.