X Factor USA: Top 8 Recap

Last night on major talent contest X Factor USA, fans were treated to Top 8 Hits-themed performances by the Final 8 and also the premiere of Britney Spear's new music video with will.i.am. After these all-out performances, these acts definitely proved they deserve to stay in tonight's results.

FIFTH HARMONY - STRONGER

Category/Mentor: Groups/Simon Cowell

Finally, an upbeat song made these girls more on fire than they were in previous performances. There must be something wrong with the voting if they don't make it through to next week. They made me a believer in girlbands.

CECE FREY - LADY MARMALADE

Category/Mentor: Young Adults/Demi Lovato

Poor girl always ends up in the Bottom Two just 'cause her seemingly edited audition footages portrayed her as a bitch? Give the girl a break. She really is a tryer, and in here, she's a star.

DIAMOND WHITE - DANCE WITH SOMEBODY

Category/Mentor: Teens/Britney Spears

While she could use a more unique song choice, she did infuse her own flavor into her performance, which started with an intense acoustic-driven version before moving on to the fast beats.

CARLY ROSE SONENCLAR - ROLLING IN THE DEEP

Category/Mentor: Teens/Britney Spears

She's right, an overly popular hit is not an easy thing to cover. But she slayed it like she has always done week after week. 

X Factor USA (Thanksgiving Edition): Top 10

In honor of Thanksgiving, the Top 10 acts of X Factor USA have been dedicating last night's performances to the people who matter in their lives. Still, the pressure is always on, as they must face another double elimination on tonight's results show. Who delivered the most impact? All in all, they have been very genuine. But here are the top contenders in my book. Their world-class performances have succeeded in capturing many audiences' hearts.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! :)

DIAMOND WHITE - BECAUSE YOU LOVED ME
Category/Mentor: Teens/Britney Spears

 

FIFTH HARMONY - I'LL STAND BY YOU
Category/Mentor: Groups/Simon Cowell

CARLY ROSE SONENCLAR - OVER THE RAINBOW

Category/Mentor: Teens/Britney Spears

BEATRICE MILLER - CHASING CARS

Category/Mentor: Teens/Britney Spears

Country Supergoddesses: Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift at the 2012 American Music Awards

It's amazing that two mainstream country sensations can take on the world by storm! Proof: this year's AMAs which took place just last night -November 18 - at the prestigious Nokia Theater in LA. Congrats to Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift for taking home AMAs in their respective Country Music categories (alongside Lady Antebellum as the Best Country Band, Duo and Group): Favorite Album for Carrie and Favorite Female Artist for Taylor (literally her ELEVENTH win)!

Come pick up their latest albums and be a part of the Carrie and Taylor phenomenon:
* Blown Away - Carrie Underwood
* Red - Taylor Swift

Now it's time to relive these multitalented artists' spectacular AMA performances! :)

Visit the AMA 2012 page on ABC.com to view the full winners list.

Lana Del Rey: Blue Velvet

Vintage Hollywood is back with a glamorous yet surreal, dark twist in today's contemporary music scene. Who better to represent it than Lana Del Rey? No matter what adjective pops in everyone's head when they listen to her voice, it's undeniable that her vocal style is timeless and rich in texture like a slice of red velvet cake on an end-of-summer afternoon.

Congrats to Lana for her recent collaboration with popular fashion brand H&M! Watch her exquisite cover of "Blue Velvet", which is basically a homage to David Lynch's film works. Blue Velvet, anyone? :)

For those who are new to her, you may have heard her single Video Games from her sparkling debut album Born to Die, which you obviously can get on iTunes.

"Copper": Bringing You A Slice of Old New York

"In 1864, he was New York's finest."

And so this tagline marks the essence of BBC America's crime drama Copper. Those who are longing for quality period shows with award-winning production just can't skip this compelling hit.

Set in 1864 New York City, the gritty show follows Irish copper Kevin Corcoran (played by the charismatic Tom Weston-Jones of MI-5) as he chase dangerous criminals all over the rough neighborhood of Five Points with his sidekick detectives while attempting to solve the mystery behind his wife's disappearance and daughter's murder along the way. The plot explores various issues relevant to those times, such as crime, class and corruption, which constructs an image of the city's actual history in that specific era. 

These fine actors help build an unforgettable cast with their stunning performances:

• Franka Potente (Run Lola Run, The Bourne films)
• Kyle Schmid (Being Human, Smallville)
• Tessa Thompson (Veronica Mars, Hidden Palms)
• Anastasia Griffith (Once Upon a Time, Damages)
• Ato Essandoh (Damages, White Collar)
• Dylan Taylor (Covert Affairs, Rookie Blue)

Kudos to the young Kiara Glasco (Haven) for her amazingly fierce portrayal of Annie Reilly, a child prostitute with a mischievous personality who ends up sticking with Corcoran as he looks out for her like she's his own kid.

All in all, it's a show to savor along with your English Breakfast tea and butter biscuits :)

For more info on Copper, head to its official website. 

Watch the trailer here:

Two Black Cadillacs: Carrie Underwood's Next Single

Country superstar Carrie Underwood has finally announced her new single from her Blown Away album. After "Good Girl" and "Blown Away" have stormed their way into the music charts, it's only right that she lets her darker tune "Two Black Cadillacs" reign this Fall season.

I'm sure we all agree this song is too cool not to have its own music video :)

Get Blown Away at your nearest record store or on iTunes.