"The X Factor" is Finally Back and Better Than Ever! (So Far)

"The X Factor" is Finally Back and Better Than Ever! (So Far)

: Published on Wednesday, September 19 2012; Written by RJ Williams

The past week has been a very eventful one for the world of singing competition shows! Over the weekend, Fox mainstay “American Idol” announced two powerhouse additions to their judge’s table – Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban, who join Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson – and a couple days after that, NBC announced that, while Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green take a hiatus from “The Voice” to go on tour, they will be replaced for the Spring season by Usher and Shakira.

Then, there’s “The X Factor”. It seems like we have waited FOREVER for Season 2 to get underway after the huge shake-up following Season One which saw judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger be replaced by pop princesses Britney Spears and Demi Lovato. The hype has been astronomical – two different generations of former Disney darlings sharing the judge’s panel, both of whom have seen their share of hardships only to claw their way back to the top… Would they be able to handle the pressure? Would they be able to handle Simon??

Well, no need for worries on either of those fronts! “The X Factor” Season 2 premiered last week, and so far so good… VERY good, in fact. Britney, in particular, has been lauded for not only her poise but her brutal honesty. Where most people expected Sweet Little Britney to be the “Paula” on this panel, she has turned out to be more like Simon! And speaking of Simon, he has not gotten off very easy either, as both Britney and Demi have proved that they are not afraid to stand up to the notoriously cranky judge. Way to go, girls!

Check out what Simon himself and fellow judge L.A. Reid had to say about the retooled show, as well as Demi and Brit, when we chatted with them exclusively, below, followed by our chat with the 3rd place contestant from Season One, Chris Rene!

Okay, enough about the judges – at the end of the day, all these shows are about discovering new talent, right? Maybe Week 2 is a little early to be speculating on which artists are going to go all the way, but I just gotta give props to Emblem 3! Emblem 3 is a 3-person boy band who – get this! – writes and performs their own original material! Blending pop and rap, this threesome rocked the house during their first audition on the “X Factor” stage, bringing the audience to their feet after only one verse! But it wasn’t just the crowd digging their performance of their original jam, “Sunset Boulevard” – They had L.A. not only bobbing his head but actually singing along to the chorus! Britney couldn’t help but exclaim how “awesome” they were, Demi was smiling ear to ear, and they even had Simon snickering (which, for Simon, is a good thing)! Check out their audition below: