CHAPTER 127
"Ladies and Gentlemen… first up for tonight is Tulisa's one remaining act. She's a little star. It's Ella Henderson!" Dermott exclaimed.
There ain't no reason you and me should be alone
Tonight, yeah, baby! (Tonight, yeah, baby!)
And I got a reason that you're who should take me home tonight (Tonight)
I need a man that thinks it's right when it's so wrong
Tonight, yeah, baby! (Tonight, yeah, baby!)
Right on the limits where we know we both belong tonight
It's hard to feel the rush, to brush the dangerous
I'm gonna run right to, to the edge with you
Where we can both fall far in love
I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment of truth
Out on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment with you
I'm on the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge,
I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment with you
I'm on the edge with you.
Another shot before we kiss the other side
Tonight, yeah, baby! (Tonight, yeah, baby!)
I'm on the edge of something final we call life tonight
(Alright! Alright!)
Put on your shades, 'cause I'll be dancing in the flames
Tonight, yeah, baby! (Tonight, yeah, baby!)
It isn't hell if everybody knows my name tonight
(Alright! Alright!)
It's hard to feel the rush, to brush the dangerous
I'm gonna run right to, to the edge with you
Where we can both fall far in love
I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment of truth
Out on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment with you
I'm on the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge,
I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment with you
I'm on the edge with you.
I'm on the edge with you
I'm on the edge with you
(You, you, you...)
I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment of truth
I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment with you
I'm on the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge, the edge,
I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment with you
I'm on the edge with you (with you, with you, with you, with you, with you)
To hear the actual song, click:
watch?v=dqvO4xc9lgQ
Or search… "Sam Bailey Edge of Glory"
"Ella! You're in the final! And you know why? It's because you've got the talent." Louis said after her performance. "I believed in you since day 1 when you sang that original song. You've got so much soul and it was incredible to watch you grow as both a person and as a singer. I hope people vote for you at home because I want to see you here again tomorrow night."
"Thank you." Ella said.
"Ella." Nicole said. "I remember your first audition and you were this young, shy girl. Timid soul. And then you stepped on stage and blew us away. I remember your bootcamp audition and how you almost had a panic attack right before. But now, you're on stage in Manhattan, in front of 40,000 people and millions more watching from home. You look confident, you look strong and you deserve to be here. Enjoy every minute. From the bottom of my heart, I wish you the best of luck."
"Thank you. Thanks." Ella said, beaming at the judges. The audience were still buzzing about her incredible performance.
"Well done, Ella." Gary said. "Listen, I'm not going to dwell on this. For the last ten weeks, you've really shown everyone what a brilliant singer you are. You've consistently come out and performed amazingly. There was lots and lots of production tonight - with the dancers and staging and all - but I only watched you. I wasn't distracted by any of it so that says a lot. Well done."
"Thank you. Thank you so much, Gary." Ella replied. One more judge and it was her own mentor, Tulisa.
"My little Ella… it's so good to see you up there dancing, staying loose while still putting on an incredible vocal performance. That's a way to open up the finals! Amazing!"
All four judges had given her stellar feedback - well deserved of course - and now it was time for her quick chat with Dermott before she could walk off stage.
"Wow. You've gone from being that shy girl from Arizona to being a massive star. Ella, you're here performing for 40,000 people. We shouldn't really focus on what the judges are saying because at the end of the day, it's going to come down to the audience's opinion. How was that for you, opening up the show for us tonight?"
"That was insane!" Ella exclaimed. "I'm just glad to do an uptempo track and just let loose."
"It was great to see you move around the stage a little! Did you enjoy that?"
"Yeah, you know, it was really fun. Maybe the splits tomorrow if I make it?!"
"That would be funny. Tulisa, would you like to say something."
"Yeah." Tulisa replied. "All the people in the country watching this, please don't let me down. You can change this girl's life forever. Please vote for him. He deserves it."
"All right. Ladies and Gentlemen… give it up for Ella Henderson!"
Christopher was already backstage waiting to be introduced so when Ella walked off stage and walked into the green room, Finn was the only one there. He walked over and gave her a hug.
"Ella, that was awesome!" He exclaimed. "Who knew Ella Henderson could dance?!" He joked. Ella laughed.
"Haha. Very funny. But thank you. I'm sure you're going to be great too."
"I hope so. Now let's watch Christopher make a fool of himself." She said. Finn laughed and they turned towards the TV again.
"Ladies and Gentlemen… next up today is our only over 28 still in the competition. He's the man from Miami. It's Christopher Maloney!"
First when there's nothing
But a slow glowing dream
That your fear seems to hide
Deep inside your mind
All alone, I have cried
Silent tears full of pride
In a world made of steel
Made of stone
Well, I hear the music
Close my eyes, feel the rhythm
Wrap around, take a hold of my heart
What a feeling
Being's believing
I can have it all
Now I'm dancing for my life
Take your passion
And make it happen
Pictures come alive
You can dance right through your life
Now I hear the music
Close my eyes, I am rhythm
In a flash, it takes hold of my heart
What a feeling, being's believing
I can have it all
Now I'm dancing for my life
Take your passion
And make it happen
Pictures come alive
Now I'm dancing through my life
What a feeling
What a feeling (I am music now)
Being's believing (I am rhythm now)
Pictures come alive
You can dance right through your life
What a feeling (I can really have it all)
What a feeling
(Pictures come alive when I call)
I can have it all (I can really have it all)
Have it all (pictures come alive when I call)
(Call, call ,call, call, what a feeling)
I can have it all (being's believing)
Being's believing (take your passion)
(Make it happen) Make it happen
(What a feeling) What a feeling
To hear the actual song, click:
watch?v=9fsx5Ty_C7M
Or search… "Christopher Maloney What a Feeling"
To be fair to Christopher, it was probably his best performance of the series so far. He had dancers all around him but they weren't creepy dancers like in Week 8. His voice was decent and his staging was excellent.
"Christopher!" Nicole exclaimed. "What a feeling is this? You know what? It's not easy what you just did up there. Enjoy this feeling right now so much because I know how hard you've worked to be here. Congratulations."
"Thank you." Christopher replied. Louis was next.
"Maloney, you're in the final. Everybody in Miami is cheering for you. You're the people's choice and I have to say, even though I've been kind of negative about you before, you've always come out fighting and you always deliver. And I loved your high notes there. Christopher, you've done it. You've changed your life."
"Thank you. Thanks." Christopher said. Tulisa would be the next critic and she was probably his biggest hater of all 4 judges.
"Christopher, this must be an amazing moment for you. You've come such a long way and I know at times you haven't always been my cup of tea but you know what? You're here, and you're a fighter and you're always yourself and I respect that. Good luck."
Gary was the final judge and because he was Christopher's mentor, he wasn't too worried.
"Christopher, you're here because everyone voted for you to be here. Week on week, people have voted for you. You've come out fighting. You've had masses of criticism every week but you've come out thick skinned, fighting every week. Congratulations. You deserve to be in the final."
So the standard was set. Ella and Christopher both put on great first performances and it was up to Finn to match them.
"OK, um… first things first, Christopher… without thanking anybody, how do you feel about getting those comments tonight, because it's almost like an acceptance from the judges?" Dermott asked.
"I mean to hear those comments after all I've been through throughout the weeks is so nice and so humbling to hear so thank you."
"All right, all of you who want to see Christopher again, vote for him. Ladies and Gentlemen… give it up for Christopher Maloney!"
Christopher walked off stage. There was a short 5 minute break as all of Christopher's staging was removed and Finn's loop station was plugged in. Eventually, it was finally time for Finn's performance.
"Ladies and Gentlemen… welcome back to your X Factor final, where our final 3 competitors are duking it out for a place in tomorrow's final. Our final performance of the first half is from the man from suburban Ohio who's come so far in this competition. Give it up for Finn Hudson!"
The cheers from the crowd were louder than the cheers for Ella and Christopher, which was a reassuring sign for Finn as he plugged his guitar into the loop station and waited for it to turn on. From his place on stage, he could see every single member of the audience and he saw all of his friends waving wildly at him from their VIP box. From the judging table, Nicole gave him a thumbs up, and Finn took a deep breath and began strumming his guitar.
Ok, for this to make sense, you gotta watch this video. Click:
watch?v=e02jUE4AxIQ
Or search… "Ed Sheeran - Don't (Live at the Jingle Bell Ball)"
Ah lahmlahlah
Ah lahmlahlah
I met this girl late last year
She said, "Don't you worry if I disappear."
I told her I'm not really looking for another mistake
I called an old friend thinking that the trouble would wait
But then I jump right in
A week later returned
I reckon she was only looking for a lover to burn
But I gave her my time for two or three nights
Then I put it on pause until the moment was right
I went away for months until our paths crossed again
She told me, "I was never looking for a friend.
Maybe you could swing by my room around 10:00.
Baby, bring a lemon and a bottle of gin.
We'll be in between the sheets 'til the late AM.
Baby, if you wanted me then you should've just said."
She's singing
Ah lahmlahlah
Don't fuck with my love
That heart is so cold
All over my home
I don't wanna know that babe
Ah lahmlahlah
Don't fuck with my love
I told her she knows
Take aim and reload
I don't wanna know that babe
Ah lahmlahlah
And for a couple weeks I only wanna see her
We drink away the days with a take-away pizza
Before a text message was the only way to reach her
Now she's staying at my place and loves the way I treat her
Singing out Aretha
All over the track like a feature
And never wants to sleep, I guess that I don't want to either
But me and her we make money the same way
Four cities, two planes the same day
And those shows have never been what it's about
But maybe we'll go together and just figure it out
I'd rather put on a film with you and sit on a couch
But we should get on a plane
Or we'll be missing it now
Wish I'd have written it down
The way that things played out
When she was kissing him
How I was confused about
Now she should figure it out while I'm sat here singing
Ah lahmlahlah
Don't fuck with my love
That heart is so cold
All over my home
I don't wanna know that babe
Ah lahmlahlah
Don't fuck with my love
I told her she knows
Take aim and reload
I don't wanna know that babe
Ah lahmlahlah
[Knock knock knock] on my hotel door
I don't even know if she knows what for
She was crying on my shoulder
I already told ya
Trust and respect is what we do this for
I never intended to be next
But you didn't need to take him to bed that's all
And I never saw him as a threat
Until you disappeared with him to have sex of course
It's not like we were both on tour
We were staying on the same fucking hotel floor
And I wasn't looking for a promise or commitment
But it was never just fun and I thought you were different
This is not the way you realize what you wanted
It's a bit too much, too late if I'm honest
And all this time God knows I'm singing
Ah lahmlahlah
Don't fuck with my love
That heart is so cold
All over my home
I don't wanna know that babe
Ah lahmlahlah
Don't fuck with my love
I told her she knows
Take aim and reload
I don't wanna know that babe
Ah lahmlahlah
Don't fuck with my love
That heart is so cold
All over my home
I don't wanna know that babe
Ah lahmlahlah
Don't fuck with my love
I told her she knows
Take aim and reload
I don't wanna know that babe
Ah lahmlahlah
Don't fuck with my love
These girls ain't loyal
That heart is so cold
These girls ain't loyal
Don't fuck with my love
These girls ain't loyal
That heart is so cold
I don't wanna know that babe
Ah lahmlahlah
"Manhattan, put yours hands in the air! Give me a clap like this!" Finn exclaimed, clapping his hands together. Eager to participate, the audience did it too.
Oo-oo-ooo-ooo-ooh
I like the way you work it
No diggity, I got to bag it up
I like the way you work it
No diggity, I got to bag it up, bag it up
I like the way you work it
No diggity, I got to bag it up
I like the way you work it
No diggity, I got to bag it up, bag it up
Hey-yo, Hey-yo, Hey-yo, Hey-yo
Damn that girl is good
Hey-yo, Hey-yo, Hey-yo, Hey-yo
Play on, play on, play on
Hey-yo, Hey-yo, Hey-yo, Hey-yo
Damn that girl is good
Hey-yo, Hey-yo, Hey-yo, Hey-yo
Don't fuck with my love
That heart is so cold
All over my home
I don't wanna know that babe
Ah lahmlahlah
Don't fuck with my love
I told her she knows
Take aim and reload
I don't wanna know that babe
Ah lahmlahlah
Don't fuck with my love
That heart is so cold
All over my home
I don't wanna know that babe
Ah lahmlahlah
Don't fuck with my love
I told her she knows
Take aim and reload
I don't wanna know that babe
Ah lahmlahlah
Finn's epic performance brought an absolute bombshell of screams, shouts, cheers, sobs and applause from every person in the stadium. He was the only one of the three acts to receive a standing ovation from all four judges.
"Finn!" Louis shouted. "Wow! That was incredible! The idea of the X Factor was to find somebody new. Somebody with unique talent. Somebody that deserves a break. That person is absolutely you! Every week, you've brought something new to this show. You're a humble guy. You've got a great talent. You're special, and the public out there have to vote! I want you here tomorrow night! I want this to change your life because you so deserve it! You're fantastic."
"Thanks, Louis." Finn replied.
"Finn…" Tulisa began. "You are everything this competition should represent. I want to hear you taking your music around the world. I want to hear British people going 'Oh my god, have you heard that Finn Hudson kid? Have you heard he's American?!' That's what I want people to say. You are real, homegrown, raw, American talent and America should be proud of you and they should be voting for you!"
"Thanks, Tulisa."
"Finn…" Gary said. "I think the great thing for us is that for the last ten weeks, this panel is to sit here and judge and give criticism, and it is that for most of the acts. Until you. All of a sudden, when you perform, I become an audience member for a second and I thoroughly enjoy every single performance you do. And talk about coming out swinging! That was for sure your best performance to date. BY FAR! It was on another level!"
"Finn." Nicole said, beaming at him. "You are a fighter, a soldier and not to mention a MASSIVE superstar! I want to tell you this. You are going to revolutionise the era and I can't wait to watch TV in a couple of years and see you sweeping multiple Grammys and think 'Oh, I mentored that kid!'"
After the four judges gave their praise, Dermott walked on stage.
"I imagine you could get quite used to this." Dermott said.
"Yeah, I could get used to this!" Finn laughed.
"Before you started in this competition, how many people did you play to? Like what was the maximum? A couple of hundred?"
"Oh, way less! Maybe 50 and that would be like the afternoon right before the Superbowl so the bars would be packed."
"And now you're here performing for 40 thousand people. How do you feel?"
"It's a big leap." Finn said. "And I feel so blessed. It's incredible. It's like nothing I could have ever imagined."
"From what the judges just said there, it was your best performance so far. How does that make you feel?"
"Um… I say this every time but I just want to say thank you. The encouragement you've all given me every week has brought me on and has built my confidence and I feel like a new person."
"All right. One more question. I know the audience and I are very used to you tailoring your songs to real life emotions and events. That song is a very harsh break up song. Are you singing to someone? Is there a story?"
Finn laughed.
"Yeah, I started playing this song in high school, actually. Right after my ex-girlfriend screwed me over. She's here tonight actually."
The crowd immediately started booing to support Finn. Up in the stands, the Glee kids all turned to Quinn and laughed at her blushing expression.
"Well, I don't think girls are about to screw you over ever again after this competition. So, a lot of people from Finn's hometown are here today. We've got Caroline Flack up in the stands to interview some people. First up, we've got Finn's friends up in the VIP box!"
"Yeah, I'm here with Finn's friends. What's it like seeing Finn on that stage?" Caroline asked them.
"It's amazing. We're so proud of him!" Santana said.
"And, the local mayor of Lima, David Berger, is also with us tonight. Can you officially confirm that Finn is the most famous person to come out of Lima?" Caroline asked.
"Well certainly."
"Can he win?"
"Yes!" David exclaimed.
"Wowsers!" Dermott said from all the way down at the stage with Finn. "The mayor is supporting his local boy. Ladies and Gentlemen, if you want to see Finn again tomorrow, please vote for him. Give it up, one more time for Finn Hudson!"