North Carolina Keeps It Hot on X Factor

A very recent episode of The X Factor turned out to be quite a disappointment to many viewers in North Carolina as the last Tar Heel native remaining made his departure from this year’s show. Tim Cifers of Willow Springs impressed the judges by singing his moving rendition of “I Won’t Let Go” by the Rascal Flatts.  More than a few critics had already compared him to last year’s North Carolina American Idol winner Scotty McCreery.  It seemed that Cifers was an early favorite with a bright future ahead, but by the end of the show, the X Factor judges told Cifers that he will not be going any further in the competition.  One of the top 32 finalists, Cifers was not the only North Carolina native to have won a chance at ‘The X Factor’ glory this year.

Austin Simmons, a blond talent from Forsyth County, was among the top 60 contestants of the show before he was sent home. The 24-year-old hair stylist from Greensboro and church worship leader and singer was eliminated four weeks ago during the ‘boot camp’ phase of the auditions. His elimination made some people hotter than the sauces from www.hotsauceplanet.com, especially that he was sent home during boot camp, because that phase tends to overlook performers’ individual talents in favor of how a large group of singers perform together.  This is in some ways a little unfair to certain people, whose vocals can be lost in too large a crowd, and depending on who the contestants are grouped with, the overall quality of a performance is less likely to accurately reflect an individual’s talent.

Still, North Carolina has nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to musical talent. Former American Idol stars like Bucky Covington, Scotty McCreary, and Kelly Pickler are just a few of the brightest talents from this state that are still out there making good records.