X Factor is a Romanian television music competition that aims to find a new music talent to become a star. The seventh season will started airing on 10 September 2017 on Antena 1.
The hosts are the same as in the first six seasons: Răzvan Simion and Dani Oțil, who are also known for hosting a well known morning show on Antena 1. Delia Matache, Horia Brenciu, Carla's Dreams and Ștefan Bănică, Jr. returned to the judging panel.
Jeremy Ragsdale won the competition, making Horia Brenciu's second win as a mentor.
Judges
Delia Matache
Delia Matache is a famous Romanian eurobeat singer-songwriter, TV celebrity, dancer, philanthropist, former model, fashion designer. She has started her stage music activity in 1999 in N&D music band with Nicolae Marin and had released 4 albums, and after the split off in 2003 she had released another two solo albums.
Horia Brenciu
Horia Brenciu is a Romanian singer, television host for the Romanian version of Dancing with the Stars, successful entertainer, and philanthropist. He studied at National College Andrei Şaguna from Braşov, then he continued to Şcoala Populară de Artă Braşov, at piano and canto class, and in 1998 he graduated The Theater Academy in Bucharest.
Ștefan Bănică, Jr.
Ștefan Bănică, Jr. is a Romanian entertainer, of Roma people origin on his father side, TV presenter, one of the most important Romanian TV personality, the son of actor Ștefan Bănică. He is well known in Romanian for presenting the Romanian version of “Dancing with the Stars”, the largest dance competition ever aired in Romania, broadcast on Pro TV.
Carla's Dreams
Carla's Dreams is a Moldavian musical project which was initiated by Dobra Robert in 2012. The band is an anonymous group of singers and composers who sing in Romanian, Russian and English. During concerts the band's vocalist wears hood, sunglasses and a masked to hide his identity.
Established in Chișinău, Carla's Dreams combines several musical styles, including hip hop, jazz, rock and pop. The first song produced by Carla's Dreams was Dă-te ("Get Off"). Carla's Dreams has launched in Romania in 2013, along with Inna with the song P.O.H.U.I., later to sing with Loredana "Lumea Ta" ("Your World"), and in 2015 with Delia, releasing songs "Cum Ne Noi" ("How We Us") and "Da, Mamă" ("Yes, Mother").
Auditions
Audition process was based on the British and American version. First up were "The Producer's Audition", where the producers chose singers to proceed to the second phase which was "The Audition before the Judging panel".
+Summary of auditions City Auditions date Craiova May 5, 2017Arad May 7, 2017Cluj Napoca May 9, 2017Sibiu May 12, 2017Iași May 14, 2017Galați May 17, 2017Chișinău May 18, 2017Bucharest May 21, 2017
The auditions were broadcast from 8 September 2017 until 17 November 2017. The auditions consisted in 11 episodes.
Bootcamp This season, there will be four categories : Boys (14–24 years), Girls (14–24 years), Over 24s and the Groups.
Brenciu will mentor the Over 24s, Bănică the Boys, Carla's Dream the Groups and Matache will mentor the Girls.
Complete Teams Color key – Eliminated in Four-chair challenge – Eliminated in Duels – Finalist – Wildcard
Category (mentor) Top 41 acts Boys (Bănică) Anton Banaghan Pierluca Salvatore Alin Buruiană Gabriel Haralambie Viorel Grecu Cristian Porcari Sebastian Hădărean Lilian DobândăSimone Venditti Radu Mitrea colspan = 2 Girls (Matache)Alina MocanuTeodora SavaIoana MîrțiFrancesca NicolescuCostina CrăciunAna Nica Văcari Isabela Chitoșcă Ioana Savu Narcisa StănescuMikayla KachurGeanina Mîndrescu Over 24s (Brenciu)Katerina Biehu Jeremy RagsdaleAlexandra CrăescuVlad Gliga Armando Drăgan Georgi Simeonov Cristi NistorMaria GoguMiruna Ionescu Mike Obinna colspan = 2 Groups (Carla's)Ad Libitum Flashback 18:27Dream GirlsX Fusion Daudia Random Artizan Debu & Vasâi Denisa & Rebeca colspan = 2
Four-chair challenge This season, the categories will face the four-chair challenge. From the 41 acts competing (the Girls category had an extra act), at the end of this round, only 16 acts will go further in the competition.
The four-chair challenge were broadcast from 23 November 2017 until 7 December 2017. This consisted in 4 episodes, one for each group.
Color key – Contestant was immediately eliminated after performance without switch – Contestant was switched out later in the competition and eventually eliminated – Contestant was not switched out and made the final four of their own category
+ Contestants performances on the four-chair challenge Episode Category (mentor) Act Order Song Mentor's decision Switched with Episode 12 (23 November) Boys (Bănică) Radu Mitrea 1 "Shape of You" Eliminated Alin Buruiană 2 "Ave Maria" Put in chair 1 — Cristian Porcari 3 "Let Her Go" Put in chair 2 Viorel Grecu Anton Banaghan 4 "Say You Won't Let Go" Put in chair 3 — Simone Venditti 5 "I Believe I Can Fly " Eliminated Gabriel Haralambie 6 "A Song for You" Put in chair 4 — Lilian Dobândă 7 "Too Close" Eliminated Sebastian Hădărean 8 "Cine Ești?" Eliminated Viorel Grecu 9 "1000 RPM" Put in chair 2 Pierluca Salvatore Pierluca Salvatore 10 "A Sky Full of Stars" Put in chair 2 — Episode 13 (24 November) Girls(Delia) Alina Mocanu 1 "All I Could Do Was Cry" Put in chair 3 Teodora Sava Geanina Mîndrescu 2 "Attention" Eliminated Mikayla Kachur 3 "Je veux" Eliminated Costina Crăciun 4 "Chain of Fools" Put in chair 2 Francesca Nicolescu Ana Nica Văcari 5 "Tired" Put in chair 3 Alina MocanuNarcisa Stănescu 6 "Bang Bang" Eliminated Ioana Savu 7 "Rug" Put in chair 4 Ioana Mîrți Ioana Mîrți 8 "When We Were Young" Put in chair 4 — Teodora Sava 9 "Firework" Put in chair 1 — Isabela Chitoșcă 10 "Sweet Talker" Eliminated Francesca Nicolescu 11 "Jealous" Put in chair 2 — Episode 14 (1 December) Over 24s(Brenciu) Cristi Nistor 1 "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" Put in chair 1 Jeremy Ragsdale Georgi Simeonov 2 "I Can't Make You Love Me" Put in chair 2 Alexandra CrăescuMaria Gogu 3 "Irreplaceable" Put in chair 3 Katerina Biehu Mike Obinna 4"Wake Me Up" Put in chair 4 Vlad Gliga Vlad Gliga 5 "Dancing on My Own" Put in chair 4 — Miruna Ionescu 6 "Sunt vagabondul vieții mele" Eliminated Katerina Biehu 7 "If I Were a Boy" Put in chair 3 — Jeremy Ragsdale 8 "I Have Nothing" Put in chair 1 — Alexandra Crăescu 9 "One" Put in chair 2 — Armando Drăgan 10 "Paradise" Eliminated Episode 15 (7 December) Groups(Carla's) Artizan 1 "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" Put in chair 1 Ad LibitumDenisa & Rebeca 2 "Million Reasons" Eliminated 18:27 3 "Beggin'" Put in chair 2 — Daudia 4 "All of Me" Put in chair 3 FlashbackRandom 5 "Bird Set Free" Put in chair 4 X FusionDebu & Văsâi 6"Thinking Out Loud" Eliminated Ad Libitum 7 "That's Amore" Put in chair 1 — X Fusion 8 "Addicted to You" Put in chair 4 Dream GirlsFlashback 9 ""/"Radioactive" Put in chair 3 — Dream Girls 10 "Little Me" Put in chair 4 —
Notes 1. The act Alina Mocanu was switched with Teodora Sava and therefore eliminated. After the performance of Isabela Chitoșcă, Delia decided to recall Alina Mocanu in the competition, stating she has made a mistake, concluding with Ana Nica Văcari elimination. 2. The act Debu & Văsâi was offered a chair, but due to Debu's response when asked if they want a chair ("I don't care"), Carla's decided to eliminate them.
Duels At the end of this round there will be 8 acts remaining, two for each category. The duels were broadcast on 8 December 2017.
Colour key:
- Artist won the Duel and advanced to the Live shows
- Artist lost the Duel and was eliminated
+ Contestants performances on the duels challenge Episode Category (mentor) Duel Act Order Song Result Episode 16 (8 December) Boys (Bănică) Duel 1 Pierluca Salvatore 1 "Writing's on the Wall" Finalist Alin Buruiană 2 "Copacul" Eliminated Duel 2Anton Banaghan 9 "Supermarket Flowers" Finalist Gabriel Haralambie 10 "Hero Eliminated Girls (Matache)Duel 1 Teodora Sava 11 "The Voice Within" Finalist Alina Mocanu 12 "All I Ask" Finalist Duel 2 Francesca Nicolescu 3 "Lay Me Down" Eliminated Ioana Mîrți 4 "Eyes Shut" Eliminated Over 24s (Brenciu) Duel 1 Katerina Biehu 7 "Skin" Finalist Alexandra Crăescu 8 "All by Myself" Eliminated Duel 2 Vlad Gliga 15 "Love My Life"Eliminated Jeremy Ragsdale 16 "Rolling in the Deep" Finalist Groups (Carla's)Duel 1 Ad Libitum 13 "Nunta" Finalist Flashback 14 "Numb/Encore"Finalist Duel 2 18:27 5 "Human" Eliminated Dream Girls 6 "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" Eliminated
Wildcard In this season, like season 6, the public will have the chance to save one of the acts that competed in the Auditions. The most voted act will go directly to the Live Shows. In the first live show if one of the mentor decides to take him in his team, then he will go further in the competition, otherwise he will be sent home.
The winner of this season selected by the public was Francesca Nicolescu, from the Girls Category.
Finalists The nine finalists will compete in the Live Shows. Color Key – Winner – Runner-up – Third place
Category (mentor)Acts Boys (Bănică) Anton Banaghan Pierluca Salvatore Girls (Matache) Alina Mocanu Francesca Nicolescu Teodora Sava Over 24s (Brenciu) Katerina Biehu Jeremy Ragsdale Groups (Carla's) Ad Libitum Flashback
Live shows Results summary Color key –Contestant was announced as the winner. –Contestant has returned in the competition. –Contestant was not saved by its mentor and had to sing again in the duel. –Contestant received the fewest public votes and was immediately eliminated, no duel.
+ Live shows results per contestant Contestant Live Show 1 Live Show 2 Live Show 3 Wildcard Elimination Round 1 Round 2 Round 1 Round 2 Jeremy Ragsdale Safe Safe Safe SafeWinner Ad Libitum Duel Safe Safe Safe Runner-Up Francesca NicolescuReturned Gala 1 DuelSafe Safe3rdEliminated (Gala 3) Pierluca Salvatore Duel Safe Safe4thEliminated (Gala 3) Anton Banaghan Safe Safe5thEliminated (Gala 2) Teodora Sava Safe Safe6thEliminated (Gala 2) Flashback Safe7thEliminated (Gala 2) Katerina Biehu 8thEliminated (Gala 1) Alina Mocanu 9thEliminated (Gala 1) Brenciu's vote to save rowspan=6 Ragsdale rowspan = 4 colspan = 4 Matache's vote to save Sava Bănică's vote to save Banaghan Carla's vote to save Flashback EliminatedAlina Mocanuby public vote Flashbackby public vote Teodora Savaby public votePierluca Salvatoreby public vote Ad Libitumby public vote Katerina Biehu by public vote Anton Banaghanby public voteFrancesca Nicolescuby public vote Jeremy Ragsdaleby public vote Reference(s)
Live show details Live Show 1–15 December 2017
+ Contestants' performances on the first live show Act Order Song Result Francesca Nicolescu 1 "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" Duel Anton Banaghan 2 "Zece" Safe Pierluca Salvatore 3 "The House of the Rising Sun" Duel Katerina Biehu 4"I'd Rather Go Blind" Duel Jeremy Ragsdale 5 "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" Safe Ad Libitum 6 "Can't Help Falling in Love" Duel Flashback 7 "Stressed Out" Safe Alina Mocanu 8 "Bird Set Free" Duel Teodora Sava 9 "Purple Rain" Safe Duel details Alina Mocanu 1 "Figures" Eliminated Pierluca Salvatore 2 "Hold Back the River" Safe Ad Libitum 3"Adagio" SafeFrancesca Nicolescu 4 "People Help the People" Safe Katerina Biehu 5 "Nici o stea" Eliminated
Live Show 2: Semifinal - 17 December 2017
+ Contestants' performances on the second live show Act Order Song Result Round 1 Teodora Sava 1 "Listen" Safe Flashback 2 "Written in the Stars" Eliminated Anton Banaghan 3 "Who You Are" Safe Jeremy Ragsdale 4 "Tu eşti primăvara mea" Safe Pierluca Salvatore 5 "Recovery" SafeFrancesca Nicolescu 6 "I Am Changing" Safe Ad Libitum 7 "Perfect" Safe Round 2 Teodora Sava 1 "Alive" EliminatedJeremy Ragsdale 2 "Unchained Melody" Safe Anton Banaghan 3 "Tears in Heaven" EliminatedFrancesca Nicolescu 4 "Joyful, Joyful" Safe Ad Libitum 5 "Nessun dorma" Safe Pierluca Salvatore 6"Caruso" Safe
Live Show 3: Final - 22 December 2017
Round 1 Theme: Duet with special guest and with their mentor