Woohooo! It’s week 4 of the live shows, and tonight’s show is D.I.S.C.O. Can the contestants do it justice? We’re blogging it live right here, and chatting live on the forum too!

How do we manage it? Blogging magic, ladies and gentlemen. Blogging magic. Here we go…

Rachel Hylton

Rachel, styled for once this week as a woman and looking very glam is given the task of singing the anthemic Lost In Music.

The backup dancers look like some kind of alternative Village People, but we’re not judging them, are we? A good performance, even if she seemed to miss the start of the song. Still, not Rachel’s strength this kind of music. Let’s hear what the judges have to say:

Louis: If I’m really honest, it was pretty average. Cheryl: I don’t know what happened at the start, but the second half was much better. Simon: Everything I liked about you at the start has disappeared tonight. Dannii: I knew that Simon would hate that track. It was a great performance for a first track. Disco is a very hard week

Austin Drage

We see Austin being tutored by pop powerhouse Will Young, Louis warns us that Simon’s picked a difficult song for him. Yikes.

He kind of fluffs the intro to Wishing On A Star with some misguided warbling – you’re not Mariah, love! In a nice production move, every dancer on stage that Austin touches comes alive. Could it be magic?

Unfortunately, the girls are much more interesting that Austin, who looks like a stage hand who’s wandered on to test a microphone.

Louis: Vocally it was good, but I don’t think you’re connecting with the public. There’s a likeability missing somewhere. Dannii: I loved the production, the vocals are great. Cheryl: You think too much about what your voice is doing than the emotion of the song. Simon: I don’t think you’ve had enough credit for what a good singer you are. I really hope you survie this week and continue to do well in this show.

Diana Vickers

Diana’s looking a little under the weather in the VT tonight, and Simon voices the concern that everybody has – can Diana do Disco?

Tackling Blondie’s Call Me, Diana delivers a powerhouse performance, but doesn’t get off the big white sofa they’ve installed for her center stage. Excellent singing, but there wasn’t much performance from her.

Louis: I’d have liked to see you dancing a little bit. Dannii: [Inane comments] You’re the hottest disco dolly. Simon: One of the worst routines I’ve ever seen in my life, but amidst the chaos, you managed to make this performance work – I’m very impressed with you Diana.

Daniel Evans

Ah, they give us that priceless VT of Louis crying last week on the show. However, Louis warns that he hasn’t been totally won over.

Oh sweet lord, this man is inviting the cabaret singer comments tonight. There’s just no range, no dynamics. Let’s guess at the descriptive words the judges will use: bland, generic, boring, dull. Yes, we know he’s a lovely guy, but he’s just totally wrong for this competition.

Louis: I hated it, I hated the dancing and the singing. Cheryl: Stop taking the criticism to heart so much. I’d rather see you enjoy yourself. Simon: It was arguably one of the worst performances we’ve had on this show. This has got to stop. Dannii: Your voice sitted so well in that (yes, we want to know what ‘sitted’ means too).

Laura White

The much hyped Laura should be an improvement after that yawn-fest that was Daniel. We hear that Laura’s getting stressed out at this stage….

…but she comes out fighting tonight! Jaws dropped in our living room with that awesome opening note. What’s she singing? Somebody Else’s Guy is the song. This is golden. Laura’s fitting into the disco thang effortlessly, does the performance thing too. A really solid performance.

Louis: You picked a very difficult song and you got it perfect. Dannii: You shouldn’t be able to do that at your age, that was magnificent. Simon: Once again, an outstanding vocal. I don’t think you’re connecting your overall look and feel as an artist. The vocals are 10, you need to spend more time on everything else. Cheryl: It was one of the most fun performances for you. You worked hard and did a fantastic job.

Eoghan Quigg

Can we go on record here and say that Eoghan is the best X Factor entrant Northern Ireland has ever produced. Louis issues the standard warning that ‘disco might not be Eoghan’s thing’. Simon’s confident though, so let’s see shall we?

His version of Could It Be Magic is a little weak on vocals, but the performance element is actually quite good.

Louis: I can’t find anything negative to say. Every mother is going to vote for you. Dannii: You followed through with what’s current now. Cheryl: It felt like you were a bit uncomfortable tonight Eoghan. Simon: Even though I chose the song, it was a great song choice for you. You’ve got guts.

Ruth Lorenzo

Simon seems sceptical about Dannii’s claims of Ruth being unwell.

Hold up, she’s singing already. A wildly unflattering dress. Good lord, where are the sequins, ITV? The song’s No More Tears (Enough Is Enough), but forgive me for saying it – she seems a bit lost on this tune.

Louis: There’s four other girls in this competition and I think they’re better. Cheryl: I don’t think you believed in yourself tonight. Simon: I can’t argue with the passion there. Nobody tries harder than you week on week, I thought you performed incredibly well and I hope the public keep you in. Dannii: I know how much you’ve worked this week, that performance was brilliant.

Alexandra Burke

If anybody can pull off disco, Alexandra Burke can. Tonight, she gets to sing On The Radio.

There are two girls in this show whose albums I’d go out and buy right now, and that’s Alex and Diana. Alex puts in a really confident routine, possibly sacrificing tuning for performance, but still seems confident.

Louis: Very few girls can sing a Donna Summer song, but you did. I loved everything. Simon: You’re the most improved performer over all the weeks. [He takes yet another swipe at Louis] It was once again a great performance. Cheryl: I’m always so proud of you, and you’ve never let me down. You’re really starting to enjoy it now.

DermotWatch – Does anyone else think Dermot’s making too many camp references to Louis? Is he trying to ‘out’ Mr Walsh? About time too, we say.

JLS

The only remaining group, we get a reminder that Simon thought their vocals were weak last week. Louis however tries to tell us that there’s a buzz around the band. I wonder how much that is wishful thinking on his part? Will Young seems to think they’re very professional…

Their song tonight is Working My Way Back To You. This is probably the strongest performance from JLS during the competition so far. Finally, we’re  getting a sense of how good they can be vocally. They’re not overdoing the dance routines, which have cost other contestants tonight.

Danii: That song suited you so well. That was brilliant. Don’t get overshadowed by the backing vocals each week. Cheryl: It’s cemented now, you’re definitely the best group we’ve ever had on the X Factor. Simon: Guys, you’re back in the race. It’s a sign of incredible maturity that you allowed this to happen tonight. It’s the first time I could see you guys getting into the final. It was your best performance by a clear mile. Louis: Best band ever on the X Factor.