Seattle crooner Phillip Lomax has positioned himself as a jazz singer, but he knows he needs to prove that he can be a pop star in order to move forward on 'X Factor.' All the judges were convinced that he has that quality -- in essence, the 'X' factor -- except for Simon Cowell.

For his first live performance on tonight's episode, Lomax ditched his familiar Bruno Mars hat and performed 'I'm a Believer,' which was very show tune-y. Backed by a crew of female dancers who were hanging all over him and throwing themselves against his torso, and with bright orange lights flickering behind him, Lomax showed that he is a performer, not just a jazz singer. The show is about the image and the dancing, in addition to the singing, and Lomax showed that he has that extra "oomph" and "something something."

One thing that was instantly and infinitely noticeable about Lomax is his smile. He wore a wide, megawatt smile the entire time he was singing on that stage, and his toothy grin was infectious. We smiled while watching him. Phillip Lomax was utterly and completely radiant.

"I wish you had some personality and charm, honey," judge Nicole Scherzinger joked when he finished. Paula Abdul called his smile his "golden ticket."

Here's where Cowell and his acid tongue came into play. He felt the song was too "cabaret" and too "cheap" of a choice, telling judge L.A. Reid that he 100 percent failed his charge. Reid eschewed Cowell's criticisms, and congratulated Lomax on stepping outside of his Frank Sinatra-shaped comfort zone.

However, Lomax was the first contestant from Reid's boys' team to be eliminated.

Watch Phillip Lomax Sing 'I'm a Believer' on 'X Factor'

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