Over the last couple weeks it feels like Chris Rene has lost his spark on The X Factor. Last week he picked up his game a little with an original song, but this week he shined. Chris’ performance of “I’ll Be There” was “risky” in the eyes of Simon Cowell, but I think it was one of the best decisions he and L.A. Reid ever made.

“I’ll Be There” is the perfect vocal range for Chris. He has never sounded as good as he did tonight. During the verse he wrote a rap that fit perfectly with the song, and the crowd connected with him. Never has Chris appeared so confident and happy to be on stage, regardless what Simon says he deserves to come back next week.

Here’s what the judges had to say:

Nicole Scherzinger: “You always feel his spirit through his music. I felt your spirit tonight and it was so beautiful. I loved you up there tonight.. You sounded the best you ever sang.”

Paula Abdul: “You look the best you’ve ever looked. You connected with the whole public. You did this great. You have a tough time finding a song because you are a writer.”

Simon Cowell: “L.A. was clever with The Fugees take on it. The vocals were a bit off. You are going to need a lot of support from your hometown tonight.”

L.A. Reid: “The performance speaks for itself. You know you are the truth. Great job.”

Tune in tomorrow to see if Chris is in the bottom two, or his fans back him up.