X FACTOR is a masquerade:mentors don't pick songs!!
Here's a very interesting article exposing X Factor Mentors do not pick the songs for their contestants, producers (including Simon I imagine) do.
Quote:
The X Factor finalist Beatrice Miller is showing her true colors -- at least when it comes to the song she was handed for Wednesday night’s performance show."I didn't like it when I performed it, but I mean, I hope that didn't show,” she said.
That didn’t come as a surprise to her mentor, Britney Spears, who advised the 13-year-old to soldier through it despite her lukewarm -- make that ice cold -- response to the ballad, which Miller said was assigned to her by producers, not Spears. Miller said she was informed of the theme five minutes before she met with the show's team of voice coaches last week.
In speaking with several contestants earlier in the week -- midway between Thursday's elimination and the next Wednesday's performance -- THR learned that many spent very little time working with their actual mentors. Each song initially is selected by producers, and the contestants' respective mentors enter the process only one or two days before showtime.
Not really, most of the time they have been on point. This week was just a trainwreck for everyone involved
The week before was horrid too, remember Lyrics rapping on Mary Poppins? Emblem3 doing that One direction/Katy Perry mash up? Oh and the eye of the Tiger?!
Another part of the article
Quote:
"I hated it!," Garcia told The Hollywood Reporter this week. "I remember walking into the vocal room and the guys were kinda playing it on the guitar, and I was like, 'I feel bad for whoever is singing that song.' And they were like, 'Oh, it's yours.' I was like, 'Oh, well ... Damn!' I was so mad. But you know, we changed it in a way so it could sound like my song."
People should stop being so harsh on the mentors, they're not to blame for the horrible songs their contestants get to sing.
But this makes them look even worse because they're taking credit for something they (according to the article) don't really do that much of. They're just producer's figureheads.
Here we go again. It's probably the same way on the voice.
For the initial audition they do but for the live shows the mentor will pick for them or let them pick. I know that Xtina let Lindsey pick all of her songs last season.
My source is Q&A some contestants had during live webcam videos.
Mentors do not pick the songs for their contestants, producers (including Simon I imagine) do. 
