X Factor 2010
X Factor thoughts
Due to not having working interwebs, I've been trying to hide from X Factor coverage, but had picked up a few things unintentionally - mostly about the girls. However, there's quite a lot I don't know.
The Over 28s is the weirdest category of all, and probably their most bonkers category ever. EVER. Quick "no" votes go to Wagner and Steven. They're looking for recording artists who can sell a few hundred thousand singles at Christmas etc. This isn't them. Steven would be great at karaoke, maybe a cruise ship. His Get This Party Started was awful, and felt like it was a calculated choice on the part of Louis/whoever to find his range. (At least, various of the judges seem to have vetted the songs.) Wagner is a lovely, lovely guy, but just no.
Mary Byrne, yes. She's not a pop-diva, but I think she's quite good. I think I have to put her through on talent and commitment, not just what will sell.
Storm becomes a nicer person the more we see him and not the persona he projects on stage.
Justin, the overall image is just awful. He really should be somewhere in musical theatre.
Elesha, I just don't really get.
That leaves me with John and Julie. At the end of BootCamp, I think I decided the three going through would be Mary, John and Julie. John and Julie both need work on their image and performance (as does Mary!), but they both seem to have great voices. The problem is, the more I see Storm, the more I like him. Does that leave me with Storm, John and Julie, pushing out Mary as being the one with the hardest image to work with?
The Groups. An interesting mix.
Husstle, I think Simon's comment about them being a solo-ist with backing singers is on the money. I think that when the lead singer gets some songs suited to her, she's great, but can be a bit ropey on other things. Also, it just feels a bit... big, given the backup seem to rarely do much. My instinct is no, and I think Simon is a no too.
Princes and Rogues, I think are trying too hard to be different. My impression of the coverage that they've got is that they're not going through. I think they're a no from me and Simon.
Twem's performance at Simon's house is, to my mind, the best one they've done. They stopped trying to emphasise the twinnyneess of the group - or at least, not as much. In the past, they've been very tame and out-of-tune. I don't think they're strong enough, though.
Diva Fever, I can just about imagine Simon putting through. They're good fun and can, when pressed, actually sing. They'd need to be steered away from particular song choices, which might be a worry if they had Louis as a mentor, but Simon is pretty good about stamping on things. (Except for that incident with his song choice for Scott Bruton.)
That leaves the two manufactured groups, FYDEDEEED, and The Reason.
Bel Ami seem good but inoffensive. I think Sinitta is right about the potential that's there. I'd love to see them in two months time, or if they'd been formed two months earlier, so that they could find their limits a bit more, push them, and find a little space. They'd be an insta-yes at audition, and a very strong possibility at BootCamp, but hard to say here.
One Direction, I find it hard to be objective about. I'd very likely have put Liam and Harry through in the Boys category - probably in preference to Tom Richards. They'd both have been there if the age limit was still 25, I think. I'd have liked a bit more harmonising/chorus work like the girls had, rather than independent voices, but I thought using Liam and Harry as the two lead singers worked out quite well. They more or less do have the two most distinctive voices in the group. Dance work is going to be tricky, though, and I think that the screwup of Futureproof dancing-then-not-dancing a few years ago showed up the potential future issues. Zain completely flopped out at BootCamp on that.
The Reason, I liked in earlier rounds but did seem a bit bland here. They've mostly just been a vocal harmony group. What happens in Big Band week? What happens if there's a rock week? (Unlikely this year, I imagine.)
FYEDEEEDE I really like. They're the most polished group. They have the dance skills of Husstle, while still being able to sing.
Based on final performances, I think I'd put through: FYDDEE, One Direction and Diva Fever. Overall, FYDEE, One Direction and The Reason. But Simon did hint in The Xtra Factor that he'd put through someone a bit unusual or weird, and I'd go with Diva Fever for that. That is four all-male groups, but Simon showed last year with the Overs that he didn't mind doing that.
Boys. As above, I think there are one or two missing. But working with what we've got...
Aiden is an insta-yes from me, but they need to put him with someone who can help him perform a little more openly. The tone to his voice is great.
Nicolo, no. I don't think his Life on Mars was as strong as the judges apparently thought. I felt that in the more passionate sections of the song, he went completely off-key.
Paije, what the hell is up with that outfit? I can't see him surviving, though. Imagine you put him through, I think he's out in week two or three, and because of that I don't see him being put through.
Tom Richards, no. I didn't think his first performance (in the very first audition) was as bad as the judges did. Yeah, he probably connected with the crowd more than with the song, but I think the latter can develop. However, his choice of second song (when the judges asked him to sing something else at the first audition) was awful. His instincts are musical theatre, without the versatility of Joe McElderry.
Matt Cardel, yes. Not quite an insta-yes like Aiden, but yes. His BootCamp audition was excellent. I'm mildly interested that he keeps singing songs for women (not in a gay way). I find the weeks in the contest where they give them a female artist to base their song choice around are hardest for the men. I think the male artists for women are much easier. I think it gives him a good chance of making it through MadonnaMariahBritneyWhitney week. Even just based on a tactical choice, yes.
John Whiting, no. He has a good voice, but I don't think he's what the X Factor is looking for - which is generally much more diva/poppy.
Marlon or Karl. I can't imagine them taking both through since they're both playing in the same sort of pop-soul area, so it's really a toss-up. I prefer Karl overall, but I think Marlon is the one who goes through. He seems to have had more screen time.
So I'd put through Aiden, Matt and Karl. I think they'll put through Aiden, Matt and Marlon.
Girls. Tough, but also the one where I've heard stuff. The news - the Radio 4 bloody news - covered Gamu's attempted deportation and mentioned she hadn't won a place in the final.
I think, think I've also seen Katy go through on a picture in a paper, and think I've seen Cher might be in there.
Cher's run-up has been great, and I really like her. Yes, she needs someone to polish her, but she's so good. However, with her tonsilitis at this stage, I wonder if she'll do a Diana Vickers - who was great, great, great until her voice went one week, and never really picked up again after. I mean, Diana's gone on to have good success since, but purely in terms of the judge winning the category, I'd be worried.
Katy, I quite like but she really needs to connect with a song. There are some singers the X Factor has had who I could happily listen to them singing the phone book, but Katy isn't one of them. I wonder if will.i.am's comment about histrionics was aimed mostly at her.
Gamu, I really enjoyed and I probably would put her through. I think at the end of BootCamp, she was in my final three, probably with Cher and Rebecca.
Rebecca has an amazing voice, and I'd love to see her blossom when worked with with vocal coaches over three months. Simon says, in one clip at the auditions/bootcamp under his breath, "That is a recording voice." It really is.
Anastasia doesn't really quite gel for me, especially at her first audition which was utterly terrible.
Treyc, I kinda worry that she needs to be hitting those high notes before her performance connects - but she is good.
Raquel doesn't seem to have had much TV time. It's not that I don't like her, but she's not particularly memorable.
Keri has also suffered from a lack of TV time, but I really liked her House performance.
If it were me, I might have a final three of Cher, Keri and Rebecca, with Gamu very close. I'm not 100% sure. You could probably convince me on any combination of three out of those four.
I originally wrote "I think leaving out Gamu was a mistake" but the more I watch her House performance, the less I think that.
Due to not having working interwebs, I've been trying to hide from X Factor coverage, but had picked up a few things unintentionally - mostly about the girls. However, there's quite a lot I don't know.
The Over 28s is the weirdest category of all, and probably their most bonkers category ever. EVER. Quick "no" votes go to Wagner and Steven. They're looking for recording artists who can sell a few hundred thousand singles at Christmas etc. This isn't them. Steven would be great at karaoke, maybe a cruise ship. His Get This Party Started was awful, and felt like it was a calculated choice on the part of Louis/whoever to find his range. (At least, various of the judges seem to have vetted the songs.) Wagner is a lovely, lovely guy, but just no.
Mary Byrne, yes. She's not a pop-diva, but I think she's quite good. I think I have to put her through on talent and commitment, not just what will sell.
Storm becomes a nicer person the more we see him and not the persona he projects on stage.
Justin, the overall image is just awful. He really should be somewhere in musical theatre.
Elesha, I just don't really get.
That leaves me with John and Julie. At the end of BootCamp, I think I decided the three going through would be Mary, John and Julie. John and Julie both need work on their image and performance (as does Mary!), but they both seem to have great voices. The problem is, the more I see Storm, the more I like him. Does that leave me with Storm, John and Julie, pushing out Mary as being the one with the hardest image to work with?
The Groups. An interesting mix.
Husstle, I think Simon's comment about them being a solo-ist with backing singers is on the money. I think that when the lead singer gets some songs suited to her, she's great, but can be a bit ropey on other things. Also, it just feels a bit... big, given the backup seem to rarely do much. My instinct is no, and I think Simon is a no too.
Princes and Rogues, I think are trying too hard to be different. My impression of the coverage that they've got is that they're not going through. I think they're a no from me and Simon.
Twem's performance at Simon's house is, to my mind, the best one they've done. They stopped trying to emphasise the twinnyneess of the group - or at least, not as much. In the past, they've been very tame and out-of-tune. I don't think they're strong enough, though.
Diva Fever, I can just about imagine Simon putting through. They're good fun and can, when pressed, actually sing. They'd need to be steered away from particular song choices, which might be a worry if they had Louis as a mentor, but Simon is pretty good about stamping on things. (Except for that incident with his song choice for Scott Bruton.)
That leaves the two manufactured groups, FYDEDEEED, and The Reason.
Bel Ami seem good but inoffensive. I think Sinitta is right about the potential that's there. I'd love to see them in two months time, or if they'd been formed two months earlier, so that they could find their limits a bit more, push them, and find a little space. They'd be an insta-yes at audition, and a very strong possibility at BootCamp, but hard to say here.
One Direction, I find it hard to be objective about. I'd very likely have put Liam and Harry through in the Boys category - probably in preference to Tom Richards. They'd both have been there if the age limit was still 25, I think. I'd have liked a bit more harmonising/chorus work like the girls had, rather than independent voices, but I thought using Liam and Harry as the two lead singers worked out quite well. They more or less do have the two most distinctive voices in the group. Dance work is going to be tricky, though, and I think that the screwup of Futureproof dancing-then-not-dancing a few years ago showed up the potential future issues. Zain completely flopped out at BootCamp on that.
The Reason, I liked in earlier rounds but did seem a bit bland here. They've mostly just been a vocal harmony group. What happens in Big Band week? What happens if there's a rock week? (Unlikely this year, I imagine.)
FYEDEEEDE I really like. They're the most polished group. They have the dance skills of Husstle, while still being able to sing.
Based on final performances, I think I'd put through: FYDDEE, One Direction and Diva Fever. Overall, FYDEE, One Direction and The Reason. But Simon did hint in The Xtra Factor that he'd put through someone a bit unusual or weird, and I'd go with Diva Fever for that. That is four all-male groups, but Simon showed last year with the Overs that he didn't mind doing that.
Boys. As above, I think there are one or two missing. But working with what we've got...
Aiden is an insta-yes from me, but they need to put him with someone who can help him perform a little more openly. The tone to his voice is great.
Nicolo, no. I don't think his Life on Mars was as strong as the judges apparently thought. I felt that in the more passionate sections of the song, he went completely off-key.
Paije, what the hell is up with that outfit? I can't see him surviving, though. Imagine you put him through, I think he's out in week two or three, and because of that I don't see him being put through.
Tom Richards, no. I didn't think his first performance (in the very first audition) was as bad as the judges did. Yeah, he probably connected with the crowd more than with the song, but I think the latter can develop. However, his choice of second song (when the judges asked him to sing something else at the first audition) was awful. His instincts are musical theatre, without the versatility of Joe McElderry.
Matt Cardel, yes. Not quite an insta-yes like Aiden, but yes. His BootCamp audition was excellent. I'm mildly interested that he keeps singing songs for women (not in a gay way). I find the weeks in the contest where they give them a female artist to base their song choice around are hardest for the men. I think the male artists for women are much easier. I think it gives him a good chance of making it through MadonnaMariahBritneyWhitney week. Even just based on a tactical choice, yes.
John Whiting, no. He has a good voice, but I don't think he's what the X Factor is looking for - which is generally much more diva/poppy.
Marlon or Karl. I can't imagine them taking both through since they're both playing in the same sort of pop-soul area, so it's really a toss-up. I prefer Karl overall, but I think Marlon is the one who goes through. He seems to have had more screen time.
So I'd put through Aiden, Matt and Karl. I think they'll put through Aiden, Matt and Marlon.
Girls. Tough, but also the one where I've heard stuff. The news - the Radio 4 bloody news - covered Gamu's attempted deportation and mentioned she hadn't won a place in the final.
I think, think I've also seen Katy go through on a picture in a paper, and think I've seen Cher might be in there.
Cher's run-up has been great, and I really like her. Yes, she needs someone to polish her, but she's so good. However, with her tonsilitis at this stage, I wonder if she'll do a Diana Vickers - who was great, great, great until her voice went one week, and never really picked up again after. I mean, Diana's gone on to have good success since, but purely in terms of the judge winning the category, I'd be worried.
Katy, I quite like but she really needs to connect with a song. There are some singers the X Factor has had who I could happily listen to them singing the phone book, but Katy isn't one of them. I wonder if will.i.am's comment about histrionics was aimed mostly at her.
Gamu, I really enjoyed and I probably would put her through. I think at the end of BootCamp, she was in my final three, probably with Cher and Rebecca.
Rebecca has an amazing voice, and I'd love to see her blossom when worked with with vocal coaches over three months. Simon says, in one clip at the auditions/bootcamp under his breath, "That is a recording voice." It really is.
Anastasia doesn't really quite gel for me, especially at her first audition which was utterly terrible.
Treyc, I kinda worry that she needs to be hitting those high notes before her performance connects - but she is good.
Raquel doesn't seem to have had much TV time. It's not that I don't like her, but she's not particularly memorable.
Keri has also suffered from a lack of TV time, but I really liked her House performance.
If it were me, I might have a final three of Cher, Keri and Rebecca, with Gamu very close. I'm not 100% sure. You could probably convince me on any combination of three out of those four.
I originally wrote "I think leaving out Gamu was a mistake" but the more I watch her House performance, the less I think that.