X Factor!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Has anyone else been watching the X Factor? With Saturday nights in having become my default mode (thanks to toddler) I've ended up watching more this year than ever before and now require the POPTIMISTS to tell me who should WIN.

So - Who should win?

To jog yr memory the remaining contestants are:

ALEXANDRA - Londoner (I think) who always looks a bit miserable and seems to be at home on fierce soul ballads. She is the best singer remaining and has been for a few weeks I think. Not a lot of presence tho.

DIANA - Skinny big-haired scouser who has a weird highly intense Kate Bush / Dolores O'Riordan witchy warble thing going on, quite unlike anyone else I've seen on an X Factor/Idol style show. I like her because she pushes herself (and the arrangers) to do something different with familiar songs, BUT whether it actually works or not is incredibly dependent on the song.

EOGHAN - Scary man-child with a weird mask-like face which looks 16 (his actual age), 10 or 100 depending on how the camera catches him. I am desperate for him to be sent home as he unnerves me deeply, except when he's performing when he's just rubbish mostly.

JLS - Who I always call JSL - they are a very smiley and innoccuous boy band, my wife's favourites. I like 'em and would be happy if they won because I think on the whole it's good for the balance of pop to have a boy band around, but they have as much chance of making un-bland records as I have of being picked for a Mars mission.

Does anyone else care?

Comments

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I really don't want Diana to win. We already have a perfectly good nasal-whiner in Celine and don't need a poor imitation.

Eoghan was REALLY good at doing a George Michael impression a fortnight ago, I was totally impressed by his belting but he can't do subtle/low notes to save his life. Agreed that he has a scary face.

Alex - excellent AND consistent singer. I haven't seen her do a bad song yet, but I've only seen her do three songs innit.

JLS - w/evs.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Also, having been all "pffft" about Ruth, while typing this up I suddenly realised how much the show will miss her ridiculous whack-it-up-to-11 belting.

[catsgomiaow.livejournal.com]

Diana: NO NO NOOOOOOO FUCK OFF NOOOO ew oh g0d I hate her, her "kooky" image, her wandering hand and her awful awful voice and WORSE diction. She pronounces things like Chewbacca in Star Wars does. UGH x10000.

Alex: is the best and must win.

Eoghan: MUST be pronounced Eog-Han! I agree with all Tom's summing-up above (and apparently he is sh@gging Diana EWWWWWWWWWW) WHAT was with all that High School Musical bollocks this week??!

JLS: I call them JSL too. They're very boring, aren't they? I am always captivated by the lead singer's ears for some reason - they are so sticky-out and full of BLING.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Hahahaha how had I forgotten her scary hand!

I like her weird chewie diction! I especially like how her actual voice is more like Sonia.

I think I am leaning to Alex FTW but I still can't really remember any of her numbers - the judges were turning cartwheels over some performance this week which seemed completely forgettable.

(I liked how this week ALL the singers were RUBBISH at doing Britney songs, except Ruth doing "I Love R'n'R" which is a cheat anyway. It pointed up what a strange body of work Britney has and how weird the idea of people treating her songs as, well, SONGS is. Then she herself was feeble sadly.)

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

The Mariah week was weird too - I think MOST of them chose Mariah cover songs rather than Mariah originals!

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Actually I just looked it up on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_X_Factor_(UK_series_5)#Week_5_.288_November_2008.29) - those Mariah song choices are so incredibly poor, it's almost an insult to her discography. 'My All' is the only one of those that I'd consider a Mariah classic! Why no one chose 'Fantasy', 'Heartbreaker', 'Vision Of Love', 'Emotions', 'Can't Let Go', 'Always Be My Baby' etc I have no idea.

Rachel should have done 'Side Effects' - and I bet she loves that song - but obviously wouldn't have been allowed to, because it wasn't a single and we must play safe at all times :(

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

I think the shagging Diana thing is just the X-Factor press office and rumour factory going into overdrive as always.. I doubt there is any basis in fact at all.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Haha I did a huge X Factor catch-up on Saturday night (didn't watch the programme but youtubed a whole load of clips). And then I got really rather angry and posted on ILX about how the British public should be banned from judging anything because they seem to hate people who are actually good at stuff.

ALEXANDRA - is the only act left in of any worth. She'd make a great anono-house diva, which isn't as backhanded a compliment as it seems - her version of 'Relight My Fire' was terrific. I love the hint of Toni Braxton in her voice. She isn't at all like Leona, contra many people on the internet: Alexandra's a natural performer and all-round entertainer. She'll be wholly dependent on her material for long-term success: give her top-notch R&B/electro productions or show-stopping ballads and she'll kill it; give her shoddy Booty Luv knock-offs and beige ballads and she won't be able to transcend them.

JLS - should be performing new jack swing and r&b classics instead of ballads and slush, but Louis is too limited to think beyond "new Westlife". Sad, because obv there's a gap in the market for a good boy band, especially an r&b one (following the Boyz II Men or Bell Biv DeVoe template would mean they wouldn't be seen as all that naff).

DIANA - uhhhh I can see how she's "interesting" but tbh her Dolores Cranberry voice and Claw of Doom do my head in. idk, the things she needs to become a compelling singer aren't going to be found on X Factor. Her 'Call Me' from weeks ago was good but every time she slows it down it's some next-level dreadfulness.

EOGHAN - is completely indefensible in every way and I actually get angry when I think about him still being on the show instead of Rachel and Ruth. Who the hell could possibly vote for him over them? People with fucking cheese for ears? I hate the British public. He's probably going to win.

Rachel was my initial favourite but I thought she was really hindered by some dreadful song choices (and, yeah, a lack of discipline). When she hit the spot she really did have something special that none of the others had, but it was clear she only had a v limited stylistic range in which she could hit that spot ('You Know I'm No Good', 'Feeling Good'). Which is OK, great careers have been built on less. It's for the best that she didn't win because it was obvious that no one had a clue what to do with her voice or volatile personality - I mean, can you imagine how early MJB or even Keyshia Cole would fare on a programme like this. I hope she gets picked up by someone else, and either writes or is given material that she can emotionally connect to, and is given the freedom to work within her comfort zone.

Ruth - haha what a powerhouse. Her 'Purple Rain' was one of the greatest performances of any X Factor. I can't believe she lost out to fucking Eoghan. She could have a v successful career singing the shit out of Diane Warren and Jim Steinman powerballads (and there is a bit of a gap in the market there), selling to the global Latin market.

The themed weeks have really hampered the contestants I think, they haven't been permitted to consistently showcase their individual talents.

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

I have been watching since the start of the finals (the audition rounds are mostly just humiliation of the GBP so not to my taste). This years is MUCH better than the last couple IMHO.

Who should win:

Ruth. Oops, oh dear. Actually I think she would have been a great winner, and could have had a couple of hit albums, playing up the power-ballad, soft rock, 80s nostalgia and 'something for the dads' line.

Eoghan. FUCK OFF YOUR FACE LOOKS LIKE A CAT'S ANUS.

Alexandra: the new Leona, i.e. NO Personality except 'must win and become robot singer', Cowell obviously reckons he can be saviour of UK R&B by generating 2 superstar singers in a row.

Diana: was a breath of fresh air at first but is now just really really annoying.

JLS: best boyband out of a reality TV show. Quite annoying but can sing and dance and don't look too rough. I think they could be the first successful Brit R&B boyband since Blue.

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

The Britney tracks were tough because she has quite a weedy voice, so the songs didn't suit the 'good' singers, and so much of her stuff depends on personality. The Diana song choice was good, but she sort of throws clouds of notes at the actual melody and ends up warbling like an otherkin, which doesn't work with this sort of song. And God knows it doesn't work with REFuckingM / Coldplay. I assume Diana is supposed to sound like Joanna Newsome rather than the bird from the Cranberries but it never works!

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

i.e. credible alt-pop crossover rather than caterwauling harridan.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

To be fair I liked her version of Everybody Hurts more than the real thing. But I'd have liked Eog-Sothoth's more than the real thing.

From a commercial standpoint I suggest S Cowell is considerably more interested in the next Cranberries bird than the next Joanna Newsome!!

(Pls pls pls let Diana be given "I Just Shot John Lennon")

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

you realise what the song is the winner will release as thier first single?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

JAYSIS

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

well quite...

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

wtf?!

Is that seriously the best that they could come up with?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I now quite want Eoghan to win just because he'd be SO out of his depth with it.

Diana's would be beyond insufferable.

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

The bizarre thing about Alexandra is she seems to have loads and loads of personality when being interviewed (she's lovely and bouncy and fun, and sooooo much more interesting than leona was)....and then sghe loses most of it when she sings. Great voice mind, and my favourite to win, but it's like she hasn't worked out how to inject her personality into her performance.

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

yes that seems a fair assessment. It could be she's too nervous - too much back story / personality in your singing and you end up in Rachel territory - or just trying to be blank pop canvas / professional about it.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I read somewhere that she's spent a while plying her trade as a pub singer, backing vocalist etc...singing to earn a living in places where stamping your personality on a song is a no-no, where they just want a straight cover version. Which could explain it. I don't think she'll ever be as character-driven as a Beyonce or MJB, but I can see her making a well-written song her own - I mean if Kylie, who has no character in her voice whatsoever, has have the career she's had, I'm sure Alexandra can carve something distinctive out for herself.

[martinskidmore.livejournal.com]

I've watched every show, with great interest - a terrific crop of female singers this time, not much else. They voted off one of the best singers a few weeks ago, but I have forgotten her name. I was sorry to see Rachel go, because she was occasionally great. I still like Diana, but plainly she would need extraordinarily clever handling to have a career. Alexandra is much the best singer left, but I think Lex nails the difficulties with her. Actually I agree with Lex on all four remaining contestants, I think. I fear Eoghan may win - pleasant young men have always done well on this. He'll be in Oliver or something on the West End this time next year. Some dance producer will get Alexandra in to belt out a house number, and she will get a hit or two, I think. JLS will vanish - they could make some success given good R&B material, but they are on the road to cabaret, I think.