PartyDanceUK – Dance to SAME DIFFERENCE, STEPS, LADY GAGA, KYLIE, S CLUB, GIRLS ALOUD, KATY PERRY, etc; + ONLINE CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS ON SCHOOL-BULLYING; + FUNdraising events.

Once the results show came around, the weekly anticipation for a major event announced last week had escalated – that being for one of the judges to come up and perform live on stage.

 

Of course, it could only be something as trivial as Cheryl joining the rest of Girls Aloud in performing their latest single, The Promise. They were all dressed in sparkling gold dresses and sung on top of a shining yellow podium together akin to a Motown performance. I can’t deny the fact that these girls are great and have done so much to prove themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the pop charts through the years, not to mention the usual charm that we get from a mid-tempo track like this one. Though the main attention was on Cheryl being placed in the middle, I still felt that her vocals were overshadowed by the strength of her peers here. But nonetheless, it was still great to see the feat come through – I think they might be better at other live shows to be honest, but it was still great promotion for the single.

 

After they performed, Dermot ended up pushing Simon for mock feedback –

 

“I thought the… you, you, the other two, brilliant; the one in the middle… little bit pitchy, but you look good!”

 

Increasingly surprised, he then asked Cheryl about when she had time to get the performance together –

 

“I thought it actually came, it just happened, and then it’s over and I just don’t know where it went!”

 

That followed with Nicola from the band stating what the group have been up to recently –

 

“We’ve been really busy promoting the new single… so, just all of that really and all of this.”

 

Kimberley, whom accompanied Cheryl to the picking of her final three at Cannes, followed up with her feelings regarding her input towards the show –

 

“I think she’s doing an amazing job. I’ve been here the last two weeks watching the performances and stuff, and I know how hard it is… I just admire them all so much. They’ve done brilliant. And I’m really proud of her; she’s doing a great job… we’ve got three really different girls, and they’re all gonna be… in the final!”

 

The Promise is scheduled for release this Monday – 20^th October, if you’re interested in buying it.

 

Once the girls left the stage – and in Cheryl’s case, heading back to the dressing room (!) – the phone lines were closed. All eleven acts were then brought back onto the stage to find out who was safe and who was at risk of going home.

 

The first act saved was JLS. Then came a confused Rachel, followed by Diana, Scott, Laura and Eoghan.

 

Daniel and Alexandra were also saved. Cheryl’s girls were saved once again.

 

And finally, there came Austin. Simon and his boys were also saved and in full form to continue next week. That left Dannii and Louis in limbo; all that was left was Ruth Lorenzo and Girl Band – the latter singing off for a second time – in the final showdown.

 

Concerning Girl Band’s feelings, Marisa expressed the group’s anxiety –

 

“Oh my God, we’re here again! But… we have to go out there and we need to fight more than we did last week, so… we’ve got a tough job on our hands but we need to go for it.”

 

Dermot then turned towards Dannii for her feelings on what Ruth should do to survive –

 

“She’s an amazing singer. She had a really tough day being sick today – she’s been throwing up all morning. But… she’s a true performer. She’s gonna rock it out now… she’s gotta sing with all of the passion, ‘cause I know she loves this; she does not want to go home.”

 

That followed with Louis’ feelings with Girl Band –

 

“The best thing they can do is go out and sing their hearts out. They’re distraught, these four girls – that’s terrible. It’s very unfair of them. That’s the way the cookie crumbles.”

 

Amazingly, the predicament didn’t scare Ruth at all, herself stating that she was privileged to have performed on the show. But whether those feelings changed upon opening the showdown is anyone’s guess…!

 

RUTH LORENZO – Purple Rain (Prince)

Ruth’s choice of song here had a simple meaning to it –

 

“I’ve picked my favourite song in the world… a big song.”

 

What’s even more challenging was trying to see a male song like this done by a female vocal artist, but Diana easily proved the panel wrong earlier in the show anyway, so there we go. Focusing on her performance here, we saw a safe opening, before moving into some real expression following the first chorus, expressing an amount of soul within her voice. I was concerned about her diction from the beginning, not to mention Simon potentially biasing her vote because she didn’t sing any Spanish, but I clearly see this as a powerful fight for survival nonetheless and a very tough act to follow.

 

GIRL BAND – I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing (Aerosmith)

Having to pick another showdown song once again, they decided to go with an Aerosmith classic with I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing. Marisa explained the choice –

 

“We don’t want to miss one thing in The X Factor. We want to stay here.”

 

Yet another corny reason, but what’s even more interesting was trying to see a male rock song being interpreted by 4-part female vocals. I appreciate the stylistic song choice and more polished solo vocals in comparison to both their performance for the night and their showdown song last week, but what concerned me more was that their vocals didn’t quite gel as much as expected for the first two thirds of the song. But by the time the key change came in, they started to gel in a little bit more and managed to express a little more of the meaning behind the song.

 

Regardless, they still couldn’t hold a candle to Ruth’s outstanding performance, so I felt that said Spanish performer was safe. However, the judges’ feelings didn’t echo mine entirely -

 

Louis – “Both acts have absolutely sung their hearts out… they gave it everything… but I am going to look after my own act, absolutely. Ruth – an amazing performance and really passionate, incredible, world class performance… but I am going to be loyal to my own act and the act that I have to send home is Ruth Lorenzo.”

Dannii – “I absolutely hate this. Girls, it was fantastic performance, it was the best one that you’ve done. But again, I have to choose my beautiful Ruth to stay so the act that I will be sending home is Girl Band.”

Cheryl – “This is horrendous, honestly… I thought they both sung the best they’ve sang throughout the whole competition. But based on the last performance, I thought Ruth absolutely nailed it, so I’m going to have to send home Girl Band.”

Simon – “You know, I’m glad that we do this thing ‘cause… it makes it easier for me, I think, to make my mind up. Here’s the issue. Ruth, once again unfortunately… you didn’t do what I think you should have done, which is what I said earlier on, is to play to your strengths. Girls… I think you’ve been given a really bad job by your mentor… you were so much better when you made your own mind up rather than what Louis… hasn’t done for you, so I don’t think it’s very fair. So for that reason, I’m gonna take this to deadlock.”

 

For the second week running, the judges lost their power to decide on who would leave – thus, the deciding factor was brought to whom received the least votes from the British public.

 

By that, the act that left the show was Girl Band.

 

While Ruth and the rest of the Over 25s were left to overcome another week, Louis took another blow to his groups – if last week was a crushing blow, this week looked close to breaking his neck.

 

After the girls’ VT was played showcasing their journey, Louis stated his feelings regarding them –

 

“They sang their hearts out. They did their best. I’m absolutely glad I picked them. If I was doing it all over again, I would have picked these girls… and you know something Dermot, at least I know their names; Simon doesn’t even know the names of the people in the competition!”

 

Phoebe then summed up the journey for them –

 

“It’s been the most amazing journey ever. I’m just so happy we even got this far…!”

 

With both of Louis’ girl bands out of the picture, all he has left to focus on is JLS. But can he survive with them through to the end? This will be found out as the competition continues.

 

Concerning the show went towards a theme as restrictive as Michael Jackson songs, it actually turned out really well – acts like Diana, Austin, Ruth and the like have managed to express some polished material tonight, and even some of the weaker acts like Girl Band and Scott have shown improvement over last week whether this is debatable or not. In terms of the final two I somehow felt that once again there were a handful of acts that were prone for the bottom two at varying degrees of peril, but in spite of Simon’s commentary I felt Ruth shouldn’t have been in that situation. Regardless, she did a powerful interpretation of Purple Rain and saw it as the best performance on the night by a country mile, even if she did sing a song by Prince.

 

I’m hoping that we don’t run into any unjust situations like that again next week, but as the weaker acts are slowly going, it’s going to be something that will come to happen eventually. I’ve got all my fingers crossed on this one.

 

As stated on the Xtra Factor, next week’s theme is the same theme that has been for the third week of the past two series – Big Band. This meant performing songs alongside a live brass orchestra, whether they’re actual pop standards or not. I love this theme so much as I get the chance to see how the remaining acts cope with a live band, and most often I get to hear some of the best performances of the series through there. Roll on next week!

 

These opinions are solely that of mine alone and do not reflect the general consensus for the PartyDanceUK team. Thank you.

 

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JLS – The Way You Make Me Feel (Michael Jackson)

Before they performed their rendition of The Way You Make Me Feel, JLS’s VT was shown, focusing on their goal for this week – to secure a connection with females. In fact, Ortise was convinced that the group would do well –

 

“When it comes to tonight, I’m sure the girls will see… what’s going down.”

 

A very questionable use of lingo, but that aside, they still managed to show their effort with the performance. Their routine still showed a lot of conviction to show that they would fit well with stylistic songs of this calibre.  While I manage to appreciate a lot of the energy that managed to come through their routine, what convinces me more is that their vocals weren’t as polished as they were last week – I noticed that a lot with some of their early harmonies in particular. To sum it up – still got potential and showed their flirty side well, but far from their best vocal performance.

 

The judges seemed happy with it as well, though their general criticisms echoed mine -

 

Dannii – “Fantastic production on that, thank you Brian (Friedman) – that dancing and choreography was amazing… I’m not sure if it was the best vocal song for you because there was some tuning issues, but it was a very good performance.”

Cheryl – “Do you know, I always find that it’s really sad that these days not many people do big performances where they dance and they sing, so hats off to you; and do you know, I think there’s a niche in the market right now for you lot to just grab… and I think the girls at home are gonna be clambering waiting for this number to come up today.”

Simon – “If last week was 6½ out of 10, this week was 9 out of 10… tuning issues aside, you gotta take into account that you were doing a massive production on there. What I liked about it was that you actually had fun; you stood out; as Cheryl said it was a big production; you showed your personality… I really like you guys!”

 

For some reason, Simon’s starting to space out – wasn’t it Dannii who mentioned the production first? Something’s not quite right. But either way, Louis chipped in with his thoughts –

 

“You didn’t just come out and sing a big ballad like some of the other acts; you came, you sang, you danced… you gave it everything – yay!”

 

Louis’ squeak at the end definitely got the audience amused and surprised, and the same could be said for Dermot’s reaction. Even moreso, when conversing with the band, he brought up Ortise’s “what’s going down” quote in the VT, and in spite of his confusion over the choice of words, the females in the studio did indeed see “what was going down”.

 

DIANA VICKERS – Man in the Mirror (Michael Jackson)

The last act for Cheryl, bare-footed Diana came and performed a rendition of Man in the Mirror more akin to something that artists like Alanis Morissette could sing. Starting in the audience and singing the first verse while sitting on the stairs, her more unique means of stage presence was shown in her gradual progression towards the stage, turning from back turned to coming towards the stage. It’s obvious that her style might end up throwing some second opinions, but I can honestly say that her diction has improved so much from last week and her vocals remained to be very slick and firm.  I say that this is a great improvement from last week, and I hope the growth continues on.

 

And that followed with the judges’ commentary, throwing in love in all directions -

 

Louis – “I loved you last week and I love you this week. You’re different from all the other girls in the competition; you’re more contemporary; you’re like any of the girls in the charts today; you’ve got a great recording voice… it shouldn’t really have worked – a 17-year-old girl singing about a man in the mirror – but you made it work because you’re unique.”

Dannii – “You have absolutely found your comfort zone. You are in the moment now and you made that your own. It was box fresh!”

Simon – “You did really, really well last week… and this week you did even better, I gotta tell you. Why this is working is that I think this confidence thing has kind of gone away now. You’re a different kind of singer. What’s really important is that this is not karaoke – this is you doing your interpretation of a song, and it’s working… I actually think you may be the one to beat.”

 

Cheryl then chimed in with her thoughts, reflecting back to her harsh time during rehearsals and practicing –

 

“I have to say, watching you in rehearsals… all the tears we’ve had and all of that… you wouldn’t have known any of that watching that – that was the best I’ve ever heard you sing it and it was fantastic, and I love that – you’re so unique!”

 

The amount of appraisal left Dermot to express his happiness with Diana, whom seemed very gracious about it in spite of bringing up some of her pre-performance tensions for both this week and last week –

 

“I was absolutely terrified, I can’t believe I’ve done it… I think last week was like first week nerves and stuff, but I don’t know; we’ll see what happens.”

 

Once Diana left the stage, two acts remained. And prior to that, Cheryl remained open about the appeal of MJ’s music towards all generations -

 

“I don’t know anybody that’s not a Michael Jackson fan – he’s amazing. He’s one of the legends of all time.”

 

It still doesn’t change my mind on the style variation and lack thereof, but all could change when looking into the final two songs… or could it?

 

RACHEL HYLTON – Dirty Diana (Michael Jackson)

Mentor Dannii stated that Rachel managed to choose her own song this week. I wasn’t sure if Dirty Diana would suit her to be honest, but if there’s anything that she needed to show in comparison to last week it was a bit of a rough edge. That was shown with the stage direction, with two guys on motorcycles on the stage along with two electric guitarists, as well as Rachel herself performing the song in a gold leather jacket. While the edgy tone to her from the auditions was shown once more, I personally felt that her pitching was absolutely awkward this week – seemed really flat for over half the time, and in terms of vocals she provided a big disappointment that not even the gimmicks could hide. Mind you, I’m not sure if I would rate her to be stronger or weaker than Daniel, but it’s up to anyone’s interpretation.

 

Her performance was more warmly received this time, but it wasn’t all optimistic -

 

Louis – “When we did the auditions for this show and during the bootcamp, we all thought you were the best singer; we thought you were the one that we all had to beat. Last week, it wasn’t great. Tonight it was a very brave song; you didn’t just pick a safe Michael Jackson song like some other people did; you picked it, you performed it… I hope the public get you, because you have an awful lot more to give than we’re seeing, and I know you can do it.”

Cheryl – “Fantastic production on the stage tonight; I loved all that going on, loved the stereos and everything; I loved the key change in the song. But I think there’s a lot of soul inside you just bursting to come out and I can’t wait to see that.”

Simon – “Diana, once again you got it completely and utterly wrong…” (after being corrected on her name) “…I don’t think I can do this anymore! … Tonight was like a circus up there and you are about one thing and one thing only, which is your voice. And as Cheryl said, you are one heck of a soul singer. Tonight, it was ghastly… it was gimmicky! I’m saying this by the way because I like you, and you’ve got to strip everything away and if you survive another week, which is doubtful, you’ve got to prove that you are an incredible, naturally gifted soul singer and all this nonsense has got to stop!”

 

In spite of Simon screwing up on her name, she apologised and took the criticisms on board. Dannii further asked her about how she felt about it –

 

“I felt good…I know soul is my comfort zone but I really have a passion for rock and indie music, and I really believe as an artist you shouldn’t just keep yourself stuck in one genre. You should be versatile. But Simon’s boss; he knows what he’s talking about and it’s up to me to be humble and take his positive criticism.”

 

In spite of this, Dermot further asked Simon about the whole versatility issue with her –

 

“Two weeks in a row, you haven’t done what you’ve done well.”

 

A valid statement, it may be, but whether she continues to be more different or plays to her strengths next week remains to be seen.

 

EOGHAN QUIGG – Ben (Michael Jackson)

The last act to perform was the last of Simon’s boys – Eoghan singing the super-well-known track Ben from the horror movie of the same name. It’s such an obvious song choice for him – maybe the song found him especially considering his age and still youthful charm. But this expression of his youth with the song made him divert more to his child-like mannerisms in his vocal tone, which is something that I generally feel so awkward about. To be honest, his vocals while decent weren’t quite as polished as they were like last week as well as there being not a lot of room for interpretation, so I’d generally see it as some kind of step down. I wouldn’t call him the worst on the night though, but had it not been for some of the other artists tonight and the so-called teen vote he could have been in danger.

 

My scepticism didn’t get reflected on the panel however, whom all seemed very content with his performance -

 

Louis – “It’s absolutely true – you don’t have the biggest voice in this competition. But it doesn’t matter – you’ve got something that a lot of other people don’t have. You’ve got a great personality; you’ve got Irish charm; you can’t buy that! And… we’re only second week in this competition, but I’m gonna say you’re gonna be in the final.”

Dannii – “That was an amazing performance – that production of it was so exposed… and your purity will challenge all of the other voices in this competition put together. I think you’re fantastic.”

Cheryl – “Do you know, I always find it so amazing that you are so unphased by anything whenever I say you’re back stage, whenever I see you during rehearsals… nothing phases you; it’s almost like you belong up there on the stage! But… the a capella bit is so hard to do… then the key comes in, so you haven’t got any notes to start off from. That is a hard thing to do and you nailed it!”

 

Before Simon could mention his commentary, Cheryl directed something towards him –

 

“When I heard it was Michael Jackson week, I would have bet my bottom dollar (Eoghan) was going to sing Ben, so don’t you ever, EVER talk to me about safe or obvious song choices ever again!”

 

After tensions calmed down, Simon felt very content about Eoghan’s completely-gimmick-free performance and expressed optimism about it. But he was still able to state some critique –

 

“It’s a much harder song to sing than people think. The first part was terrific. You did have a few timing issues. If I’m going to be honest with you… it wasn’t as good as last week, but this was a tougher task for you. I still think, however, you’re going to sail through and there’s a lot better to come.”

 

Dermot then went towards him for some words regarding the feedback, particularly Louis’ gesture on him potentially being a finalist –

 

“Maybe it’s just because I’m Irish!”

 

Amen to that.

 

And once Eoghan left the stage, the phone lines were opened for at least one hour. It then wouldn’t be too long until eleven finalists became ten…

 

 

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GIRL BAND – Heal the World (Michael Jackson)

Fresh from last week’s final showdown, Girl Band opened Louis’s campaign into the evening with a visually dynamic interpretation of Heal the World. Playing on their image of fun and union, their vocals were combined with visual elements including identical white dresses, an image of hands holding the Earth behind them, backing singers coming on near the end and falling cherry blossom petals at the final climax. This would work well if this was billed for the end of a pop concert, although what the girls should have worked on was their vocals as individuals this week, which was identified as some kind of weakness in the last show. Arguably they were better this time around though, but for a better chance of survival they could have done a lot more than that.

Dannii – “Girls, you’re great, but there’s something not connecting there for me. I don’t know if it’s the song, ‘cause… I’m not that keen on that song, but it’s quite entertaining watching (Louis) mime to it!”

Cheryl – “You’re absolutely gorgeous tonight, and I know from personal experience when you’ve been in the bottom two the week before, your confidence has knocked. But you came out, you gave it your all, and I was really pleased for you. Well done girls.”

Simon – “Look, it was arguably better than last week, but it was so gimmicky – I wouldn’t have been surprised if we would have had polar bears coming out at the end, and dolphins and children… in other words, with the horrible world in the hands, it was just gimmicky. So the problem is that (Louis is) playing on sympathy and it was very gooey… I don’t see any connection between you and Louis. I think he’s obsessed with his boyband and I think it’s just that’s how he feels.”

 

In spite of the assumpion, Louis was still prepared to support them –

 

“I believe in the girls. They’ve come out fighting this week; they’ve made a great effort… I think it’s like night and day compared with last week. I think they’re fantastic.”

 

Dermot, hoping any stories relating to Louis in the girls’ dressing room wouldn’t be leaked into the tabloid newspapers the following morning (!), spoke with the girls for their commentary, with Marisa stating –

 

“For us, Heal the World has got such a lovely meaning to it and we just wanted to come out fighting because we were in the last two.”

 

In spite of the song, Simon further stated his feelings regarding the gimmicks used and how to better approach them –

 

“I just thought it was just a little bit corny, but I do think it’s important that, Cheryl discovered, it’s better to work without Louis and do what you think is right.”

 

Even so, Phoebe from the band DID reveal that she didn’t want the gimmicks –

 

“They wanted to give us animals on stage and a childrens’ choir, but we said we didn’t want that – we wanted to just be ourselves.”

 

LAURA WHITE – You Are Not Alone  (Michael Jackson)

With one cycle complete, it was back to Cheryl and the next of the Girls – Laura performing You Are Not Alone, one of MJ’s strongest hits in the mid 1990s. And the track itself seemed versatile enough to be able to fit with someone with soul in their voice, and that was what Laura managed to provide in her voice. In spite of some maintained falsetto from last week, I think her diction was much improved and furthermore her additional interpretations near the end managed to show a lot more of her potential strengths and star quality coming into the show. I don’t think she needed the fireworks at this early stage of the show – her voice is currently too good to be enlightened by a set of gimmicks here. But either way, she did well and will continue to be a force to be reckoned with throughout the competition.

 

Louis – “Last week you absolutely stole the show. It was a bit of a shaky start tonight. I didn’t think the song is the best song choice for you, but you absolutely delivered it in the end. It was a very powerful performance and you are an amazing singer!”

Dannii – “I thought the first half was good, second half was great, but I think you got the potential to be absolutely brilliant. It was missing something that last week had – the mojo was gone.”

Simon – “The fact that you managed to make that song good is a miracle and a testament to you how good you are, because you really struggled on the first half. And then the second half; you got into your stride. Was it as good as last week? No. Are you still one of the best singers? Absolutely yes. And I will say so far, out of the last half of the song – best performance of the night so far.”

 

Content with the feedback, Cheryl responded with her input –

 

“It’s a very hard week, Michael Jackson week… it’s totally out of your comfort zone, but that second half of the song was absolutely incredible. I loved it.”

 

When asked for a statement from Dermot, whom also seemed pleased for her backing choir to cheer her on, she expressed a lot of gratitude and not much else. But there was still time to press Simon on a statement regarding comfort zones and the overall winner –

 

“It’s about doing what she just did, which is actually trying a bit harder, because so far it’s been a little bit flat tonight. At least this girl gave it a go.”

 

AUSTIN DRAGE – Billie Jean (Michael Jackson, based on Chris Cornell’s cover)

Falsely promoted on being an original spin to a timeless classic, Austin provided his vocals to a completely different soft rock variation on Billie Jean in comparison to what the British public are generally accustomed to. His determination to counter the “60% of his current potential” comment from his own mentor last week showed in both the presentation and execution of his performance, and even those that haven’t heard the cover could be taken by surprise by what he did. Performing alongside a female drummer and acoustic guitarist emphasizes the basic point of the song and further emphasizes the enthusiasm of his placement here – clearly showing that he can still potentially go far.

 

However, the judges’ feedback were mixed albeit mostly veering towards positive feelings -

 

Louis – “You absolutely gave it 100%. You’re an incredible singer… I wasn’t crazy about the arrangement – I thought it was a bit self-indulgent, because I do watch American Idol and I did see David Cook do that very version… I think you’re a great singer – I just think you’re trying too hard.”

Dannii – “That was another fantastic performance. But I actually don’t think you’ve hit your peak. I still think there’s more in there and I’m dying to see what you’re gonna do next week.”

Cheryl – “I think singing and performing is in your blood… it comes so naturally to you. Your vocals are incredible. But I hated that arrangement… but your performance of it and your vocals – outstanding.”

 

Of course, Simon confirmed that David Cook DID perform it in the seventh season of American Idol, but the arrangement was based on Chris Cornell’s cover. After the correction for Louis, he then expressed his feelings towards Austin –

 

“That performance was in a completely different league to everything we’ve heard tonight, because it was original, it wasn’t a risky thing to do, but this is what we liked about you – you’ve got soul in your voice and you’ve got passion as well. And this is the first time tonight I actually heard and saw something where I felt the artist was trying, so best performance by a mile. Well done!”

 

The optimistic commentary from Simon and split decisions regarding the arrangement led Dermot to ask for Austin’s feelings straight away –

 

“Do you know what? I really loved doing the song and, you know, I’m gutted they didn’t like it, but I tried my best.”

 

In spite of this, it resulted in a quick banter between Simon and Louis over whether the opinions regarding the arrangement mattered or not. But seriously – if Simon thought he did the best performance of the night, then that’s surely something to be happy with.

 

DANIEL EVANS – One Day in Your Life (Michael Jackson)

Jumping from one league to another, Dannii – convinced that her next act is still nothing like Ricky Gervais – launched the second of her Over 25s in the form of Daniel performing One Day in Your Life. Accompanying him was nothing but clouds on the projector screens behind him, but other than that it was just him and his vocals. Given that this is one of the more obscure Michael Jackson tracks he managed to do as much as he managed with it and his vocals were improved over last week. But it doesn’t change the fact that his charisma needs an improvement and the performance in general still seemed to come off as old-fashioned. I wouldn’t call it the weakest performance of the night though, but if he needs a better chance to survive he needs to put in a little more effort into captivating the audience and connecting with the song.

 

Again the commentary was mixed, but the feelings were shown to be much more welcoming -

 

Louis – “Daniel – or Ricky as I am going to call you from now on – you’re totally out of your comfort zone and you’re in at the deep end. You’re a really nice guy, but if I was going to call it after a Michacl Jackson album, I’d call it after Bad.”

Cheryl – “I just want to say I’m really sorry if I knocked your confidence last week – I didn’t mean to. That wasn’t my intention at all. And I thought this week was far improved – that’s one of my favourite Michael Jackson songs.”

Simon – “The fact that the audience kept you in last week… good luck to you. I mean, we obviously have a slightly older audience watching this show. And I don’t mean this rudely, but I think anyone under the age of 60 will not like you – anyone over will.  You sang the song actually quite well… it is what it is. Is it my favourite version of the song? No. Is it better than last week? Arguably a little bit. We’re moving forward.”

 

And finally, there was Dannii to sum up her feelings regarding Daniel’s appeal –

 

“It looks like you’re never gonna impress the two guys at the end, but… people at home love you and thank you to everyone who’s voting for you. I think you’re fantastic.”

 

Dermot felt that the remarks led to an escalation of ageism, but Simon stated clear feelings regarding this issue –

 

“There is no ageism on this show, which is why Louis is still on it!”

 

Daniel was of little words though, stating that he was merely happy with the performance and the feedback. But only time would tell if the ageism debate – or any further comparisons to Ricky Gervais – would be brought up again next week.

 

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October 18^th 2008 –

 

The second week for the X Factor series 5 live finals became underway – eleven finalists have remained from last week’s intense first performance to come one step closer towards securing that all important record deal and potential Christmas number 1.  This is how the acts and mentors currently stand –

 

• SIMON COWELL and the BOYS – Scott, Austin and Eoghan
• CHERYL COLE and the GIRLS – Alexandra, Laura and Diana
• DANNII MINOGUE and the OVER 25s – Ruth, Daniel and Rachel
• LOUIS WALSH and the GROUPS – Girl Band and JLS

The night’s theme is a little more restrictive in comparison to last week’s, as everyone sung a selection of the works of Michael Jackson. I personally would have saved a choice like that for later on in the series as I doubted there would be enough room to cater to everyone’s musical strengths at this point, but it’s still nothing to argue about.

 

The first act to send out one of their acts is Cheryl and the girls, whose band Girls Aloud would perform later on in the show. And this is how her category opened it.

 

ALEXANDRA BURKE – I’ll Be There (Jackson Five, based on Mariah Carey’s cover)

Alexandra’s opening performance of I’ll Be There started with her singing within the audience and advancing towards the stage with an increasing amount of charisma, a choir backing performance and a sweeping blue and purple lighting scheme to boot – which did indeed result with a glowing ray of light being cast behind her near the end. She stated last week that she did a ballad, and with what she was given she managed to adapt well into the song and performed it sharply too. But if there’s anything that concerns me, she needs to start doing her own original interpretations on these songs because for two weeks in a row she sung a pair of songs interpreted by divas. I don’t want to see her going stale, because from what I can see she’s got the potential to keep going.

 

And the judges’ reactions seemed to be similar to last week’s in terms of appraisal –

 

Louis – “A fantastic opening to the show! Last week you did Whitney (Houston), tonight you’re doing Michael Jackson… you are world class! I love you, and I can’t believe that somebody with your talent is so humble. You’ve got it all going on, girl.”

Dannii – “It was definitely worth the wait! It was a faultless performance and I think that it propels this show into international standard.”

Simon – “I’m going to start with a negative, which is… Whitney last week, Mariah this week, a bit predictable… the only reason I’m saying that is that at the moment it’s all a bit copycat. I thought the first part of the song was good, the second half of the song, I have to tell you though, was fantastic. But I think what you’ve got to work out with Cheryl next week is that you’ve got to make you original, because at the moment, it’s not – I’ve heard this before.”

 

In spite of Simon’s mention of Mariah’s cover, both Louis and Cheryl argued with him concerning who made the song more famous, even going as far as to think that Simon was playing Russian roulette concerning her place in the show. But at the end, Cheryl still seemed surprised with what Alexandra did regardless of the outcome –

 

“I wish somebody would have told me when it became sing to sing Whitney or Mariah because I would have tried it myself! But it’s not a safe song to do. It’s a great song to sing, you sang it amazingly… and with that performance you are staying in!”

 

Of course, the backlash was not enough for Simon to refrain from explaining himself –

 

“I actually did give you a compliment there. I’m just trying to give you some constructive advice, that’s all.”

 

Dermot felt that her performance was beautiful in spite of her throat problems for this week, and questioned her regarding her experiences in the past week –

 

“I feel okay… it got a bit emotional because it’s been a long week and I wanted to do well.”

 

SCOTT BRUTON – She’s Out of My Life (Michael Jackson)

Sticking to the advice from the panel last week, Scott returned to his ballad routes with a rendition of She’s Out of My Life – especially fitting since this was one of MJ’s more subdued records released. All the gimmicks from last week were thrown out of the window, as all the performance held was himself, a microphone and his vocals. What we saw tonight was a more striped down performance than what was expected, but there was still enough room to express a potent build in the middle and room for interpretation right at the end. I personally am not too much into the ballad variety of songs, but he seemed much more into it than last week and I feel that with a performance like this, he placed himself back in the running.

 

Even the judges felt a lot more positive about his performance –

 

Louis – “You know, last week was an absolute disaster. But what I like about you is that you came back fighting. That was an absolutely brilliant performance and that actually puts you back in the race. You’re in with a good chance because you look like a pop star.”

Dannii – “That was a winning performance – that was so incredible… the bluecoat is out of your life, gone forever! Forever now!”

Cheryl – “I didn’t really know what happened – something happened at the beginning. But I have to hand it to Simon this week – you’ve definitely redeemed yourself. Amazing song choice, and you sang it with a lot of emotion, which that song needed. One of my favorite Michael Jackson songs and I’m glad you’re back in the running.”

 

Simon felt that the whole performance took “a lot of guts” to do considering the negative reactions the week before, before chiming in with his own opinion -

 

“The way you sang that song – the fact that you didn’t try to over sing it… everything was right about it. That was bloody good – well done!”

 

The strong positive commentary left Scott a lot more optimistic and in better room to talk about his feelings to Dermot this time around –

 

“They’re the comments I’ve always dreamed of getting ever since I’ve been on this stage, and thank you so much guys – it really means so much to me!”

 

What we want to know more is whether Scott will be able to keep up the progress. Will this positive commentary result in a confidence boost or a sudden stalling next week? Either way, it felt like the start of a good night for Simon and his boys category.

 

RUTH LORENZO – I Just Can’t Stop Loving You (Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett)

Ruth’s mentor Dannii claimed that he would express more of a rock diva type side to her this week, and it was dealt with this week with a performance of I Just Can’t Stop Loving You with not a single line from it being sung in Spanish this time. The black and blue color scheme across the lighting, shirt and silky drapes showed an intense mood lighting regarding the edgier song performed this time, but other than that it was just her and her vocals. Her personal tone was added closer to the end, and to match her vocals were consistent all the way through the performance. I appreciate the brave approach and the polish here easily, though I can’t help but think she might lose a few fans due to her fresh appeal with her latin approach in prior weeks. But no matter what happens, she showed that she is one of the strongest singers to look out for in the Over 25s.

 

Amusingly, the reactions for the panel were very inversed in comparison to last week –

 

Louis – “Where did all that come from? You were like there was a tiger unleashed – it was very passionate and dramatic, and it was an amazing performance, and it shows you’re a very versatile singer. I loved it.”

Cheryl – “I love you as a person, you’re such a lovely girl… I’ve seen you in the corridor just before and I know you’ve had problems with your throat, but you didn’t let that affect your performance. You’re a natural performer. I would have liked to see you in something to go with the drapes… like a nice sassy dress or something, if I’m totally honest. But I think considering what you’ve been through and that you were really poorly today, you pulled it off. You did a really good job.”

Simon – “You sang the last part of that song very well, but I’m gonna repeat what I said in the VT. It’s not that I want you to sing in Spanish – the fact is that you ARE Spanish and you’ve got this Latin thing going on. Why would you strip that away from you? Because by keeping it, it makes you different. We’ve never had anyone like you on the show before. So it’s almost like taking away all the things that we liked about you and made you different; now you’re blending in with the pack. And I gotta tell you, you could be in trouble tonight after that performance.”

 

In spite of the language difference, Dannii took it upon her to mention Ruth’s worldwide appeal by saying how many people have seen her performances through the Internet and loving her, before applying her personal take on it as well –

 

“I know you seem so terribly ill today, and I feel so sorry for you, but you carried on – you did it, and you did a fantastic performance.”

 

Once again Ruth was a contestant of very little words, which is understandable considering her condition. But Dermot’s speaking with the audience showed that it doesn’t matter what language she sang in, and his speaking with Cheryl showed a contrasting difference between her vision and the choice of outfit for the evening –

 

“She’s just such a gorgeous woman! I just wanted to see her in a floaty dress that matches the drapes!”

 

My take is that the so-called floaty dress would take away the appeal for the song, but I do understand her cosmetic vision and where she’s getting at. I wouldn’t be surprised if it does get used next week, mind you.

 

 

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Moving onto the results show, Dermot announced at the beginning that there would be a twist to the results in which would be announced later. But to hold off the excitement, it was time for the guest artist for the night to perform.

 

What has now become an expectation since last year was a performance from the previous series’ winner. In this case, Leon Jackson returned to the stage to perform his new single Don’t Call Me Love. I personally started to loathe Leon a lot more with every week he stayed in the show last year, mainly due to a combination of some rough vocals and underdeveloped charisma, but at the end of the day I feel happy with the direction that he was taken under and I feel he would do really well for those that love the crooner variety of male singers. He still needs to keep on improving with his charisma and little thereof at this moment in time though, but we might be onto something if he keeps at it.

 

After performing the single, it was a case of returning to Dermot and the judges’ panel for a discussion. While he was happy with Leon’s healthier appearance, Dannii felt so proud to see him perform the way he did –

 

“I’m so proud; I can’t believe where we were at this time last year and I have to add Simon did not discover Leon, didn’t want him in the competition, but you rock my friend – you are so brilliant. And I’ve heard the album, and credit where it’s due – the album is phenomenal.”

 

For anyone who wants the single and/or his coming album Right Now, you can obtain them from the 13^th and 20^th October respectively.

 

And as soon as he left the stage, the phone lines were closed. And it wasn’t long until the contestants were brought back onto the stage to hear who was saved.

 

The first contestant to be saved was JLS. Then came Diana, followed by Rachel, Austin, Ruth, Laura and Daniel. Dannii and the Over 25s were safe.

 

Eoghan and Alexandra followed suit. That meant Cheryl and the Girls was saved.

 

And the last act to be saved was Scott, putting Simon and the Boys through to next week. Girl Band and Bad Lashes, Louis’ two girl groups, were left to compete in the sing-off.

 

In prior years, the acts did a reprise of the song they performed on the night. But Dermot announced the twist – this won’t happen this year! Instead, they handpicked a song that they believe would keep them in the competition if they end up in the final showdown. There would be no dancers and no gimmicks – just them and their voices.

 

Louis was then asked for his input on what the girls should do to stay in the competition –

 

“The best thing they can do is to come out and sing their hearts out. They’re two very good groups. That’s why I picked them.”

 

Simon wittingly stated that they should both resign, but before it became a backlash between him and Louis, Dermot broke the fight and allowed the showdown to commence. And this is how it went down.

 

GIRL BAND – That’s What Friends Are For (Rod Stewart, based on Dionne Warwick and Friends’ cover)

Prior to singing, Layla stated this reason for the choice of song:

 

“Basically we entered the competition as four great friends and we’re gonna sing our hearts out now. And everything in the song is everything we mean – it’s been through good times and bad times.”

 

And it’s a tougher task since we haven’t heard them sing the song before, but in spite of that they managed to gel well as a group of vocalists. I wasn’t fond of them singing individually in comparison to them as a group, but I put it down to their emphasis on unison above all and that’s what managed to carry the strength of the performance. I wasn’t too fond of the liberal approach taken with the ending, as the backing started to become a little more distracting at that point, but in the end I felt they put up a great fight.

 

BAD LASHES – Wonderwall (Oasis, based on Ryan Adams’ cover)

Sophie from the band summed up the choice of track -

 

“That got us where we are today and it means the world to us, and every word of it means everything.”

 

It’s an appropriate choice considering they sung it at Ireland in their attempt to get through to the live shows, so it sounded great to hear it again. However, I felt they did a better job back then – I believe they lost their timings at the beginning, which caused some hiccups in pitch and expression along the way. It didn’t change the power that the ending managed to influence, which managed to help make it a more decent track near the end.

 

I think Girl Band had it in the bag though as they were a little better here. But the judges were mixed.

 

Simon – “I thought they were both shocking, to be honest with you. The band I am sending home – Bad Lashes.”

Cheryl – “I just want you both to know this is an awful, awful choice. I’ve got a lot of respect for both of you for what you’ve done up there tonight, but I’m going to send home Girl Band.”

Dannii – “I don’t want to do this… do I have to? …The act that I will send home is Girl Band.”

Louis – “I’m not gonna vote off and lose any of my bands tonight, and I am loyal to both of them. So if one of them has two votes, I’m gonna make it go to the public vote, so the band I’ll pick is Bad Lashes.”

 

Two votes each for both acts brought the decision into deadlock. The only way to break the tie was to see which act had polled the lowest amount of votes from the British Public.

 

And the evicted act was revealed to be Bad Lashes.

 

Both girl bands were left in tears/disappointment after the whole ideal, so no final word was received from the evicted North-East girl group. In spite of this, Louis was able to offer his support after their final VT was shown on screen –

 

“I’m devastated for the girls, ‘cause they had so much more to give and they proved it by doing Wonderwall. It was amazing, you know?”

 

While that was a crushing blow for Louis, all that he could do then was to continue onto the next week with Girl Band and JLS to mentor.

 

To be fair, it wasn’t the best opening for the series I’ve seen but at the end of the day there’s no one that I can find to dislike – even the acts that I grew hostile over earlier on in the series are starting to warm up to me a little bit more. The final two might be debatable though, but from what I’ve noticed there were five acts that I feel suffered on a vocal/directional basis and could have been candidates, including the two girl bands.  As for Laura, the so-called mentioned “big performer of the night”, I really do appreciate her coming so far and performing well, but I know very well that she can do a lot better than that – she wasn’t bottom two material though, but if she needs to measure up to her fellow girls then she needs to keep upping her game each week.

 

Next week’s theme is Michael Jackson week – this means any song sung from him as a solo artist or as part of the Jackson Five. It’s a very vague selection of songs and I have a weird feeling that it would become a train wreck, but it would depend more on the songs chosen and who does what at the end of the day. I wish the remaining eleven artists the best of luck.

 

These opinions are solely that of mine alone and do not reflect the general consensus for the PartyDanceUK team. Thank you.

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BAD LASHES – It Must Have Been Love (Roxette)

Louis then unleashed the last of his acts – North-Eastern girlband Bad Lashes performing It Must Have Been Love. It’s been distinguished from their performance that while Girl Band were primarily about fun and unison, Bad Lashes were there to show an edgier side to girl groups. I would have thought that the appearances would turn the audience off to be honest, not to mention their vocals being under par in comparison to what was seen in the preliminary stages, but at any rate they seemed to put up a decent fight with the song that they were given.

 

Just like Girl Band before them, their feedback was mixed -

 

Dannii – “Great image, girls. I really love the makeover that you had and the solo bits were really good… there were so many backing vocals in the chorus bit that it was hard to hear what was going on. But I really love you girls and I think that the thing that’s going to distinguish you from the other girl band is personality.”

Cheryl – “I absolutely love you girls… it’s not just because you’re from my edge of the woods – I think you’re edgy, I think you’re spunky, I love the makeover…  I wouldn’t have chosen that song though. I would have had you more indie… last choreography, just rocking out with each other.”

Simon – “To me it was like four separate singers singing a song quite well; it got a bit shrieky at the end. I think the kind of the fun has been sucked out of you though and I don’t see any relevance… it’s a bit like sort of eating water; it doesn’t actually do anything to you… you’re young girls, you’re fun, you’re attractive – you should actually be telling Louis what he should be doing rather than the other way round!”

 

Louis – with a humorous gesture to Simon turning 50 next year – was pleased with the makeover and the performance:

 

“You look like you’re enjoying yourselves. I know everyone in the North of England is going to vote for you… I’m happy and we’ll do even better next week!”

 

Dermot predicted right in that the girls were happy with Cheryl’s comments, as well as those from the other panellists, quoth Stacey:

 

“We really enjoy it and we did try our hardest, cause it’s like our first night, opening show and stuff… we’d just thought we’d come out here, rock it up a bit, and see what happens and we loved it. And Simon, you’ve used eating water once before!”

 

EOGHAN QUIGG – Imagine (John Lennon)

Not wanting to go down without a fight, Simon launched the last of his boys and the youngest competitor in the competition – Irish lad Eoghan, taking to the stage with a rendition of Imagine. Coming on in a shirt-and-waistcoat combo and showcasing nothing but vocals, even the most hostile of viewers would notice that Eoghan’s voice has been maturing since his initial first audition. Don’t let the cute looks deceive you – he’s starting to show a more developed vocal tone and a lot of charisma especially for someone so young. I don’t know if he got some inspiration from Eva Cassidy’s cover while he was at it, but there was also enough room for interpretation in his vocal as well as the precision behind it, so I would say that he made a very surprising contribution here.

 

And similarly, the judges were very positive with the performance -

 

Louis – “After that performance, you’re definitely not going home tonight. I like you and it’s not just because you’re from Ireland – I think as the youngest performer, you’ve got so much potential. You’ve got a great recording voice. Everybody’s gonna love you and you’re gonna go a long way in this competition.”

Dannii – “I’ve decided I hate Simon. That was so good… you’re just sailing towards the final; you are incredible. Youngest performer, most mature performance and… do you have a girlfriend?”

Cheryl – “I was slightly concerned when I heard about the song choice because it’s such a big song, but you absolutely nailed that tonight; it was amazing. And the young girls at home are gonna be going nuts for you. You are adorable, and I loved it.”

 

In spite of the optimistic comments, Simon admitted that his voice isn’t as polished as some of the other performers in the competition (namely some of the girls) but still sees him to be a key competitor –

 

“What you did tonight just worked. You got it absolutely right. I’m amazed that you managed to sing that song so well, and I’m very, very proud of you after what you did tonight.”

 

When Dermot asked for Eoghan’s opinions regarding his performance and feedback, he merely stated that the great reaction was “fantastic”. Being without words, he turned back to Simon and questioned his humility for the night –

 

“Look; if you get it wrong, you get it wrong. At the same time, when you get it right, which I just did, you got it right.”

 

After Eoghan left the stage, and before moving onto the final two acts, Dermot asked Simon concerning the state of the first live show –

 

“I’m not jumping out of my chair on my own at the moment because I made… one mistake maybe tonight, but I trust the British Public they will make the right decision. There are five or six who’ve got a lot of potential… and I don’t think we’ve heard the best of them yet.”

 

RUTH LORENZO – Take My Breath Away (Berlin)

A Spaniard currently residing in London, Ruth was the last act sent through for the Over 25s, performing Take My Breath Away complete with a stunning white gown, a warmly lit stage, a subtle breeze from the wind machine and some into-the-audience participation. Much like her prior two performances at the second stage of bootcamp and at St. Tropez, she involved some Spanish translated lyrics in her performance, even if in this case it only consisted of just over a quarter of the song in total. In spite of going down this unconventional path the vocal remains very true to the original, so it could be seen as a karaoke effort at the end of the day. But nonetheless, she has heart and I hope she’ll be able to progress like this.

 

Although there was an element of curiosity about her style, the judges were fairly optimistic with the performance given -

 

Louis – “It was very emotional, over the top, dramatic, diva performance… I liked it. But I’m not sure if the British Public are going to get you. If it was in Benidorm, they would love you. I’m just not sure about the UK.”

Cheryl – “You look absolutely stunning. You had the sensualness that song needed. And I think it was the perfect song choice for you – you did it fantastically.”

Simon – “You’ve definitely made an impression on me Rachel… Ruth…? Sorry, I can’t even speak! You have a very powerful presence and what I love about you, which is why I don’t think Louis gets you, is that you’re a real woman. I don’t think you are the best singer, but you have charisma.”

 

It was soon revealed that Simon had fallen in love with her, with Dannii taking the comment on board heartily -

 

“Simon fancies you; you’re halfway there! With your singing, it is endless what you can do. We heard glimpses this week of the rock chick that’s going to come out of you, which I can’t wait for. I know (Simon) wants to see your Spanish senorita, but she doesn’t have to do that every week.”

 

Ruth, like Scott before her, was reduced to be a contestant of very little words and being absolutely speechless regarding the experience and feedback, albeit a very positive contribution this time. It’s a sign showing that Ruth is ready to mature and grow as a potential recording artist on the show.

 

LAURA WHITE – Fallin’ (Alicia Keys)

And the contestant showcase gets finalised with the very last of the girls – Laura, performing a rendition of RnB classic Fallin’. In contrast to Ruth’s recent performance we have a more subtle performance, with cold colors, a firm black dress and a wilder vocal particularly in the second half of the song. I admit that I didn’t appreciate her much at bootcamp, but she has proven with her performance that she is potentially a strong interpretive artist in the making. I’m not too impressed with the falsetto she tended to put into her voice near the beginning – she does have a great vocal but she doesn’t need to resort to it to try and turn off the singers. Nonetheless, I say she did really well for herself but want to see her improve in the coming weeks.

 

Amazingly, it caused the majority of the judges’ panel to give her a standing ovation with equally positive commentary –

 

Louis – “It was definitely one of the best performances of the night. There’s three of four amazing girls… but you’re way up there and that was just incredible and soulful and amazing.”

Dannii – “Do I even need to say it? You’re a major contender. Everyone here loves you. I loved you from your very first audition – you were just the bomb!”

Simon – “I genuinely wasn’t sure whether you’re going to be able to cope with all this tonight. Taking everything into account, I thought that was outstanding. You have something very special and this is why I still like doing the show in this country so that you can discover people like you. You have a fantastic future ahead of you potentially, young lady.”

 

The remarkable commentary made Cheryl feel warm all over -

 

“I can’t believe someone so amazingly talented had so many insecurities… but you just proved yourself up there tonight and I’m so proud of you.”

 

Dermot contributed with a talk with her at the end, stating that the judges were fully united in feelings concerning her performance and curious over her reaction. She was very happy she got through it and thanked her father in particular for helping her get through it. The pressure for being the last act to perform was brought up alongside it –

 

“I still feel like such a young girl and… I’ve worked so hard for it and… seriously, I have, so… please, just keep voting for me everybody.”

 

After Laura left the stage, the voting lines were opened. The power to keep eleven of the contestants in was down to the voting public, but no one knew who would be saved until roughly an hour’s time…

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JLS – I’ll Make Love to You (Boyz II Men)

Louis gave the boys a hard song to sing for their first show, but it suits them to a T – the Boyz II Men classic I’ll Make Love To You. It was primarily about vocals above anything – the blue colour scheme of the lighting and clothing accentuates the mellow nature of the song very well. Though it does feel like a predictable choice, they managed to express a lot of soul to their performance as well as a set of excellent group chemistry and generally polished vocals. I see them as Louis’s best group tonight.

 

Though the judges were generally optimistic about them, they couldn’t help but point out some flaws in the performance -

 

Dannii – “You guys have been hot right from the beginning. I have to say that the start of that song was shaky; it wasn’t in dress run. I don’t know what happened, a few nerves there, but it’s a big song to take on, you did it.”

Cheryl – “You are professional, consistent, the chemistry between you is amazing to watch – I love you. That’s one of my favourite songs of all time. And yet you’re bound to be nervous but I loved it.”

Simon – “It didn’t start very well, but I think you knew that. But having said that, this was a crazy song choice on the first live show – to give (you) a Boyz II Men song. But now the good news – you guys actually look like a group and you behave like a group… you’ve got a fantastic chemistry. If you can get this tuning right, which I think you will, I’m gonna make a prediction – I think you are potentially the best group we’ve ever had on the show.”

 

Of course, some of the commentary – particularly the song choice – warranted Louis to stick up for his decisions at this point –

 

“I picked a very hard song because I knew they can pull it off… they did a great job and I’m very, very proud.”

 

Dermot, taken back by surprise of Simon giving one of Louis’ acts a compliment (!), questioned the group concerning their nerves at the beginning. Marvin responded for the group –

 

“We were slightly nervous, but… we just wanted to give 100% and I think we did that. We’ve done ourselves proud and… that’ll be enough.”

 

And finally, when asked what JLS stood for, they all responded with the answer: Jack the Lad Swing. Now, I can understand the use of the terminology if they were some kind of pop standard tribute group, but for now it sounds very random.

 

SCOTT BRUTON – Yeh, Yeh (Mongo Santamaria, based on Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames’ cover)

Ex-bluecoat Scott came to the fore next and performed the obscure 1960s latin jazz track Yeh Yeh, a far cry from the amount of ballads he had performed earlier on in the series – all accompanied with as many 1950s/1960s jazz clichés as possible into the performance, right down to the microphones used. Now, I’m no expert on jazz songs of this era but the feel doesn’t seem to cater well to Scott’s tone of voice. But taking that into account, I’d say that he at least made a decent attempt at the song, even though his vocals didn’t sound as sharp as they were in previous weeks.

 

Bizarrely enough, criticisms were thrown left right and centre –

 

Louis – “You’re a really nice guy, you work really really hard… I don’t understand where you got that song from. It’s the most hideous song choice ever on X Factor. I’m not blaming you, I’m blaming Simon… you could be going home after this, man, and it’s not fair.”

Dannii – “That was not the right song for you. You know what; everything that you’ve brought to this competition, you’ve done right. We gave you notes at the first audition, you came back and restyled yourself and you are a sex bomb. That was not the song for you… that would not be on your album, it wouldn’t be what you were performing at a concert… it’s like Build Me Up Buttercup from last year!

Cheryl -  “You are probably one of the nicest guys you’ve ever met…I’ll tell you where Simon was going with the song choice; I think he was trying to challenge you to separate you from the bluecoat but in turn he gave you the biggest bluecoat song going, unfortunately. But that’s his fault; I’m blaming him, not you.”

 

In spite of the harsh commentary, Scott stated that he agreed with the song choice after some of the twists were placed in. But not even that was enough to let slip one of the rarest of all X Factor moments – Simon admitting that he got it all wrong!

 

“I was trying to do something different. I didn’t want you just to be doing ballad after ballad after ballad. I think it was important that you weren’t in your comfort zone. If the North of England give you another chance, I give you my word – I’ll give you a better song choice next week.”

 

Dermot came to ask him concerning the feedback, yet in spite of him feeling lucky to be on stage, the statement didn’t hide his open disappointment and near-speechless response. I genuinely feel sorry for him – he gave the song his best shot, and thus we have the belief that he should redeem himself if he survived the results show.

 

RACHEL HYLTON – With Every Heartbeat (Robyn feat. Kleerup)

After a string of powerful interpretations in the preliminary stages, Rachel ended up with a questionable song choice through With Every Heartbeat – melodically and lyrically simple for anyone to undertake and not a great way to showcase her vocal ability. But she didn’t let that get to her – complete with a brown two-piece suit, a flirtatious routine and doing everything possible to get the studio audience dancing, she showed a more sophisticated side to her in comparison to what we’ve seen from her before.  But due to the song, her vocals didn’t seem catered to either the simplicity of it or much room for interpretation, so this could have made her a candidate for the bottom two had it not been for her bonding with the audience.

 

Amusingly, the judges echoed my feelings regarding the song choice -

 

Louis – “You’re definitely one of the best singers we’ve ever had at the auditions… but with the right song. That was totally, totally the wrong song. I know you have the talent with the right song, and then the funniest thing yet – had eight dancers on that didn’t dance! I just didn’t get it at all, and I love you.”

Cheryl – “I think you’ve got the most incredible vocal – possibly one of the strongest in this competition going. But I think your vocal is far better than that track. That’s just my advice.”

Simon – “You know how much I loved you during the auditions and… (Dannii) had the audacity to criticise my song choice before when (she’d) just given (you) a hideous song which doesn’t match up to her talent. It’s like putting lemonade instead of petrol into a Ferrari… this girl is a potential star, desperately needs the break, and you give her a cheap piece of rubbish to sing! If you were with me, you would have been absolutely outstanding tonight, ‘cause that was all wrong.”

 

In spite of the criticisms, Dannii shrugged off the negative commentary from Simon believing he was jealous he wasn’t mentoring her. She further stated her reasons for the selection:

 

“I chose it for you because I know how you can work the stage and get the audience going… I really want to say thank you for giving it your best shot, because that is what proves to everybody that you’re willing to make it.”

 

Rachel’s gratitude throughout the feedback phase managed to impress Dermot, making him see a “new” side to her. As he asked her for how she felt concerning the song choice, this is how she responded –

 

“To be honest, I’m not undermining Dannii; she’s my mentor. I’ve got a lot of respect for (her). But admittedly, I would have chosen another song but she did prove her point and I’m not being cocky – I DID work the crowd!”

 

DIANA VICKERS – With or Without You (U2)

One of the more unique interpretations of the night, Diana performed the U2 classic With or Without You in a style that could have mistaken it to be based on an Eva Cassidy style cover. Walking on in bare feet and a pleated white dress, and having nothing but an acoustic guitar and string ensemble accompaniment accompanying her performance, we are treated to a performance that made me think that she could be a modern day Kate Bush but without the squeaky voice.  I found it to be a very refreshing and well tuned performance of the original; her diction almost put me off initially, but if that’s her local dialect then I can be able to cope with it. Definitely one to look out for.

 

A performance like this could have torn the judges’ panel apart, but if anything it brought them closer together in state of mind –

 

Louis – “That was a great song choice. You’re actually a breath of fresh air in a competition like this – ‘cause you’re cool, you’re contemporary, you’re real… I love everything about you. I think you’re the one to beat in this competition.”

Dannii – “You went flying into this competition from your first audition. We love all of your quirkiness. I just think that when you watch it back, I’m not sure if there was too much hands going on – it kind of looks like you were doing a puppet show sometimes, and it distracts from your voice which is beautiful.”

Simon – “You are the singing version of Marmite, i.e. you will either love it or hate it. And… I loved it. I’m not saying it was perfect… but I think it’s very important that you stand out in the crowd; you don’t become a karaoke singer; you take a risk. Singing that song was a massive risk. I actually thought it was fantastic.”

 

Cheryl felt pleased to state her reason of risk due to that statement –

 

“We took a risk. I gave you a massive male vocal song but you absolutely nailed it and I’m so proud of you. I love working with you and you’re a special person.”

 

Dermot expressed his excitement for seeing her get through the performance with flying colours, all before noticing her bare feet. Diana then stated her reason –

 

“I’m scared of coming on slipping over and I’ll just tell it like…more free.”

 

Slipping over? When she stood for most of the performance? Something is amiss… or is there?

 

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October 11^th, 2008 –

 

The first of the X Factor series 5 live shows begun, and it’s there that the final 12 selected were tested to see if they could sing in front of a live studio and TV audience of several million people, all for the ultimate prize of a shot at the Christmas Number 1 slot for this year.  Over 150,000 auditionees have been seen and brought down to this year’s selection, standing as follows –

 

• SIMON COWELL and the BOYS – Austin, Scott and Eoghan
• CHERYL COLE and the GIRLS – Alexandra, Diana and Laura
• DANNII MINOGUE and the OVER 25s – Daniel, Rachel and Ruth
• LOUIS WALSH and the GROUPS – Girl Band, JLS and Bad Lashes

 

The theme for tonight was UK and US number 1 hits – a strong and broad range for the first live show, and can be up to anyone’s interpretation.

 

Louis Walsh was opted to go first, but not before a brief discussion between him and host Dermot O’ Leary. After being remarked that it’s been a “long time” since Shayne Ward won for him, he completely denied it. He did, however, state a positive statement for his category –

 

“I think the quality of the groups is amazing this year. I think there’s more talent in every group but the groups are very, very strong.”

 

Could his confidence match the groups’ quality tonight? We soon find out with the first act to take to the stage.

 

GIRL BAND – Venus (The Shocking Blue, based on Bananarama’s cover)

The first of the two girl bands to perform, Girl Band took to the stage – or rather, a red carpet – in an interesting set of colourful lips-stamped dresses and a saucy routine to accompany their interpretation of Venus. In spite of the promise with the cosmetic provisions, I feel they didn’t quite gel together in terms of vocals but I would put it down to the strain of opening the show. I would see it as something average, but there was definitely a sign of potential.

 

The judges’ reactions to the performance was mixed:

 

Dannii – “I think that’s the campest opening we’ve ever had to the show! I’m not sure if it was Brian (Friedman, the choreotographer) or if it was Louis, but it definitely was the campest opening to this show EVER. I loved it – it’s such a hard spot to do; you all went for it.”

Cheryl – “Yeah, you definitely had the hardest job of all – first act on. I thought you did a fantastic job of it and I really enjoyed it. Great song choice.”

Simon – “I thought it was okay. I’ll tell you why I said that – predictable song, very predictable styling… if I am being honest with you, it was like a Girls Aloud bunch of rejects… because there’s nothing different – I’ve seen all this a million times before.”

 

The girls reacted to Simon’s comment by saying that they came a long way – they performed together for the first time a week before their audition. And in spite of all this, Louis was very proud of the group for opening the show –

 

“You’ve had the hardest job tonight – you’re on first… You’ve come a really long way and you’re as good as any girl band out there now… (you) look like pop stars.”

 

Dermot asked the band concerning their feelings about their comments; they seemed happy about it, with Marisa adding:

 

“I just think we really want to stay in the competition so we can sing a ballad next week, just to show that we’re all really good singers as well as performers.”

 

AUSTIN DRAGE – Every Breath You Take (The Police)

It was Simon Cowell’s turn to take to the stage next, sending Austin to perform Every Breath You Take from the Police. His general appearance has been less colourful since his Judges’ House campaign at Barbados, but his charisma has retained its strength. What he sung tonight was a fairly faithful interpretation of the theme but his way of portraying the song and his vocals were very solid and highlight him as a key competitor in Simon’s category.

 

Even the judges were content with his performance –

 

Louis – “You look like a pop star tonight; you are a fantastic singer; you’ve got a really, really soulful voice; and if you can keep it together Austin, you’ll go very far in this competition.”

Dannii – “Austin, I know from speaking to you at rehearsals that you are so nervous but… god, you do nervous sexy – I really like that. And if that’s your first performance, it’s unbelievable what we’re gonna see; that was the perfect song for you. I loved it.”

Cheryl – “Absolutely the perfect song for you… faultless vocal, and you look like a pop star tonight.”

 

Mentor Simon seemed pleased about it and – in reference to the amount of emotional outbursts that Austin faced in the preliminary stages – he saw it as his first performance that didn’t end with him crying. But he still remained humble –

 

“That for you was 60% of your potential ability. I thought it was a terrific performance, but I absolutely know there’s a ton left in reserve, so I’m excited.”

 

Dermot, whom was won over with the new “indie” appearance, then went to get some last words from him before leaving –

 

“Do you know what? I’m over the moon; it’s the first show, we’re all nervous… it’s just magical being here… I’m not gonna say too much or I’ll start crying again and I don’t think anyone wants that!”

 

After that, it was the turn of Dannii Minogue and the Over 25s. After mentoring last year’s winner Leon Jackson, she seemed more humble with her selection for this time around -

 

“I’d give it my best shot. I mean, I love the feeling of giving someone else that chance to win. I mean, when I watched Leon’s winning moment from last year I’d cry all over again.”

 

And this is when we found the first ounce of strength from the Overs with her first act to perform.

 

DANIEL EVANS – I Want to Know What Love Is (Foreigner)

Part time widower and part time dad Daniel came on to croon to the audience with a rendition of I Want to Know What Love Is in a two-piece suit and express some sentiment for his initial campaign into the show.  I can’t deny that in spite of what he’s been through he’s got a lot of confidence, and I think he did well with what he was given. But if I was looking at a vocal standpoint, it would probably do better if it was transposed 2 or 3 semitones higher – the low notes just didn’t sound right for him.  Yet, I’m really sure that in spite of this he will improve both on a confidence standpoint and on a vocal one in the coming weeks.

 

To match with that, the judges’ comments were mixed yet negative –

 

Louis – “You picked a really good song tonight, but for me it didn’t really work… it was very cruise ship… you remind me of Ricky Jervais singing karaoke at a Christmas party or something. But it didn’t work for me at all. I like the new teeth and I like the earring. That’s all.”

Cheryl – “If this was Great Guy Factor I think you’d be flying through to the finals 100%. I think you’re a lovely guy. You look gorgeous in your suit. But the only thing that concerns me slightly is as a recording artist I don’t quite know where you would slot.”

Simon – “Just to echo what Cheryl said… you are a terrific guy; I really, really like you. But it was completely and utterly irrelevant because it was like somebody singing in a pub… you’re always going to get a round of applause but you cannot win a show like this because I don’t think you would ever be a successful recording artist.”

 

Mentor Dannii reassured him by understanding how much his place on the show means to him, and stated something positive about him –

 

“I think you are the bravest person I’ve ever met. What you’ve shared with the audience and how people reacted to your story is incredible. You have the biggest heart of any one that I know and you did a great job up there, and I love you.”

 

In spite of this, Daniel still seemed disappointed with the feedback and echoed those feelings to Dermot –

 

“I loved every second of it. I’m sorry guys, and hopefully I can give you a bit more next time … I respect what you’re saying.”

 

After that, it was the turn of new judge/Girls Aloud member Cheryl Cole and the girls. But when asked how she felt doing her first live show as a judge, she said –

 

“I feel a little bit sick to be honest… the nervous energy kind of rubs off.”

 

In spite of the nerves, she was ready to unleash the first from the girls:

 

ALEXANDRA BURKE – I Want to Dance with Somebody (Whitney Houston)

Alexandra had faced a long ride since her initial 2005 audition; initially rejected by Louis in the judges’ houses stage, she made a return this year in better spirits and is providing a lot of energy for her category. Talking of which, that’s what her performance of Whitney Houston’s I Want to Dance with Somebody was primarily about – confidence and enthusiasm. The glittery suit and the dangerous “walk-down-the-steps-in-the-middle-of-the-song” routine seemed to be a combination that warranted for the whole performance to collapse if not done right, but her survival, dance routine and polished vocals had proven one thing easily – Louis made a grave mistake three years ago.

 

The panel showered her with a lot of praise with her performance to boot -

 

Louis – “That was incredible! You look like a diva, you sing like a diva and you dance like a diva.”

Dannii – “I have to tell you I’ve seen Britney (Spears) perform that song and she just stood there and tapped on the microphone. You did all of that choreography incredibly.”

Simon – “It was a bit of an obvious song choice, you doing Whitney. I wouldn’t have chosen the song. Having said that, I think you look fantastic. I think you managed to put your own interpretation on the song brilliantly.”

 

Dannii and Simon in particular even went as far as to criticise Louis for not picking her in 2005 and asked him to apologise. However, Alexandra felt as if he did the right thing because:

 

“I’m a better person now, I’m in a better state of mind… and a better mentor – I got Cheryl!”

 

Even Cheryl seemed very confident with what she did –

 

“You owned that stage tonight. Considering how nervous you were when I’ve seen you 10 minutes ago, you absolutely tore it up and I’m so proud of you. I love you to bits.”

 

When given comments from Dermot regarding her performance – particularly the stairs part of the routine – and being asked concerning the feedback received, she felt very gracious with the reception as well as having plans for future shows:

 

“If I’m back next week I won’t do Whitney but I’ll probably do something better… this was good because I’ve been doing ballads throughout the whole show, and I wanted to do an uptempo (song) and show you guys I’ve got rhythm.”

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