X Factor UK Live Show 7

Hello peanuts,

So you're back, are you? Alright then. Let's get right into it.

Rankings (in my opinion)
1. Rough Copy
2. Sam Bailey
3. Hannah Barrett
4. Luke Friend
5. Tamera Foster
6. Nicholas McDonald

Nicholas McDonald: I do not like Miley Cyrus. I really do not like Miley Cyrus. I think she has an annoying stage presence and she has horrendous vowels. I don't mind The Climb as a song. It isn't brilliant but it's fine as a mediocre pop ballad. Nicholas is not a bad singer. But when he sings this song, it's just a mediocre pop ballad. In the hands of a better performer, this song could be magic. This is the song you perform so well that for a minute everyone is fooled into thinking that it's a better song than it is and it's actually inspirational. The other issue is that Nicholas really needed the background singers. On his own, he couldn't take the song up a notch. It was noticeable.
Hannah Barrett: If not for reality singing competitions, I do not know when I would hear this song. That said, I've already heard this song way more times than I ever wanted to hear this song. It's not a bad song. It's just that years of reality singing competitions have almost completely stripped it of emotional weight and meaning. She could have supported the song a little better. Just a little more air. It was very good. I just don't need to listen to this version with all the other versions. The only time I really felt Hannah in the song was at the very end. But those last 30 or 40 seconds were not enough to make it special or memorable.
Luke Friend: It wasn't incredible but it was good. It was borderline flat a few times but generally the simple melody allowed him to show what he can do. Admittedly that's not much but I liked it more than I liked Nicholas' performance so... win?
Rough Copy: Yeah, they still sound a bit rough when they sing in unison... which is really unacceptable at this point in the competition. It's not like they're Little Mix or One Direction or Miss Dynamix. They came to the competition as a group. They should be better than this. In his solo part, the one with the jacket was a bit flat. The one with the hat didn't really land those high notes. That said, this was one of their better performances. I think they benefited from a song that didn't overpower their vocals and by not having to run around the set and the performance improved as they went along.
Tamera Foster: Pfft. James Arthur. I saw Shontelle sing this song live in a tea shop. I think this is a perfect song for Tamera. It's a good genre for her and it's big enough to let her show off a bit without being too much for her to handle. I like this song but the original vocals aren't so impressive that Tamera is always going to pale in comparison the way she does when she attempts Whitney Houston, etc. A bit flat. Did she forget the lyrics or did she choke? Oh, good Lord. Girl, get it together. There are seriously not that many lyrics to remember. It's a very repetitive song. What is wrong with you? I didn't really love the vowels when she was singing "impossible". They were piercing in the wrong way. Even without the missing lyrics, there were problems with her vocals during this performance. That said, because it's such a weak showing this episode, she would probably be near the top of the pack if she hadn't forgotten the lyrics. I don't know if she'll make it through the vote this week.
Sam Bailey: I know there are some people who hate Leona. I am not one of those people. Sam was not as good as Leona. There were little weak points all throughout the song where I feel like she wasn't giving it her all. She just wasn't really singing out. This is not a subtle song. Just go ahead and wail away. That said, she did a nice job of managing the high notes and like Hannah, she kicked it up a notch for the latter part of the song.

My general summary of the week was "not impressive but not awful." I was disappointed with Sam, Hannah, and Tamera this week. I would still like to see them continue in the competition but I don't think they really fought for their places with these performances.

See you next week,
Cat

X Factor UK Live Show #7

Hi chickadees!

I have no idea what's going on with the official X Factor youtube page. I found the versions I could find to critique but obviously, I accept that my opinions might be different if I heard/saw high quality versions of the performances.

Final Breakdown (in my opinion)
1. James Arthur
2. Jahmene Douglas
3. Ella Henderson
4. Union J
5. Christopher Maloney
6. Rylan Clark

Union J: Call Me Maybe. This is a pretty safe choice as far as guilty pleasures go. It's relatively current and popular. It's an expected choice. I think the suits were a bad move. I don't know who made that decision but it was the wrong decision. They're good singers. The song is just a little boring. There's not a lot you can do with it. Jaymi is one of the standout singers in the competition and I think he's very charismatic. He just pops and even gives boring songs some vitality. I could stand to listen to them on the radio. There's not much more to say. I think they could have gone with a better song but this was fine.

Ella Henderson: I am coming off of Glease. The Role You Were Born to Play was AMAZING. Glease was a little bit of a letdown though I think the second half picked up and I like what they're building between Marley and Ryder. It's been good for the show to hire more real actors. "You're the One That I Want" was one of the standout numbers in that episode of Glee. So, I was kind of nervous for how she would take that duet and spin it. I could only find an audio version. But I thought it was gorgeous. This is the magic she brought during Bootcamp. Could I think of little things to critique? Yes, she was kind on the edge of going flat and could have been stronger at the beginning and there was bit of shakiness. But excluding one part where she didn't really land the note, she was really on top of her game. She avoided the awkward voice breaks. It felt like the right key. She pulled out all of her tricks. It was a really strong performance. Understated in the right way.

James Arthur: I love the Four Seasons. I love Jersey Boys. What do you mean guilty pleasure? Anyway, I thought this was a really sweet rendition. James has really done a great job of showing his range in terms of style and appeal. It wasn't the most radical interpretation or the most skillful rendition of the song. But it showed us another side of James that I didn't know we needed but that I'm glad we got. He can be quite a charmer. ;)

Rylan Clark: Girls on Film/When Will I Be Famous. I don't know either of these songs. The audio quality wasn't great but Rylan seemed to sound alright. I don't think it was his best performance but it wasn't his worst. The setup wasn't great. Even if it hadn't evoked a strip club, it was rather tacky. Maybe I was just expecting more OK Go and less... I don't know what it was. You have to love Rylan for that "I'm too skinny" comment in his bout with Gary.

Christopher Maloney: Total Eclipse of the Heart. I love Bonnie Tyler. It's a Heartache. Holding Out for a Hero. What's not to like? OK, the songs that weren't hits but still, Bonnie has some chops. This is not an easy song to live up to. And I've also got the Glee version in the back of my mind and anytime you go up against Lea Michele there's going to be trouble. There was something weird about it when he started. I almost had the sense he was talk-singing for some reason. The screen projecting what vaguely looked like his face was creepy beyond belief. When it kicked in and he started singing out, I thought it was alright. He's still not Bonnie or Lea but I thought it was fine.

Jahmene Douglas: Don't Leave Me This Way. Love this song. Jahmene killed it. I still think he still looks a little angry during his performances sometimes. But the vocals? Except for a few rough patches where I think he took it a little too high, it was perfection.