Live Show 8: Celebrity/Audience Choice

[aradia22]

I didn't know what to call this. A "celebrity" singer/group picks the first song. The audience voted on the second song.

[aradia22]

OK, here we go. Round one.

 

Ben Haenow: Come Together picked by One Direction. So many jokes. So little time. This is a great song for Ben. A little rock with nonsense lyrics. I feel like he could be trying harder. The vocals are mediocre. He's relying on the natural quality of his voice.

Lauren Platt: Clarity picked by Little Mix. If this was for Andrea I could make a joke about his terrible diction. Not horrible. Not great. I get where this would be a good choice for her but she's not landing all the notes. But I think I've heard her be worse? So... yeah, she better not win.

Stereo Kicks: Just the Way You Are chosen by Tulisa. Tom Mann started off OK. Not great but OK. Same for Charlie though he was a bit flat. Same for Reece who I think is slightly better than the other two. Maybe. I don't know, this song doesn't start off strong so as long as you can sing Happy Birthday you can pretty much sing the beginning of this song. Jake was OK today. I've realized he's singing from his throat. He should stop doing that. Oh, thank God, James is back! Chris and the one whose name I can't remember got a little duet portion. I can't pick apart their voices enough to tell who was a little off but they were also basically fine. I think this was a good week for them. It was a good level of boy band mediocrity. One Direction light. And isn't that what the producers have always wanted?

Fleur East: A Fool in Love chosen by Emeli Sande. Well, at least it's not another person directly affiliated with X Factor. I don't know this song which makes it harder to critique but I think it's a bad choice going for throwback when everyone else is doing relatively current hits. It wasn't awful but I don't think it plays to Fleur's strengths. Also, what was with the fans?

Andrea Faustini: Chandelier chosen by Sam Smith. Why would you do this to me, Sam Smith? On the plus side, while I didn't exactly enjoy it, the song prevented Andrea from being Andrea for most of it so it was more enjoyable than the majority of his performances. I revise my opinion. Good job, Sam Smith.

Edited November 30, 2014 by aradia22

[aradia22]

Round two.

 

Lauren Platt: Don't You Worry Child. This was much better than her first performance. Still kind of boring but competent. Oop, wait, her voice cracked again. I'm still going to put this among her better performances.

Ben Haenow: Thinking Out Loud. Coffee shop. Meh. But not bad. He hasn't gotten to genuine but he's reached bland so at least it isn't so smarmy.

Stereo Kicks: Run. I think they did this in boot camp. James starting off a little tentatively. You can be quiet while still having that contained power. I think Reece's voice is mediocre but relatively pleasant. Weird that he's getting more screen time this week. Good job hitting the notes, Tom. He still has a weird chipmunk voice though. James is still the best but he cracked a bit and then was a little shouty. Don't get sick, James Graham! Stereo Kicks cannot go on without you! Someone was throwing off the harmony a little. Oh, good, James is back. Whew, I was getting scared. The poor thing's going to get vocal damage carrying the group like this.

Fleur East: If I Ain't Got You. A bit meh. Good, but it could be better. This suits her so much that it doesn't really push her to stretch. Even when she tries for Whitney and doesn't get there at least she gets to a high point. You know what I mean?

Andrea Faustini: Hero. I think I like him better when he's singing in Italian. But also, you know, with some restraint.

Round one rankings: 1. Stereo Kicks 2. Andrea 3. Fleur 4. Ben 5. Lauren

Round two rankings: 1. Andrea 2. Stereo Kicks 3. Lauren 4. Fleur 5. Ben

 

Overall rankings: 1. Andrea 2. Stereo Kicks 3. Ben 4. Fleur 5. Lauren

 

My guess is that even though I think he doesn't try hard enough Ben will be safe since he's a favorite to win. Stereo Kicks did well this week and so did Andrea plus he probably has a boost from being in the bottom 2 (and getting Andrea fans scared that he'll be eliminated). So I'd guess that the two girls will be in the bottom 2. Fleur will probably go and I'll be really sad and angry.

[Kaoteek]

Round 1 & 2 :

 

# Ben : Come Together was fine, even though the douchy vibe (aka "the Simon Factor") was amped to the max w/ those dancers, and the way he reacted to them ; second song was absolutely & utterly forgettable.

# Lauren : not a good first song, with some off key moments ; better second song, but still not very impressive.

# Stereo Kicks : I swear, as time goes by, I can see James slowly dying inside while he has to carry the few members of the group whose mics are barely on. Not an awful week for them.

# Fleur : I enjoyed both of her performances, even though I'll admit those were neither the most compelling, relevant songs, nor vote-getting songs. I somehow feel her voice was not 100% this week.

# Andrea : solid work, but still, Whitney, Whitney, Whitney, okay, we got it, change things up a little, it's getting boring.

 

Agreed with aradia : Probably Fleur vs Lauren, and I fear Fleur's song choices will do her in. I hope not, cos when she's on, with the appropriate songs, she's got the potentiel to win this.

[aradia22]

Miraculously

Fleur

was safe! Now I'll be fine if

she

goes home. Next week is the Cher Lloyd spot. The week after is One Direction. There's only heartbreak for second place, otherwise known as my favorite to win... Rebecca Ferguson or Marcus Collins. If you win, you could be a Little Mix but most winners are mismanaged and end up in obscurity so I'm hoping it'll be Ben. Ben feels like a Matt Cardle.

 

Oh, right, the results. It was

Lauren vs. Stereo Kicks

. It went to deadlock.

Stereo Kicks

went home.

How soon do you think James will try to launch his solo career. 

[aradia22]

I decided on my Stereo Kicks lineup. I would have gone with James, Barclay, Reece, and Charlie with the option of Tom and/or Chris.

[Nedsdag]

I decided on my Stereo Kicks lineup. I would have gone with James, Barclay, Reece, and Charlie with the option of Tom and/or Chris.

If Simon is building the next One Direction, he should dump Barclay for Tom (cute guy, not much of a singer) and keep Chris since like 1D's Niall he's Irish.

 

Regardless, 

I'm glad that Stereo Kicks AKA Octoboyz, Boyz II Many, James Graham and the Four Seasons, Eight Znuff, and the SK Tabernacle Choir are going home.

[Kaoteek]

Well... Lauren's performance was pretty good, tonight, whereas Stereo Kicks' was... mediocre, at best. And as always, it was because a few of them are unable to sing in tune when needed. Good riddance, and let's hope it doesn't just kill James Graham solo career dead in its tracks.

[aradia22]

 

Boyz II Many, James Graham and the Four Seasons, Eight Znuff

Love it. All better names than Stereo Kicks. Boys II Many is my favorite.

 

And as always, it was because a few of them are unable to sing in tune when needed.

I thought Lauren was good for Lauren but it still wasn't anything I'd listen to outside of the competition. If you're just a ballad singer... not a songwriter, no vocal tricks, no big range, no unique tone or vocal quality... then you need to be the best. Lauren is far from the best. I don't get Stereo Kicks. You just need to sing in tune for a few bars. How hard is that? It's not even like the ones who can't sing make up for it by being attractive like the boys in One Direction. 

[Kromm]

Stereo Kicks: Just the Way You Are chosen by Tulisa. Tom Mann started off OK. Not great but OK. Same for Charlie though he was a bit flat. Same for Reece who I think is slightly better than the other two. Maybe. I don't know, this song doesn't start off strong so as long as you can sing Happy Birthday you can pretty much sing the beginning of this song. Jake was OK today. I've realized he's singing from his throat. He should stop doing that. Oh, thank God, James is back! Chris and the one whose name I can't remember got a little duet portion. I can't pick apart their voices enough to tell who was a little off but they were also basically fine. I think this was a good week for them. It was a good level of boy band mediocrity. One Direction light. And isn't that what the producers have always wanted?

Don't sweat not knowing one or two of their names. I mean how do you know ANY of them?  They're like a big blur to me, this pack of kiddies.  I know there's a really young one.  And there's one that sings a little more than the others.  And... maybe one other that sings a bit more often too.  And then a pack of others who have no real identity for me.

Andrea Faustini: Chandelier chosen by Sam Smith. Why would you do this to me, Sam Smith? On the plus side, while I didn't exactly enjoy it, the song prevented Andrea from being Andrea for most of it so it was more enjoyable than the majority of his performances. I revise my opinion. Good job, Sam Smith.

Very good analysis.  The song forced him to just sing, other than that not so good falsetto he doesn't really have.  But there were less places for him to overact the song, since while it IS a very over the top song, it's very linear in how you have to sing it.  You can't add in extra nonsense.

[aradia22]

A few weeks ago I read this article http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/x-factor-2014-finalists-stereo-4385266 and spent about 3 minutes trying to memorize their names so I could make jokes and do a better job critiquing their performances. It's hard to be like "that's one flat, then the next one was on key, then the next one was flat again." It's confusing. Anyway, they're gone so it doesn't matter anymore. Not that it every really mattered.

[Kromm]

BTW, only just now saw the results show from this.  Nothing much to say, since I knew the results anyway, but I DO have to say that intro for Adam Lambert & Queen really seemed to shaft Lambert, didn't it?  I know he doesn't have the usual statistics to throw up on screen like most guests (his first album did go Gold in the US, and Platinum in Australia and Canada, and his second album DID get to #1 in the US--but he's barely broken the UK), and I suppose I can understand them not slapping the words "American Idol" or "Glee" on-screen, but the actual intro package almost had his presence whispered at the end.