X Factor Big Band Week

Amongst a week of preparing for Halloween, arranging a 1930’s style costume for my son’s school trip, two visits to school for two children (doing a colour trail and a literacy trail), walking the dog twice a day, changing mom’s stockings every other night, shopping, hospital appointments, getting up at 6.30 one morning to make chocolate fairy cakes (which earned me the title of best mom ), taking mom on errands along with all the other usual mummy and family type stuff - phew!!  I had to have one bit of normality.

This was of course sitting down to watch the X Factor. 

Now I love the big band week, it’s one of my favourite shows, but for me they did it too soon during the series and the whole show was sadly flat.  I don’t think any of the contestants were ready for such a big week (apart from Rhydian) and the choice of songs out of so many big band songs was quite frankly appalling.

• Leon was more confident this week although he needs to sort his dancing style out, but the big band show suited him more so it probably helped him
• Niki was given the wrong song and dance routine.  I think she’s got a good voice but she should have had the chance to belt a song out.  The sexy routine just seemed awkward.
• Same Difference.  I’m not sure about this act as x factor winners, but they put on a good performance and are just so bubbly you can’t fail to smile at them.
• Hope.  This was, to quote a Simon Cowellism, ‘a train wreck’.  Wrong choice of song, sung flat, not a coordinated performance.  They can do so much better.  They are relying too much on being ’sexy’.  Get the vocals sorted first.
• Alisha.  Even though she got through, I think Sharon could have chosen a much more ‘popular’ song.  She was lucky to be voted back.
• Futureproof.  I really like this band as I think individually they are all really good singers.  Simon chose the completely wrong song for them and has now paid the price for it.
• Andy.  I really want to like this act, but I think Dannii needs to ‘butch him up’.  Give him a funky new hairstyle, stop with the ‘weak puppy eyed performances’ and give him a power song he can sing that shows what he is capable of.  And Dannii, not ‘every girl’ will be voting for him.  (It does annoy me when people generalise like that.)
• Beverley.  Although she was great, I still think she could have been given a bigger, more powerful song to sing.  A bit of Shirley Bassey would have been good.
• Rhydian.  I thought he stole the show overall, purely because he ‘owns the stage’.  I did think the arrangement was a bit like the ‘Phantom’ so it would have been good to see it a little differently, but again he won me over this week.

This coming week the judges need to re-think their strategies.  All these acts deserve the best support their mentors can give them.  Futureproof should not have gone this week and Simon admitted he chose the wrong songs.  Too late.  It’s not just the acts that only get one chance each week!

(I’m such a pop-mogul aren’t I??). 

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