X-Factor 2009 - "You Are Not Alone" Live

The top 12 X-Factor Finalists have recorded a cover Michael Jackson's hit "You Are Not Alone" for this year's charity single. The acts included are Kandy Rain, Rikki Loney, Miss Frank, Rachel Adedeji, Lucie Jones, Jamie Archer, Stacey Solomon, Olly Murs, Joe McEdlerry, Danyl Johnson, John & Edward, and Lloyd Daniels. Last year, the charity single was "Hero" by Mariah Carey, and it went in at #1, giving all the contestants their first hit single, as well as helping out the charity.

Here is the Music Video:

And the Live Debut on X-Factor:

I have mixed feelings about this. I really like the concept of doing a charity single and it is for a great cause. The video before the performance about the charity and the clips in the music video did make me tear up a bit. But I don't know about the song choice or the vocals. "You Are Not Alone" is not one of my favorite songs, it's a bit boring. And this version in particular is really boring; there is not great big moment. The vocals by Stacey Solomon, Joe McElderry and Lucie Jones stand out, but the rest don't do it for me. I don't hate it, but I'm not excited about it. Last year's cover of "Hero" was amazing with Rachel Hylton, Laura White, Diana Vickers, JLS, and Alexandra Burke. And the music video is the same as last years! I would expect something different from a major tv show such as X-Factor. It is the exact same thing - with different people and different clips. Change it up a bit, no?

I'm not a fan of the vocals or the video. I really do like Stacey Solomon and Lucie Jones. I hope the single does well for the charity and raises money, but from a musical standpoint, it is short of amazing.

JLS - "Everybody In Love" on X-Factor

The boys from JLS returned to the X-Factor stage to perform their new single, "Everybody In Love", which is out in stores tomorrow. Their album, JLS, hits stores next Monday, November the 9th.

The song has grown on me, but it's still not my favorite. It sounds a bit too much like Usher. It also sounds very generic and unoriginal. JLS are better than that and I hope their album has more hits like "Beat Again". I did like the performance though, it was big and a great way to return to The X-Factor. Although, I'm not too sure about some of the dance moves.

JLS - Beat Again

JLS were the runner's up in last years X-Factor, losing out to Alexandra Burke. But don't feel too bad for them, as Aston, Marvin, JB, and Oritse already have two number one singles, "Hero" and "Beat Again" and are looking to add a third when they release the single, "Everybody in Love"on the 2nd of November. They also just won 2 MOBO Awards, one for Best UK Newcomber and Best Song for "Beat Again". They will be releasing their album, JLS, on the 9th of November in the UK. Not too bad, eh?

"Beat Again" is about as infectious as RnB can get. It's got the great beat, good vocals and so interesting dance moves. To be honest, I'm not a fan of the video, it's too chessy and cliche, but the song is really good. I can't get it out of my head and had it on repeat for days when I first heard it. The beat is sick.

They may be singnig "Everybody In Love" in their new song, but I'm not in love with the song. It's sounds like every other RnB slow jam, and it's nothing special. The guys can sing and swoon, but it's a bit too much and sounds a lot like something Usher would do, and I'm not a fan. Check out the video, or audio only below:

"Everybody In Love"

Overall, I'm on the fence about JLS, and that was how I felt about them on X-Factor. There were weeks where they killed the song, vocals and dance routines, but there were also days that didn't do it for me. "Beat Again" is one of my favorite tracks at the moment, but I could pass on "Everybody In Love". I guess I will have to wait until the album comes out before I decide.

What do you all think of "Beat Again" and "Everybody In Love"?

X-Factor 2008 - Hero

On October 27th of 2008, the top 12 contestants of X-Factor released a cover of Mariah Carey's classic hit "Hero". Proceeds from the single sales went to an organization called "Help for Heroes" which helps British Servicemen and women.

The single came in at #1 on the charts, giving the 12 acts a number one hit single before the season had ended. They sold 313,224 copies during the first week, which was more than the rest of the top 10 combined.

The top 12 acts were: Bad Lashes, Girl Band, Scott Bruton, Austin Drage, Larua White, Daniel Evans, Rachel Hylton, Ruth Lorenzo, Diana Vickers, Eoghan Quigg, JLS, and Alexandra Burke.

Here is the official Music Video:

And a performance on the X-Factor:

I really like this version of the song. It is a beautiful song, and one that is not easy to cover. I didn't think they would be able to make it work, seeing as there are some 20+ people singing, but they managed to pull it off without sounding like a cheesy and too much like a choir. I really like the vocals by Alexandra Burke and Laura White. Rachel Hylton is amazing on the bridge of the song. I also like the soft quality of Diana Vickers and Eoghan Quigg, especially the last note.

(And you may notice that Ruth Lorenzo and Daniel Evans weren't in the "live" performance - there was a glitch and they weren't able to get onto the stage... bummer!)

What are your thoughts on "Hero" by the X-Factor 2008 Top 12? Which singers/sections did you enjoy more?