Miro's Musings:: X-Factor 2009

Showing posts with label X-Factor 2009. Show all posts

Nov 15, 2009

Stacey Solomon - X-Factor 2009

Since Lucie Jones was sadly eliminated from X-Factor 2009 last week, I'm hoping Stacey Solomon wins. When I first saw her at her audition, I thought she was going to be a joke and ridiculous, especially when she said she was going to sing "What A Wonderful World". My first impressions were horrible wrong. She has an amazing voice and great control and range. I also love her personality; it is a bit much at times, but I can't help but smile when I hear her talk and her mannerisms. She has progressed each week and is getting better. And her mentor, Dannii Minogue has been the most consistent, fair, and I hope she too can win with Stacey Solomon's victory. I realy loved her first audition and her amazing performance of "Who Wants To Live Forever?" by Queen. Check them out below:

Stacey Solomon's Audition - "What A Wonderful World":

Judges Home - "Somewhere Over The Rainbow":

Live Show 1: "The Scientist":

Live Show 2: "At Last":

Live Show 4 - "Somewhere Only We Know":

Week 6 - "Who Wants To Live Forever?":

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.

Nov 8, 2009

Lucie Jones' X-Factor 2009 Journey

Lucie Jones was eliminate from X-Factor 2009 in a VERY controversial decision by Simon Cowell. And I'm not at all happy about it. Lucie Jones was my favorite singer and here's why:

Audition: "I Will Always Love You" originally by Whitney Houston

Bootcamp: "Hurt" originally by Christina Aguilera

Judges Home: "Anything For You" originally by Gloria Estefan

Week 1 Live Show: "Footprints In The Sand" originally by Leona Lewis

Week 2 Live Show: "How Will I Know" originally by Whitney Houston

Week 3 Live Show: "My Funny Valentine" originally by Mitzi Green

Week 4 Live Show: "Sweet Child O' Mine" originally by Guns N' Roses

Week 5 Live Show: "This Is Me" originally by Demi Lovato

Live Show 5 Sing-off: "One Moment In Time" originally by Whitney Houston

And the horrible elimination:

Leona Lewis - "Happy" on X-Factor 2009

Leona Lewis returned to the X-Factor stage to sing her smash hit, "Happy".

As per usual, Leona's performance was amazing. She looked elegant and sang it brilliantly, especially the big high note in the middle. It crazy that she actually hits that note live and is not just a one time studio note. She is very talented and a great performer. I really love the black dress and the eye make-up. It really highlights the darkness of the song. Well done!

Nov 1, 2009

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.

X-Factor 2009 - Top 9 Result Show

X-Factor 2009 - Top 9

The Result Show

The Bottom 2:

Rachel Adedeji - "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" originally by Oasis

Lloyd Daniels - "You Are So Beautiful" originally by Billy Preston

And The Result:

Oct 31, 2009

X-Factor 2009 - Top 9

Rock Night

Joe McElderry - "Don't Stop Believing" originally by Journey

I thought Joe was pretty good. He sang really well and performed well, but was missing that extra spark, he looked like a popstar and not a rocker. But then again, he would be a great pop star and not such a great rocker.

Lucie Jones - "Sweet Child o' Mine" originally by Guns N' Roses

Lucie had some negative comments last week, but this was a whole new Lucie. She looked a bit uncomfortable at the start, but came through with the vocals and the performance. I prefer her singing ballads and pop, but she did well with the rock.

Danyl Johnson - "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" originally by Aerosmith

I don't know what it is with Danyl, but he hasn't been on top of his game for two weeks now. He forgot and flubbed the lyrics to this well known song, but the judges didn't mention it. It was a bit over the top near the end, but he did hit all the big notes. He needs his mojo back.

Lloyd Daniels - "I Kissed A Girl" originally by Katy Perry

Lloyd has also lost his mojo. It was an odd song choice and didn't fit with the genre. It was also odd for a guy to sing that. The production was great and parts of it were great, but his vocals need some improving and need to be stronger, they got lost with the background singers.

Stacey Solomon - "Somewhere Only We Know" originally by Keane

Stacey is amazing. She delivers week after week. I really liked the song choice and performance. I was worried about her doing rock week, but she managed to turn the pop song into a nice power ballad. I was surprised and really enjoyed it. Well done!

Jamie Archer - "Rocks" originally by Primal Scream

Expectations were high for Jamie, and for me, he fell short. I was expecting more, but as the judges said, there was something missing. His performance was very karaoke, and it did remind me of Lenny Kravitz, but not as great.

Rachel Adedeji - "One" originally by U2

Rachel was AMAZING. I think that was the best performance from her I've seen. She took on a classic song, and managed to make it her own (with some help from Mary J Blige). I love that she started slow and soft, getting the emotion in, and then turned on the rock and really kicked the performance into high gear. She nailed it.

John and Edward - "We Will Rock You" originally by Queen

John and Edward. Hopefully this is the last time I will have to watch them. The vocals were insane, they flubbed lyrics and got lost in the song. Horrible. It was a great production, but that's not what the show is about and I hope they leave.

Olly Murs - "Come Together" originally by The Beatles

Olly is another contestant who delivers week after week. The performance was amazing. He made the song modern and added his own style which makes it slick and hip. I'm not sure about the ending with ripping of the shirt or hair, but everything else was amazing, cool, and slick.

Who do you think will be in the Bottom 2 tomorrow?

Oct 27, 2009

X-Factor 2009 - Top 10

Big Band Week

Olly Murs did "Bewitched" and I was not impressed. It was a bit boring for me, and I felt like I was watching a performance at a hotel, and a cheesy hotel at that.

Llyod Daniels had a rough time last week, but this week, he did "Fly Me To The Moon" and it was better, but not great. His vocals were not great and he wasn't comfortable nor confident. And I agree with the judges about the back flip - it was odd and not the right song for it.

Miss Frank came back with their rendition of "That's Life". I thought they looked good this week, and sang really well. They showed personality, and of course, Graziella's rap was crazy cool. She is really talented and might be too big for the two other girls.

Rachel Adedeji had an amazing performance. Not only did she sound amazing singing "Proud Mary", but she showed personality and had fun out there. She was in the bottom two the last two weeks, but I don't think that will happen off that performance. Well done!

Jamie Archer sang "Angel of Harlem" which is a U2 song, and as Louis Walsh stated, I don't think it is big band. But Jamie is a great singer and an amazing performer. He was out of his element and didn't look as comfortable as he usually does, but it was a great performance nonetheless.

Stacey Solomon did "When You Wish Upon A Star" and looked like a princess. It was a bit too whimsical for me and a bit over the top, but she did look amazing and sang beautifully. It was an off song, a bit too slow, but she nailed it.

Danyl Johnson sang "Feeling Good" and it was very impressive. It sounded like a mix of Michael Buble's version and The Muse. It was really cool and very James Bond. The big long note at the end was amazing, but the end was a bit abrupt. Best performance of the night.

Joe McElderry did "Sway" and it was a very interesting song choice for Joe, little shy baby Joe. But he pulled it off. He not only sang it, but he performed it. He was out of his comfort zone, but one would not be able to tell looking at that performance. I think he will go far in the competition.

Lucie Jones did a super sexy rendition of "My Funny Valentine". She was so seductive and looked stunning. The vocals were great and she really delivered the song. She didn't just sing, she really got into character and performed it. She has amazing control of her vocals and really sang with emotions. Again I am very impressed and hope she wins.

John and Edward. I can't believe they are still in the competition. They attempted "She Bangs" by Ricky Martin, and honestly, I think I prefer William Hung's version.

Go on and click on READ MORE to find out which two acts were in the bottom two, watch their sing-off, and see who was sent home.

Bottom 2 Sing-Off

Miss Frank - "Love Don't Live Here Anymore"

Danyl Johnson - "With A Little Help From My Friends"

The Results

Your Thoughts?

Which performance did you like the most?

Which did you least like?

Oct 26, 2009

Michael Buble - "Cry Me A River" on X-Factor 2009

Michael Buble's fourth and latest studio album, Crazy Love, was released on the 9th of October, and is topping the charts. It has claimed the #1 spot in the US, Canada, Australia, and Italy. It is #2 on the album charts in the UK, as Alexandra Burke's debut album Overcome came in at the top spot.

This last week, Michael Buble presented a master class for Big Band week with the X-Factor 2009 contestants, and on Sunday's result show, he performed a track from the album called "Cry Me A River"

I am a fan of Michael Buble and am enjoying Crazy Love. I particularly like his cover of "Cry Me A River". It feels like a James Bond theme song. Michael Buble is an amazing performer and vocalist. He really delivers the emotion of the song and sells every word of it. He also has a great sense of humor (see 4:10) and is a class act.

What are your thoughts on Michael Buble?

What about his performance and song?

X-Factor 2009 - Top 11

X-Factor 2009 - Top 11

Missed the Top 12? Don't remember what happened? Fear not, it's all here for you: X-Factor 2009 - Top 12

(Again, this is a recap from last weekend's episode. I will have this weekend's recap later today)

Lucie Jones sang "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston. She opened the show and seemed a bit nervous. Her vocals were good, but her dancing was a bit rigid, she didn't look very comfortable. But she didn't do a ballad as one would expect from her for Divas week. I still hope she wins.

Olly Murs sang "A Fool in Love" by Tina Turner. It was an odd song choice, but he is very cool and suave, and pulled it off. His singing was great and he put on a great performance. He is really comfortable on stage and is a great showman.

Miss Frank sang "All The Man That I Need" by Whitney Houston. They had really great vocals and harmonies, but didn't quite gel as a group. They did put their own stamp on the song, but overall, it fell a bit short for me. They may need more time to progress.

Rachel Adedeji did an amazing version of "If I Were A Boy" by Beyonce. She added her own style to it and she can sing. She is really talented and I hope she stays in the competition for a while, but as Simon said, we need to see more of her personality and we need to get to know her.

Joe McElderry sang "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" by Whitney Houston, and I had mixed feelings about it. I liked his vocals and think he has amazing talent and control, but the song and arrangement didn't tickle my fancy, and the performance was boring for me.

Danyl Johnson likes to take risks, and this week he did a brand new Whitey Houston song called "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" and the song was too epic and dramatic for me. I want to see him tone it down, and sing a song without all the extra performance. I want to see him do some acoustic ballad.

Lloyd Daniels attempted "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis and it did not work. I didn't like the arrangement and his voice is not strong enough to hit those notes and it was a really bad song choice by Cheryl.

John and Edward. Why are they still in the competition?! They did an aweful attempt at "Oops!... I Did It Again" by Britney Spears. It was horrible. Bad dancing, horrible singing, odd costumes and choreography. They need to be voted off soon.

Rikki Loney did "Respect" and it was not worthy of it. It sounded like karaoke and he didn't have command of the song. He did hit the big note and did it well, but the rest of the performance was lacking.

Jamie Archer sang "Hurt" by Christina Aguilera and did it well. We are used to seeing him do rock songs, but he toned it down for this one. He had great vocals, and his performance was great - he was able to convey emotions. He is a natural and very comfortable on the stage.

Stacey Solomon closed the show with "At Last" by Etta James. She looked a bit uncomfortable and admitted that she wasn't familiar with the song. But she sang it beautifully. She has a talent and amazing voice and will have a great recording career, with or without winning the competition.

And that is my take on last week's episode. Hit the Read More button below to see all the performances. You'll also see the bottom 2 acts and find out who got eliminated. But don't stop there, share your comments.

X-Factor 2009 - Top 11 Performances:

Lucie Jones - "How Will I Know" originally by Whitney Houston

Olly Murs - "A Fool In Love" originally by Tina Turner