The X Factor Rankings: Live Show 2

October 15, 2011 in TV with 1 Comment

Was it me or was this weekend’s second live instalment of The X Factor a bit of a downgrade from last week? A lot of acts failed to really stick out through all the massive productions, but some were still pretty ace so let’s have a rankage.

Number in brackets is where I stuck them last week.

1 (3) Janet Devlin
Janetbabes has had a tough week, but it didn’t affect her performance. Her rendition was beautiful – not big, balls-out massive; just really, really touching and very lovely. Before last week’s performance I wasn’t even a fan, and naturally she will slip up when it comes to “IN DA CLUB WEEK” or whatever fast-paced themes lie ahead, but for now she remains a frontrunner.

2 (2) Misha B
Misha “PUT IT DOWN” for the second week in a row, and though I did ultimatelyt prefer ‘Rolling In The Deep’ she did bring a 90s classic to the fore and make it “contemporary”. Reports that she’s been a diva backstage are yet to be addressed, but if they’re true then why is Kitty getting so much harder a time…?

3 (11) Rhythmix
Top marks for these girls – ‘I’m Like A Bird’ wasn’t perfect (what performance this week was?!) but the VT before they went on went some way to earning them some likeability, and the urban re-interpretation of ‘I’m Like A Bird’ was great. I hope they don’t go this week – they categorically do not deserve it.

4 (7) Marcus Collins
Kelly was right when she said she wanted more “oomph” from Marcus, but this was so much more his “thing” than that disappointing ‘Moves Like Jagger’ rendition from last Saturday. The last half in particular was wicked.

5 (1) Sophie Habibis
Was ‘Wherever You Will Go’ as good as ‘Teenage Dream’? No. But it was still a great performance. The wavy wailing from note to note will annoy some viewers, but hopefully she can pull herself back into the very upper echelons next Saturday. I hope she stays for a long time.

6 (9) Sami Brookes
‘I Will Always Love You’?! SPOT THE MENTOR. A great performance but too early in the show and too cliche a song choice to be remembered. Her VT was great though and, again, I hope she manages to pull through the public vote for another week.

7 (6) The Risk
‘Just The Way You Are’ was a little safe, just like their performance last week. They need to start living up to their name and taking some risks. But they are four great singers, and though I don’t yet think they can have a JLS standard of success outside of the show, they’re definitely in this for the long haul.

8 (5) Craig Colton
Not ‘Jar Of Hearts’ was it? And again, I don’t like how he forces the attitude and the emotion rather than really “feel it” (and I know how wanky that sounds). He has a great voice, but he needs to calm down the theatrics in my opinion.

9 (12) Kitty Brucknell
She did a good job this week of actually singing rather than just shouting, but Kelly’s right – it’s all very well kissing off the haters, but if nobody’s going to like her then nobody’s going to buy the records are they?!  Good for her sticking up for anti-bullying but she’s SO MELODRAMATIC!

10 (10) Nu Vibe
No Vibe indeed. But seriously, they’re not that bad. But seriously, they’re still not great.

11 (8) Frankie Cocozza
I thought Frankie did good last week, but this week ‘The Scientist’ was A) uncomfortable to watch, B) performed too intensely, and C) not totally in tune. In fact the tuning really wasn’t great at all. He gets a hard time from the ‘HATERZ’ but, seriously, he deserves to be in the Bottom 2. He won’t be, but he deserves to be.

12 (14) Johnny Robinson
Even they do let Johnny show off his voice, he will still sound like a chipmunk. End of.

What are everyone’s thoughts?

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X Factor live show 2: Who’s singing what

October 15, 2011 in TV with 2 Comments

Breaking news! ITV have revealed tonight’s song choices one hour ahead of the show. I’ve assumed this is the running order but there’s no official confirmation of that.

Craig Colton – Best Thing I Ever Had: Of course he is! He’ll inject more over-theatrical artificial emotion into this, but his voice will be awesome.

Johnny Robinson – Can’t Get You Out Of My Head: OH SODDING HELL

Janet Devlin – I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You: Perhaps won’t be as magical as ‘Fix You’ but should still be special.

Rhythmix – I’m Like A Bird: Good choice! Let’s see if it’s a bit less messy than ‘Superbass’.

Kitty Brucknell – It’s Oh So Quiet: This won’t be popular. We’ll see how she gets on. Shout o’clock…

Sami Brookes – I Will Always Love You: Guess the mentor, anyone? COME ON, SAMI.

The Risk – Just The Way You Are: Another good choice from Tulisa. Safe, but that’s fine for Week 2.

Marcus Collins – Russian Roulette: AMAZING. Marcus could make himself a frontrunner tonight.

Frankie Cocozza – The Scientist: Fuck my life… Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt but giving him an iconic Coldplay song ain’t gonna win him more fans…

Nu Vibe – With Or Without You: Ooh, this is a good choice. They are favourites to go this weekend, but pulling this off will keep them in.

Misha B – Would I Lie To You: What we’ll really be looking for is if either Misha or Kelly address reports of a backstage dressing-down… has Misha become an arrogant diva?

Sophie Habibis – Wherever You Will Go: Yes, there’s a risk that this is a bit risky seeing as a similar version is already doing so well. But if she pulls it off, it’ll be incredible. I love her.

Check back later for my ranking of the performances, and join me as I livetweet the whole show @shaunkitchener.

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The X Factor live show 2: The bookies’ predictions

October 15, 2011 in TV with 0 Comments

The tabloids have had a week to get over last weekend’s “BLOODBATH” (best headline) of a quadruple elimination, and now The X Factor finalists gear up for the first proper week of live shows in which they finally face the public vote.

Going in to this weekend, Janet Devlin remains top choice with bookies on 5/2 odds, but it could all change this time tomorrow with the rising Misha B on her tail on 7/2. The Risk and Craig Colton are both generally placed around the 5/1 mark by various bookmakers, with Sophie Habibis rounding off the Top 5 on 8/1. I really hope she proves to be the token dark horse in the same vein as Rebecca Ferguson, who perhaps won’t win, but will at least emerge as a viable singer with an amazing recording voice. I’m still getting over ‘Teenage Dream’.

Frankie Cocozza’s odds have been drifting gradually over the week and he’s now on 12/1 to take victory, but it is still early days and I would be shocked to see him leave before at least the semi-finals. Marcus Collins is on 16/1, a contestant for whom I would say the song choice makes all the difference between forgettable and incredible.

Those seven are really the only ones considered as having a fighting chance, as the remaining contestants are all long shots. Nu Vibe and Sami Brookes are right down on 40/1, with Rhythmix, Johnny Robinson and Kitty Brucknell at the bottom of the heap in various orders depending on which bookmaker you choose to look at. Kitty is generally the bottomest (?) of the bottom though, with 66/1 odds.

That said, it’s Nu Vibe who are favourites to be evicted this week. You can get odds of around 2/1 on them being axed on Sunday, and with Rhythmix the second faves to go it seems Tulisa may have a bleary-eyed Sunday results show ahead of her. Kitty Brucknell is 5/1 to leave next, with Johnny Robinson and Sami Brookes the only other realistic possibilities on 6/1. If you fancy placing a bet on Janet being eliminated, you can find 100/1 odds.

In other markets, Louis is the favourite to lose all of his acts first, with Kelly the narrow frontrunner to be the winning mentor.

What do you think will happen this weekend? Do you agree with the bookies or are they talking shit? Use the comment box below to make your opinions known…

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The X Factor Rankings: Live Show 1

October 9, 2011 in TV with 0 Comments

Vocally, the 2011 X Factor finalists are among the best ever but, cruelly, four will be shown the door in tonight’s results show. If only Kelly could keep all four and Louis could lose a couple…

20111009-155825.jpg1. Sophie Habibis
Surprise of the night was definitely Sophie, who reinvented ‘Teenage Dream’ as a lovely, twinkly ballad. If it wasn’t for the cruel twist meaning Kelly has to send one of her acts packing, she could develop over the course of the competition into a potential secret weapon. As it is, she’s at risk of being halted before she’s even got off the ground.

2. Misha B
We all know Misha B is a talented young singer/rapper, but last night was SICK. Her spin on ‘Rolling In The Deep’ packed a fantastic punch and she performs like a total pro. I really will be surprised if Kelly picks her for the chop. Think Cher Lloyd but better and more likeable.

3. Janet Devlin
I have been on the fence with Janet since her first audition, and I’ve found her too hiccuppy to warm too. But she held back on the yelpy screeching during her performance of Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’ and the result was an amazing rendition. Of course she will continue to divide viewers who find her tone irritating, but last night she did, as they say, “arrive”.

4. Amelia Lily
Amelia is my favourite contestant, and she properly brought it home last night with an energetic performance of ‘Billie Jean’. But, due to this silly twist, I’m worried she may be sent on her way tonight. Also the image is totally wrong, and there was nothing whatsoever wrong with her style at her first audition.

5. Craig Colton
I found the added ladelfulls of over-wrought emotion a bit too forceful an attempt to recreate Adele’s BRITs performance, but there really is no denying that Craig’s vocal was exceptional. Will he sell records? Not sure. But last night certainly made an impression.

6. The Risk
These four head it up for the groups with four equally marketable members. They can all sing and they can all perform, and they also come together convincingly as well. Manufactured to the extreme, but they’ll be around a while.

7. Marcus Collins
Marcus is, I believe, Gary’s best shot at victory, but I’m not convinced on last night’s song choice. He did a great job with it, but he may well have stolen the show if he was given something with a slightly less challenging chorus.

20111009-160017.jpg8. Frankie Cocozza
A hard one to judge. If you love Frankie, you won’t find fault with him. If you hate him, you won’t admit the positivies. So looking at him objectively, he did a good job. Not among the standouts, but certainly enough to prove he can sing a pleasant song pleasantly.

9. Sami Brookes
Sami will suffer from being in Louis Walsh’s category. The song choices will all be “disco” and hi-camp, and though she will hit them out the park, she won’t appeal to a modern young voter. She’s great, but can’t see her staying in beyond the half way point.

10. Nu Vibe
I think Tulisa should send these guys on their way. They did a good performance last night but they don’t gel as a group, and the only reason they went down well last night was because they sung a cleverly chosen song to a decent standard, but honestly I don’t think there’s room for both them and The Risk.

11. Rhythmix
Perhaps the girls’ performance needed to be seen in the studio to be appreciated, because all four judges absolutely loved it. On TV, it was OK but not particularly memorable. They did a great song to a 6/10 standard. I hope they get another chance to prove themselves.

12. Kitty Brucknell
The silence in the audience when the judges complimented her performance was SO uncomfortable it hurt, but Kitty just doesn’t stand out against the other girls. Is she terrible? She’s a bit shouty, but no she’s not that bad. She just doesn’t stick out enough for reasons other than “she’s gimmicky”.

13. 2 Shoes
I’m so disappointed that Tulisa is turning 2 Shoes into a novelty act. They stand a cat in hell’s chance of being anything more than this year’s Diva Fever unless she lets them do a fun performance without half a kilo of cheese thrown in.

14. Johnny Robinson
A lovely guy, but with zippedeedoodah chance of winning. His performance of ‘Believe’ was vocally competant but Louis is going to turn him into a novelty mess, and though he may be in until the later stages based solely on the Wagner Effect, he has no credibility at all.

15. James Michael
What a disappointment! Unremarkable song choice and an unsatisfactory vocal make James the easy target for elimination tonight. He was cracking in the auditions and his tone is gorgeous, but I think he’s made Gary’s decision quite straightforward.

16. Jonjo Kerr
Absolutely nothing to say about this performance. It happened, it was below average, it was forgotten a few minutes laterzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…

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The X Factor Final 16: How they stand

October 3, 2011 in Music with 0 Comments

A few surprises and a few travesties in the X Factor Judges’ Houses reveal episode, but punters have been betting on their favourites like crazy, and now the contenders are really starting to emerge. Who’s looking likely to win, and who’s set to bow out within the first couple of weeks? Take a peek at the early betting odds for the Top 16 below. Note how the first 8 are exclusively from Kelly and Gary’s groups, and the bottom 8 belong to Louis and Tulisa…

Janet Devlin – 3/1 favourite
I think Janet is a sweet girl but I’m not a fan. I love Diana Vickers and Ellie Goulding but I find Janet’s pitch too much like a chipmunk. I’m open to seeing how she gets on in the live shows, and as the bookies’ favourite she certainly won’t be going anywhere for a long time, but at the moment I’m not sure I see the hype.

Amelia Lily – 4/1
Amelia’s my favourite, but I don’t know how far I see her going. She’s currently second favourite with the bookies but I wouldn’t be surprised if she drifts as the show progresses and other acts come into their own. Kelly has a lot of pressure on her to take Amelia’s massive voice and put it to good use. ‘E.T’ at judges’ houses and her very first audition were both exceptional.

James Michael – 8/1
I’m not sure how much exactly James will benefit from the X Factor tag – will the show try too hard to make him something he’s not, or will it make the most of his potential? The live shows will either see him grow into a star or be wasted somewhere in the middle of the live finals.

Frankie Cocozza – 9/1
Frankie will probably follow One Direction, Olly Murs and JLS into becoming the token Successful Loser. His voice is limited but he has the charm, fanbase and teen appeal to be in the competition for a while. He just can’t let his vocals slack, as the judges may not save him should he ever land in the sing-off.

Marcus Collins – 10/1
Marcus’ first audition remains one of my favourites, and Gary just has to angle his performances just right to corner the necessary market. There’s no reason why Marcus shouldn’t be in the competition for a very long time.

Sophie Habibis – 11/1
I can’t help but feel we may have been properly introduced to Sophie too late for her to be in with a good shot at the title. She has a lovely voice but in all the fuss around Jade, and the impression that squeaky-clean Melanie would be the one who could cause an upset, Sophie kind of slipped by unnoticed. A very talented young lady, but she’s got an uphill journey ahead of her to avoid early elimination.

Misha Bryan – 14/1
I’m surprised that Misha is currently least favourite with bookies out of all Kelly’s girls. Perhaps she’ll end up as spunky as Rachel Adedeji and daring as Cher Lloyd – i.e. a memorable contestant, but not one people will vote for. She may get swallowed up in the grand epicness of the live shows, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Craig Colton – 14/1
I can’t see Craig going the whole way, but then two years ago I didn’t have Joe McElderry down as a contender until half-way through the live shows. Still, I don’t see what kind of style and appeal Craig will opt for, and as a result, I don’t quite see who will buy his music.

Nu Vibe – 16/1
The top-rated group are so mid-table it’s hard to imagine Tulisa walking away victorious at this point. Nu Vibe seem too much like JLS in a boyband market that has, over the past year or so, suddenly become very over-populated. They may struggle if Frankie already has the tween market cornered.

The Risk – 20/1
The “story” behind these boys could pay off, but then on the other hand the botch-job of putting them together may detract from their appeal. It’ll be interesting to see how long they’re around for, but I feel they may be gone in the first few weeks.

Jonjo Kerr – 25/1
Jonjo’s recieved so little airtime I doubt he’ll get very far. His story is likeable but on stage he’ll probably drift into blandness very early on and be eliminated within a few weeks.

Sami Brookes – 33/1
I’m SO PLEASED Sami’s been given a second chance. It summed Louis Walsh up when producers highlighted the fact that Sami was “the voice” and Louis had no interest in people who could sing. Will she win? Absolutely no chance. But she’ll keep us entertained until she leaves.

2 Shoes – 33/1
I am surprised at the lack of support from bookmakers and online polls towards 2 Shoes. Duos are notoriously hard to pitch but these girls are so much fun and they can perform well as well. I hope Tulisa is wise with their song choices, because if not they will be discarded very quickly. I hope they can turn their low ranking around.

Kitty Brucknell – 40/1
Ah, Kitty. Will she get saved when (not if) she ends up in the Sing-Off? Who knows. She makes Katie Waissel look exceptionally likeable, and she did herself no favours by scuppering a surprisingly touching performance at Judges’ Houses by then jumping the pool – a reminder that she is an attention-seeker before a singer.

Johnny Robinson – 50/1
Johnny is incredibly likeable but the divisive high pitch to his voice will see him out quite early on. He’s entertaining, and he’s SO primetime ITV1 it hurts, but there’s absolutely no chance of him winning.

Rhythmix – 66/1
It’s a shame girlbands never last more than five minutes on The X Factor, because Rhythmix are pretty good. But their terribly over-quirky image won’t do them any favours and their lack of noticeably big personalities will struggle to win them fans. Unfortunately they may be out next week.

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X Factor Judges’ Houses Predictions: Boys

September 26, 2011 in TV with 0 Comments

One thing is certain about Sunday’s Judges’ Houses results show – there WILL be tears.

The annual sobfest will see the Final 32 contestants halved, in a culling that will leave only 16.

Some of the categories (well, the Boys and the Girls) are particularly hard to call when making predictions, but regardless, here comes the Trash Lounge almighty, kicking off with Gary Barlow’s boys category.

James Michael
Odds to win: 9/1
James is currently the bookies’ top male, and it’s quite easy to see why. Blessed with a beautiful and unique voice, he surely is a sure bet for Gary to take through to the finals. His first audition of Adele’s ‘Make You Feel My Love’ really showed off his potential, with Gary calling him “a recording voice waiting to be recorded”. And the girls love him.

Frankie Cocozza
Odds to win: 14/1
It’s an interesting conundrum with Frankie because, although he has a nice sounding voice (as his lines in ‘Breakeven’ proved), he’s not that good. ‘Iris’ showed him up a tad, but he does have buckets of charisma and the One Direction style of teen appeal to him. Gary may leave him behind if he doesn’t perform well in LA, but if he performs at his best he should be a sure thing to sail through.

John Wilding
Odds to win: 40/1
I wouldn’t necessarily have picked out John, but the fact Gary’s gone on record to call him a “hot favourite” sways massively in his favour. Plus, the fact he’s gone through it all before with Dannii last year adds to his appeal, and you can’t deny he’s come on leaps and bounds since we last saw him. That said, if he does get picked to progress to the live shows, I’m not sure I see him lasting that long before fading into the background.

Marcus Collins
Odds to win: 10/1
Marcus may not have stood out massively at Boot Camp, but his first audition of ‘Signed Sealed Delivered’ was one of my favourites. This however is the prediction I’m least confident about, as there is the possibility that perhaps someone like Craig Colton could sneak through ahead of him.

What do you think? Who do you reckon will go through?

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