X Factor 2008

py2006

I am glad TALENT one this year. Last year was a joke!

However, I don't think Alex is as good a singer as Leona and I think she lacks the personna and appearance that Leona has. Also, her name isn't as marketable. Alexandra Burke on an album cover doesn't sound right to me. Having said all that she was fantastic.

xOxSinéadxOx

my thoughts...

Eoghan shouldn't have played the kiddie high school musical card, looking back it his earlier performances they were waaay better

Alex wasn't actually that good, she was better other weeks

poor JLS if they're going to stick with louis, they're a sort funky rnb band and louis said 'ballads sell'. oh god they should run away from Louis immediately. the market is saturated with that kind of stuff :eek: I liked them in the auditions and when they did the up tempo songs. They were totally changed for the competition but not in a good way

hearing Alex sing with beyonce, beyonce is way better anyway Alex deserved to win she was the best that was left

Beyonce is hot!

Why on earth did they pick hallelujah? both of them absolutely butchered that song. It wasn't there fault but it's just not meant to be like that

and in conclusion JLS please get as far away as possible from Louis :eek:

py2006

Rant:
If it wasn't for the teenage girls voting for "who I fancy the most", Ruth and Laura would/should have been there as they were light years ahead of Eoghan and JLS. Eoghan was panto nonsense, Jls had ONE guy that could almost sing!!

Ruth performances were getting better and better each week, her final performance was amazing. Poor Laura was denied the chance to show what she could do at the later stages.

If Eoghan wasn't mentored by Simon he would have ridiculed him and he would have gone, rightly so, a few weeks ago. To me Eoghan was no different and no better than that appalling and disturbing brother and sister duo from last year.

Dudess

There really should be two X Factors - a kiddie one and an adult one. In a fairer world, Ruth, Laura and Alexandra would have been the final three.

xOxSinéadxOx wrote: »

Alex wasn't actually that good, she was better other weeks

Huh??!! Her first performance of Hallelujah nearly had me welling up! She was like a gospel singer. There was so much soul and emotion in that performance.

hearing Alex sing with beyonce, beyonce is way better

Well yeah, she's been singing for years and years longer and has had far more professional training (she's also about eight years older than Alex)! Considering Alex was nervous as **** when she sang Silent Night, overwhelmed out of her mind when Beyonce joined her, even more nervous again when she did Hallelujah, then crying when she did the Hallelujah encore... I think she did pretty darn well.

both of them absolutely butchered that song.

I'm not having a go, but how exactly did they butcher it?

It wasn't there fault but it's just not meant to be like that

Oh, do you mean by "butchered" it didn't suit the style? Can't see why not. Jeff Buckley's version (the most famous and popular) is completely different to the Leonard Cohen original. Why is it not meant to be like the way Alex and JLS sang it? It sounds like a religious song, even a Christmas song.

I'm sorry but LOL at the Alex nit-picking by so many people...
And in my opinion, she's better than Leona. More soulful, rawer, funkier.

Jip

Skyuser wrote: »

In fairness to TV3 the broadcast was running 5-6mins late. Even on ITV the second show started late and finished late.
However I still think all the broadcasters should send out an epg signal like bbc do so the programme will keep recording.

Absolutely, BBC seem to do it quite regularly. However I understand if it was a one off but as my wife missed the very end too because of this I recorded the repeat Sunday morning. And guess what, the recording ended even earlier than what it did Saturday night, there's no excuse for that.

Peewee_lane

Well, Im delighted she won, I was wrapping the xmas presents and was in floods of tears, then after my little emotional outburst I was standing with my mouth wide open as she carried on like, I dont know... to her liking? What was that? I was so embarrassed for her.

Shes a bit of a mouth on her too, talking over people, etc, shes going to have to keep it shut in order for people to think theres an air of allusion to her and her records so that they sell.

Thought the duet was good. Good for all in tv land.

Ever hear Leona talk? Bleugh! Its just as well she has a heavenly voice!

Id also like to add that Alex did something new to the hallelujah song and I really like it. Its called punctuating in music, and I think she interpreted the song very well. I was moved to tears in the car this morning when they played it. Its the bit when she says " its not someone whos seen the light!!! Its a cold, and its broken, halalallalallallalejah!!!" V. good in my books.

Merry christmas everyone! NO fighting over the X Factor! Tis the season for goodwill and all that! )

Dudess

Peewee_lane wrote: »

Alex did something new to the hallelujah song and I really like it. Its called punctuating in music, and I think she interpreted the song very well.

+1
Look at the title of the song - it's not actually a religious number (don't think Leonard Cohen would be praising the Lord somehow) but it was intended to be sung in a religious style. That petite, dainty girl bellowed it out like she had been performing in a pentecostal church since she was knee-high. Incredible.

MargeS

I loved it when Dermot said to Alex, something along the lines off "if you can sing then you can talk" when she was having her blubbing melt down. It said it all for me. She knows when to turn the water works on and off for show. Over Kill big time!

Though I'm not taking away from her talent - she deserved to win, as did Laura.

Dudess

She was hysterical, yes, but I think that's genuine. There's a chunk in her second performance of Hallelujah she couldn't bring herself to sing. Some people are just extremely emotional. Back months ago when she did her audition she also broke down. I agree it doesn't look great though. More than a tad cringey.

matchthis

It was no.2 in itunes yesterday and not a sign of it in the top 100 today

Peewee_lane

I agree, its crazy, three years ago she nearly got through and now shes won it. Some people can only dream of a story like that.

P.s, Im entering the x-factor when it comes to Dublin next March(really!!!)
Dont think I have the "X-factor" but Im gonna tell em on the day I do!! Haha...

Diana freaky hand style - check!
weird michael jackson glove - check!
abusive attitude if I dont get through - check!

ninaford

I loved the x factor on sat...i defo think the better singer won...

....but does anyone think alexandra won because of beyonce???

i agree that the song was possibly a bad choice!!its supposed to be more haunting....i dont think anyone will ever beat the jeff buckley version!

Dudess

Oh I definitely think the Beyonce duet would have shoved the voting in Alex's favour all right.

I still don't understand all the objections to Hallelujah being used though. Songs are open to interpretation, and Alex's interpretation was incredible. Even JLS's wasn't bad.

Peewee_lane

ninaford wrote: »

I loved the x factor on sat...i defo think the better singer won...

....but does anyone think alexandra won because of beyonce???

i agree that the song was possibly a bad choice!!its supposed to be more haunting....i dont think anyone will ever beat the jeff buckley version!

No, tv3 are rubbish at writing articles and imo just a rubbish tabloid reporting station!

Alex can sing, will sing and will sell records because of this.

The song would have been haunting if Diana sang it, but listen to the bloody power in it. Thats the x factor coming through!

Buckley took a song and made it a famous by putting his own tap on it. Now Alex has done that, Im humming it all morning in work!

I play piano in a bar and last week I played Buckleys Hallelejah, but Im playing Alex's version next time. Its just so much more gutsy, I know she doesnt play electric guitar, but guys its a song you would have sex too there so much of a climax in it.

Dubliner28

In a year we'll be saying JLS who like every other group on the show,IMO the right person won,saying that in paper today it gave a break down of who topped polls every week and Eoghan was top in 7 weeks and alex was only 2.

Mr E

Nina - stop posting TV3 links or you'll be banned from boards.ie by the admins.

tinkerbell

Looks like Eoghan and Diana can't keep denying the rumours that they are an item now! It's in the papers today that they had a kiss after he got booted off on Saturday night!

I was so happy Alexandra won, I think she's got an amazing voice. I don't think it was all because of Beyonce either - in the end the public decided that talent should be the deciding factor. Remember Leona vs Ray in the final two years ago? Same thing, Leona should have won and in the end she did but it wasn't certain since Ray was so popular (and he was no comparison to Leona!) I do think JLS are awesome though and I hope they have a great career

Still can't believe that Eoghan won 6 of the shows! Eeek! Guess it's all the under 16s voting in for him.

Leon (last yr's winner) ain't doing well at all. His album was only released there a few weeks ago and already it has been dropped from £9.99 to £5.99. In fairness though, he wasn't great.

Tony EH

I will simply never understand the appeal of programs like these. I cannot fathom why people are so obsessed with these manufactured nobody's, who nobody will give a damn about next month.

As for "hallelujah"...I have never heard such a soul-less, passionless and ultimately pointless version of this song. Faux talentless warbling of the most irritating order.

The only thing these wannabe's are concerned about is the level of their own fame...which will be as fleeting as the rest the X-factor winners (or any other of these shows).

Hearsay anyone?

Dudess

Tony EH wrote: »

I will simply never understand the appeal of programs like these.

Highly entertaining TV.

As for "hallelujah"...I have never heard such a soul-less, passionless and ultimately pointless version of this song.

Ah now. The girl sang from the pit of her stomach. Sure, she probably wasn't paying attention to the lyrics but she put some serious passion into singing it.

The only thing these wannabe's are concerned about is the level of their own fame...which will be as fleeting as the rest the X-factor winners (or any other of these shows).

Some genuinely very good singers use this national karaoke show as a ticket to getting a recording contract though. Also I don't understand your use of the term "fleeting". Leona Lewis's success is not fleeting. Girls Aloud were on a similar show. Shayne Ward has done pretty well.

Hearsay anyone?

Oh good god, Hear'say and Alex - oceans apart!

matchthis

Tony EH wrote: »

I will simply never understand the appeal of programs like these. I cannot fathom why people are so obsessed with these manufactured nobody's, who nobody will give a damn about next month.

As for "hallelujah"...I have never heard such a soul-less, passionless and ultimately pointless version of this song. Faux talentless warbling of the most irritating order.

The only thing these wannabe's are concerned about is the level of their own fame...which will be as fleeting as the rest the X-factor winners (or any other of these shows).

Hearsay anyone?

These are people that can sing, so this is a competition to see who's the best at the end of the day. Leona seems to be doing pretty good. The likes of Take that, Boyzone etc are manufactured, but these are ordinary people entering a competition. Agreed though, the song doesn't have the same feeling as the original, personally would have preferred Diana to do this song. would have suited her best and think she sang it in one of the stages of auditioning

Fighting Irish

Tony EH wrote: »

I will simply never understand the appeal of programs like these. I cannot fathom why people are so obsessed with these manufactured nobody's, who nobody will give a damn about next month.

As for "hallelujah"...I have never heard such a soul-less, passionless and ultimately pointless version of this song. Faux talentless warbling of the most irritating order.

The only thing these wannabe's are concerned about is the level of their own fame...which will be as fleeting as the rest the X-factor winners (or any other of these shows).

Hearsay anyone?

I sort of agree, the idea of x factor is great, the auditions, the live show etc
Theres just way too much bull**** and milking

Peewee_lane

Tony EH wrote: »

As for "hallelujah"...I have never heard such a soul-less, passionless and ultimately pointless version of this song. Faux talentless warbling of the most irritating order.

Jesus Tony, Id love to hear your version.

Post your version here so we can see if yours has more soul and passion!!

Gordon

ninaford wrote: »

I loved the x factor on sat...i defo think the better singer won...

....but does anyone think alexandra won because of beyonce???

i agree that the song was possibly a bad choice!!its supposed to be more haunting....i dont think anyone will ever beat the jeff buckley version!

TV3 shill

Tony EH

Dudess wrote: »

Highly entertaining TV.

Ah now. The girl sang from the pit of her stomach. Sure, she probably wasn't paying attention to the lyrics but she put some serious passion into singing it.

Some genuinely very good singers use this national karaoke show as a ticket to getting a recording contract though. Also I don't understand your use of the term "fleeting". Leona Lewis's success is not fleeting. Girls Aloud were on a similar show. Shayne Ward has done pretty well.

Oh good god, Hear'say and Alex - oceans apart!

Well, entertainment? I don't know. Most people tune into these things mainly for the auditions and to watch as poor saps get their dreams crushed live on TV. The usual cliche applies, it's carcrash TV and if looking at deluded fools having their misplaced ambition destroyed by unbelievably smug and insincere gits like Louie Walsh and Simon Cowell is entertainment for some people...well, I find that a real low in broadcasting.

But no doubt, there'll be more X-Factor next year plus a host of other "inferior" versions, like "Dancing on Ice". Dancing on Ice.....good god...I cannot imagine anything more mind numbing.

Also, there is more to genuinely entertaining music than simply "singing from your stomach". Most of these X-factor type non-stars are glorified covers bands/singers. They belong down the local pub, not on National/International TV banging out their belove average fare to intoxicated regulars. They're 3rd rate caberet acts with the benefit of a large TV audience who are desperately left wanting for real choice on what to watch on a Saturday night. They're "lite entertainment" of the most awful, banal form who are bereft of any real genuine songcraft bar the ability to sing their way through their favorite tunes.

As for Leona Lewis, her contibution to the music world has been a number of extremely lacklustre covers (yet again). I see nothing here to rave about and I also see no real lasting appeal. Ditto with "Girls Aloud", whose success is down to the clever marketing of some suits who aimed them squarely at the tweenie audience (and they are incapable of knowing better).

Tony EH

matchthis wrote: »

These are people that can sing, so this is a competition to see who's the best at the end of the day. Leona seems to be doing pretty good. The likes of Take that, Boyzone etc are manufactured, but these are ordinary people entering a competition. Agreed though, the song doesn't have the same feeling as the original, personally would have preferred Diana to do this song. would have suited her best and think she sang it in one of the stages of auditioning

Some of them may be able to sing, but as I said earlier, it's a soul-less singing. It's copying Whitney Houston or some such "diva" like rubbish. It's an incredible shade of gray, dressed up in some post-Vegas glitz.

Also, the song is supposed to be sung with subtitle tones and building to a fairly restraint climax. Leonard Cohen doesn't have a Whitney or Beyonce style voice. He's a far more clever and varied performer than that. In saying that, I'm not a fan of his or of Jeff Buckley's either for that matter, but Buckley understood the song and adaped it to his own subtle style. He made classic of the song, almost as if he wrote it in the first place (most people think he did).

None of the songs these X-Factor pretenders sing have feeling. The songs are used to simply progress the singer's "career" to the next level. Whatever that may be. An attempt at a Christmas hit? It's no accident that the show ends a week before.

The bottom line with these performers (and I use the term loosely) is their fame and the bottom line with their handlers (masters) is money.

The actual music is simply incidental and very much of secondary importance.

Dudess

Tony EH wrote: »

Also, there is more to genuinely entertaining music than simply "singing from your stomach".

I didn't say there wasn't. You said Alex's rendition of Hallelujah was soulless and passionless - come on! That just isn't true!

Most of these X-factor type non-stars are glorified covers bands/singers.

Yes, most of them - to be sure. However, you originally implied that applied to all of them. Not true. There are some genuinely good singers on the show. You might argue they shouldn't use the X Factor, a national karaoke contest, to gain recognition, but why not?

They belong down the local pub, not on National/International TV banging out their belove average fare to intoxicated regulars. They're 3rd rate caberet acts with the benefit of a large TV audience who are desperately left wanting for real choice on what to watch on a Saturday night. They're "lite entertainment" of the most awful, banal form who are bereft of any real genuine songcraft bar the ability to sing their way through their favorite tunes.

Agreed for the most part. But I do think Alexandra is a very talented young woman, as is Ruth, one of the others who took part. Laura and Rachel have a fair bit of talent too. The rest though, yes, I'd agree. Awful bland cabaret stuff.

As for Leona Lewis, her contibution to the music world has been a number of extremely lacklustre covers (yet again).

No, they're actually not covers apart from the Snow Patrol one. And she's still a great singer.

I see nothing here to rave about

If you saw Alexandra on something more credible than X Factor would you still say she's not a remarkable singer?

and I also see no real lasting appeal.

That's your opinion though, doesn't make it fact.

Ditto with "Girls Aloud", whose success is down to the clever marketing of some suits who aimed them squarely at the tweenie audience (and they are incapable of knowing better).

Makes no odds. They're massively successful, they've been around for six years and don't show any signs of fading.

But anyway, the point is, you originally said the fame gained on these reality shows is fleeting, however the above acts are examples of how it's not always.

Our man in Havana

They will never learn. :mad:

Tony EH

Dudess wrote: »

I didn't say there wasn't. You said Alex's rendition of Hallelujah was soulless and passionless - come on! That just isn't true!

Yes, most of them - to be sure. However, you originally implied that applied to all of them. Not true. There are some genuinely good singers on the show. You might argue they shouldn't use the X Factor, a national karaoke contest, to gain recognition, but why not?

Agreed for the most part. But I do think Alexandra is a very talented young woman, as is Ruth, one of the others who took part. Laura and Rachel have a fair bit of talent too. The rest though, yes, I'd agree. Awful bland cabaret stuff.

No, they're actually not covers apart from the Snow Patrol one. And she's still a great singer.

If you saw Alexandra on something more credible than X Factor would you still say she's not a remarkable singer?

That's your opinion though, doesn't make it fact.

Makes no odds. They're massively successful, they've been around for six years and don't show any signs of fading.

But anyway, the point is, you originally said the fame gained on these reality shows is fleeting, however the above acts are examples of how it's not always.

Well, I think her version is soulless and passionless. I can't digress from that. I've heard it a number of times today and I still find it appaling. It's standard (actually it's below standard). It's a quick flick of the wrist to cash in on a song a lot of people are familiar with (because of Buckley) just in time for Christmas.

Actually, it's worse than soulless and passionless, it's sickening

If I saw Alexandra down my local, I'd say "umm...decent voice". That's it. If, however, I saw her release an album she spent two years sweating over writing and producing with original material and grafting her way through live acts promoting that material, then I'd say "fair play, have a go. Not my type of music/singing, but off you go.

Both you and I know that's not going to happen.

It also doesn't matter if "Girls Aloud" are massive. They're massive simply by clever marketing and kids that don't know any better. It has absolutely nothing at all do with music or quality entertainmnt.

"Girls Aloud" are destined to become some 20 year olds embarrassing "first CD I bought"...nothng more. Likewise with Fiona Lewis and all the others and in that sense, yes the fame garnered by these awful TV shows is fleeting.

Mr E

Tony EH wrote: »

Likewise with Fiona Lewis and all the others and in that sense, yes the fame garnered by these awful TV shows is fleeting.

Its Leona Lewis.... see? You've forgotten her already?

Tony EH

Mr E wrote: »

Its Leona Lewis.... see? You've forgotten her already?

Ha ha.......jaysis you're right.

Wynona Lewis? Who the hell is she?

Actually, Fiona Lewis sounds familiar...was she an actress from the 70's.

To the internet Batman!