FMS-Blog : The Wildly Whimsical, Mostly Musical WebLog
Sunday, November 26, 2006
X Factor - The Final Five
Can the five finalists on X-Factor (two of which are groups) really be the five most talented musical acts in the UK today? Could they even be the five best acts of the many thousands who originally applied to be involved in the competition?? Let's break it down:
We have Leona, who has a beautiful voice, although her performances come across as a little shaky and unsure at times. Ben has that whole husky-singing style going on and as much as I like the strength and timbre that he's able to give over, the songs he sang on last night's programme did nothing for him whatsoever; they came across as simplistic and formulaic. The McDonald brothers are just so bland it's beyond belief and one of the two (the dark haired lad) cannot sing in tune to save his life. Ray has been consistently dire throughout the series but, to be fair, he did pull of a couple of good songs last night. Just a shame that his personality is unbearable to watch even on the rare occasions when he sings well. And then there is Eton Road. Well, what can I say: a really badly constructed group of wildly different vocal sounds, some of whom have ongoing intonation issues, not to mention their lack of direction thanks to being mentored by the idiot Louis.
I find it hard to believe that, even among those egos so hungry for fame that they're willing to put themselves through this kind of thing, there aren't more able musicians and entertainers out there. I find it interested to note that so often people with genuine ability and drive don't get anywhere in these Pop Idol type shows, leaving the dregs of the musical world to push forward to grab their 15 minutes. The naivety that's associated with it is cringe-worthy aswell - how Ray so excitedly proclaims that he's now had a taste of fame and that he wants it for the rest of his life. Well, my lad, I'd take a look at the tabloid media output on any random day before jumping on that wagon and you'll find that our fickle gutter-press is just as quick to drag the likes of you down as it is to raise you onto that pedestal in the first place. So, you'll get just what you deserved in the first instance!
We have Leona, who has a beautiful voice, although her performances come across as a little shaky and unsure at times. Ben has that whole husky-singing style going on and as much as I like the strength and timbre that he's able to give over, the songs he sang on last night's programme did nothing for him whatsoever; they came across as simplistic and formulaic. The McDonald brothers are just so bland it's beyond belief and one of the two (the dark haired lad) cannot sing in tune to save his life. Ray has been consistently dire throughout the series but, to be fair, he did pull of a couple of good songs last night. Just a shame that his personality is unbearable to watch even on the rare occasions when he sings well. And then there is Eton Road. Well, what can I say: a really badly constructed group of wildly different vocal sounds, some of whom have ongoing intonation issues, not to mention their lack of direction thanks to being mentored by the idiot Louis.
I find it hard to believe that, even among those egos so hungry for fame that they're willing to put themselves through this kind of thing, there aren't more able musicians and entertainers out there. I find it interested to note that so often people with genuine ability and drive don't get anywhere in these Pop Idol type shows, leaving the dregs of the musical world to push forward to grab their 15 minutes. The naivety that's associated with it is cringe-worthy aswell - how Ray so excitedly proclaims that he's now had a taste of fame and that he wants it for the rest of his life. Well, my lad, I'd take a look at the tabloid media output on any random day before jumping on that wagon and you'll find that our fickle gutter-press is just as quick to drag the likes of you down as it is to raise you onto that pedestal in the first place. So, you'll get just what you deserved in the first instance!
