While changes to the initial rounds of the competition proved divisive with fans, last weekend saw the show advance to the hugely popular live show stage.
With the 12 final acts competing in an eighties themed opener, it was business as usual with the only new addition being an eight minute flash vote at the end of the show. Each week this will result in one contestant being automatically thrown into Sunday night’s sing-off. This time round, the unlucky lady with the least votes was Shelley Smith from the over-25s category who, despite belting out Heart’s power ballad Alone, failed to impress the public.
But Shelley narrowly escaped becoming the first casualty of the season after winning her sing-off with fellow over 25s category member Lorna Simpson on Sunday night.
With the 12 final acts competing in an eighties themed opener, it was business as usual with the only new addition being an eight minute flash vote at the end of the show. Each week this will result in one contestant being automatically thrown into Sunday night’s sing-off. This time round, the unlucky lady with the least votes was Shelley Smith from the over-25s category who, despite belting out Heart’s power ballad Alone, failed to impress the public.
But Shelley narrowly escaped becoming the first casualty of the season after winning her sing-off with fellow over 25s category member Lorna Simpson on Sunday night.
There was better news in the over-25 category for Sam Bailey who received a rapturous reception from both studio audience and judges alike. The 35-year-old prison warden was garlanded with praise for her rendition of Jennifer Rush’s classic The Power of Love.
It’s worth noting that over 10 seasons, half the programme’s winners have come from the boys’ category, including last year’s champion James Arthur. And, while this year’s Nicholas McDonald performed Spandau Ballet’s True and Luke Friend took on The Police’s Every Breath You Take, it is Essex boy Sam Callahan who may prove the series’ dark horse. Despite criticism for not having the strongest voice in the competition, the 19-year-old’s rendition of Bryan Adams’ Summer of 69 had a touch of Olly Murs about it and caused much screaming in the studio.
It’s worth noting that over 10 seasons, half the programme’s winners have come from the boys’ category, including last year’s champion James Arthur. And, while this year’s Nicholas McDonald performed Spandau Ballet’s True and Luke Friend took on The Police’s Every Breath You Take, it is Essex boy Sam Callahan who may prove the series’ dark horse. Despite criticism for not having the strongest voice in the competition, the 19-year-old’s rendition of Bryan Adams’ Summer of 69 had a touch of Olly Murs about it and caused much screaming in the studio.
Meanwhile, the girls’ category has not produced a winner since Alexandra Burke in 2008, so could this be the year for a revival? One of this season’s less conventional X Factor contenders is Abi Alton who performed a John Lewis ad-style piano version of Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer, which seemed at times more suitable to BBC1’s The Voice.
Of course any five-piece boy band that appears on the show must now be compared to the all-conquering pop phenomenon One Direction. And while Kingsland Road gave a pretty good rendition of Wham!’s I’m Your Man, you can’t help feeling that the ghost of 1D is hovering above them in the room. London trio Rough Copy on the other hand put their own urban pop spin on another British eighties super-hit, Phil Collins’ In the Air Tonight, much to the delight of mentor Gary Barlow.
One thing sadly missing from this year’s musical circus is a novelty act to polarise opinion, provide car crash telly and generally play havoc with the voting. Whereas the likes of Jedward, Rylan and Same Difference all performed this function in past seasons, there is a disappointing lack of outlandish acts this year.
Words: Russell Iliffe, PRS for Music
Of course any five-piece boy band that appears on the show must now be compared to the all-conquering pop phenomenon One Direction. And while Kingsland Road gave a pretty good rendition of Wham!’s I’m Your Man, you can’t help feeling that the ghost of 1D is hovering above them in the room. London trio Rough Copy on the other hand put their own urban pop spin on another British eighties super-hit, Phil Collins’ In the Air Tonight, much to the delight of mentor Gary Barlow.
One thing sadly missing from this year’s musical circus is a novelty act to polarise opinion, provide car crash telly and generally play havoc with the voting. Whereas the likes of Jedward, Rylan and Same Difference all performed this function in past seasons, there is a disappointing lack of outlandish acts this year.
Words: Russell Iliffe, PRS for Music
