Musical thoughts
I went on holiday last weekend (for a week), so I missed the Judges Houses stage. The only thing I know anything about is I saw a mention of one of the groups (Jack Whitehall made a comment), but other than that...
Overs - the editing has suggested probably Sam, Shelley, and the guy.
Sam has a great voice, but has a touch of the Dad's-Dead-Niki from several years ago, who got through and then went out in the semis. She feels like she probably won't sparkle on TV or grow, but based on her auditions, it's really hard not to pick her.
Lorna, the fact that she popped out at boot camp usually indicates that the judges and producers didn't really rate her beforehand. If she goes through, she feels like she'd have a touch of the Rachel Adadeji or John Adaleye about her - the act that gets given the soulful ballad that just sort of disappears each week. (Remember that Rachel shone the week that Dannii Minogue gave her an up-beat song, and then went out the following week when Dannii gave her another slow number again.) I could imagine her being the third choice.
Shelley claimed she'd take her nervous energy and turn it into being on fire, with Girl on Fire. I really quite liked her previous performances (she did oversing a little in the threeway at Boot Camp), but didn't really get her Judges House performance. I could put her through, but I'd worry that Sharon will do what she did with Kimberley back in the day (apparently season four), which was to pour her in a dress and have men dancing around her as she sings It's Raining Men.
Zoe - her performance at Judges Houses is quite small, and Sharon is clearly worried that she's very small.
Andrea - just doesn't work for the programme's image of itself. (Which is to say, I don't think the producers would want her.) And the flutes and that note.
Sharon clearly wants to win, and this is too much of a risk.
Joseph - his performance at JH is probably his best. Robbie notes that he remembers him from last year, which I think Sharon takes note of - if you can remember an X Factor reject a year later, is he actually quite good at connecting with the audience. He doesn't have the best vocals on earth (Gary was right at BC), but the show has never been solely been about vocals. I would be slightly concerned that if/when he finds himself in the Bottom Two, he'll fall apart (witness his antics when Gary and Nicole say Sharon should kick him out).
I think I'd put through Sam, Shelley and Joseph. I could imagine putting through Sam, Lorna and Joseph.
Sharon actually picks: Sam, Lorna, and Shelley, though is worried about Lorna's stage presence (from Robbie), Shelley's bad habits, Sam's lack of progress, and ejects Joseph, criticising his vocal range. Ouch.
Boys:
It's not clear where this is going, in part because it's a bit of a weak category. Louis clearly likes Luke, having plucked him at Boot Camp despite a somewhat weak song choice and performance.
From Boot Camp, I'd definitely have picked Nicholas. His version of Jason Mraz's Won't Give Up is pretty awesome, the way it builds up, and his stage presence is actually pretty decent given that he's, what, sixteen. He feels like he could do the Joe McElderry Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word performance. And while the falsetto needs work, he's clearly got talent.
I think my picks would include Sam (the cute Essex barman) because he can sing with passion, even if he isn't the strongest vocally. He has likeability, and I can imagine him picking up an Olly Murs-ish following. His version of We Are Young is quite interesting - he can take songs that are quite pedestrian and do something a little unusual with them. I think it's Sinitta who says he could be a good boy band member. As a cute guy, though, I can imagine the cogs in Louis's head going "Ooh, Shayne Ward was quite cute."
Luke's judges house performance is about the same level as his Boot Camp performance for me - exposing the weak spots in his vocals. He does stand out of the crowd, as Louis and Sinitta note.
The fat lads. Paul first. As he says, he's not exactly the image of an X Factor popstar. Obviously, James Arthur has won that way - but also Craig Colton. He also seems to massively lack self-confidence about himself. The editing suggests no. But Paul would definitely be picked over Ryan. His performance at Judges Houses lacks control, and there's anger in his performance and demeanour but his vocal is really quite thin.
Giles. No. Louis presumably likes him. I don't think he's really managed a vocally solid performance so far - maybe the initial room. It might be nerves, it might be that his voice hasn't quite settled down from puberty or something, but he's not there. I wouldn't have taken him to Judges Houses - I'd have taken Alejandro over him. I felt Giles's comment at Boot Camp - that a good performance from Nicholas would show up the flaws in his own. He also has absolutely no soul or conviction to what he sings. (This is a common problem with a lot of manufactured pop acts these days.) When he does it well, his voice can be pretty but you don't believe it.
So I'd definitely take Nicholas, and probably Sam. I wouldn't take Giles, but I could see Louis doing that. I could see Louis taking Nicholas, Giles and Luke. If I don't take Paul or Ryan, I have to take Luke by default. So Nicholas, Sam, and probably Luke, but maybe Paul. Louis talks about having four favourites - I imagine he's cutting out Ryan and Paul. When he talks about people not lifting the phone to vote for him, I think he's talking about Paul.
Louis actually takes: Sam, Luke, and Nicholas, but is worried about Sam's vocal strength and versatility, Luke's consistency, and Nicholas's maturity and self-belief.
Groups:
I saw Jack Whitehall make a comment about Rough Copy which implies they're through. They're not bad, but I think I preferred Code 4's performance. It's a slightly tricky one - Rough Copy had the tighter vocals, Code 4 had the better routine. If you go for a group that's more performance, you end up with MK1 from last series who quickly went out. All vocal harmonies and you end up with District 3 who - on the show - ended up wanting to only do slightly turgid ballads, desperately trying not to be Union J (who were doing up tempo, vapid pop), in defiance of the fact that the only week they did really well was the Madcon/Chris Brown mash up (though they couldn't pronounce "Hands" to save their life) - though curiously their earlier YouTube material is much more fun. But Rough Copy have been fun and energetic before, so I could understand them going through, if Gary believes that can come back (or maybe they did a second song that'll be shown on Xtra Factor that had a bit more of that?)
Kingsland Road. See, the weird thing here is that I wouldn't have put them through early on (the room and the arena, I guess). I didn't think it worked, and I didn't think they were good enough. But they've got quite a lot better over time, and I imagine they'll probably go through - they're the only poppy boyband, which the X Factor historically loves. They don't really have a stand out vocalist so far, and if they stay this... bland, they feel like they'll probably go the way of Eton Road. They desperately need attention from a stylist, though. Gary seems very attracted by the personality and likability.
Brick City seem very forgettable. The No More Pain performance at the arenas got very good vocal feedback from Gary, though the bits I heard didn't feel in tune! Gary seems to really like them, though, calling them his favourite group before they perform. Ollie didn't see any chemistry, and I've felt a bit like that myself. Good (but not great) singers, but not tight enough, not together enough.
Xyra (or however you spell it) seem to have impressed Gary, but the editing so far has felt like they're not going through. The performance we see at Judges Houses feels like a soloist with some fairly weak backing singers. I also have no idea what Gary would do with them.
Miss Dynamix. They're not great, but - as a girl band - their obvious competition is presumably Xyra. They feel a lot stronger than them, although a little of that is possibly that as a threesome it's easier to hear them each individually.
During deliberartions, Ollie makes a comment about a dubious name - that's how I feel about Kingsland Road (also Xyra).
So it basically comes down to four out of Kingsland Road, Miss Dynamix, Rough Copy, and Code 4. Are Rough Copy and Code 4 both better than Miss Dynamix? Arguably. But as a judge, I'd probably be thinking that they're competing for the same votes. So I'd probably take Kingsland Road, Miss Dynamix and Code 4 through. And I guess if Rough Copy have gone through, Kingsland Road, Miss Dynamix and Rough Copy.
Gary picks: Kingsland Road, Rough Copy, and Miss Dynamix. He worries about the work needed on Kingsland Road, he really wants the missing guy back for Rough Copy, and the feeling like three solo artists problem with Miss Dynamix.
Girls:
It may just be editing, but Mary J Blige as guest mentor was a bit... what? You saw similar a few years back with, say, Emma Bunton, when all they did was repeat what the other judge had said. I mean, clearly she's a smart lady but I don't think she added anything.
Tamera Foster, Nicole makes a comment about how she messes up quite a bit, but when she's on form, she's great. Is that too much of a risk for the live shows? A locked-up, words-forgotten, stumbling performance is usually an instant removal from the show. Her performance at JH seems pretty assured, though - Nicole thinks it's the best she's been. I like how MJB goes from "she's great" to "I didn't believe her either".
Jade Richards, her JH performance feels like she's overreaching, leaving her voice a bit raw and croaky.
Abi Alton is the sort of performance I really like. They're worried about her being a bit one dimensional, and she could be. They need to try to find a bit more of a Diana Vickers sort of path - quirky, personal performances of music she connects with - and avoid going down the Janet Devlin route, with her Mmmmbop and Under the Bridge madness. (How much of that was Kelly Rowland, I don't know.)
Relley C, clearly goes for something of a belter performance. Shows a lot of passion - the sort of thing that was missing from Tamera, perhaps. She feels believable, anyway. And her vocals are pretty darned solid.
Melanie McCabe, I haven't liked as much throughout the series as much as the judges have. She constantly feels like she's not quite there, just getting to the level they want by the skin of her teeth. Singing Run also showed up some issues in her lower register at the start. Also her "My whole life depends on this" shtick feels more than a little heavy-handed. But her JH performance, at the end, is very good indeed.
Hannah, you have to worry about her losing her voice at this stage. However, she's been very good all the way through, and the editing has always suggested she's a real contender.
I think I'd put through Hannah and Abi, and not put through Jade and Abi. It's then down to whether I think Melanie or Relley has more going for her. See, I remember Melanie (for whatever reasons, good or bad), and I don't really remember Relley. So I think for vocals I'd put through Relley, but from a "Will the public remember and vote for her?" it might be Melanie - though I'd need to get her to tone down the desperation a notch or three.
Nicole picks: Abi, Tamera, and Hannah.
Overs - the editing has suggested probably Sam, Shelley, and the guy.
Sam has a great voice, but has a touch of the Dad's-Dead-Niki from several years ago, who got through and then went out in the semis. She feels like she probably won't sparkle on TV or grow, but based on her auditions, it's really hard not to pick her.
Lorna, the fact that she popped out at boot camp usually indicates that the judges and producers didn't really rate her beforehand. If she goes through, she feels like she'd have a touch of the Rachel Adadeji or John Adaleye about her - the act that gets given the soulful ballad that just sort of disappears each week. (Remember that Rachel shone the week that Dannii Minogue gave her an up-beat song, and then went out the following week when Dannii gave her another slow number again.) I could imagine her being the third choice.
Shelley claimed she'd take her nervous energy and turn it into being on fire, with Girl on Fire. I really quite liked her previous performances (she did oversing a little in the threeway at Boot Camp), but didn't really get her Judges House performance. I could put her through, but I'd worry that Sharon will do what she did with Kimberley back in the day (apparently season four), which was to pour her in a dress and have men dancing around her as she sings It's Raining Men.
Zoe - her performance at Judges Houses is quite small, and Sharon is clearly worried that she's very small.
Andrea - just doesn't work for the programme's image of itself. (Which is to say, I don't think the producers would want her.) And the flutes and that note.
Sharon clearly wants to win, and this is too much of a risk.
Joseph - his performance at JH is probably his best. Robbie notes that he remembers him from last year, which I think Sharon takes note of - if you can remember an X Factor reject a year later, is he actually quite good at connecting with the audience. He doesn't have the best vocals on earth (Gary was right at BC), but the show has never been solely been about vocals. I would be slightly concerned that if/when he finds himself in the Bottom Two, he'll fall apart (witness his antics when Gary and Nicole say Sharon should kick him out).
I think I'd put through Sam, Shelley and Joseph. I could imagine putting through Sam, Lorna and Joseph.
Sharon actually picks: Sam, Lorna, and Shelley, though is worried about Lorna's stage presence (from Robbie), Shelley's bad habits, Sam's lack of progress, and ejects Joseph, criticising his vocal range. Ouch.
Boys:
It's not clear where this is going, in part because it's a bit of a weak category. Louis clearly likes Luke, having plucked him at Boot Camp despite a somewhat weak song choice and performance.
From Boot Camp, I'd definitely have picked Nicholas. His version of Jason Mraz's Won't Give Up is pretty awesome, the way it builds up, and his stage presence is actually pretty decent given that he's, what, sixteen. He feels like he could do the Joe McElderry Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word performance. And while the falsetto needs work, he's clearly got talent.
I think my picks would include Sam (the cute Essex barman) because he can sing with passion, even if he isn't the strongest vocally. He has likeability, and I can imagine him picking up an Olly Murs-ish following. His version of We Are Young is quite interesting - he can take songs that are quite pedestrian and do something a little unusual with them. I think it's Sinitta who says he could be a good boy band member. As a cute guy, though, I can imagine the cogs in Louis's head going "Ooh, Shayne Ward was quite cute."
Luke's judges house performance is about the same level as his Boot Camp performance for me - exposing the weak spots in his vocals. He does stand out of the crowd, as Louis and Sinitta note.
The fat lads. Paul first. As he says, he's not exactly the image of an X Factor popstar. Obviously, James Arthur has won that way - but also Craig Colton. He also seems to massively lack self-confidence about himself. The editing suggests no. But Paul would definitely be picked over Ryan. His performance at Judges Houses lacks control, and there's anger in his performance and demeanour but his vocal is really quite thin.
Giles. No. Louis presumably likes him. I don't think he's really managed a vocally solid performance so far - maybe the initial room. It might be nerves, it might be that his voice hasn't quite settled down from puberty or something, but he's not there. I wouldn't have taken him to Judges Houses - I'd have taken Alejandro over him. I felt Giles's comment at Boot Camp - that a good performance from Nicholas would show up the flaws in his own. He also has absolutely no soul or conviction to what he sings. (This is a common problem with a lot of manufactured pop acts these days.) When he does it well, his voice can be pretty but you don't believe it.
So I'd definitely take Nicholas, and probably Sam. I wouldn't take Giles, but I could see Louis doing that. I could see Louis taking Nicholas, Giles and Luke. If I don't take Paul or Ryan, I have to take Luke by default. So Nicholas, Sam, and probably Luke, but maybe Paul. Louis talks about having four favourites - I imagine he's cutting out Ryan and Paul. When he talks about people not lifting the phone to vote for him, I think he's talking about Paul.
Louis actually takes: Sam, Luke, and Nicholas, but is worried about Sam's vocal strength and versatility, Luke's consistency, and Nicholas's maturity and self-belief.
Groups:
I saw Jack Whitehall make a comment about Rough Copy which implies they're through. They're not bad, but I think I preferred Code 4's performance. It's a slightly tricky one - Rough Copy had the tighter vocals, Code 4 had the better routine. If you go for a group that's more performance, you end up with MK1 from last series who quickly went out. All vocal harmonies and you end up with District 3 who - on the show - ended up wanting to only do slightly turgid ballads, desperately trying not to be Union J (who were doing up tempo, vapid pop), in defiance of the fact that the only week they did really well was the Madcon/Chris Brown mash up (though they couldn't pronounce "Hands" to save their life) - though curiously their earlier YouTube material is much more fun. But Rough Copy have been fun and energetic before, so I could understand them going through, if Gary believes that can come back (or maybe they did a second song that'll be shown on Xtra Factor that had a bit more of that?)
Kingsland Road. See, the weird thing here is that I wouldn't have put them through early on (the room and the arena, I guess). I didn't think it worked, and I didn't think they were good enough. But they've got quite a lot better over time, and I imagine they'll probably go through - they're the only poppy boyband, which the X Factor historically loves. They don't really have a stand out vocalist so far, and if they stay this... bland, they feel like they'll probably go the way of Eton Road. They desperately need attention from a stylist, though. Gary seems very attracted by the personality and likability.
Brick City seem very forgettable. The No More Pain performance at the arenas got very good vocal feedback from Gary, though the bits I heard didn't feel in tune! Gary seems to really like them, though, calling them his favourite group before they perform. Ollie didn't see any chemistry, and I've felt a bit like that myself. Good (but not great) singers, but not tight enough, not together enough.
Xyra (or however you spell it) seem to have impressed Gary, but the editing so far has felt like they're not going through. The performance we see at Judges Houses feels like a soloist with some fairly weak backing singers. I also have no idea what Gary would do with them.
Miss Dynamix. They're not great, but - as a girl band - their obvious competition is presumably Xyra. They feel a lot stronger than them, although a little of that is possibly that as a threesome it's easier to hear them each individually.
During deliberartions, Ollie makes a comment about a dubious name - that's how I feel about Kingsland Road (also Xyra).
So it basically comes down to four out of Kingsland Road, Miss Dynamix, Rough Copy, and Code 4. Are Rough Copy and Code 4 both better than Miss Dynamix? Arguably. But as a judge, I'd probably be thinking that they're competing for the same votes. So I'd probably take Kingsland Road, Miss Dynamix and Code 4 through. And I guess if Rough Copy have gone through, Kingsland Road, Miss Dynamix and Rough Copy.
Gary picks: Kingsland Road, Rough Copy, and Miss Dynamix. He worries about the work needed on Kingsland Road, he really wants the missing guy back for Rough Copy, and the feeling like three solo artists problem with Miss Dynamix.
Girls:
It may just be editing, but Mary J Blige as guest mentor was a bit... what? You saw similar a few years back with, say, Emma Bunton, when all they did was repeat what the other judge had said. I mean, clearly she's a smart lady but I don't think she added anything.
Tamera Foster, Nicole makes a comment about how she messes up quite a bit, but when she's on form, she's great. Is that too much of a risk for the live shows? A locked-up, words-forgotten, stumbling performance is usually an instant removal from the show. Her performance at JH seems pretty assured, though - Nicole thinks it's the best she's been. I like how MJB goes from "she's great" to "I didn't believe her either".
Jade Richards, her JH performance feels like she's overreaching, leaving her voice a bit raw and croaky.
Abi Alton is the sort of performance I really like. They're worried about her being a bit one dimensional, and she could be. They need to try to find a bit more of a Diana Vickers sort of path - quirky, personal performances of music she connects with - and avoid going down the Janet Devlin route, with her Mmmmbop and Under the Bridge madness. (How much of that was Kelly Rowland, I don't know.)
Relley C, clearly goes for something of a belter performance. Shows a lot of passion - the sort of thing that was missing from Tamera, perhaps. She feels believable, anyway. And her vocals are pretty darned solid.
Melanie McCabe, I haven't liked as much throughout the series as much as the judges have. She constantly feels like she's not quite there, just getting to the level they want by the skin of her teeth. Singing Run also showed up some issues in her lower register at the start. Also her "My whole life depends on this" shtick feels more than a little heavy-handed. But her JH performance, at the end, is very good indeed.
Hannah, you have to worry about her losing her voice at this stage. However, she's been very good all the way through, and the editing has always suggested she's a real contender.
I think I'd put through Hannah and Abi, and not put through Jade and Abi. It's then down to whether I think Melanie or Relley has more going for her. See, I remember Melanie (for whatever reasons, good or bad), and I don't really remember Relley. So I think for vocals I'd put through Relley, but from a "Will the public remember and vote for her?" it might be Melanie - though I'd need to get her to tone down the desperation a notch or three.
Nicole picks: Abi, Tamera, and Hannah.