It's in the news that Marcus Collins, runner up in 2011's X Factor, has been taking a lot of criticism. Now he seems like a nice guy but sadly the single is not great, and met the low expectations I had when he announced that he was to do a cover of Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes.
Nevertheless, you might think different, read this and listen to Collins' new song - you never know, you might be a fan.
Showing posts with label x factor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label x factor. Show all posts
Monday, February 6, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
X Factor News
And yep...Simon Cowell and the X Factor is in the news again, this time, if we are to believe news reports (see Daily Mail article, he wants Cheryl Cole back on the X Factor.
Is it just me or are these constant stories in the press about the judging panel becoming a little tiresome. It only just finished and yet gossip is around concerning the judges for the next series. What I've heard so far is...
Is it just me or are these constant stories in the press about the judging panel becoming a little tiresome. It only just finished and yet gossip is around concerning the judges for the next series. What I've heard so far is...
- Everyone could be axed
- Louis has a job for life
- Louis could be sacked
- Simon will return to the X Factor
- Cheryl Cole is back (altho after the US version, I would've thought that she would want to avoid the X Factor like a plague)
- Nicole Scherzinger will judge swap with Kelly Rowland.
- Kelly quits.
All of these stories have been repeated more than once, whilst nothing has been confirmed. It's likely that these rumours will continue for some time and do I expect to see a change? Perhaps, and the newspapers and the media will gladly speculate on who will fill the empty judging slot/slots.
Strictly Come Dancing as it's own judging rumours space in the media after Alesha Dixon defecting to BGT. Possible judges include the return of Arlene Phillips (although I think the show has been different without her, and for her to return seems like a step backwards. I'm not supporting Dixon over Phillips, but I thought there was a freshness to the panel, and I didn't really care for Phillips much as a TV personality), Karen Hardy, Jennifer Grey and Darcey Bussell. In a similar vein to hiring Dixon, it has been reported that BBC bosses are looking to past contestants to fill the vacant slot. From talented dancers such as Kara Tointon and Chelsee Healey, to the odder contestants like Nancy D'ellio (who would be more than happy to replace Dixon, who she has strong words with on the show) and Russell Grant. This seems like an odd idea as there was a lot of furore about Dixon being hired for lack of dancing knowledge, to turn to past competitors, especially someone like Russell Grant, would only draw more criticism - or publicity for the show (cynical eye).
And don't get me started on Miranda Hart being touted as a possible replacement!
It seems like Karen Hardy seems like the best possible replacement - she has the personality and the expertise, she is popular with the audience and other judges and she deserves to be back on TV. The new judge will be announced later on in the year - if Miranda Hart or Russell Grant are hired, popular as they are, popularity does not a good judge make.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Is "POP" losing its popularity?
2011 was a good year for "the Boyband", or Pop music in general. It saw big number one hits from The Wanted, JLS and One Direction, and they went on to have great album success too. However, their new singles haven't fared so well in 2012, with The Wanted's Warzone reaching the heady heights at 21, JLS faring a little better with Do You Feel What I Feel? at 16, and One Direction's new release One Thing joining the Top 40 at no.22 (although the physical release of their single is yet to come - Feb 13th in case you are interested).
Normally, boybands tend to do well in terms of chart positions and sales due to their enormous fanbases, so why the lowly chart positions? It could be the timing; January is renowned for lowly sales numbers although that doesn't explain the low chart positions. Some highlight the lack of publicity, although their singles were still publicised on TV and radio, and very prominent on social networking sites such as Twitter, so it can't be wholly attributed to this. It could just be a blip, although more cynical people have suggested that there is a growing backlash against pop and X-Factorism. All of these acts are linked to Simon Cowell's company, and the public is starting to realise that Cowell doesn't control music. This is reflected in the growing variety of genres we see in current charts - from dubstep (Nero), to rap (Professor Green) to singer-songwriters (Adele), another thing that 2011 can be noted for.
Look at the past few years - Simon Cowell's acts dominated the music scene - Leona Lewis, Will Young, Shayne Ward (...) But at the end of last year, Little Mix, 2011 X Factor winners, were denied the Christmas No.1 slot by the Military Wives Choir. Does this mean that Pop is losing its popularity? Maybe not - the strong fanbases should be enough to keep these acts going, but it can only last for so long, and perhaps these pop acts should focus on the material that they are releasing. I am a huge fan of JLS, but their latest album, Jukebox, felt like the weakest effort so far. I am sad to say that a lot of their songs are too similar to each other, too dancey and the lyrics leave a lot to be desired. Their song 3D has the lyrics "I'm gonna turn you on just like a TV"...Some of the songs have been amazing - Beat Again was a sleek, smart, exciting slice of RnB/Pop and the lyrics of their slower songs Love You More and Take a Chance On Me are great. Their release for Sport Relief, Proud, is amazing and I would like to hear more of that kind of music on their next album - something heartfelt and which shows off their vocal range, as they are talented singers.
Pop music as we know it can survive, but I think it has to change the way it does things. It needs to adapt to the ever-changing market to avoid losing out to other styles of music which are becoming more prominent in today's music scene.
Normally, boybands tend to do well in terms of chart positions and sales due to their enormous fanbases, so why the lowly chart positions? It could be the timing; January is renowned for lowly sales numbers although that doesn't explain the low chart positions. Some highlight the lack of publicity, although their singles were still publicised on TV and radio, and very prominent on social networking sites such as Twitter, so it can't be wholly attributed to this. It could just be a blip, although more cynical people have suggested that there is a growing backlash against pop and X-Factorism. All of these acts are linked to Simon Cowell's company, and the public is starting to realise that Cowell doesn't control music. This is reflected in the growing variety of genres we see in current charts - from dubstep (Nero), to rap (Professor Green) to singer-songwriters (Adele), another thing that 2011 can be noted for.
Look at the past few years - Simon Cowell's acts dominated the music scene - Leona Lewis, Will Young, Shayne Ward (...) But at the end of last year, Little Mix, 2011 X Factor winners, were denied the Christmas No.1 slot by the Military Wives Choir. Does this mean that Pop is losing its popularity? Maybe not - the strong fanbases should be enough to keep these acts going, but it can only last for so long, and perhaps these pop acts should focus on the material that they are releasing. I am a huge fan of JLS, but their latest album, Jukebox, felt like the weakest effort so far. I am sad to say that a lot of their songs are too similar to each other, too dancey and the lyrics leave a lot to be desired. Their song 3D has the lyrics "I'm gonna turn you on just like a TV"...Some of the songs have been amazing - Beat Again was a sleek, smart, exciting slice of RnB/Pop and the lyrics of their slower songs Love You More and Take a Chance On Me are great. Their release for Sport Relief, Proud, is amazing and I would like to hear more of that kind of music on their next album - something heartfelt and which shows off their vocal range, as they are talented singers.
Pop music as we know it can survive, but I think it has to change the way it does things. It needs to adapt to the ever-changing market to avoid losing out to other styles of music which are becoming more prominent in today's music scene.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)