Skip to main content

Best of The X-Factor UK

This coming Wednesday, Simon Cowell's replacement for American Idol, The X Factor, will debut here in the states. So, here's my favorite moments from the UK X-Factor, in the hopes that the US version will have moments just as good.

  1. Cher Lloyd - Turn My Swag On: A cheeky British teenager (16 at the time) covers the Keri Hilson cover of a Soulja Boy song.  On paper, it should've been a complete joke, but, somehow, Cher made it work.  She totally had the attitude, the look, and the voice to pull it off, and it didn't hurt that the song was actually awesome. Hands down the best and the most unique audition I've ever seen on any of these reality singing shows.
  2.  Jamie Archer - Sex on Fire: The song was a huge hit in the UK and an even bigger hit in Australia.  How it never became a hit in the US is beyond me.  Anyways, Jamie Archer has a perfect voice for the song and he just fucking sells it.  I can't help but smile watching this, and, judging by the video, I'm not alone on this sentiment.
  3. Danyl Johnson - With a Little Help from My Friends: He completely changes up this classic Beatles tune and gives a better performance of it than Ringo ever did.  The confidence he showed on stage was simply staggering.  The most impressive audition The X-Factor's ever seen.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

New Albums [9/13]

This week's a pretty good one for new releases.  Girls' Father, Son, Holy Ghost as well as St. Vincent's Strange Mercy will be officially released.  I've listened through both of them, and I thought I'd give them both a quick review. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost: Girls is a San Francisco band, whose singer had a fucked up childhood in the Children of God cult, that makes ramshackle, charming, lo-fi, Beach Boys-sounding rock music. If you haven't heard their music, listen to Lust for Life , Laura , and/or Hellhole Ratrace off their first album (which was terribly titled as "Album").  Anyways, this album is definitely more expensive sounding than their debut, with more intricate and varied arrangements.  However, the songwriting is just not there.  I listened through the whole thing twice and found nothing to like.  Ironically, the only song that didn't make me want to vomit was the one called Vomit.  For that, I'll give this album a point...

New Albums [9/27]

Switchfoot - Vice Verses : I like the album title.  Too bad the music couldn't be as interesting.  It's all just extremely straightforward and easy-to-digest rock.  Pleasant enough, but entirely forgettable.  Dark Horse is rather enjoyable though.  Certainly below the level of Dare You to Move and Meant to Live, but better than anything else they've done.  Points: 1 Blink-182 - Neighborhoods : Just reread the Switchfoot review, replacing Dark Horse with After Midnight , and Dare You to Move and Meant to Live with All the Small Things, Adam's Song, and I Miss You.  Hell, I'll even do it for you: I like the album title.  Too bad the music couldn't be as interesting.  It's all just extremely straightforward and easy-to-digest rock.  Pleasant enough, but entirely forgettable.  After Midnight is rather enjoyable though.  Certainly below the level of All the Small Things, Adam's Song, and I Miss You, but better than ...

The Best of the Brits

Coldplay just released a new song, "Paradise", from their forthcoming album, Mylo Xyloto, and it's actually really good.  Leagues better than Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.  Heck, it's better than anything off of Viva la Vida except for "Viva la Vida".  Anyways, that got me thinking about all the great pop music that the Brits have come up with over the past couple years that never made it across the pond.  So, here's a list of a few of the best ones: The Wanted - All Time Low (Genre: Pop): Boy bands and girl groups might've died in the U.S., but they're still going strong in the UK with acts like Girls Aloud, The Saturdays, JLS, and, god have mercy, Jedward.  (Seriously, if you think American music is bad, just look up Jedward.  They might be cute little kids but I want to strangle both of them at least three times over and punt them to Pluto.)  Anyways, the best song any of them has managed to put out in the past few years is The Wanted'...