‘The X Factor’ UK star Matt Terry was in a boyband — and the resulting media over-hype
This just in: Matt Terry now has even more in common with thousands of other singers.
The British press over the past couple of days is attempting to make a meal out of the “breaking news” that Matt Terry, right in the thick of “The X Factor” as we get closer to the final airing next weekend, was a part of a secret boy band named Far Too Far several years ago; yet, how is this a secret? Far Too Far has an Instagram page and many promotional photos of the group together, and it’s something that many eagle-eyed viewers of the show and Matt fans are well aware of thanks to their research.
What is perhaps all the more surprising about this is the shocking implication that somehow, this particular arrangement inhibits Matt’s ability at being the right winner for a show that values itself on finding undiscovered talent. The reality here is that almost every contestant these days has a certain degree of fame. 5 After Midnight are not exactly new to this industry, Emily Middlemas auditioned for the show before and made it reasonably far, and Saara Aalto found success as a singer in Finland and other parts of the world before even trying out in Britain. Every person left has a degree of success.
If there is one thing you can fault the series for, it’s for the presumption that no one is capable of any research in 2016 to determine an artist’s past, which is something no one should be ashamed of given that fighting for your dream, as opposed to showing up out of nowhere to try out for a singing show, should be considered a good thing. The amount of fight an artist has is admirable, and further transparency would allow for a fuller picture of all of these performers. They can still be nice and interesting and relatable even if they’ve met with people in the recording industry before.
Now, this marks the end of this rant … at least for now. Want to know where to go from here before today’s show airs on ITV? Our recommendation is that you head over to this link, as that is where you can learn the specific song choices for the remaining singers for Christmas Week — which also, ironically, includes a non-Christmas song.