‘The X Factor’ UK review: James Arthur rules; Union J and District3 step it up
It’s almost ridiculous to start off a tribute to Great Britain by having Nicole Scherzinger use a terrible British accent, and then introduce host Dermot O’Leary to the theme from “Austin Powers,” but nonetheless, this is precisely what “the X Factor” UK decided to do on Saturday night for their all-new episode.
At the moment, though, the show does feel as though it is twiddling its thumbs in a waiting game, as there are some contestants who are clearly stronger than some of the others. Namely, Christopher and Rylan are the bottom two in terms of quality, and it would be a shame to see any of these other acts head home before one of them does … especially since everyone else really upped their game.
Christopher Maloney – If Christopher makes it through to the next round, we suspect that the judges are actually going to go up stage and start to dismember him limb by limp. The guy is not current. We get it, and we also understand that he’s more of a Vegas or a camp performer than a pop star. But is there anything really wrong with that? He does have a phenomenal voice, and this is what bothers us about him getting sandbagged while Rylan is often praised.
Jahmene Douglas – It’s impossible to question Jahmene’s talent. The guy has a voice that is like a pair of silk pajamas that make you feel all warm and cozy, and it’s impossible to think that this guy will leave this show without some sort of recording deal. But should he win? The issue here is that someone without the right amount of self-confidence is not going to end up handling what it means to be a star.
District3 – The boys are back in town. This was a beautiful performance of Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven,” a song that just about everyone has some sort of deep connection to. The harmonies were not only stellar, but the arrangement was lovely and even the staging was perfect. To an extent the comment of Gary Barlow that the group is dated is legitimate, mostly because they are never going to be able to make people forget about singing the “Newlyweds” theme song earlier this year. They are a little too cheesy for their own good at times, but this was still the group’s strongest performance in weeks.
Ella Henderson – Did you know that Ella is the only girl left in the competition? In the event that you somehow managed to forget, the show reminded you a hundred times during this package. Personally, this is not really that important, since it is all about whether or not she can sing. Tinie Tempah’s “Written in the Stars” is the UK version of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing,” as it is the most overused reality show song out there. Thankfully, Ella did at least mix it up, make this current, and put herself in a position to get plenty of votes in her direction.
Rylan Clark – No. Just no. How in the world did Geri Halliwell justify calling him “great?” It really felt like he was just saying the words rather than actually singing anything. There is only so much more of this guy that Britain can probably take, and with District3 stepping it up, the only person who could end up going home over him Christopher, who was shoved first possibly in an effort to get him out. It’s not that Rylan is a bad person or a bad entertainer, but don’t you have to be a good singer to win this thing?
Union J – Just like the other boy band this week, Union J decided to hit the stage and perform a slow song, and like with Ella, this one is a victim of reality TV overkill in Coldplay’s “Fix You.” There was something about their arrangement here that was still somewhat heartfelt and different, and it did not just feel like they were doing the millionth rendition of this song.
James Arthur – Even though Adele is an enormously-popular artist, James performs a song that was almost obscure by her standard. This performance was emotional, strong, but also a little risky. Are voters going to connect to something without that many vocal tricks? Let’s hope so, since Gary Barlow is right: he is ready right now to make an album, and he should win this competition if he keeps this up.
Who do you think was the best of the show this week?