This is always the most controversial part of the series - apart from some years when Wagner or Baloney didn't get voted off very quickly, I suppose - when for all but six contestants in each category the road ends. Now, for many that is fair enough and some have even done well to get this far but there can also be really talented entrants being sent home too early.
First, the choices of who judges whom are announced. Rita gets the Girls. Simon gets the Overs (again) and pretends not to be happy. Nick gets the Boys and Cheryl gets the Groups.
We start with Rita, choosing six girls.
Katie Coleman goes first and is probably one of the more experienced and so less likely to make a complete mess at the start. Unfortunately, she seems to be off-key throughout and all her efforts on an already tricky number haven't earned her that place. I would send her home but Rita could start off giving her a chair and then moving her on later. She does send her home and it's all a bit awkward.
Karen Mav next. She looks like a gospel singer and isn't someone I remember. She chooses a very nice song - I'd Rather Go Blind - and delivers in great style, without screaming and with great notes most of the time. I say most of the time as she did wobble a bit here and there and I wasn't at all keen on her interpretation. She gets a seat but I am not sure she'll get far unless the others fare dismally.
Chloe is one of two Chloes. This is Chloe Baker. She is quite a good performer and comes across better than either that went before. However, she is not easy on the ear. A bit raucous and, again, I wouldn't see her going far. She starts with a seat. How long for, I wonder.
Monica is back again. She'll get another chance, you can be pretty sure of that. Her rendition of What Is Love was passionate but I don't like her lower register very much. She got the notes right and is the best of the lot so far so deservedly gets the seat. I would imagine that she keeps it too. So far, I haven't seen an artist that I would look forward to watching in the Live Shows. So perhaps all six are still out there.
Sharon Rose is another fairly experienced performer. She looks good, dressed to perform and impress and she sings very well. At last, someone who I feel does deserve a place in the Live Shows or, at least, get to the Judges' Houses stage. A very good and faultless performance, easily putting the others well in the shade. Simon seems surprisingly unimpressed.
Chloe Paige number 2 is a lovely Essex market trader. She decides to sing without accompaniment and introduces herself well! Amazing Grace is her choice. She shows off a bit with many runs and wobbles but they're just about all in tune and she does come across quite well. You can see she has the passion that I think was missing in some of the girls already sitting down. So she should get a place on her merits. I'd say she was the second best so far but there still may be five better to turf her off. Rita seems to extend the drama a bit and actually lets a small smile appear when she was supposed to be seriously thinking about her!
Charli Beard is one of the youngest girls at 17. She takes a while to get going and when she's on a strong line she is great but seems almost to have forgotten where she is at times. A difficult one but I think she is better than most if that strength of vocal stays. She's much better than at least three of the others and may be worth keeping.
Louisa Johnson has possibly the best 'look' of all we've seen so far. Also just 17, she takes on a difficult song in order to try to outdo one or more of the others already seated. If you were looking for strength then she seems to best Charli. I would, however, keep her and remove Chloe Baker or Monica (but I don't see anyone having the nerve to remove Monica). Quite a performance. I put her in second place. She sends Chloe Baker home.
Karen ought to be the next to go home. Havva Rebke is fun to watch and would get through on personality and she also is the only one to sound vaguely modern. She does No Diggity and the show needs someone like her. The others are pretty similar - well, some of them are. She isn't brilliant but could be, if that makes any sense. I would definitely put her through above both Karen and Monica. I would struggle to decide between her and Chloe or Charli.
She gets a seat. So who will Rita send home? I still maintain Sharon and Louisa are the top 2. Charli is her choice, and I think that's fair. Tough, but she and Louisa were in competition. There's still at least one more to replace in my books. The audience say she should bring her back and I would have preferred to see someone else go but I am never going to get exactly the same six as Rita.
The next act is Kiera and she has been one that has impressed me most in the past. She has a slightly aggressive manner which might not endear her to the audience but just watch her perform the Whitney Huston classic I Will Always Love You! Beautiful and easily, easily, the stand-out of the night. Well done. There is absolutely no argument about her. She is in. Surely this has to be when Karen goes. Rita takes ages deciding and pretends she can't do this. She does decide on Karen. Well done, Rita. the crowd didn't like that much but it seems right to me.
The last to perform is Kelly Mai Webb. Luckily, I hope, she was not on key and actually that was quite a painful audition. She forgets her words too and that makes it easy for Rita and the six in their seats muct be feeling so relieved. She messed up.
Oh, another one! I must have miscounted. That complicates things. This is another big girl, a bit like Monica. Lucy Duffield is quite mature and you get the feeling that she will be good. She starts well and puts in a great performance of A Natural Woman although I'm not sure about the diction. She has the passion and I feel she will get a place with Chloe going. However, I might put her in in place of Monica as there really is no room for the two.
Rita starts by being unsure about her. This is going to be a long drawn-out affair by the seems of it. Rita gives her a seat after all. The audience sign for Sharon to go and Rita goes with that but I reckon that was very wrong. Someone will also wonder about factors other than singing ability with that choice.
Sophie Plummer. Another one! Good grief! I thought it was all over before the last one. Completely lost count and should have referred to my own lists beforehand! Sophie is yet another quite large-looking and sounding girl. She does a very good job of Adele's Turning Tables and will, I think, get the other Chloe's place. Again, it ought to be Monica's, in my view. Rita decides against disturbing the ranks any more.
Lauren Murray is yet another to come. Goodness knows how I miscounted so badly. Anyway, she is definitely the last, though! A nice personality, another chunky girl and another potential substitute for Monica or Chloe. The song she chooses is way too low to sing with any strength and sounds distinctly wobbly. She moves into a higher register and then in the middle where her voice is very good. A most odd song that does little for me but which might appeal to Rita. It ends pretty spectacularly, though, and that could well drive her in, despite the style and wobbles. Kiera stands to applaud her - a nice touch. So now Rita will have to swap someone. Simon notes that she wasn't as good as maybe people thought by the ending of her song but says he would certainly include her. So Rita will as well. Last to go? Lucy. Fair enough.
I am quite glad Chloe is still there. It has also just occurred to me that some acts are older than Rita! Thereagain, lots of acts were older than Demi Lovato on X Factor USA now I think about it!
So, to summarise: through to The Judges' Houses round are Monica, Chloe Paige, Louisa Johnson, Havva Rebke, Kiera and Lauren Murray. Three of these, though, will still not make the Live Shows.
First, the choices of who judges whom are announced. Rita gets the Girls. Simon gets the Overs (again) and pretends not to be happy. Nick gets the Boys and Cheryl gets the Groups.
We start with Rita, choosing six girls.
Katie Coleman goes first and is probably one of the more experienced and so less likely to make a complete mess at the start. Unfortunately, she seems to be off-key throughout and all her efforts on an already tricky number haven't earned her that place. I would send her home but Rita could start off giving her a chair and then moving her on later. She does send her home and it's all a bit awkward.
Karen Mav next. She looks like a gospel singer and isn't someone I remember. She chooses a very nice song - I'd Rather Go Blind - and delivers in great style, without screaming and with great notes most of the time. I say most of the time as she did wobble a bit here and there and I wasn't at all keen on her interpretation. She gets a seat but I am not sure she'll get far unless the others fare dismally.
Chloe is one of two Chloes. This is Chloe Baker. She is quite a good performer and comes across better than either that went before. However, she is not easy on the ear. A bit raucous and, again, I wouldn't see her going far. She starts with a seat. How long for, I wonder.
Monica is back again. She'll get another chance, you can be pretty sure of that. Her rendition of What Is Love was passionate but I don't like her lower register very much. She got the notes right and is the best of the lot so far so deservedly gets the seat. I would imagine that she keeps it too. So far, I haven't seen an artist that I would look forward to watching in the Live Shows. So perhaps all six are still out there.
Sharon Rose is another fairly experienced performer. She looks good, dressed to perform and impress and she sings very well. At last, someone who I feel does deserve a place in the Live Shows or, at least, get to the Judges' Houses stage. A very good and faultless performance, easily putting the others well in the shade. Simon seems surprisingly unimpressed.
Chloe Paige number 2 is a lovely Essex market trader. She decides to sing without accompaniment and introduces herself well! Amazing Grace is her choice. She shows off a bit with many runs and wobbles but they're just about all in tune and she does come across quite well. You can see she has the passion that I think was missing in some of the girls already sitting down. So she should get a place on her merits. I'd say she was the second best so far but there still may be five better to turf her off. Rita seems to extend the drama a bit and actually lets a small smile appear when she was supposed to be seriously thinking about her!
Charli Beard is one of the youngest girls at 17. She takes a while to get going and when she's on a strong line she is great but seems almost to have forgotten where she is at times. A difficult one but I think she is better than most if that strength of vocal stays. She's much better than at least three of the others and may be worth keeping.
Louisa Johnson has possibly the best 'look' of all we've seen so far. Also just 17, she takes on a difficult song in order to try to outdo one or more of the others already seated. If you were looking for strength then she seems to best Charli. I would, however, keep her and remove Chloe Baker or Monica (but I don't see anyone having the nerve to remove Monica). Quite a performance. I put her in second place. She sends Chloe Baker home.
Karen ought to be the next to go home. Havva Rebke is fun to watch and would get through on personality and she also is the only one to sound vaguely modern. She does No Diggity and the show needs someone like her. The others are pretty similar - well, some of them are. She isn't brilliant but could be, if that makes any sense. I would definitely put her through above both Karen and Monica. I would struggle to decide between her and Chloe or Charli.
She gets a seat. So who will Rita send home? I still maintain Sharon and Louisa are the top 2. Charli is her choice, and I think that's fair. Tough, but she and Louisa were in competition. There's still at least one more to replace in my books. The audience say she should bring her back and I would have preferred to see someone else go but I am never going to get exactly the same six as Rita.
The next act is Kiera and she has been one that has impressed me most in the past. She has a slightly aggressive manner which might not endear her to the audience but just watch her perform the Whitney Huston classic I Will Always Love You! Beautiful and easily, easily, the stand-out of the night. Well done. There is absolutely no argument about her. She is in. Surely this has to be when Karen goes. Rita takes ages deciding and pretends she can't do this. She does decide on Karen. Well done, Rita. the crowd didn't like that much but it seems right to me.
The last to perform is Kelly Mai Webb. Luckily, I hope, she was not on key and actually that was quite a painful audition. She forgets her words too and that makes it easy for Rita and the six in their seats muct be feeling so relieved. She messed up.
Oh, another one! I must have miscounted. That complicates things. This is another big girl, a bit like Monica. Lucy Duffield is quite mature and you get the feeling that she will be good. She starts well and puts in a great performance of A Natural Woman although I'm not sure about the diction. She has the passion and I feel she will get a place with Chloe going. However, I might put her in in place of Monica as there really is no room for the two.
Rita starts by being unsure about her. This is going to be a long drawn-out affair by the seems of it. Rita gives her a seat after all. The audience sign for Sharon to go and Rita goes with that but I reckon that was very wrong. Someone will also wonder about factors other than singing ability with that choice.
Sophie Plummer. Another one! Good grief! I thought it was all over before the last one. Completely lost count and should have referred to my own lists beforehand! Sophie is yet another quite large-looking and sounding girl. She does a very good job of Adele's Turning Tables and will, I think, get the other Chloe's place. Again, it ought to be Monica's, in my view. Rita decides against disturbing the ranks any more.
Lauren Murray is yet another to come. Goodness knows how I miscounted so badly. Anyway, she is definitely the last, though! A nice personality, another chunky girl and another potential substitute for Monica or Chloe. The song she chooses is way too low to sing with any strength and sounds distinctly wobbly. She moves into a higher register and then in the middle where her voice is very good. A most odd song that does little for me but which might appeal to Rita. It ends pretty spectacularly, though, and that could well drive her in, despite the style and wobbles. Kiera stands to applaud her - a nice touch. So now Rita will have to swap someone. Simon notes that she wasn't as good as maybe people thought by the ending of her song but says he would certainly include her. So Rita will as well. Last to go? Lucy. Fair enough.
I am quite glad Chloe is still there. It has also just occurred to me that some acts are older than Rita! Thereagain, lots of acts were older than Demi Lovato on X Factor USA now I think about it!
So, to summarise: through to The Judges' Houses round are Monica, Chloe Paige, Louisa Johnson, Havva Rebke, Kiera and Lauren Murray. Three of these, though, will still not make the Live Shows.
No comments:
Post a Comment