This is the first of what I call the real shows, when we get a decent length performance (still not long enough in my view but better than most auditions).
It seems that Monica Michael has been brought back so Olly was right about 13. So that makes four girls.
Lauren
Rita starts off with the raven-haired Lauren. She sings I'm Every Woman which is quite a big, potentially screechy song. She really has benefitted from the make-over team's work too, with less tan and a less aggressive look than she had engineered for herself. Lauren has a great personality and is a nice, solid act to start off this show. She is confident, which Cheryl compliments her for being. Very good. Not someone I expect to win but she ought to survive with that to perform another week.
Max
Alien Uncovered
They are really 2015. Their own choice is Do It Like A Dude and manage to avoid the swear words, just. An excellent performance and they seem very together with this number, no-one coming out as an individual yet but very convincing as a cool new group on the UK scene. Seriously good and, provided the voters are young and dude enough, they'll be straight through this week. It all depends on whether Radio 1 listeners are watching and voting. They look good and sound good. Another fine act deserving their place.
Kiera
I was impressed by this girl at the start of auditions. Crying For No Reason could be the title. It's not a track I recognise but it suits her. It was just a little forced compared to the acts that have gone before. She is good but that may not have got her many extra supporters tonight. Perhaps there is our first vulnerable act. I think she was nervous and Simon says that she needs to do better than that. Generally the judges are saying the same thing - the song didn't do much for her. Let's hope, for her sake, there are some dodgier ones on their way tonight as I would have been certain that she is Top 10 material.
Anton
An experienced performer, and he is an impressive singer too, we expect a lot from Anton and see him as a dead cert to get through the first few weeks. He should appeal to the fairly substantial older vote out there. It is another song that I don't immediately recognise because it is such an odd beginning and good ness knows why he chose that one. To Dance With My Father Again is the track. I remember it now. A tough one but he builds it up professionally and the audience should like that. Again, I don't see him as a major act other than for Christmas albums for the old folks, but he's solid and a decent chap worthy of his place. He'll stick around.
Che
The first of Nick's Boys and, whilst he is a very good singer, virtually pitch perfect across a huge range, he is up against two even better entertainers in the Boys team. He puts on a very good performance and looks smart but it is just a bit boring and I am watching him thinking 'who will buy this?' or 'who will want to go to his concert?' He's a decent chap, no worries there, but he just doesn't strike me as a star in the making. He should do well if someone gives him some cool numbers and markets him effectively but whether he gets that far in this competition I can't tell. He shouldn't be but might be vulnerable, despite a great song.
Mason Noise
He needs to get the crowd back onside after some previous events and this will be a telling week for Mason with the stupid name. He is very, very good, though and his version of Justin Bieber's Sorry is as good as you can get. He is a modern act and, like Alien Uncovered, is refreshing to have in the competition. I don't know how popular that will prove. I also wonder how sensible it is to keep going on about the past. All down to the public. If he gets through this then he should be safe for a while as he is very talented and knows how to put on a good show. He may have a Louis Hamilton thing going for him. Thereagain, Louis is doing damn well.
Reggie & Bollie
The Ghana duo should entertain us well and, like Anton, have bags of experience on stage so all should be well there for them. They are a likeable couple and I can see them getting a good fan base. They're doing It Wasn't Me which is the great Shaggy number everyone will know. They really shouldn't fail with this one! Well, it was OK. I thought it was a bit laboured and not as fun as I was expecting. perhaps there was too much going on on the stage but they just seems a bit bland. I wasn't expecting that. However, the audience liked them a lot by the sound of the applause. They're modern too. I think they're safe this week. Not as safe as I had thought. But they'll get more votes than Kiera and Che.
Louisa
So far I haven't seen an act that I can actually see winning this thing. Louisa is one of my Top 3 so I am expecting good things and to see a clear gap between her and some of the others, especially those that look vulnerable. These first few weeks can be scary times for the best talent as they can easily drop out just because they chose a poor song, didn't do that well on the night and simply don't get remembered, and hence don't get the votes, like some lesser acts may do. So she needs a good song choice and to look impressive on that stage.
She gets God Only Knows which she doesn't actually know! Oh boy. That's quite a surprise choice. She looks great on stage - a very classy set. This is a superb version. I was worried but this could easily be a single and I suspect that the YouTube downloads will be massive as soon as it becomes available. Marvellous. This girl has firmly established herself at the top so far. That was just what was needed. Fabulous, especially as she didn't even know the song a few days ago. Like her.
Louisa v 4th Impact v Seann is the way this year's going! I might even go so far as to say it'll end in that order too.
Bupsi
She gets a song by Marvin Gaye that she doesn't know. Nor do I and I thought I knew most of his stuff. Anyway, she does as best as she can with it and it's a decent enough performance but just a bot boring and rather forgettable. Pity. I think she could have had a much better track to perform. She also looks quite old and I am not sure how she'll attract votes. So far, I'd make her the least favourite to stay in the competition. She is vulnerable and it all depends on who is voting.
4th Impact
A wonderful ready-made group of four fun sisters who can sing and dance and entertain us with just a few hours' notice. They didn't have long to rehearse, having changed the number at the last minute, but seemed to know exactly what is required. Very together and very talented. Modern too, which makes life difficult for Alien but they should both be around for a while yet. 4th Impact really must stay for many more weeks yet. I have them as potential winners.
Monica
Well, they've brought her back. I feel that her picture here says it all. She is probably a nice girl and she can certainly sing well. I just wonder about how likeable she may be and how much she'll appeal to the public. She gets an excellent song choice in a moody Ed Sheeran number, Make It Rain. Very effective and that will be enough to keep her on board next week without any trouble. A very good vocal indeed, actually. Muh better than Kiera this time, and on par with Lauren. Nice job. Just get a better image now.
Seann
Here is the performer of the series. So far, everything Seann has touched has turned to gold and whatever happens in this competition I can see him doing extremely well. The guy has made it already and, barring something going awry in the Live Shows, Seann will be in the last three in December, with a host of videos which people will be watching over and again.
What a brilliant rendition of Life On Mars. Truly excellent. Not only was this a fascinating performance but he hit all the right, and not simple, notes perfectly. He is very special and, to a large extent, could probably have put the staging and everything together himself. However, it is a good sign that he can also interpret others' ideas so effectively. Another potential winner. No-one can really match his professionalism and performance but I suppose he will still have a limited appeal in comparison to others.
A good first week.
I predict that Kiera, Reggie & Bollie and Che are vulnerable but it will be Bupsi who goes.
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