Monday 16 November 2015

The Top 7 and who get a place on the X Factor Tour

It is another double elimination this week so we're choosing the Top 7, not the Top 8. Gosh. That's 6 gone in a few minutes' time. I have said before in several feedback sessions for this programme that it should be the other way round - all the acts should stay for longer and become better established, not just themselves on the stage, but also with the public. Then, if the series has to be limited to a few weeks of Live Shows, it should be later that the multiple eliminations occur.

Oh well, never mind. This week let's see who could vulnerable. Mason Noise and Max Stone would be my first two to go after fairly dismal performances but I am aware that they do have plenty of female fans out there who tend to vote more than blokes do and so might tend to keep the boys in.

All three girls did really well. However, there is quite a lot of crossover between their fan bases and that could mean support gets split and, oddly, makes each one, even Louisa, vulnerable.

Che is safe this week and is predicted to be a finalist.

Reggie & Bollie are the second act I feel confident about. They'll be through. 4th Impact ought to be around for a long time but I just have a feeling that, however hard they work, there isn't a connection with the voters and they have dropped a little in my predictions of who might make the final. They really should be Top 7, though.

That leaves Anton. Oh dear, good old Anton. Rumour has it that he is topping the polls which is bad news. A very likeable chap but I fear that the old ladies are voting him back just as they have had such an influence on previous years' middle of the road older entrants. So it looks like he'll be around in the Top 7.

All in all, it is pretty open at the moment!

The show starts with yet another sing-a-long and they all wreck an otherwise great track. Interestingly, Louisa shines and has a clear lead role while Monica is unsteady with the notes and Anton wobbles around quite a bit.

Jess Glynne is getting lots of publicity for this year's Children In Need number and, presumably, her new album. She has had a good first year, being in the charts almost every week in some shape or another, either as writer, singer or being featured on another.

This is a particularly important week as the survivors will get to do the X Factor Tour. They get paid well for that and, of course, have a whole load more opportunities to develop a fan base and some all important industry connections. As we've seen so often before, and tonight's guest act One Direction and host Olly Murs illustrate brilliantly, you don't need to win this show to do really, really well.

One Direction put on a great live version of their current hit Perfect and, once again, it's a well-written number for the fans. It does tend to come alive more when Harry Styles sings, though. The others are all excellent singers but never quite come to life as he does.

Making it through in places 1-6 are Mason (wow! surprise #!), Lauren, Che, Reggie & Bollie, Louisa and 4th Impact (Phew!)

So 6th, 7th and 8th are Anton, Monica and Max. That seems to be the end of Anton as the poll leader if, indeed, those rumours were true anyway. In 8th place, and leaving straightaway is Max. He really didn't stand much chance but has done well to make it this far and benefitted immensely from the makeover team and some publicity.

Monica v Anton. I'd prefer Monica to make it through. Her song isn't that impressive, though. She tries and most of it is good but the lower register parts wobble badly and she is up against someone who will pour our everything in his performance with years of experience to draw on.

Anton sings If You Don't Know Me By Now which we'll probably find that he sang backing on the original. A very good performance and if the panel vote for the best 'singer' tonight then they'll pick him. Nick chooses Anton for that very reason. Rita, naturally, chooses Monica. Cheryl chooses Monica and with Simon choosing Anton it will be deadlock again and it will be the person who got the fewest votes who goes.

Surviving to live another day will be Anton. Olly messed up by announcing that she was going before the vote was handed to him! Bit embarrassing. Then Anton and Monica stood in front of Caroline which made for an odd view but Caroline gets the words out eventually. I guess that will help both Lauren and louisa's chances quite a bit.

And I think Anton will be a worthy member of the X Factor Tour which would, otherwise, be a bit short of men.

Mason must be quite surprised again! At least 6th place so far.

No comments:

Post a Comment