X-Factor USA |OT| Welcome back, Simon

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Chris is marketable and has some presence. His back-story is impressive and inspiring. Will he win this thing? Maybe.

Marcus is a copy of a copy. There was a Michael Keaton movie years ago that joked about that. But basically I think America will leave Marcus at the bottom again.
 
The story about his dad + this performance + the crying during the judging.

He just put himself in the final 2, with a very good chance to win.
 
I hated it.

Everything about it just seemed so forced. I could see her in her head the entire time ("Ok, here's the part where I have to sound like I'm losing myself in the music. Ok...go"). I never bought her letting go.

This is just one of those songs where it's impossible to even come close to touching the original. Even Adam Lambert's superior version comes nowhere near the magic Nina Simone made.
 
He slayed that song and murdered the lessors.

I was feeling the performance until the camera panned to Nicole's fake ass.
 
Great performance, but an incredibly boring song choice. Based on the intro vid I was expecting something left-field and revolutionary. I don't buy for one second that he's never sung that song before. EVERYONE'S sung that song before.

But, he does have what Melanie lacks: passionate delivery. As bored as I'm by that song, he did deliver it convincingly.

He slayed that song and murdered the lessors.

I was feeling the performance until the camera panned to Nicole's fake ass.
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I need a gif of the fade-away they did from her expression.
 
Nicole :-|

I'm worried about Leona's performance in the final show. It's going to be hard to take these contestants seriously after seeing their asses so thoroughly and swiftly kicked.
 
Seemed like LA and Simon were all about promoting their own contestants by bashing everyone else. Then Simon compliments Chris and Josh giving himself more credibility. However, he also pulled the classic Simon semi-final jinx by saying "You probably just won yourself a spot in the finals."

Anyway, I really like both the "Feeling Good" and "Hallelujah" performances.
 
Just watched~

Leona Lewis said:
The original swallowed her whole, but the song's a crowd pleaser, she'll be fine.
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Damn straight it did. <3

I think the biggest problem I have with Melanie is that while she's not a bad vocalist, she doesn't do those songs well. She doesn't have the range (power, runs, resonance, tone; really, must I go on?) for songs like that, at least not the way she sings them. She also has this tendency of being shouty instead of using her resonance that I find rather irritating (for instance her belt on "You'll find the way"), and then because of her lack of range, she doesn't actually go up much; she simply gets louder.

If she were a good Xerox, I'd like her, because I happen to be one of those weird people who enjoys good vocals regardless of how corny the material is, but she's a second-rate bootleg version. But Mariah's apparently nicer than I am!

But at least she wasn't really bad on her own terms, just relative terms. I thought Marcus and Chris (the second wasn't awful while he was at the piano by himself, at least but he just gets completely drowned out after that (does that song really require the other singers / weird dance routine? Really, really?)) were just awful, regardless of the point of comparison.

royalan said:
I hated it.

Everything about it just seemed so forced. I could see her in her head the entire time ("Ok, here's the part where I have to sound like I'm losing myself in the music. Ok...go"). I never bought her letting go.

This is just one of those songs where it's impossible to even come close to touching the original. Even Adam Lambert's superior version comes nowhere near the magic Nina Simone made.
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While I love Nina Simone's version, I have difficulty comparing it to some of the other versions I've heard, because her voice and delivery is just so unique.
 
Mumei said:
Just watched~

Damn straight it did. <3
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Flawless. I wish we could go back in time and warn Tokyo Dome-era Mariah to drop the booze and the partying that adulterated her pristine vocals. She was unstoppable back then.

Anytime You Need a Friend

Make It Happen

Emotions (I see you playing bass, Randy Jackson!)

I Don't Wanna Cry

Underneath the Stars

I could go on forever :-p

Melanie's doing a good job within the context of the show and its rather pathetic playing field, but I think some of the "she slayed it" etc. declarations are grossly hyperbolic. I think she has more in her than what we've seen though - she surprised me tonight, for example, with some expertly controlled head voice.
 
Top 10 best selling songs on iTunes for 2011 are from these artists btw:

1) LMFAO
2) ADELE
3) Maroon 5
4) Pitbull
5) Lady Gaga
6) Jennifer Lopez
7) Bruno Mars
8) Katy Perry
9) The Black Eyed Peas
10) ADELE

The only thing that's not the usual pop / pop + hip hop dance track on there is ADELE and none of these artists are anything like that. (80% of those songs are garbage imo but that's what sells)

I think the only artist that could potentially fit into that is Chris Rene sadly enough. X Factor is actually a horrible venue to find an actual artist who can sell millions and millions of records as that type of artist is voted out as people vote differently than they buy. Standard horrible music taste voter will actually care more about vocals than the type of music they like when voting, but won't buy that music. The reason why Chris Rene is still in there is because he did a original song (that could fit into the above), so people are seeing something they would buy and are ignoring the vocal piece.

Point is, they will vote for Melanie and Josh, but won't buy their records. So these shows will never find a mega star anymore (until music tastes change or the show format changes)
 
Honestly its really hard to look at a genre and say those types of songs sell. Pop always sold well anyone of these guys can make a hit and blow up. No one thought daughtry would be as big as he was and then he made a couple of catchy tracks and got some sales. Chris can blow up with young homie alone. Even though he can't sing very well (like most people on that list) Catchy club tracks sell you won't see any of those people on these shows cause they usually can't sing.
 
Leona Lewis said:
Flawless. I wish we could go back in time and warn Tokyo Dome-era Mariah to drop the booze and the partying that adulterated her pristine vocals. She was unstoppable back then.

Anytime You Need a Friend

Make It Happen

Emotions (I see you playing bass, Randy Jackson!)

I Don't Wanna Cry

Underneath the Stars

I could go on forever :-p
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<3

I love that performance of Anytime You Need A Friend - right here is how you belt a goddamn note. So good.

And speaking of Mr Jackson:

Can't Let Go (1990)

I'm not sure whether I like this version of Can't Let Go or the Soul Train version better. She doesn't quite cut loose as much on the Soul Train version.

Melanie's doing a good job within the context of the show and its rather pathetic playing field, but I think some of the "she slayed it" etc. declarations are grossly hyperbolic. I think she has more in her than what we've seen though - she surprised me tonight, for example, with some expertly controlled head voice.
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I agree. For all the shit I give her, she at least has potential.
 
Pkaz01 said:
Honestly its really hard to look at a genre and say those types of songs sell. Pop always sold well anyone of these guys can make a hit and blow up. No one thought daughtry would be as big as he was and then he made a couple of catchy tracks and got some sales. Chris can blow up with young homie alone. Even though he can't sing very well (like most people on that list) Catchy club tracks sell you won't see any of those people on these shows cause they usually can't sing.
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Uhm, that's what I said. Read my post again :p

And Daughty is not a mega star. He was a rock artist who had good success, but not anything close to what these shows promote as creating an Idol or "Mega Star".
 
Mumei said:
<3

I love that performance of Anytime You Need A Friend - right here is how you belt a goddamn note. So good.
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The most amazing part is that she performed that song at the very end, after a long set of hugely vocally demanding songs. You can't even tell how exhausted she must have been because she hides it so well.

Back to tonight's show, I think Tabris is correct in his analysis of these contestants' chances for lasting chart success. I'll add a few of my thoughts:

- Chris knows how to write catchy music and has broken the mold by performing his own songs. He's also charming in his own weird thuggish way. But he can't sing. Nonetheless, he has the best shot of topping the charts or at least getting a producer's credit for other artists' #1 hits (aka the Ryan Tedder strategy).

- Josh can do well given the right song, but these shows never produce bold and trailblazing music on freshman albums unless the artist has an iron will. Based on his willingness to bend to Nicole's awful taste in music, I'm not sure Josh has that inner resolve. If he wins, he'll go Adult Contemporary instead of shooting for the stars.

- Melanie is in a similar situation, but a bit more dire because her voice is not as distinct as Josh's. She should go the Jennifer Hudson route of mid-tempo earworms, but you know the label will force her to do bland, boring ballads. I'm still not sure about her viability as an artist, but her voice alone is good enough to at least ensure a long career singing theme songs for film soundtracks.

- Marcus will spend the rest of his singing career slumming it at school gymnasiums.

That's my two cents.
 
Tabris said:
Uhm, that's what I said. Read my post again :p

And Daughty is not a mega star. He was a rock artist who had good success, but not anything close to what these shows promote as creating an Idol or "Mega Star".
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i know i realized i agreed with you half way but i was too lazy to delete it lol and yea but daughtry still sold more than most of the idol people
 
Mumei said:
<3

I love that performance of Anytime You Need A Friend - right here is how you belt a goddamn note. So good.

And speaking of Mr Jackson:

Can't Let Go (1990)

I'm not sure whether I like this version of Can't Let Go or the Soul Train version better. She doesn't quite cut loose as much on the Soul Train version.



I agree. For all the shit I give her, she at least has potential.
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Oh, you just had to go there and post "Can't Let Go" my favorite Mariah Carey B-Side...

All these videos just remind me of how effortlessly Mariah slayed those demons you called faves in her prime. No wonder Whitney was always so pressed (even though most people considered her in the same league).

But, like any true fan, I don't think her vocals are "bad" now. I just think it's a combination of age and not putting as much into her performances.
 
royalan said:
I hated it.

Everything about it just seemed so forced. I could see her in her head the entire time ("Ok, here's the part where I have to sound like I'm losing myself in the music. Ok...go"). I never bought her letting go.

This is just one of those songs where it's impossible to even come close to touching the original. Even Adam Lambert's superior version comes nowhere near the magic Nina Simone made.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately most reality singing show fans will compare that to Lambert and it just doesn't measure up (on many levels). Although such a comparison might be unfair as, on a technical level, this is just insane:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmmzaeKx8B4

Nina's is awesome but completely different...have it mixed in with some jazz playlists I listen to.
 
I'm kind of pulling for Chris at this point. His voice is distinctive and he has good stage presence. While he can't sing well neither can most of the people on top of today's charts (obviously adele can sing and mars is pretty solid as well).
 
I would be surprised if the average viewer (and voter) is comparing these performances to the original before saying "that sounded pretty good; I'm voting for him/her"

I thought Melanie sounded great, but I didn't go off searching for how she sounded by comparison.
 
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