Sam Bailey: Judges got it wrong – Ebru should be Wild Card not Monica
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The big news ahead of the opening live show of this year’s X Factor is the return of Monica Michael as a Wild Card entry.
I have to say though that I think the judges have got it wrong. If they were going to bring a girl back it should have been Ebru Ellis who was the total package with a great voice, bags of passion and a great look.
Failing that New Kings Road can count themselves unlucky as they are fantastic and it would have been great to see them back in the show.
I’m not convinced by Monica. It was a moving audition and it was touching to hear the song she wrote for her brother but I just don’t know if she’s good enough. She’s yet to get under my skin.
Some people have said that the X Factor is the wrong platform for her as she writes her own songs but I don’t think that’s the issue. I think it’s good when they write their own songs and I’d love to see them all do it one week.
That would be very interesting. That is eventually what they will be doing anyway. I would love to have been given the opportunity to write my own stuff on the show. That way you get to know your audience.
Imagine if someone like Ed Sheeran had been on the X Factor, no one would have doubted his song writing ability.
It’s all well and good singing covers every week – I do it for a living after all – but signing your own stuff is so liberating I think it would be really good to see the contestants given a chance to do that.
Grimmy doesn’t look comfortable as a judge
Nick Grimshaw has come in for a lot of criticism of late and personally I don’t think he is comfortable in his role as a judge. Don’t get me wrong he is a great radio presenter but I don’t think he really knows what he’s doing up there.
He looks a bit lost. I have changed my mind about Rita though. I still don’t think she’s been in the business long enough to be judging people but she’s been really sympathetic with the contestants and she comes across as being really nice and people will be surprised to hear me say that but her passion and compassion is shining through.
Scrapping plans for a ‘legend’ fifth judge is a mistake
I’m old school and I think that judges should be people who have been in the business for 30 or 40 years.
I met Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet a few weeks ago and he’s a lovely guy and really knows his stuff.
I did a charity dinner with him and he was trying to sort my sound out for me and explaining all about phrasing and intonation and that’s the sort of things the judges should be commenting on. He’d probably kill me if he reads this but I’m putting it out there – Tony Hadley for the judging panel.
The younger kids might say who is he? But that’s when you give them a lesson. There are also so many different age groups that watch the show that they are not all being represented by the judges.
Getting people like Hadley and Tom Jones would be great as they have all that knowledge and wisdom and might not agree with the younger judges so there would be that level of controversy.
Anyway, on to this week’s show – Here’s my thoughts on everyone’s song choices and how well I think they’ll do on the opening week.
Sean Miley Moore – Life On Mars by David Bowie
A really nice choice. I can’t wait to hear it. If he does it the way I think he will that’s a really good choice. He’s a bit out there and you won’t get any clichés from him. It’s nice to see something different and I think he will be fine.
Che Chesterman – Tears Dry On Their Own/Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Amy Winehouse/Marvin Gaye & Tammi Tarrell
I absolutely love Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. That will be an interesting mash-up. As long as he carries on delivering those smooth chocoalate notes he will be fine. I love him.
Mason Noise – Sorry by Justin Bieber
That is hilarious. I think he might be side-stepping a proper apology again. No doubt the production team have helped him out with that song choice. It might be a bit too scripted for the viewers to buy into though.
Lauren Murray – I’m Every Woman by Chaka Khan
What a lovely song. It is a big song to start with as it’s really high. It’s ridiculously high. I sing it on tour and there are nights when I have to drop it. It’s a good sign for her though. I started with a big song and went on to win so it could be a good choice.
Louisa Johnson – God Only Knows by Beach Boys
I don’t know this song that well but I know the Beach Boys sound and I think Louisa will change it up. Annabel Williams the vocal coach is brilliant and she’ll advise Louisa on how to do that. She’ll be able to recreate it and that could be really good.
Kiera weathers – Crying For No Reason by Katy B
I love this song too. It’s another big one. It’s not the most difficult of songs to sing though so she will need to make it look more difficulty. Whether that’s through facial expressions, or body language I don’t know but she needs to cheat the song to make it look more impressive than it is.
Monica Michael – Make It Rain by Ed Sheeran
I don’t know this song that well but it’s good that they haven’t all chosen obvious songs. You can’t go wrong when picking an Ed Sheeran song though, everything he does is amazing so she might just be airtight this week
Anton Stephans – Dance With My Father by Luther Vandross
I love this song. I sing a version by Kellie Coffey on tour. It’s an incredible and beautiful song. Sung well it sounds stunning and I think he will do it justice. It might be a standard choice for him to do a Luther number but it’s an amazing song.
Bupsi – You’re A Wonderful One by Marvin Gaye
We need to see see another side of Bupsi. She freaked me out with her Judges’ House audition and she needs to tone down the sexy moves and just stand there and belt out a tune.
Max Stone – Someone Like You by Adele
I love anything by Adele and it will be interesting to see what he does with it. He’s got a great voice though so I’m really looking forward to hearing that.
Alien Uncovered – Do It Like A Dude by Jessie J
That will be awesome. I love these girls. They look good and sound great. They are really diverse and this song will help showcase their attitude.
Reggie ‘N’ Bollie – It Wasn’t Me by Shaggy
Wow! If it’s crap I hope the general public vote them out. It’s like when Wagner was in the X Factor. If they stay it’s not fair on those that have genuine talent.
It will be a fun choice though and I expect they will be safe. I’d like to see them sing something slower though, at least once just to prove they can do it. They might be smart playing to their strengths though as no one wants to leave first.
4th Impact – Problem by Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea
What a brilliant song choice. I love these girls and think they are at their best when they are dancing, moving around the stage and getting the audience involved. This is an upbeat number too so that’s exactly what we can expect.
Ladbrokes are right – Bupsi is a goner for sure
I think Ladbrokes have got it bang on this week. Bupsi is the 6/4 favourite to go and I can’t see anyone else crashing out at the first hurdle besides her. I just don’t get her. Her Judges’ Houses audition has tarnished my opinion. I’m also struggling to see where she fits into the market. I don’t think people will get her so she’ll be going home.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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