I've been doing two (2) wrap-ups at the same time: X Factor UK and The Voice US - and I must say that what separated the two are the quality of entertaining performances. The Voice clearly had better vocalists - duh! - but the level of production complete with choreography and riveting arrangements made X Factor UK A LOT more fascinating show. But of course, that's subjective. Ha.
this is VERY subjective and I guarantee that there will probably be some performances that are nowhere to be found on your list that may be as high as 10 or something on here. But please respond maturely, flames don't make me particularly happy.
Without further ado, here are X Factor UK 12: 25 Best Performances!
X Factor UK 12: 25 Best Performances
Watch DAM NATION's List of X Factor UK 12: 25 Best Performances! #XFactorUK #XFactor #SimonCowell #RitaOra #NickGrimshaw #CherylCole #LouisaJohnson #CheChesterman #MasonNoise #RNB #4thImpact #LaurenMurray #MonicaMichaels #AliensUncovered #KieraWeathers #SeannMileyMoore
Posted by THE DAM NATION on Friday, December 18, 2015
Mason Noise
Top 13
It's not easy to pull off something as current as Justin Bieber's Sorry, but this kid has got spunk and swagger straight on. I've wondered about his charisma levels, but this was proof positive that he could actually exist in the real wold right this second. This was slick, well-sung, and he threw in enough dance moves to prove himself a double-threat. There's an indelible coolness to this performance that I honestly didn't expect.
Che Chesterman
Top 9
Look, I cannot, for the life of me, fault Chè's version of When A Man Love A Woman. I thought his version was vocally strong with his pitch, for the most part, intact considering the difficult vocal runs he tried to embellish the song with. That being said, I heard better renditions of the song with a much more impassioned delivery and that somehow pulled me back from the performance. It was good, but it could've been better.
Reggie 'N' Bollie
Top 4
The kind of hot mess I can get behind. Haha. I've NEVER been a fan of this duo, but no one can deny the sheer charisma and entertainment that they bring to the show. They will never be the best singer on this show, but they can entertain and that's probably one of the most important things to be successful. Just ask, Taylor Swift.
Louisa Johnson
Top 5
She's obviously sick and yet, she still sounded fantastic. No, it wasn't as perfect compared to most of her previous performances, but the gravelly texture to her voice caused by whatever she's going through actually added grit and character to the whole performance. It sounded good and I'm not mad at her for that slight missed note at the end.
Monica Michaels
Top 9
Despite the last minute change of song choice, I found Monica's take on Empire's What Is Love? quite lovely. Her connection to the song was palpable, the way she added some sass to the bridge was a pleasant surprise, and there was both nuance and power to her performance. Her pitch sounded a bit under halfway through the bridge and it didn't sound right, but that's mostly nitpicking. Plus, she looked gorgeous.
Seann Miley Moore
Top 13
I've got to be honest and admit that in all of his performances prior to the live shows, I've found the adoration for him to be completely mystifying. I mean, he can definitely sing, but there's a huge disconnect with his song choices and the image that he's putting up. Tonight though was far and away his best performance of the season. It had the wickedness and theatricality needed to fully sell the song, and his vocals was strong.
4th Impact
Top 7
While this wasn't anything spectacular - relative to their previous showstopper - they had the momentum this week to follow through the hype that they built prior to Ain't No Other Man. Sure, the adlibs of "yeah" "ooh" and "ahh" were a little distracting and the song choice was a tad predictable, but they did the best they could with the song choice. Still, their vocals were sensational and the choreography was a lot tighter than usual. I groaned at them for not trying something out of the box, but this was where they shine.
Lauren Murray
Top 5
I seriously had doubts with the song choice, but given that the song was just recently revived with a modern sound to it by an Australian artist Grace, I thought Lauren actually pulled it off. Her vocals were good especially the last part where her voice soared and she looked comfortable with the song choice. It also had the right attitude to go with the performance.
Kiera Weathers
Top 11
Whoa. I didn't see this one coming. She was just a mere cannon fodder before this performance and this HUGE IMPROVEMENT came in as a shock. Sure, her vocals weren't perfect - she hit a couple of wobbly notes here and there - but I did not expect the sass and that breakdown was fantastic. Now I understand what Rita saw in her - she's a potentially "moldable" popstar.
Che Chesterman
Top 4
Sure, this was, yet again, another throwback performance from Chè, but what worked for him here was that it had energy. He looked comfortable on stage, his vocals for the most part was solid - though he hit a couple of rough notes towards the end - and it was probably one of the few entertaining performances that we got from him.
Lauren Murray
Top 7
While she's no Mariah - granted even Mariah is no Mariah at this point. Haha - Lauren's take on We Belong Together was quite stellar. Yes, her rendition was nothing more than a straight up cover of the original, but those little liberties she took with the melody, that key change towards the end, and her clarity to her tone with the song were enough to put her just below the chosen one. Good job.
Mason Noise
Top 9
Let me say something controversial: I love myself some Mason Noise. Vocally, he can't compete with the likes of Chè, Lauren, Louisa or 4th Impact, but this is all about that extra special quality other than the voice - he did not audition for The Voice. Ha. I honestly think Mason has that and he proved with this performance that he can be a potential popstar. The singing needed a little work, but his rap was on point, the choreography was fantastic, and that swagger and attitude was the perfect fit for the performance. I'm not mad.
4th Impact
Top 5
The staging and production, I thought, were awesome, the mash-up was quite brilliant as it dodged the karaoke criticism, and the girls looked like they were having fun. Vocally, this was also a lot more restrained - not following their usual template where someone would just suddenly shout at us as if we're being scolded by our moms - and they didn't sound too loud, which is always a good thing. Possibly my second favorite performance from them next to Work It Out.
Seann Miley Moore
Top 11
For some strange reason, Seann and his affinity for theatrics worked yet again with this performance. I mean, I would've liked a lot more stripped down version of the song for him, but there was something deliciously compelling about it. I thought the arrangement had great dynamics, his vocals were on point, and the staging added dimension to the number.
Louisa Johnson
Top 9
There's just no stopping her at this point. Everybody's Free wasn't exactly the most stirring song choice for the beloved Louisa, but she somehow managed to make it a rousing vocal performance. I thought the first half had that beautiful restraint that eventually blow up to something much more powerful. The build up and dynamics was on point that I couldn't fault it. Good job.
Lauren Murray
Top 5
Prior to this, Lauren has been tackling songs from incredibly talented divas - Ariana Grande, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey to name a few - and when she busted out with another Mariah Carey hit, I was a little scared. But you know what, she delivered this with so much gusto and fire that it became oddly her best vocal performance on the show - and yes, that saved her another week.
Louisa Johnson
Top 4
I admit, I was looking for something a lot softer from her during the verses, but that's just me nitpicking because this was another impeccable performance from Louisa. She's just awesome. Her vocals were on point, she connected well with the material, the staging was good, and how her voice soared towards the end was outstanding. Can we crown her already?
Alien Uncovered
Top 13
To my eyes and ears, Aliens Uncovered provided the most riveting performance of the night. No, I don't think it's for everyone - especially given that the show skews more to the older demographics - but this was pretty incredible. The group managed to stay on pitch for a good part of the performance while busting out a few energetic dance moves and proved willing to aim for something more than simple mimicry. They just did it with high energy and wicked enthusiasm.
Monica Michaels
Top 13
Never in her entire X Factor journey have I considered her a threat to win the title - even a dark horse - but that changed with this performance. Make It Rain was, arguably, one of the strongest performances of the episode. Her pitch and power were solid here and the simple and straightforward arrangement breathe new energy to probably the most covered song this season. She hit some big, dangerous notes with all the force and audacity and it was awesome.
Louisa Johnson
Top 13
Not only was her song choice and arrangement spectacular, but how she delivered a vocal with enough warmth and emotion. It was rich, accurate, with just the right amount of restraint, and delicately handling the words of the song that eventually soared with that much needed power. The dynamics was impeccable and I just couldn't ask for anything more.
Che Chesterman
Top 11
I feared that Ché will ruin this again with one gratuitous run after the other, but he kept things simple and that made this one stellar vocal performance. The brilliant arrangement gave his voice an opportunity to navigate the melody with ease. Totally effortless.
4th Impact
Top 9
Since their fantastic audition, they've been nothing more but loud belters with absolutely no restraint on their vocals. While this was still within the same breed in terms of vocals, there was something quite magical about the performance. The vocals were terrific, the harmonies sounded tight, it didn't come off as if they were shouting at us, the belting made sense, the choreography looked crazy fantastic, the production was on point, and it had some serious hairography. What else could you ask for?
Louisa Johnson
Top 11
Who knew? I'm very well aware that Louisa can blow everyone away with her vocals - she's probably one of the best singers this season - and her soulful voice was arguably her best asset, but to deliver a performance and nail the vocals and choreography all at the same time was just pure awesome. Easily the best performance of the night.
Louisa Johnson
Top 4
I've heard A LOT of versions of this song - more than five (5) this year alone - but Louisa's rendition was just as powerful and one of the best I've heard this year. Oh, and this might be the performance of the season. Yes?
Louisa Johnson
Top 7
Superb. How she made Let It Go a song bigger than it actually was was really impressive. Was the last half overindulgent? Sure, but it was also packed with raw and intoxicating feeling that made the vocal acrobatics seem authentic, rather than contrived. The way she navigated her way into the quiet moments of the song and then bursts with enough power towards the end was downright masterful.
1 comments:
You love that performance pala. Hahaha
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