The S Factor! (S stands for stale....) Part 1!

(And yes, the S stands for something else but I'll leave that to your imagination :) )

My most favourite show is back on(!)(sarcasm). More people who think they can sing try and prove that they can't sing and successfully doing so. I have probably hated this show since it started back in 2003, no wait, I did buy the G4 album... and Diana Vickers ain't too bad to look at.... but still hate it overall!

(I have now burnt that G4 album in a fire so no one ever realises that I have ever bought it...)

I hate this program so much that I decided to separate this blog into two parts! One for now and the other for when I decide that it's gone far enough!

There's a lot to say on why I don't watch it at all. I think every year I go on about how much I hate the show and everyone in them (okay, Cheryl Cole may be spared). If you're that good, do you really have to appear on it to prove that you are good? I mean yes some people are just shy at singing but appearing on TV in front of millions of people singing live isn't really going to cure it. Another thing I wonder is that are people actually serious in entering this or do they just want their 15 minutes of fame?

Since I don't want to sound like an absolute hypocrite/ranter/fool, I will force myself to watch some of the clips on Youtube and give a Simon Cowell-esque opinion on their talent. Time to put my trousers up, my hair slicked and my face all moodied up.

First up: Katie Waisal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H48OwnS_NHw&feature=channel

Quote that stands out: "I wanna be huge! Not small. Freddie Mercury wasn't small. He was an idol!". Queen took about 3 years to actually hit the big time and it was only till the 3rd album that they hit the mainstream. No one becomes an idol overnight.

Anyway, on to the music, you get a pie on your face for forgetting the lyrics of 'We are the champions'. Especially if Mercury is actually your idol!. It's sort of like saying you love steak despite the fact that you are a vegetarian! It sounded pretty bland and dull...

And then you move on to the song she was meant to sing in the first place. One word: Meh. She sounds alright but the fact that you screw up Queen and then do well on her other song may mean that she is probably a one triok pony? Had I had the care to watch the next episode, then I might be proven wrong here. NEXT!

Next on the list: G&S (which i'm assuming means Goofy and Stupid) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvSEpZEAqfY

Wth is with everyone murdering Don't Stop Believing lately?! Yes it's a classic and unless you're drunk, Steve Perry (or have at least the vocal talent of him) or asking for me to slap you silly, you do NOT sing this song!

I don't find these bad singers funny, I find them cringeworthy and embarrassing to watch. We have one guy who looks like he's intentionally trying to make himself like a fool by dancing like a fool, singing out of tune like a fool and singing out of timing like a fool! As well as that, we have one other lady standing still letting the auto tuner to all the work. I feel that this auto tuning business manipulates the actual talent of a singer. Auto tuning typically works when it's either subtle or if it's intentional. Unfortunately this was designed to be subtle but sounds clearly fake.

And they only auto-tune one side?! what? they thought the other guy had singing talent but the girl didn't? the guy was so far off key and timing that it was useless? or perhaps they wanted to enhance the fact that the guy sucked by putting a robotic clear voice behind him? Wrong, Wrong and wrong! This duo would even fail this song on 'Rock Band' on easy mode! Someone build me a trap door so they can both fall through it!

Next up: Gamu Nhengu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRG7N_koxF0

Wow that is heavily auto tuned! I'm not sure how to give an opinion on that one. Shoot the singer for not singing well enough to be auto tuned or shoot the sound guy for such poor auto-tuning? Sounds okay I guess but that's only because auto-tuned made it in tune. I'm not sure what to judge here. Maybe this girl actually can sing but behind the auto-tuner makes it hard for me to pass judgement.

This is probably why the X factor changed the format so that they can incorporate this AT thing. It's a bummer really and hard to tell what I'm listening to. They would be better off putting the mics on mute and let them mime it (ala TOTP) and they might be deemed passable.

And Finally: Shirlena Johnson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff7SkPF8IuQ&feature=channel

Comment says she was trained in opera singing. Then quote: "I've never done live, only karaoke singing". One of these facts seems VERY wrong and it's not the latter.

Again with the auto tuner! Can they use auto tuner to actually make someone sound crap for once?!

I get quite anal about people not singing the correct lyrics but this was closer to a remix than a rendition. Florence Welch singing 'You got the love' was a cover, Eminem rapping to 'Sing for the moment' was a rendition, Kurt Cobain's 'Man who sold the world' was a rendition, Muse's 'House of the rising sun' was a rendition...at a push. You get my point. This however was just a woman saying 'Thank You' in french over and over again. I hated the original and this version makes me want to hate it even more!

What is this? Improv? Lord have 'Mercy' on me and never let me hear this again!

Alright, I was a lil mean about this especially since she has a mental condition (so I've been told) but let her off easily! Don't encourage her by putting her through!


Right, I better take a breather and stop my endless ranting for the day. If you want me to criticise anyone else's singing, post a link and I will destroy it!


Ho is gonna go!