Why America should embrace Fifth Harmony

via glooce

 

It's been quite the hot minute since pop culture has glorified "girl power." At least that's what Simon Cowell thinks. The concept most recognizably takes the form of a young female pop group as it skyrockets to the top of the charts.

Now not since Beyonce decided Destiny had only one child, have we seen the rise of a talented world-famous girl group. That's why Cowell has manufactured one out of five quirky, talented, young vocalists from all over the country who auditioned for the current season of The X Factor. Together, Fifth Harmony are supplying a healthy dose of "girl power," and they best continue whether they win the reality TV singing competition or not.

Unlike the Spice Girls, another set of manufactured girl-empowered pop stars, the Fifth Harmony gals comes off as genuine despite their quickly increasing production value. Their rendition of Ellie Goulding's "Anything Could Happen" was like something you'd see at the VMAs. The dresses, the ballon table, the fairy waiters, everything was bombastically saccharine, reminiscent of Katy Perry's current cotton candy craze, yet it did not feel sticky nor cringe-worthy. In fact, if anything, whereas late 20-something Perry comes off ridiculous wearing cupcakes for bras, Fifth Harmony's princess-inspired performance was the epitome of age-appropriateness, their sweet sixteen.

The new girl group first made their pink-tinged splash performing for Cowell (and Marc Anthony?) at the producer's home. Considering the five girls originally auditioned as solo artists and proved their place in the preliminary sing-offs, it's no surprise their joined-force rendition of "Impossible" showed that behind the cutesy, girly personas were truly powerhouse singers with an affinity for catchy vocal stylings. It was X-Factor fate that these five super talented teens would one day join forces and perform. Perhaps reality TV does have its place as the only stage where stars this big ever come across each other's paths and join to become supernovas. How else would five star-quality singers meet and decide to pursue a recording contract?

Week after week to hear each Fifth Harmony member pull her weight in the vocal department was extremely gratifying, especially being truly discerning about not being enough talent currently on television. Britney Spears didn't deserve the $15 million salary to be an X-Factor judge, and Khloe Kardashian didn't deserve her 15 minutes of fame to play host.

And it's not just their impressive voices that sets them apart from girl group gone by. Fifth Harmony's girlish spark is a refreshing alternative to the current state of female pop star affairs. The last American girl group to gain fame was made up of one hyper-sexualized singer (who also recorded all the background vocals) surrounded by an actual horde of strippers. And as if that wasn't demeaning enough, the Pussycat Dolls inspired copy cats, the Dolls themselves the obviously unoriginal knock-off of the sleazy Vegas burlesque show by the same name, setting up a debased template for how girl groups should be.

In their X-Factor live shows, Fifth Harmony has chosen to perform songs about first love, heartbreak, friendship and... well, girl power. Twice they belted out songs originally performed by X-Factor judge Demi Lovato. In both instances, Lovato confessed the five singers did a better job, as if the songs were written specifically for them. Which makes sense seeing how Disney-fit Fifth Harmony is.

In that sense, Fifth Harmony is modeled more similar to the British girl group tradition, responsible for initiating the girl power wave with the Spice Girls. Unlike Aubrey O'Day and friends, you never saw the members of The Sugarbabes, Girls Aloud or All Saints use a stripper pole in their dance routines. (5h really are the new Girls Aloud!!!!!) More recently, X-Factor UK contestants Little Mix joined this sorority for the squeaky clean but quirky.

In a time when teen girls get promised national attention for getting pregnant rather than for following their dreams, and sex tapes seem to be the fast track to fame, the voices of Fifth Harmony deserve to be loud. We can only hope that, even if they go home next week, they will continue to make music. If only because I want my sisters to grow up knowing that it's not impossible for five talented 16-year-old girls to take over the world, big bows and all.



source 2

James Arthur: Most explosive X Factor opening sales, ever!

via glooce

James Arthur has scored the most explosive start of any X Factor winner in history with his debut single Impossible, according to the Official Charts Company’s sales data released this morning.

Impossible, which went on sale on Sunday evening immediately after James Arthur was unveiled as the 2012 X Factor winner, had sold 187,000 copies by midnight last night according to Official Charts Company’s sales data.Arthur’s extraordinary performance already puts him on course for a storming full week, which will be bolstered further by the single’s CD release tomorrow (Wednesday, December 12).

No previous X Factor finalists’ debut single has hit such heights so quickly. In 2008, Alexandra Burke’s Hallelujah had sold 147,000 copies by the end of Monday, while Matt Cardle’s When We Collide in 2010 had sold 112,000 and Leona Lewis’ A Moment Like This in 2006 had sold 101,000 during their first two days on sale. Last year’s winners, Little Mix’s Cannonball had sold 69,000 at this stage of its opening week.

Comparisons with Shayne Ward’s all-time fastest selling X Factor winner’s single, 2005’s That’s My Goal, are difficult because it was issued in the early days of digital. The single had sold only 46,000 copies on download by Monday midnight, but exploded when the CD was released on Wednesday – it sold 289,000 copies on that day alone, on its way to a record X Factor opening week total of 742,000.

Official Charts Company Managing Director Martin Talbot says, “There has been a lot said about X Factor’s popularity this year and questions have been raised that perhaps its momentum is beginning to wane. But this amazing opening performance by James Arthur suggests that it remains the pre-eminent launch pad for new artists. Whether Arthur will match Shayne Ward’s 2005 total, only time will tell – but he has a fantastic chance.”

The other previous biggest opening week totals are Alexandra Burke’s Hallelujah (576,000), Leona Lewis’ A Moment Like This (571,000) and Joe McElderry’s The Climb (451,000).

In related news, proceeds from James Arthur's single will be donated to children’s charity, Together For Short Lives, who support children and the families of children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions. For more information, or to donate directly, please visit their website: www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk

 
Source 2

Nicole Scherzinger leaving Uk X Factor and Cheryl Cole in talks to a comeback

via glooce

 

"Tulisa, Gary, and Nicole are set to leave -
with Cheryl Cole retaking her rightful place."

NICOLE Scherzinger has dealt X Factor bosses a hammer blow — by threatening to quit the show and reboot her own pop career.

A showbiz insider said: “Nicole has proved really popular with viewers – men want to be with her and women want to be her."

The former Pussycat Doll, 34, said that getting two of her acts — James Arthur and Jahmene Douglas — into the final would be the perfect exit strategy. She said: “I’m really glad I did the show. I don’t know if I’ll come back next year. End on a high, right?”

Nicole has emerged as the most popular judge on this year’s panel and her departure would be another nail in the coffin of the ailing ITV1 show. However, Nicole, who has a new album in the pipeline, is keen to go back on tour.

She said: “This year has changed my life. As an artist, it’s put into perspective what I want, how to go about it.

“People have made me so comfortable and I have to thank you.”

There were reports earlier in the series that Simon Cowell was eager to poach Mel B from the Australian version of the show after a successful guest judging stint.

Reports suggest that besides Scherzinger, the only judge Cowell wants to see return to the show is pal Louis Walsh.

“Tulisa has lost her touch this year and her heart doesn’t seem to be in it, while Gary has a new album and touring commitments with Take That,”the source said.

It has previously been reported that Cowell is intending to return to the UK version of the show next year, and that negotiations are at an advanced level with Cheryl Cole on her return.

The X Factor has lost millions of viewers in the UK this year, and is down almost 10 million on its peak in 2009.

Liverpool singer Christopher Maloney has seen his odds slashed with the bookies as millions have been placed on him to win the competition.

source |source

One Direction performances on US X FACTOR

via glooce

 

Britney Spears confirms return To X Factor next year

via glooce

When asked, she replied, "Yes, Definitely."

Britney Spears hasn't been bringing in the killer ratings "The X Factor" was hoping for when they shelled out $18 million for her to appear on the show -- so will she be back next season?

While the show has been greenlit for another go-around, it was unclear whether the pop star would be returning with it.

But when Spears was asked about it on the red carpet last night at a party for the finalists, she had a very clear answer.

A reporter asks her: "Do you think you'll be back for another season?"

She says, "Yes, Definitely."

Source S2 S3

Khloé Kardashian Dieted for X Factor Debut

via glooce

 

How did Khloé Kardashian prepare for her big debut this week as co-host of The X Factor?

One word. Diet.

"I tried to cut out a lot of sweets," Kardashian, 28, told reporters after Thursday's show. "And I love ... cheese. [Cheese] is not a sweet, but …. I don't care."

An admitted cheese-o-holic, she likes "cheese on anything, I don't care. … [I] binge eat," she says, then, with a laugh, adds, "and cry."

Kardashian does take shaping up seriously: "It's always going to be a lifelong thing for me. And I'm not where I want to be."

Still, she's gained some perspective. "When I used to do things like crash diets or things too fast, it never stuck because it wasn't a lifestyle change," she says. "So for this, I'm working out consistently like three to five days a week … It's been harder. But I'm just changing my diet slowly."

As for how she looked on the show, Simon Cowell went so far as to say on-air that her nipples were showing. How did Khloé feel about that?

"I didn't mind that he talked about it," she says. "because it was there! Like, if you didn't talk about it, it would have been weird."

Her wardrobe limitations could be blamed on Hurricane Sandy. "My stuff got stuck on the East Coast, so the top I wanted to wear came in that day. I was like, 'Oh, perfect' – and we didn't have time to do it full dress rehearsal."

The actual top "was lined with a nude lining," and "we double taped it," but "the first time I ever went onstage was when it was live! So Simon was looking at me and going like this [gestures pointing to her nipples], and I was ... covering it with my hair, and I thought, from my angle, maybe it was just ... nippily."


Source 2

Simon Cowell says X Factor US 2012 won't have wild card or winner over 25

via glooce

 

On October 30, 2012, "The X Factor" executive producer Simon Cowell did a very revealing telephone-conference call with journalists about "The X Factor" U.S.'s second season. I'll have the entire interview posted here in the next day or two, but here are a few of the things that he talked about during the Q&A session: Cowell thinks that no one over the age 25 has a chance of winning on the show this year. He also said that this year, there won't be a "wild card" contestant who will be brought back on the show.

Predictably, Cowell said that he thinks judge Britney Spears and co-host Khloe Kardashian were the right hiring decisions for "The X Factor' U.S. (although the show's downward spiral in the Season 2 ratings prove otherwise), but Cowell brushed off any questions about how concerned he might be about the show's ratings. Cowell admitted that he doesn't know yet how Spears and Kardashian will do in the live episodes (which begin on October 31, 2012, at 8 p.m. Eastern/Pacific Time) but he hopes that they will prove the naysayers wrong.

But you probably don't want to hear about some of the repetitive PR lines that Cowell has been saying in other interviews over the past several months.

Let's get to to good stuff. I'll include Cowell's full quotes later when I have more time, but for now, I'm reporting a summary of what he said.

Most-Wanted Category by the Judges

Cowell said that he thinks the Teens category (mentored by Spears) is the one that all of the judges wanted, and it's the category that all of the judges think is the biggest threat to win over the other categories. Cowell expressed confidence in his Groups category, but he admitted it's been tough for groups to win on "The X Factor." He thinks the finalist groups on the show in 2012 are much better than the finalist groups that were on the show in 2011. As for the Young Adults category (mentored by judge Demi Lovato), Cowell said they have some good candidates (particularly Jennel Garcia), but he doesn't think anyone will win from that category. He was blunt in saying that he thinks the Over 25s category (mentored by judge L.A. Reid) has "no chance" of winning.

Wild Card, Jillian Jensen and Jeffrey Gutt

There will be no "wild card" for "The X Factor" U.S. this year because Cowell said there isn't an eliminated contestant he feels strongly about bringing back on the show, like he did with Melanie Amaro in 2011.

He admitted that he thinks the contestant elimination that was the show's biggest mistake in 2012 was 36-year-old Jeffrey Gutt, because Cowell thinks Gutt is a better singer than a few of the contestants in the Over 25s category. (Cowell didn't say which contestants he thinks are inferior to Gutt.)

Cowell said that even though he knows that 20-year-old Jillian Jensen's elimination was controversial, he doesn't want her back on the show. He said he respects Lovato's decision to eliminate Jensen, and he thinks Lovato made the decision because things with Jensen were getting too "gloomy" (Cowell's word), and he agrees with Lovato's decision to choose someone she thinks is more entertaining than Jensen is. He emphasized that Lovato genuinely liked Jensen, and that Jensen was a good singer, but there were concerns about Jensen's personality. Although Cowell didn't really come right out and say it, he pretty much implied that Jensen's bullying sob story and her tendency to cry a lot was too much of a downer, and that was one of the reasons why she was cut from the show.

Girl Group is a Bunch of Difficult Divas

Cowell said that one of this year's girl groups (which he would not name in the interview) is arrogant, difficult and doesn't want to do interviews, and he's concerned about their "likability." Given that Sister C is the only one of his girl groups who has been described this way by Cowell on the show, and Spears called Sister C "annoying" in one episode, it's a safe bet that Cowell was talking about Sister C.

The other girl group that he's mentoring this year is Lylas, and Cowell hinted that they are his favorite group in his mentor category because he thinks they have the most potential (compared the other groups he's mentoring this year) of having hits after they're on "The X Factor." No one asked Cowell about the rumor that Lylas will be changing their name because another girl group named Lylas (whose members are sisters of pop star Bruno Mars) claim to have the legal use of the name. We'll have to wait and see if Lylas from "The X Factor" do change their name, because it's looking increasingly likely that they have no other legal option but to change the name.

Live Episodes

Cowell said that the judges (not viewer voting) will eliminate several contestants on November 1, 2012. He declined to say how many of the contestants will be eliminated on November 1, but he did say that viewer voting would begin on November 7, 2012.

He also mentioned that the elimination format leading up to the season finale will be the same as it was in 2011: The contestants in the bottom two will do a "save me" sing-off, and the judges will vote on which contestant to eliminate. If the judges have a deadlocked vote, the contestant eliminated will be the one who got the lowest number of votes from the public.

As for co-hosts Kardashian and Mario Lopez, Cowell said he initially wants them on stage together as much possible in the live episodes, but he won't rule out the possibility that later in the season, one of the co-hosts (probably Kardashian) will be backstage with the contestants while the other co-host will be in front on stage and will be the main person interacting with the judges.

He also admitted that Fox was too nervous about his idea to have two co-hosts who had no experience as TV hosts, and that is one of the main reasons why Lopez was hired. (Kardashian has no previous experience as a TV host, while Lopez has years of experience.)

Toward the end of the interview, Cowell concluded by saying he's expecting for there to be meltdowns during the live episodes.

Fox has not yet announced when the show's two-part Season 2 finale is, but it's widely assumed to be on December 19 and December 20, 2012.

Here are some things that Cowell did not discuss in the interview but are worth speculating about nif the show will do the season finale like it was done in 2011:

Part 1 of the season finale (presumably on December 19) should have the Top 3 contestants performing for the last time for the public's votes. Then in Part 2 of the season finale (presumably on December 20), the third-place contestant is announced, and then the runner-up and winner are announced.

So if one contestant is eliminated every week and there are supposed to be the Top 3 left on December 19, that means on November 1, there will be nine (or possibly 10) of the 16 contestants left who will advance to the November 7 show. There could be more than one elimination in the same episode in late November, just like there was in 2011. We'll have to wait and see.

Source 2