Every music fan out there will be wondering what this week’s X Blather title is about - it’s what SyCo Music has renamed Biffy Clyro’s ‘Many of Horror’ for X Factor 2010 winner Matt’s single. Now that X Factor is over and we know the winner, you have two choices - in the UK, either John Cage ’4’33″‘ or ‘When We Collide’, and in Ireland Rubberbandits’ ‘Horse Outside’ or ‘When We Collide’. Those are the anti-X Factor campaigns for Christmas number one this year. What do you mean, you haven’t heard ‘Horse Outside’? A million people have watched the video on youtube so far. That’s ten times as many as Matt (when I checked there now…)
Was Matt a worthy winner? Yeah, definitely. He was the most talented of the final four/five/sixteen, and topped the poll every week from week two onwards (our own Mary Byrne was #1 in week 1). He’s also going to appeal to teens and their mothers, so has every avenue sewn up. That said, the other four are all likely to get recording contracts too. Which is a major pity, as it means we’ll have to see One Direction again. I was hoping there would be a big fight and the boys would split, with none of the five having a solo career. Especially not the cocky Irish fella.
Last year, Sweary and I made a list of the best and worst of 2009, so hopefully me doing this list will inspire her to add in her own in the comments…
Best Contestant
Rebecca. From the first time I heard her doing Sam Cooke, I knew she was special. She has a gorgeous voice that will lend itself well to an album, but she has no stage personality. That said, her album will be the best of all the class of 2010.
Worst Contestant
Aiden Grimshaw. It might have been that tool Nicolo Festa had he stayed in longer, but Aiden’s slowed down crap quickly got boring, and the lad himself was a bit of a prat.
Best Judge
Once again it was Louis. He’s the best every year. Particularly when he was following Nicole around during auditions. He brought back the rulebook again this year, and was grumpy most weeks. However, his “everybody in Cheshire should take up the phone and vote” schtick wore thin.
Worst Judge
Cheryl. For a number of reasons. I don’t like Dannii because what does she know about talent, but Cheryl was awful this year. Showed she hasn’t a clue when she claimed she never heard ‘Crocodile Rock’ before, and that refusal to vote for her own act was just stupid. The people’s queen of England my eye.
Best Song
Rebecca Ferguson - ‘Make You Feel My Love’. Her cover of Adele covering Dylan was a masterclass in understatement. It was one of those chills moments that you rarely get from X Factor. Her and Paije’s auditions were spot on too.
Worst Song
Aiden Grimshaw. Everything by him. His ‘Thriller’ and ‘Jealous Guy’ were bottom of the barrel stuff though. I have no idea how he lasted so long. Godawful.
Best Guest
Michael Buble. A true showman, singing ‘Hollywood’. Lit up the stage, and really seems at home on a program like this. Something for the contestants to aspire to. Even if he was a bit jetlagged.
Worst Guest
The Black Eyed Peas. Even though Will.i.Am’s duet with Cher was the best guest/contestant team up, his performance with his own band was awful. That’s purely down to the quality of the song, the worst tune on a horrendous album.
Shock of the Series
We only found out last night on the Xtra Factor with the vapid Konnie Huq, but Katie Waissel actually came second in week 7, the week before she was eliminated. How the hell did that happen? Picking her over Gamu was a shock too.
Worst Moment
When Sweary decided to stop X Blathering after Katie was kept in. Sad, sad day for X Factor fans everywhere. I miss her wit. I’m just not as funny.
The One That Got Away
Has to be Gamu really, doesn’t it? Justin Vanderhyde would have been far better than Storm on the live shows too.
Best and Worst Themes
Guilty Pleasures should have been the best, but TreyC picked Led Zep. How is that a guilty pleasure? Halloween was probably the best overall though. The worst was Beatles week, by miles. Not one person did a decent version of a Beatles song. It’s impossible at the best of times.
Gaffe of the Year
Has to be Louis commenting that Wagner’s ‘Creep’ was a “winner”.
And that’s it for 2010. I can’t wait to see Alexandra Burke’s comeback single on X Factor 2011. Oh and we have US X Factor to look forward to. Fantastic.
Ah here will.i.am’s duet with that brat was cat! They were screaming at each other! god I hope she disappears off to trabolgan for herself!
The whole season was rubbish. The only person I was rooting for was Mary, and that was more so because she was a lovable character rather than her talents (I think she’s great like, but God does she shout a lot).
I do not get the whole adoration for Rebecca. At all. Yeah, her voice is a bit more unique than the others, and will sound better in a recording studio singing songs adapted to suit her, but she has ZERO personality. ZERO. And I don’t think her voice is strong enough to make up for that. All ya have to do is listen to Adele singing To Make You Feel my Love live, and then listen to Rebecca’s version to hear the difference. No comparison whatsoever.
Didn’t really like a single one of the judges either, although surprisingly I thought Dannii was the most consistent and fair with her comments most of the time. Louis is a big pain in the face: “Rebecca!/Matt!/One Direction!/Whoever! You’re great! You’re in the final! I want people to pick up the phone and vote for blah blah blah!” Someone give him a new script next year please.
And don’t even start me on Konnie Huq on the Xtra Factor…..
(sorry, rant over. I guess I had that building up in me ey?!).