On the day it was announced that Jedward had been dropped from their label, Sony, the X Factor Live Tour stopped off at the O2 in Dublin. Here's what each of the finalists played (as well as some of those group songs). No sign of Kandy Rain though...
Joe
The Climb
Love Story
Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
She’s Out Of My Life
Don’t Stop Beleivin
Olly
Superstition
Twist & Shout
Fool in Love
Stacey
The Scientist
Queen of The Night
Who Wants to Live Forever
Danyl
Purple Rain
Man In The Mirror
Lloyd
Stand By Me
Cry Me A River
Jedward
Ghostbusters
Under Pressure
Rock DJ
Jamie
Sex On Fire
Hurt
Lucie
Sweet Child of Mine
Duets
Stacey and Lucie – What A Wonderful World
Jamie, Olly and Danyl – With A Little Help From My Friends
Group songs
I Gotta Feeling
You Are Not Alone
Don’t Stop The Music
Watch 'I Gotta Feeling':
Showing posts with label Joe McElderry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe McElderry. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Thursday, December 17, 2009
List: 10 Reasons not to buy RATM this Christmas
SimplyZesty's Niall made an article yesterday about the importance of Blockbuster posts on your blog. It's posts like these that get the most hits, and thus the most feedback and comments. This is what I hope this post to be. One of those that generates a lot of feedback (in this case, I expect a lot of you to disagree with me!)
If you don't already know, there's a battle, nay, war going on. For control of the coveted position of the Christmas Number 1 in the singles charts (in both the UK and Ireland). It's been trending all week on twitter, as music fans "angry" at te state of the charts today make a stand against Simon Cowell and X Factor. I'm here to ask you to put down yourweapons mouse, and to not buy Rage Against the Machine's 'Killing in the Name' this Christmas. Here's ten reasons why.
1. It's a One-Week Thing
The Christmas number 1 single is only for one week. What will knocking Joe McElderry achieve? One week of dominance for RATM, that's it. Are the people who are out there buying their single going to keep on clicking and buying it next week? Somehow, I doubt it. At which point, Joe McElderry will be guaranteed top spot in the singles chart. Are you going to keep buying RATM or NIN or whoever every week to stop crap songs getting to number one? Not a hope. It's a good idea, but it's a one-week special offer rather than a complete overhaul of the charts.
2. Can you name any other of this year's number ones?
Face it, you're not the kind of person who listens to BBC Radio 1 or 2fm each week to listen to the countdown of the week's top singles. You probably couldn't name more than ten chart toppers from this year. Sure Lady Gaga and Rihanna must have been up there, but who else? It's not like the charts are something you've cared passionately about before. So why become a vegetarian just for Christmas when all that uneaten turkey is lying around anyway?
3. You're facing a losing battle.
Rage Against the Machine may be ahead of Joe McElderry today, but the gap is closing. Physical CD copies of the winner's single have gone on sale, which are sure to sell like hotcakes. Especially tonight and on Friday when people get paid from work and give their kids the weekly pocket money. Even with all this campaigning, I can still see Joe being #1 this weekend. The bookies are just being cautious. They're going to lose money either way. So of course they're going to stop taking bets.
4. It's more money for Sony.
That's not really sticking it to the man (or in this case: machine), now is it? Both Joe McElderry and RATM are signed to Sony, so all you're doing by buying Rage is lining the pockets of Simon Cowell's peers. You may be annoying him, but a hell of a lot of other "suits" are profitting from your campaign. Come to think of it, it may have been some clever intern in Sony that came up with the idea of RATMforXmas anyway.
5. Why Rage? Why not someone else?
Rage Against the Machine are a well-established band. How about next year, instead of this, we take some unsigned or unknown act under our collective wings and try to make them number one. Zach de la Rocha needs neither the money or the attention (although he has to be enjoying Christmas a little more than usual this year). Imagine what it would mean to some act that usually plays to a crowd of 40 in local pubs. That would really show Sony and the major labels. They'd get none of the profits.
6. Actually, you're giving Simon Cowell more money.
You may think you're actually stopping Simon Cowell and his SyCo label from making money, but actually you're not. Has your campaign stopped any teen from buying Joe? No, you haven't changed their mind. They haven't had that "eureka" moment, where they sat up and said "I hate this pop nonsense, how about some hard rock instead?". If anything, these people who bought Joe anyway may well buy a second copy of the single or maybe even a third to counteract RATMforXmas. And who gains from that? Simon and Sony.
7. It could be worse...
You may not think it, but there are far worse things that could be number one at Christmas. Remember Bob the Builder a few years back? Mister Blobby? Even that Gary Jules' 'Mad World' nonsense. But even the most fervent Simon Cowell/reality TV hater has to admit that Joe's cover of Miley Cyrus's 'The Climb' is a million times better than Nizlopi's 'JCB Song'. Has there ever been a worse line than "I'm Luke, I'm five, and my Dads Bruce Lee"?
8. This kid doesn't deserve it.
Simon Cowell may deserve your hatred and your outrage, but does the young guy actually singing the song? Definitely not. He seems like a nice fella. He's just trying to make a living, trying to follow his dream of being a singer. Have you heard him? He's actually a damn good singer. Not an entertainer like Robbie, or Zach de la Rocha, but a great singer. He doesn't deserve your anger.
9. It's not allowing RatM to progress.
Instead of going out and creating new music, which admit it, you'd love, Rage Against the Machine are resting on their laurels. This song that you want to send to number one this Christmas is an old tune: seventeen years old, in fact. If you really want to buy a Rage song, it should be a new one. Anyone who already likes Rage will definitely have a copy of 'Killing in the Name' already. Why do you need another? You don't. A new song would be far more interesting. That's what they should be doing instead.
10. It's Christmas, save your money
Christmas is a tough time for a lot of people. Not Zach de la Rocha, not Tom Morello, not Brad Wilk, not even Tim Commerford. They're all wealthy due to touring and back catalogue sales. Instead of spending 50p/60c/whatever on downloading their song, give it to charity. Those people deserve your money. Zach has enough already. Try www.concern.net, www.trocaire.org, www.oxfam.org, or perhaps even www.bothar.ie
Give your money to someone who deserves it this Christmas. Not Cowell, not de la Rocha.
If you don't already know, there's a battle, nay, war going on. For control of the coveted position of the Christmas Number 1 in the singles charts (in both the UK and Ireland). It's been trending all week on twitter, as music fans "angry" at te state of the charts today make a stand against Simon Cowell and X Factor. I'm here to ask you to put down your
1. It's a One-Week Thing
The Christmas number 1 single is only for one week. What will knocking Joe McElderry achieve? One week of dominance for RATM, that's it. Are the people who are out there buying their single going to keep on clicking and buying it next week? Somehow, I doubt it. At which point, Joe McElderry will be guaranteed top spot in the singles chart. Are you going to keep buying RATM or NIN or whoever every week to stop crap songs getting to number one? Not a hope. It's a good idea, but it's a one-week special offer rather than a complete overhaul of the charts.
2. Can you name any other of this year's number ones?
Face it, you're not the kind of person who listens to BBC Radio 1 or 2fm each week to listen to the countdown of the week's top singles. You probably couldn't name more than ten chart toppers from this year. Sure Lady Gaga and Rihanna must have been up there, but who else? It's not like the charts are something you've cared passionately about before. So why become a vegetarian just for Christmas when all that uneaten turkey is lying around anyway?
3. You're facing a losing battle.
Rage Against the Machine may be ahead of Joe McElderry today, but the gap is closing. Physical CD copies of the winner's single have gone on sale, which are sure to sell like hotcakes. Especially tonight and on Friday when people get paid from work and give their kids the weekly pocket money. Even with all this campaigning, I can still see Joe being #1 this weekend. The bookies are just being cautious. They're going to lose money either way. So of course they're going to stop taking bets.
4. It's more money for Sony.
That's not really sticking it to the man (or in this case: machine), now is it? Both Joe McElderry and RATM are signed to Sony, so all you're doing by buying Rage is lining the pockets of Simon Cowell's peers. You may be annoying him, but a hell of a lot of other "suits" are profitting from your campaign. Come to think of it, it may have been some clever intern in Sony that came up with the idea of RATMforXmas anyway.
5. Why Rage? Why not someone else?
Rage Against the Machine are a well-established band. How about next year, instead of this, we take some unsigned or unknown act under our collective wings and try to make them number one. Zach de la Rocha needs neither the money or the attention (although he has to be enjoying Christmas a little more than usual this year). Imagine what it would mean to some act that usually plays to a crowd of 40 in local pubs. That would really show Sony and the major labels. They'd get none of the profits.
6. Actually, you're giving Simon Cowell more money.
You may think you're actually stopping Simon Cowell and his SyCo label from making money, but actually you're not. Has your campaign stopped any teen from buying Joe? No, you haven't changed their mind. They haven't had that "eureka" moment, where they sat up and said "I hate this pop nonsense, how about some hard rock instead?". If anything, these people who bought Joe anyway may well buy a second copy of the single or maybe even a third to counteract RATMforXmas. And who gains from that? Simon and Sony.
7. It could be worse...
You may not think it, but there are far worse things that could be number one at Christmas. Remember Bob the Builder a few years back? Mister Blobby? Even that Gary Jules' 'Mad World' nonsense. But even the most fervent Simon Cowell/reality TV hater has to admit that Joe's cover of Miley Cyrus's 'The Climb' is a million times better than Nizlopi's 'JCB Song'. Has there ever been a worse line than "I'm Luke, I'm five, and my Dads Bruce Lee"?
8. This kid doesn't deserve it.
Simon Cowell may deserve your hatred and your outrage, but does the young guy actually singing the song? Definitely not. He seems like a nice fella. He's just trying to make a living, trying to follow his dream of being a singer. Have you heard him? He's actually a damn good singer. Not an entertainer like Robbie, or Zach de la Rocha, but a great singer. He doesn't deserve your anger.
9. It's not allowing RatM to progress.
Instead of going out and creating new music, which admit it, you'd love, Rage Against the Machine are resting on their laurels. This song that you want to send to number one this Christmas is an old tune: seventeen years old, in fact. If you really want to buy a Rage song, it should be a new one. Anyone who already likes Rage will definitely have a copy of 'Killing in the Name' already. Why do you need another? You don't. A new song would be far more interesting. That's what they should be doing instead.
10. It's Christmas, save your money
Christmas is a tough time for a lot of people. Not Zach de la Rocha, not Tom Morello, not Brad Wilk, not even Tim Commerford. They're all wealthy due to touring and back catalogue sales. Instead of spending 50p/60c/whatever on downloading their song, give it to charity. Those people deserve your money. Zach has enough already. Try www.concern.net, www.trocaire.org, www.oxfam.org, or perhaps even www.bothar.ie
Give your money to someone who deserves it this Christmas. Not Cowell, not de la Rocha.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Single Review: Joe McElderry - The Climb
Rage Against the Machine for Christmas number one? The early week indications aren't looking so bad, you know? They're ahead in a few places (Amazon, iTunes all due to mp3 downloads), but when the physical CD from the X Factor winner is released on Wednesday, it'll be a very different story. Expect them to fly off the shelves to be buried deep in stockings on Friday week.
'Killing in the Name Of' won't be number one, nor will the Muppets covering 'Bohemian Rhapsody', so I thought I'd take some time to have a look at, and a listen to what will be the Christmas Number 1 for 2009.
Some people have said "who cares about the Christmas number 1 anyway?" Obviously a lot of people do, as evidenced by the facebook RATM campaign, and the fact that Joe McElderry will go on to sell nearly a million copies of his debut single, 'The Climb'.
I listed the original version of the song as one of my top pop songs of the decade, and rightly so. It's not a song aimed at those of you who love the anti-war lyrics of Rage and the growl of Zach De La Rocha, it's aimed at tweens, teens, and mums. If you like Westlife, you probably love Joe McElderry, the cutie-pie dimpled teen who won this year's X Factor with almost two-thirds of the final vote. Sunday's final had ten million votes or so, which means almost seven million of those were for GeordieJoe [sic]. Say half of them rang in twice for him, bringing that number down to somewhere nearer five million (before you correct my maths here, by half I mean 50% + (50%/2) = 75%, which I then rounded down, just in case they voted a third time). If one in five of those then buys the single, it's a definite number one. Any week of the year. The phonecall itself cost 80p, and the single £1, so I'm being very conservative. Forget about Rage Against the Machine, Joe McElderry will be number one. Definitely.
But is the song any good? Sort of. It's probably better than runner-up Olly didn't win and have to sing it, it's not his kind of tune (he'll be dancing up the charts next year, mark my words). Joe's version is everything you'd expect it to be. As clean and toothpaste. Joe is a return to the non-threatening High School Musical ideals rather than 2008/9's weird Twilight phenomenon with its sexual undercurrents.
Joe, whose sexuality has been of much interest to the internet (and gossip magazines), is almost asexual. He's non predatory, the kind of guy your grandmother would like. A total softie. Don't get me wrong, he seems like a nice guy, really humble and grateful, but his imminent Christmas number one suffers because of this: it's decidely middle of the road. Even when the choir kicks in at the end.
I never thought I'd be saying this, but Miley Cyrus's version is better. Much better, a million times better. Her voice isn't as polished and smooth as Joe's (who is always note perfect, check out his performance after the results where he came back perfectly despite being interrupted by the awful Rachel Adedeji). Miley has a gruff, raw edge to her voice which really brings something to the song - about a difficult journey - something you can believe she has had. Joe's most difficult journey on the other hand was probably down to the shop and back in his hometown of South Shields.
Judge Dannii Minogue said about his performance on the night "It was a beautiful performance and it was effortless. it was beautiful. Something happens when you hit those top notes... I get tingles." For once, Dannii is totally right, she didn't realise it, but she's right. One word: "Effortless". That's what the song lacks. Urgency. It's a great song, fantastically written, but Joe's take on it is just too easy. It's like being massaged into submission. But then again, that's what a lot of people want. A young sexless crooner for the masses? If he doesn't find some edge with his next few songs, and with his album, that's what he'll be. The adoptive child of Daniel O'Donnell and Cliff Richard.
Watch Joe McElderry singing 'The Climb' on Sunday's results show:
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