The X Factor UK Season 11 - Live Show 9 (Top 4 - Semi Final)

Top 4 Semi Final Live Show

Theme: Christmas & Song To Get To The Final

Favorite Performances:

Fleur East - Uptown Funk

Andrea Faustini - Wrecking Ball

Andrea Faustini - O Holy Night

Fleur slayed her second song so much. I love it. It's very entertaining, fun and amazing. She just become a frontrunner to win the competition. Andrea also had a solid night with two great performances. Ben did a good job but Lauren not so much. I think she was overshadowed by the other three this week. 

Bottom 2 Prediction:
Lauren Platt & Ben Haenow

Results

Bottom 2: Andrea Faustini & Lauren Platt
Sing-Off Elimination: Lauren Platt (3-1)

Both acts were amazing in the sing-off. Except for Cheryl, other judges voted to keep Andrea. I'm going to miss Lauren. Overall she did so well in the competition. My favorite performance from her is definitely Don't You Worry Child. 

Next week is the finale. Fleur is the clear favorite to win. But Ben.. Don't know why but I think he could be the winner. He's like the combination of Matt Cardle and James Arthur. Andrea is my favorite but I'm not sure if he'll win. 

The X Factor UK Season 11 - Live Show 8 (Top 5)

Top 5 Live Show

Theme: Jukebox & Popstar's Choice

Favorite Performances:

Andrea Faustini - Chandelier

Lauren Platt - Don't You Worry Child

Ben Haenow - Thinking Out Loud

A great week overall. Andrea is coming back stronger this week. Both songs were fantastic but my favorite is Chandelier. I love the way he control his voice and didn't overdo it. Lauren & Ben were also solid this week. Fleur was just okay for me this week but still million miles better from Stereo Kicks. Stereo Kicks should be in the bottom 2 but I'm not sure who's going to join them. 

Bottom 2 Prediction:
Stereo Kicks & Fleur East

Results:

Bottom 2: Stereo Kicks & Lauren Platt
Sing-Off Elimination: Stereo Kicks (Deadlock)

When Mel strategically decided to vote out Lauren, I was like what!!! Fortunately Simon decided to be fair this week and gave his vote to keep Lauren. I like Stereo Kicks but it was pretty obvious that the other 4 acts were much stronger than them. 

The X Factor UK Season 11 - Live Show 7 (Top 7)

Top 7 Live Show

Theme: Whitney Houston vs Elton John

Favorite Performances:

Lauren Platt - How Will I Know

Fleur East - I'm Every Woman

Lauren surprised me the most this week. I didn't expect that. I thought, she's going to sing the song like what she did in her audition. She looks comfortable on the stage. Fleur also did well. Except for Stevi, I like the other performances too. 

Bottom 3 Prediction:
Stevi Ritchie, Only The Young & Stereo Kicks

Results:

Bottom 3: Andrea Faustini, Stevi Ritchie & Only The Young
Instant Elimination: Only The Young
Sing-Off Elimination: Stevi Ritchie (3-1)

Arghh.. Not a fan of double elimination. I don't think OTY deserved to be eliminated over Stevi and Stereo Kicks. So sad for them. I was a little bit surprised to see Andrea in the bottom. Well, hopefully he and Mel realized that lately he was being so predictable with his song choice. Finally Stevi gone.. And he left with his best vocal performance in the competition. 

The X Factor UK Season 11 - Live Show 6 (Top 8)

Top 8 Live Show

Theme: Big Band

Favorite Performances:

Fleur East - Bang Bang

Andrea Faustini - Summertime

Only The Young - I Wanna Be Like You

Arghh.. Not a fan of this theme because I knew it's going to be a boring night. And I was right. Except for Fleur I wasn't invested in the other song choices. Fleur continue to impress me. For the first time, I believe she could win this competition. My least favorite performances this week are Jay James & Stevi. I'm not sure how Stevi is going to survive the bottom 2 this week.

Bottom 2 Prediction:
Jay James & Stevi Ritchie

Results:

Bottom 2: Jay James & Stevi Ritchie
Sing-Off Elimination: Jay James (Deadlock)

Both of them were kinda bad in their sing-off. Honestly I don't care who's going home between these two. I was surprised though that Mel decided to vote off Jay. Hmm.. Guess she's being strategic. Jay James was eliminated. I used to like him but Simon kept giving wrong songs to him. 

The X Factor UK Season 11 - Live Show 5 (Top 9)

Top 9 Live Show

Theme: Queen vs Michael Jackson

Favorite Performances:

Andrea Faustini - Somebody To Love

Fleur East - Will You Be There

Stereo Kicks - You Are Not Alone

Another underwhelming week for me. Andrea is definitely the best for me. Fleur finally sing a slower song and I really like what she did with this song. Stereo Kicks bounced back from the bottom 2 last week. My least favorite performances this week are Stevi & Jay James. Jay struggled with the high notes while Stevi is Stevi. 

Bottom 2 Prediction:

Jay James & Paul Akister

Results:

Bottom 2: Jay James & Paul Akister

Sing-Off Elimination: Paul Akister (Deadlock)

Paul did an okay job this week but I just knew he's going home this week. He was stronger than Jay in the sing-off. It was obvious that he should win the sing-off but Louis decided to save Jay. Once again, Louis become a reason for Paul to be eliminated. 

The X Factor UK Season 11 - Live Show 4 (Top 11)

Top 11 Live Show

Theme: Halloween

Favorite Performances:

Only The Young - Monster Mash/Crocodile

Lauren Platt - Dark Horse

Stereo Kicks - Everybody

Andrea Faustini - Relight My Fire

This is such a weird week. Half of the song choices didn't really represent the Halloween to me. Finally Only The Young shown some potential. I think they nailed it this week. Stereo Kicks continued to improve. Lauren was still consistent and Andrea did great with his vocal but the concept of his performance was horrendous. He was in a gold paint and he looked so uncomfortable. The weakest performance this week for me were Stevi, Jack Walton and Paul Akister. 

Bottom 3 Prediction:

~ Jack Walton, Paul Akister & Lola Saunders

Results:

Bottom 3: Jack Walton, Lola Saunders & Stereo Kicks

Instant Elimination: Jack Walton

Sing-Off Elimination: Lola Saunders (Deadlock)

Arghh.. I was hoping for Lola vs Paul because Lola had more chance to survive against him. Surprise that SK was in the bottom again. Honestly Lola killed them in the sing-off. I don't get Mel B's vote at all. For her daughter? As for Jack, I think he was thrown under the bus and was given a very hard song. That wasn't him at all. Lola needs to gain more confidence. She was so good especially at the sing-off. 

The X Factor UK Season 11 - Live Show 3 (Top 12)

Top 12 Live Show

Theme: Songs From Movies

Favorite Performances:

Stereo Kicks - Let It Be/Hey Jude

Fleur East - Lady Marmalade

Lauren Platt - Let It Go

Andrea Faustini - Listen

A little bit boring this week due to a very predictable song choice. Yes, Fleur, Lauren & Andrea continue to give great performances but sometimes, I feel like I watched the same performances all over again from these three. Ben continued to pick a lame song for himself. Aerosmith? The biggest surprise to me was Stereo Kicks. Finally I can see something different from them. Their performance is definitely my favorite performance this week. My least favorite performances were Jake Quickenden, Lola Saunders & Stevi Ritchie. 

Bottom 2 Prediction:

Jake Quickenden & Stevi Ritchie

Results:

Bottom 2: Jake Quickenden & Only The Young

Sing-Off Elimination: Jake Quickenden (3-1)

Damn.. I knew Stevi will be saved again by the public. It's a little bit annoying. He's not even a funny joke act like Rylan Clark. As for Jake, after third week in a row with average performances, it's definitely the right time for him to go. Only The Young need to come back stronger next week. I still didn't love any performances from them in the live show. 

The X Factor UK Season 11 - Live Show 2 (Top 14)

Top 14 Live Show

Theme: 1980s Music

Favorite Performances:

Lauren Platt - What A Feeling

Lola Saunders - Imagine

Jay James - I'm Gonna Be

Ben Haenow - Jealous Guy

Andrea Faustini - One Moment In Time

Fleur East - It's A Shame

Unlike last season, this year is going to be so unpredictable. I still can't predict who's going to be in the final this season. Lauren Platt & Lola Saunders were outstanding this week. Definitely my picks for the best performance of this week. As for my least favorites, I think Stevi Ritchie, Jake Quickenden & Stereo Kicks should be in the bottom 3. 

Bottom 3 Prediction: 

~ Jake Quickenden, Stereo Kicks & Stephanie Nala (Yeah again. Instead of Stevi, Steph will be in the bottom 3 again)

Results:

Bottom 3: Stephanie Nala, Stereo Kicks & Chloe Jasmine

Instant Elimination: Stephanie Nala

Sing-Off Elimination: Chloe Jasmine (3-1)

Wow.. I was a little surprised to see Chloe in the bottom 3. Yeah she didn't really stood out last night, but she definitely deserved to move forward over some of the acts. Stereo Kicks just didn't work out for me. Something about these 8 lads was just too awkward too watch. As for Steph, I like her but Cheryl shouldn't pick her. She's more suitable to be in the group. Instead of Steph, Cheryl should pick Kerrianne who would do well in the live show. 

The X Factor UK Season 11 - Live Show 1 (Top 16)

Top 16 Live Show

Theme: Number Ones

Favorite Performances:

Andrea Faustini - Earth Songs

Fleur East - All About That Bass

Lauren Platt - Happy

Lola Saunders - Stay With Me

Chloe Jasmine - Toxic

Jack Walton - Only Girl (In The World)

Overall, it's a very good first live show. I can see so many potential winner. Beside of the performances I listed above, I also like Only The Young, Ben Haenow, Jay James and Stereo Kicks. The star of this week show is definitely Andrea Faustini. He just killed that song beautifully. My least favorite performances for this week are Stevi Ritchie, Blonde Electra & Overload Generation. 

Bottom 3 Prediction:

~ Blonde Electra, Overload Generation & Stephanie Nala (I like her but there's no way Stevi will be in the bottom 3 because UK public really like joke acts.

Results:

Bottom 3: Blonde Electra, Overload Generation & Stephanie Nala

Instant Elimination: Blonde Electra

Sing-Off Elimination: Overload Generation (Deadlock)

A little bit upset for Blonde Electra. They tried too much to be a joke act. They actually have a really good vocal but they never showed it. I just don't get it. As for Overload Generation, I just don't get why the producer let this group to be picked by Mel B when we still have other decent groups who were eliminated at the Judges House. 

The X Factor UK Season 11 - Top 16

Hello!!!

I'm so happy that we're going to get 16 finalists instead of 12 because there were still so many good acts were eliminated. However this time, other judges will pick the wildcard for each category. Here are the Top 16 finalists for this season. 

Boys Category (Mel B)

Andrea Faustini

Jack Walton

Jake Quickenden

Paul Akister

Very strong category. Mel B originally pick Andrea, Jake & Paul while Simon picked Jack as her wildcard. Andrea is definitely my favorite. Very humble and his voice is very powerful. Jack is very unique while Jake has a very beautiful tone. Meanwhile Paul has a very soulful voice. 

Girls Category (Cheryl)

Chloe Jasmine

Lauren Platt

Lola Saunders

Stephanie Nala

Unlike Mel, I think Cheryl made a bad decision. She originally picked Chloe, Lauren & Stephanie. I understand why she picked Lauren but the other two. I like Chloe & Stephanie but the other singers such as Kerianne & Lola were stronger than these two. For the wildcard, Simon picked Lola which Cheryl should be thankful. Lauren & Lola have so much potential. But both of them need to be more confident. Chloe is very interesting due to her posh personality but she only can sing jazz songs. And Stephanie, her voice is really thin, She needs to pick a suitable song for her voice. 

Overs Category (Simon Cowell)

Ben Haenow

Fleur East

Jay James

Stevi Ritchie

Simon's original picks are Ben, Fleur & Jay. I think he made a right decision. Three of them have so much potential. Ben has this very rock-ish and soulful voice and Jay has a very beautiful light quirky tone. And Fleur, she really stood out during the Judges House. However, Cheryl decide to bring back Stevi. What? Over someone like Helen, Janet and Lizzy. I don't get why UK public really like Cheryl as a judge. She made poor decision again and again. 

Groups Category

Blonde Electra

Only The Young

Overload Generations

Stereo Kicks

Louis as always made a very 'weird' decision. Sometimes, it was good but other times, it was really unnecessary. Only The Young definitely earned their spot. Stereo Kicks is very interesting but if he didn't know what to do with 8-pieces boyband, they are going to be disaster. Blonde Electra can sing actually but I didn't get why they want to be a joke-act. As for wildcard, Mel B brought back Overload Generations. It's a little bit weird considering they didn't even get to go to the Judges House but the other 3 acts who were eliminated at the Judges House weren't that good so I get Mel's decision. 

Song & Lyrics: Scarecrow by Alex & Sierra

Hello!!!

Semalam, lirik video untuk debut single dari Alex & Sierra telah dilancarkan di Youtube. I'm such a huge fan of them since The X Factor lagi and they didn't let me down with their first single. I played this song countless times now. Not sure when this song will be available on Itunes and Spotify but here is the song and lyrics for that beautiful song. 

Scarecrow by Alex & Sierra

I'm standin' still without you

In the emptiest of fields

Wish that I could say what's on my mind

The straw that fills your heart so you never have to feel

You say that you just need a little time

Days like these I bury my each and every word

Hide them underneath these lonely trees

The harvest moon is wicked

I know that you've been hurt

But, I swear I'm here for good I'll never leave

This is where it starts tonight

If you open up your heart tonight

You're staring out the window

And I’m out here in the street

You stand there like a scarecrow

And I’m begging you to speak

You used to be my solid ground

Now I'm drowning in the sea

I just wanna believe in you and me

I just wanna believe in you and me

Hey yeah, hey..., hey yeah, hey...

Used to be so full of life not just an empty shell

You're out there all alone I wonder why

The pieces keep on falling out and I pick them up myself

But I'd let you steal the buttons from my eyes

Oh, This is where it starts tonight

If you open up your heart tonight

You're staring out the window

And I’m out here in the street

You stand there like a scarecrow

And I’m begging you to speak

You used to be my solid ground

Now I'm drowning in the sea

And I just wanna believe in you and me

Yeah, I just wanna believe in you and me

Hey yeah, hey..., hey yeah, hey... (2x)

You said you'd open up for me

Well nothing's what it seems to be

How can I make you feel again

Only you can make me real again

You're staring out the window

I’m out here in the street

You stand there like a scarecrow

I’m begging you to speak

You used to be my solid ground

Now I'm drowning in the sea

I just wanna believe in you and me

I just wanna believe in you and me

You're staring out the window

I’m out here in the street

You stand there like a scarecrow

I’m begging you to speak

You used to be my solid ground

Now I'm drowning in the sea

I just wanna believe in you and me

Yeah, I just wanna believe in you and me

Hey yeah, hey..., hey yeah, hey...

You're staring out the window

I’m out here in the street

You stand there like a scarecrow

I just wanna believe in you and me

Song & Lyrics: Ghost by Ella Henderson

Hello!!!

Hari ni nak share lirik dan lagu daripada Ella Henderson. Ella Henderson ni merupakan bekas peserta The X Factor UK pada tahun 2012. Dia memang merupakan peserta favorite aku bersama boyband Union J. Tetapi Ella tersingkir semasa pusingan Top 6 which is so ridiculous for someone like her. But Simon Cowell saw her potential dan still signed Ella untuk join company dia, Syco. 

So ini adalah single pertama Ella yang berjudul Ghost. Lagu dia memang catchy. Dan Ella juga memiliki bakat menulis lagu yang sangat bagus. Aku suka sangat dengan lirik dia. 

Ella Henderson - Ghost

I keep going to the river to pray

Cos I need, something that can wash all the pain

And at most, I’m sleeping all these demons away

But your ghost, the ghost of you it keeps me awake

My friends had you figured out

Yeah they saw what’s inside of you

Trying to hide in another you

But your evil is coming through

These guys sitting in the wall

They watch every move I make

Bright light living in the shade

You go hard makes the spirit shake 

I had to go through hell to prove I'm not insane

Had to meet the devil just to know his name

And that's where my love was burning

Yeah it’s still burning 

I keep going to the river to pray

Cos I need, something that can wash all the pain

And at most, I’m sleeping all these demons away

But your ghost, the ghost of you it keeps me awake(x2)

Each time that I think you go

I turn around and you’re creeping in

And I let you under my skin

Cos I love living innocent

Boy you never told me

True love was going to hurt

True pain that I don’t deserve

Truth is that I never learn 

I keep going to the river to pray

Cos I need, something that can wash all the pain

And at most, I’m sleeping all these demons away

But your ghost, the ghost of you it keeps me awake(x2)

Give up the ghost, Give up the ghost, Give up the ghost, Stop the haunting baby 

Give up the ghost, Give up the ghost, Give up the ghost, No more haunting baby

I keep going to the river 

I keep going to the river to pray

Cos I need, something that can wash all the pain

And at most, I’m sleeping all these demons away

But your ghost, the ghost of you it keeps me awake(x2)

The X Factor UK Season 10 - Finale Part 1 & 2

Hello!!!

It's time for the finale!!!! I'm a huge supporter of Sam Bailey but I also love Luke Friend. I like Nicholas but I don't think he did enough to win this competition. 

Nicholas McDonald

1. Candy ~ Okay. I'm not sure who picked this song. But it was so wrong for him. Not good at all. C-

2. Flying Without Wings with Shane Filan ~ Shane from Westlife!!!! I love this duet... Or maybe I was distracted by Shane lol. Westlife was like one of my favorites boyband. I spent my teenage years listened to a lot of Westlife songs. But their vocal blended together so well. A


Sam Bailey 

1. The Edge Of Glory ~ Great song for Sam and suitable for her big vocal range. Great vocal performance from Sam again. A

2. And I Am Telling You with Nicole Scherzinger ~ Yeah Nicole overshadowed Sam but I love Sam vocal more. It was so effortless and beautiful. The performance overall was epic. A+


Luke Friend

1. We Are Young ~ Great performance. I love how relax he was on the stage. The dancers kinda distracted me a little bit but Luke's vocal was on point. A

2. Anything Could Happen with Ellie Goulding ~ Another solid performance from Luke. I love the chemistry between him and Ellie. Their vocal sounds great together. A


Result (3rd Place): Luke Friend was eliminated. Yeah Luke was better than Nicholas but I expected this outcome. With a great material, I think Luke can find a success in the music industry. 


Sam & Nicholas are going to continue the battle to win The X Factor with their Winner's single. 

1. Nicholas McDonald (Superman) ~ Beautiful performance from Nicholas. His vocal was on point and he sounds good on it. One of my favorite performance from him. A

2. Sam Bailey (Skycraper) ~ Simply stunning. The arrangement was more difficult than the original but Sam nailed it. She should win. Period. A+


Winner: And the winner is... SAM BAILEY. I was so relieved lol. She killed it everytime and was so consistent. She's very likeable as well. I think there's a spot for her in the music industry. 

Here are some of my favorite performance from Sam Bailey!!!

The X Factor UK Season 10 - Live Show #9 Top 4

Hello!!!

Final Four!!!! The theme this week was Elton John vs Beyonce. Don't ask me what is the connection between these two. It was so random. Maybe cause these two were such a great performer. So two songs again this week. 

Beyonce

1. Luke Friend (Best Thing I Never Had) ~ Tough song to sing. I love Craig Colton version (The X Factor 2011) and Luke Friend's version was good. It wasn't great but he made the song like it was his. That's what I like about this performance. B+

2. Nicholas McDonald (Halo) ~ He started well but after failed to hit the high notes, it went downward and was quite a mess. And he cried. Hmmm. C-

3. Sam Bailey (If I Were A Boy) ~ She nailed it. I heard so many version of this before so I wasn't so impressed with the song choice but she killed it. A

4. Rough Copy (Survivor) ~ They're so energetic. I love their version. Their solo was better compared to when they sing together so they should work on that. A-


Elton John

1. Luke Friend (Something About The Way You Look Tonight) ~ Love this. He nailed it. I love his version more than the original. I hope he will make it to the final. A

2. Nicholas McDonald (Don't Let The Sun Go Down) ~ Much better than the last song. But I don't see any different from the original version. Too much same. B+

3. Sam Bailey (Candle In The Wind) ~ Beautiful vocal. Love the song for her. She never failed to impress me from week to week. A

4. Rough Copy (Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Week) ~ I don't like this. It was too messy and their harmony was off. They sounds good when they sing solo though. It was just okay to me. B


My Top 3 performance this week are Sam Bailey (Beyonce), Luke Friend (Elton John) & Sam Bailey (Beyonce). 


Bottom 2: Luke Friend & Rough Copy. Wow, Nicholas survived the bottom 2 again. I was surprised they have another sing-off. Usually in the Top 4, it was depend on the votes 100%. 

Sing-Off: Both acts struggled with their song. I guess the pressure was just too much for them. 

Result: 

Gary: Luke Friend
Louis: Rough Copy
Nicole: Luke Friend
Sharon: Rough Copy

Deadlock!!! And the act with the lowest number of votes was Rough Copy. Oh my God. I'm so happy for Luke. I think he was stronger than Rough Copy. So that's it for Gary. This is Gary's final season. He's not coming back next year.