Big Band night arrived at The X Factor 2014 tonight as the remaining acts sung to keep their place in the competition.
Normally Big Band week is one of the highlights of the series but tonight the theme was stretched considerably by the acts and their mentors. Never-the-less it was an entertaining show and the banter between Simon Cowell, Cheryl, Mel B and Louis Walsh was as fierce as ever.
Find out how the acts got on and what we thought of their performances by reading on…
Andrea Faustini
The song: Summertime
Our verdict: He performed that with every ounce of his being. It was a little over the top for us and could have benefitted from being a bit more restrained. A good performance though.
The comments: Louis said that Andrea is like ‘a little Pavarotti’ and called him ‘the people’s diva’. Cheryl said ‘amazeballs’. Simon disagreed and said it lacked the gritty passion that the song needed and he criticised Andrea’s facial expressions. He also said Leona Lewis sung the same song so much better. Mel B told Simon he was wrong and argued with him.
Lauren Platt
The song: Smile
Our verdict: That was a nice enough performance from Lauren but we thought the performance was a bit boring to be honest. Vocally she sounded pretty good though.
The comments: Louis said that Lauren was effortless and called her ‘a born recording artist’. Mel B said that Lauren looked stunning and told her the vocal technique was flawless. Simon said it was a good song choice and told Lauren the performance was a bit boring. Cheryl disagreed with Simon and told Lauren to be proud of herself.
Jay James
The song: New York State Of Mind / New York New York
Our verdict: Wow that was a terrible performance. Jay is usually fairly original but tonight he went for an impersonation and what was with that fake American accent? Awful.
The comments: Louis said it was clever mashing up the Alicia Keys and Frank Sinatra songs but told Jay it was a karaoke performance. Mel B said that Simon did Jay a disservice and told him the vocal wasn’t on point. Cheryl said it was a good performance but told him the American accent was odd. Simon said that Jay’s performance was the best so far tonight.
Stereo Kicks
The song: Mack The Knife
Our verdict: Considering they only had 24 hours to arrange the song we thought Stereo Kicks did an OK job. We don’t think Louis has a clue what he’s doing with them though unfortunately.
The comments: Mel B said that the members need to be identifiable but told them the performance was great. Cheryl said that the band come up against a problem every week but applauded them for their performance. Simon called Mel B ‘Cruella De Vile’ and disagreed with with her critique before asking Louis if he could name the members of the band.
Ben Haenow
The song: Cry Me A River
Our verdict: The best performance of the show so far. Ben picked an actual Big Band song and he sung it in his own style rather than doing a Michael Buble impression. Good job!
The comments: Louis said that he didn’t think the theme suited him and told him he went off a bit at the end. Mel B said she had a rollercoaster with Ben and told him it was a good performance and delivery. Cheryl said this wasn’t Ben’s week and told him he’s cooler than the theme. Simon spoke patronisingly to Cheryl before telling Ben it was an honest and cool performance.
Only The Young
The song: I Wanna Be Like You
Our verdict: We can’t believe we’re typing this but that was actually a really good performance. Using the guys instead of the girls worked so much better. Colour us impressed.
The comments: Mel B said that her kids love Only The Young and told them they know their market. Cheryl said the group brings the fun into the show and thanked them. Simon said it was his and his son’s favourite song and he told them they’re fun and unique. Louis said that nobody works harder than Only The Young and asked viewers to vote for them.
Stevi Ritchie
The song: Mambo No. 5 / She Bangs
Our verdict: Normally we like the fun factor that Stevi brings to the competition but that was absolutely atrocious. No one needed to see half of the things that Stevi packed into that performance.
The comments: Louis congratulated Stevi on still being in the competition. Mel B said that Stevi is a nice guy and told him she doesn’t get it. Cheryl said that when Stevi enjoys himself then the people at home enjoy it too. Simon said it was one of the worst performances The X Factor has ever seen but hoped he would stay in the competition.
Fleur East
The song: Bang Bang
Our verdict: That was a home run from Fleur there. We love her every single week and she never disappoints in terms of vocals and performance. Performance of the night!
The comments: Louis said they saved the best for last and told Fleur she grows every single week. Mel B said that Fleur is always a surprise to her and thanked her for working so hard. Cheryl said that Fleur is the all-rounder in the competition and told her ‘well done’. Simon said this song changed everything for Fleur and he believes she could win the competition.
Tune in to The X Factor 2014 results show tomorrow night at 8pm on ITV to see which act leaves the competition.
