The X Factor 2014 live shows continued tonight with Movie Week.
Last week the 14 remaining acts were reduced to 12 following 80s Week. We weren’t overall that impressed with the standard last week or the majority of the song choices so we had everything crossed that tonight would be a better show.
Simon Cowell, Cheryl, Mel B and Louis Walsh were of course back on the panel to offer their critique following every performance. We’re loving the chemistry of the judges this year and last week’s Kermit and Miss Piggy banter was pretty entertaining.
Keep reading to find out how all the acts got on tonight…
Jake Quickenden
The song: She’s Like The Wind
Our verdict: Mel B what are you doing with Jake’s song choices? This wasn’t a good choice for Jake and the key change was a huge mistake. Jake went off-key and struggled to hit the notes in places. We think he could be in danger after that performance.
The comments: Louis said that Jake was struggling with the high notes tonight. Cheryl said she really likes Jake but told him he was lacking sensuality in his performance. Simon said he could feel Louis’ influence on him and told Jake there was no dynamic to his vocal. Mel B said she wasn’t disappointed with Jake and told him she was proud.
Only The Young
The song: Boom Clap
Our verdict: That was a bit of a mess tonight. Some of the vocals were really flat. The group pulled it together on the chorus but the verses were pretty poor. It was nice to hear the band attempting something modern but that wasn’t a great performance.
The comments: Mel B said that she thought they did a great job but wished there had been more harmonies. Cheryl said she enjoyed the performance much more than last week. Simon said that the vocals on the main verses were out of tune and criticised Louis’ decision to change the song at the last minute. Louis said that everything worked tonight.
Jay James
The song: Skyfall
Our verdict: We actually thought that song was a bit too big for Jay. He did a decent enough job but it didn’t blow us away. Honestly we don’t think he’s living up to the hype so far in the competition and we’re sad to say that because we loved him before.
The comments: Louis said that Jay is going to go far in the competition. Mel B said she didn’t like the song but Jay made her like it. Cheryl said that the production saved Jay tonight and that she thought it lacked something. Simon said that Jay gets better and better every week.
Andrea Faustini
The song: Listen
Our verdict: That was a much better performance from Andrea this week. We would like to see him doing something different though next week as he’s definitely in danger of becoming a one trick pony. We know he can sing but at the moment we don’t know if he can be relevant.
The comments: Louis said it was faultless and told Andrea he nailed it. Cheryl said that Andrea gives his all with every performance. Simon said that Britain took him to their hearts and told him it was much better than last week. Mel B was confused by Simon’s donut comment and told Andrea ‘well done’ for his performance.
Lola Saunders
The song: When You Believe
Our verdict: Oh Lola what happened? That turned into a screechy mess by the end and was far too big a song. What are the judges doing to their acts this year? We like Lola but we didn’t love that performance.
The comments: Louis said he loved the transformation and told Lola that she needs more confidence. Mel B said it was a stunning performance and told Lola to believe in herself. Simon said Lola looked beautiful but told her the second half of the song wasn’t great. Cheryl said that Lola has to believe she can live her dream and promised to help her work on her confidence.
Paul Akister
The song: Try A Little Tenderness
Our verdict: What a great vocal. Thank goodness for Paul in this competition. He could be a marketable chart star and with vocals like that he’s one of the most interesting contestants on the show. Good work Paul!
The comments: Louis said that Paul had soul and swag tonight. Cheryl said that Paul’s vocal was unbelievable and that the performance was his sexiest yet. Simon said he stands by his comment from last week that Paul was boring but told him the performance this week was a huge transformation. Mel B said Paul was her little white Jay-Z.
Lauren Platt
The song: Let It Go
Our verdict: It took Lauren a while to get going tonight but she pulled it back in the second half of the song. Nerves overtook her a little bit we think this week.
The comments: Louis said Lauren was amazing. Mel B said there’s no doubt that Lauren is a good singer but told her she could have taken more risks in the first half of the song. Simon called Lauren a ‘cool girl’ that is ‘real’ and told her she’ll be in the iTunes Top 10 by Sunday. Cheryl said it was the standout performance of the night.
Jack Walton
The song: Eye of the Tiger
Our verdict: Don’t get us wrong, Jack is a great singer but we’re a little bored of the similar arrangements he’s doing every week with every song. We were relieved that a beat came in during the mid-section of the song but Jack is in serious danger of becoming a bit boring.
The comments: Louis said that Jack is one of the most talented people in the competition but told him he didn’t like the song choice. Cheryl said that Jack needs to work on his performance more. Simon said Jack could be a really good recording artist but that Jack looked uncomfortable on stage. Mel B said there was a lot of issues over the week that affected his performance tonight.
Fleur East
The song: Lady Marmalade
Our verdict: Fleur has to be in the final this year. She’s the only contestant in the show that is contemporary, always does a performance and could sell in the current chart climate. That was a slick, sexy and polished performance.
The comments: Louis said that Fleur is the ultimate pop star and told her there’s a big gap in the market for someone like her. Cheryl said that Fleur is an all-rounder. Mel B said that Fleur shut her up this week and told her she loved the performance. Simon said Fleur is the most improved contestant on the show and he told her he looks at her like a real recording artist.
Stevi Ritchie
The song: Footloose
Our verdict: Well at least it wasn’t a dull performance which puts Stevi high up on our list of top performances tonight. Possibly one of his worst vocal performances in the series but hey he was having fun. At least he didn’t put us to sleep.
The comments: Louis said he didn’t get the performance this week which is interesting because Louis specialises in joke acts normally. Mel B said that Stevi has a great time on stage and that was it. Cheryl said that Stevi is having the most fun in the competition. Simon said he really, really likes Stevi and told him that the public love him.
Stereo Kicks
The song: Let It Be / Hey Jude
Our verdict: Well we understand why they did the performance the way they did but it exposed a few flaws and some of the weaker vocalists in the band.
The comments: Mel B said it was a great performance and they gave her what she wanted to hear. Cheryl said that the band got a great reaction and put in a better performance. Simon said that Stereo Kicks made the right decision to not listen to Louis this week and offered to mentor them. Louis said tonight was the start of Stereo Kicks.
Ben Haenow
The song: I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing
Our verdict: Well that was absolutely terrible. Talk about taking a well-known song and ruining it. The vocal started out flat and that performance did nothing for us.
The comments: Louis said that Ben is what The X Factor is all about. Mel B said that she didn’t feel the emotion but that his vocals were on point. Cheryl said she’s a big fan of Ben’s but she doesn’t like the song. Simon said that it was the wrong song for Ben and he was more soundalike than unique.
The X Factor 2014 continues tomorrow night at 8pm on ITV. Tune in to find out who will be leaving the competition.
