Matt Monro Forum

I cannot imagine why this is running parallell to the Uk X Factor.

I am disappointed in Nicole as a judge-Simon should have kept Cheryl, plus I think the new host Steve Jones is just not very good-totally wrong for the show.

That being said, I am enjoying it--there are quite a few good singers on it--several very young singers, with amazing voices.

Plus there seems more variety than in the Uk version. On the whole, I prefer it to the Uk x factor.

Anyone posting from US, please remember , we are a couple of days behind you !!

I wrote a little about this in another thread.

I like Nicole as a judge as she knows music. I also like LA Reid and have admired him for years.

What I find painful is all the back stories with the fill of syrupy pop songs; that really gets on my nerves. Also I'm not impressed with many of the singers that Simon raves about.

The mentoring starts next week. Americans liked that on The Voice, but not sure they'll like it on the X Factor.

Apparently the ratings are not that good for X Factor or any of the reality shows. Could they be on the way out? I hope not, as I like the music shows better than situation comedies or crime or medical dramas.

I did see your previous posts Paul, but I thought it would be easier to have a separate thread. I am wondering how the mentoring part will work--especially with Paula, maybe ...

We have our 32: 8 girls, 8 boys, 8 groups, and 8 'over 30s'. No one really sticks out for me at the moment. I'm happy that LA Reid is mentoring the boys. Paula will have a real task to mentor the groups.

I am hoping to catch up over the weekend-just had a really busy couple of days.

Are you still watching Marian? I'm finding it to be quite dreadful. And it's so predictable. The judges are over-dramatic and there are too many recaps of the auditions and the backstories. Perhaps most annoying is the soundtrack which seems to play the Adele piano riffs on repeat (Someone Like You, Hometown Glory, Make You Feel My Love) as well as every other cheesy song released in the past 4 years or even older (when Mary J Blige's awful version of U2's One came on I had to mute the TV and I usually like her music). I really don't like Adele's music at all (except for Chasing Pavements). And they overuse Coldplay (Fix You, Viva La Vida) and I don't want to get tired of them!

There are some good singers in the top 17, so I hope it gets better when the live shows start next week. I don't think the groups will last long. No one cares about pop vocal groups in the US anymore, that's more of a UK fascination.

I am still watching Paul-I am a little behind as we had 2 hours last week, and 4 hours this weekend--so quite a lot to catch up o, with everything else going on just now.

Quite honestly, I am much preferring the USA x Factor to the UK x factor, which to me , is really dismal this year---not a single singer that I would ever want to listen to again.

Wheras I thought that the Amercan singers sounded much better. Plus I like the US groups too--those that I have seen--in fact out of thev first 16, I really liked 10 acts. So hoping to catch up over the weekend. At least I can fast track over the repeated bits, and ads, and cut it down by half.

This is much better now that we are in the live shows. I love Rachel Crow. Did you get to see her last week when she sang "I'd Rather Go Blind" (which she chose, not her mentor Simon Cowell, who was choosing silly teeny-bopper songs for her)? She had a very tough six first months and then was adopted. Thankfully they haven't focussed on this aspect, but we get to see her adorable personality and powerful voice.

Perhaps Robert can post a link to her performance of "I'd Rather Go Blind" so we all can see it. Besides Rachel, I like LeRoy Bell and Melanie is pretty good. Astro did a very good rendition of Lose Yourself last week. And Chris Rene brought out Gangsta's Paradise, which I haven't heard in a good long while.

Hi Paul-I am uptodate on this now-Rachel has been very powerful from the start--a big voice from a little girl ! I liked Drew at ctrhe beginning, but her songs are not helping her.I want hger to sing something more upbeat. Melanie has a great vopice and deserved to be bought back--the 2 who went should never have been there in the first place--it was only because Simon "fancied" them.
I am really liking Leroy too.Stacy has a good voice, and looks good-but she goes ott at times.

I do not like Astro--he is good at what he does, but I would never choose to listen to it--and what will he do when we get to "Abba" week, or "Frank Sinatra" week, or whatever,

Well Astro has gone, so we will never know how he would have handled Frank Sinatra--or whoever!!! thankfully !!

I was surprised to see Drew go, as she was my early favourite---but although she was only 14, the songs she sang were quite dreary-and always sounded the same to me. I cannot believe that Chris Rene gor through.

Out of the 5 left, I think it will be a tie between Rachel and Melanie--and probably Melanie to win, as she has the best voice-and Rachel is just 13--a very confident, and talented girl, but not qute as good as Melanie.

You're more caught up than I. I haven't seen the results show yet. Chris Rene and Marcus should have gone. Both are terrible singers. I don't like Drew's style (as you say, quite dreary), but she's better than those two.

The only two that keep my interest are Rachel and Astro. I thought she owned that stage on Can You Feel It. Astro's Black and White was sensational -- the very first time I've liked that song. I think I'm officially an Astronaut!

I find Melanie to be completely uninteresting. Since Astro's gone, I would want Rachel and Josh to be in the final. But I'd rather it be Rachel and LeRoy or Astro.

Leroy and Astro are both gone now. i think Marcus and Chris are nmowhere as good as Rachel or Melanie. I would love to see Rachel win--she is unique-and can sing---but Melanies voice is better-so maybe on personality Rachel could get it.

If this show is going to be true to its name, then Rachel should win. She has the X Factor. Her voice is not as powerful as Melanie's or Josh's, but I much prefer her style and voice.

I will have to get busy voting tonight.

Marcus just has to leave this week; he's not a good singer. And I've never liked Chris Rene.

I totally agree with you Paul, re Marcus and Chris Rene.

Rachel has as good a chance as Melanie---I loved her first audition singing "Mercy"-she was just so confident for such a young girl.

My sisters favourite is Josh. I believe 2 are going tonight [ie tomorrow night over here]

Rachel was adorable again this week. I loved when LA asked her who were "her girls" in her song Nothin' on You. She had a great comeback "Paula and Nicole". I didn't know her second song,but it really suited her. And yes, her Mercy was fantastic. I love watching her parents and sister; her father always has tears in his eyes. A beautiful family.

Melanie is talking too much. Okay, she was sent to live with her grandparents in the Virgin Islands and she's scarred forever because of this. She's not the only girl to go through tough times. Plus I cannot stand that Adele song or the Mariah Carey song with the choir. That has been done so many times. Josh was great singing Rihanna's latest #1. I didn't like his take on Something.

I didn't like either song by Marcus or Chris Rene. I hope they leave this week.

I'm happy your sister is watching. I don't recall her watching American Idol; that starting again in January! I'm assuming this is the 'Westlife' sister.