Welcome to #SurvivorSaturday: X Factor UK edition! Just a quick disclaimer that everything down below are my personal opinions. I'm in no way affiliated with any corporation, especially X Factor, Syco, or iTV.
What is Survivor? Alright, so I do recaps of performances for various singing shows and I give my two cents but Survivor is where I put my ten cents in and try and give the contestants a bit of advice (even though they're clearly not reading this) about what they can do to stay in the competition.
Last season, these posts were simply titled "Survivor", but I'm trying something new out so bare with me! Everything down below is not only referring to said contestant's previous performance, but their overall history in the competition. This is basically what I think they can do to get through to the next round and whether or not I think they're safe or not. On to Survivor!
GIRLS:
EMILY MIDDLEMAS
I came into the live shows with very high hopes for Emily. She was one of the few contestants that consistently delivered good performances. They weren't gimmicky, they weren't over the top. All Emily did was show up with her guitar and her pretty voice and just sing a song to us that put a smile on your face (ya know, if you have a heart). So keeping that all in mind I thought she was going to sail through pretty far in the competition! But if what happened last week foreshadows what's to come, she's in for a long ride. There wasn't anything particularly bad about her first live show performance but it was just a little strange. Emily has a very distinct voice and a distinct style of performing and it's like it all got stripped away from her this week. The first half was pretty good, I wish they kept the acoustic from the beginning because when the chorus hit it's like it smacked her in the face. I think she still has a lot of potential and it was the perfect time to flop because she has next week to recover, I think she'll be fine if she keeps up what's been working. I appreciate her trying to switch things up, though! If she's able to recapture the magic that made us love her in the first place, this stage of the competition should be a breeze for her!
GIFTY LOUISE
I think Gifty is so much fun! I loved her energy throughout the entire competition so far and she didn't disappoint this week. At least not to me. She doesn't have the best voice in the competition, but she's much far from the worst and you can't even really tell when she's performing the way she does. I thought she did a really good job with "That's My Girl", it was the perfect song choice for her. She looked like she was having the time of her life up there and I honestly was as well. I just want her to stay fresh and keep that magic she has going for her. The public doesn't seem to exactly all the way agree with me, judging by YouTube, but as long as y'all keep her safe, say whatever you want haters! Who's Gifty? That's MY girl!
SAM LAVERY
Here's my problem with Sam. It's like she (or, I guess, Simon as well) is incapable of picking the right song for her. I thought "Make it Rain" was absolutely stellar but "Impossible" was...not. Her voice was alright at the beginning but it sounded like she was shouting at some points. I just want her to control her voice a little more because we know what she's capable of and we're just left with an awkward taste in our mouths. Sam's better than this and I want her to just do her thing and leave us speechless. It all comes down to song choice with her. I have no idea what they're going to pull out of the bag for Motown week but we'll see if she can turn her sinking ship around.
OVERS:
HONEY G
TUPIC IS DEAD! I've been quoting that all week. I kind you not. Shit, I'm actually enjoying this hot mess. From her MTV Cribs intro, to "really grabbing her crotch". What exactly does "reppin' for the N's" mean? Haha. In all honesty, I hate to say it but as long as Honey G is in the competition I'm going to continue getting my life. Clearly she can't win or I'm throwing myself out of my window, but watching that hot mess on stage and listening to the judges try and come up with something positive to say about what an absolute train wreck she is has to be one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Louis' idiot ass probably actually thinks she's a true revolutionary act. I don't really care what she does to stay because I don't care if she does, but it's so much fun right now.
RELLEY C
Look at Relley C playing her cards right and doing everything we need from her! I'm going to be honest, she wasn't very memorable to begin with. I forgot who she was several times before Saturday's first live show but Relley C came to leave her mark on that stage. I think what she needed was a real moment to wow everyone and by George, I think she's got it! Her vocals were amazing, she worked on her stage presence, the rap section in the middle was excellent. If I'm going to stay in the vein of honesty, I think she's going to have to keep delivering excellent performances to even have a shot of winning this thing. I think she's amazing, but she also seems very underrated and not talked about much. If she can keep the momentum going, she is going to zoom past the live shows. I'm really looking forward to what she and Sharon have cooked up for Motown.
SAARA AALTO
So how do you end up in the Bottom 2, underneath Honey G, after giving one of the best vocals of the entire night? Just be on The X Factor. I think it was an absolute joke that she was in the bottom two after she delivered her ass off the night before. In a way I get it, people will either get her or they won't but how can you not feel moved when you hear that voice? She has pure talent and even Louis told her "girl, I'm just voting you out because these bitches are in my category". I'm not really sure what she can do to save herself at this point. Traditionally if you're in the bottom two this early, it's not looking good for you, but maybe people will open their eyes and see what a talent she is? Maybe?
BOYS:
FREDDY PARKER
Freddy. Please. Stay. At. The. Piano. I thought the first half of his performance was absolutely gorgeous. Freddy actually has a really unique quality and tone to his voice. The second half wasn't bad, just a little awkward. It wasn't a performance that should have landed him in the bottom three, though. I hope he can keep with the upward trajectory of finding who he is as an artist because I quite like where he's heading.
MATT TERRY
Really, Matt?! That's how you're feeling? That's how we're starting off the live shows? Matt has this strange way of singing that is very strong, yet so vulnerable. He has this crystal clear tone and intensity to his vocals that I'm kind of obsessed with. I can honestly say I've had his performance stuck in my head all week, along with Relley C's (and embarrassingly, Honey G's hot mess). I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say he's "the chosen one" this season that they're really pushing to win and I can't really blame them. Hell, Sharon was holding onto Nicole's boobs at the end of the performance! I think he's really solid and off to an amazing start. He has some wiggle room to mess up but if this was a taste of what we're getting from him I think we're in for a treat in the coming weeks.
RYAN LAWRIE
So, yep, I definitely spoke too soon and should have shut up before I called him a young Ollie Murs. Sorry, Mr. Murs! But I I think Ryan's alright, he definitely looks like the type of little cute white boys that X Factor turns into big stars. I don't particularly really love him but he's got a nice stage presence and I think he's probably safe for a while. I hope he get's a little better though because he's just...there for me right now.
GROUPS:
5 AFTER MIDNIGHT
I love them but I didn't love their first performance. Their vocals sounded flat, like, the whole time. Once they got to the chorus I think the performance came together quite nicely but let's not talk about that. Let's talk about the high hopes I have for them for Motown week! If they can get their vocals together and keep the same strong energy then they're going to have a really good performance! Just work on the vocals. But, hey, Louis' their mentor so who cares about anything but looking like pop stars, right?
4 OF DIAMONDS
Just show up, y'all. Haha.
Song spoilers VIA mirror.co.uk!
4 of Diamonds: You Keep Me Hangin' On
5 AM: Get Ready/Reach Out I'll Be THere
Emily Middlemas: Stop In the Name of Love
Freddy Parker: Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Gifty Louise: Rockin' Robin
Honey G: Mo Money No Problems (K)
Matt Terry: I Heard it Through the Grapevine
Relley C: Ain't No Sunshine (I got chills typing that, you better bring it home, mama!)
Ryan Lawrie: Superstition (lol, Olly!)
Saara Aalto: River Deep, Mountain High
Sam Lavery: Hello
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