X Factor (UK) 2016

I don't think there'll be a Ryan vs Emily bottom two. Ryan's going to be voted off either tonight or possibly next week, while Emily's probably got a boost from SLavery voters who haven't switched over to Saara.
Big problem with 5 After Midnight is that they're a boyband made up entirely of singers who'd be near the back in any other boyband. Like if JLS were entirely singers like Marlon, or if Wand was entirely singers like the two whose names I can't even remember. They keep pulling performances out of the bag that hint at excitement without quite being exciting, like last night. In a piss-poor year like this it might be enough to net them 4th place.
I noticed the white dress/dry ice WH combo but Saara's more like Bjork by way of musical theatre with a big chunk of Toyah. A Kate Bush themed week would be good though - imagine what a mess Honey G performing 'There Goes A Tenner' would be.
The producers have twigged that the tank's running on vapour with Honey G - the pre-performance bits (like last night's CGI tube train) are getting extended more and more to reduce the time she's actually on stage. If she gets to the final maybe they could actually get Peter Kay to duet with her? He was on Strictly last night doing his patented 'annoying twonk who interrupts everything' act.

It's interesting you mention JLS. I have a hard time remembering how they were on the live shows. They always seemed really down to earth and they had the brand down right from the beginning but how were their performances? I have a feeling it was Aston that was carrying the rest of them. It always seemed like they got to the final by mistake. The producers seemed more invested in Diana Vickers that year. You are spot on about 5 After Midnight coming across like a band made up of the background members. There is no lead vocalist in that group. I'm not convinced their dancing is that good either. I do see them in the final this year. The producers see Saara and Ryan as disposable. I'm not sure who they're invested in for the final three now. I assume they want Honey G for the drama but aren't they scared of her winning at this point? They did let Reggie & Bollie get to the final last year who were in a similar position (although they were way more talented and entertaining). Would they kill of Honey in the same brutal way they took down Reggie & Bollie last year. I still feel embarrassed for those guys when I think of them coming out and performing that winner's single. Such an awkward three minutes. Honey G is starting to get a lot of negative press too. That suggests that she's slightly fallen out of favour with the producers too.

The producers have really gone all over the place with Saara. She got the whole recreation of Kitty's performance of It's Oh So Quiet a few weeks ago. The last two weeks she was given songs that Sam Bailey did in her years. They can't quite decide how they want her to come across. At least they've slightly eased off the kooky foreigner angle which is how they managed to take down Andrea a couple of years ago who was running away with the vote until they painted him gold, asked him he'd eaten a pug live on TV, gave him VTs where he was constantly stuffing his face with food and filled every VT with messages that read like, "look at this weird foreign guy who doesn't belong in our country". That was one of the most brutal take-downs I've ever seen. Up there with Janet "Mmm Bop" Devlin, Anton "I headbutted Simon so badly that a bruise appeared on his face that an experienced makeup team couldn't cover up" Stephans and the all time classic Christopher "demon eyes" Maloney.

How is Peter Kay still a thing in 2016?

Honey G managed to sing backwards lyrics, censor anything remotely sexual and dry-hump Simon Cowell during the sing-off. This show makes no sense at all.

This interview made me really love Saara. http://www.ditchthelabel.org/saara-aalto-interview/ She seems to really have a following now. I just hope the producers let it build and she can get to the final. They probably see her as the most disposable contestant left and want rid of her before then which would be a massive shame. I'm still bitter about what they did to Relley C, I'll forgive them if they let Saara win which I really think she could do with the right songs.

After reading that interview I want Saara to win now. Or better still, come second, as she seems to have a longer term plan for after XF ends and it might be better for her if she's not locked into the XF Winnar Contract.

I think her song choices for this week are really good as well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_X_Factor_(UK_series_13)#Week_8_.2826.2F27_November.29
5 After Midnight and Matt look like they're going to come majorly unstuck this week with their song choices. In line with the 'Louis Loves' theme, Honey G is performing 'rap songs that Louis has heard of'. IF Emily can pull off her first song, then it'll be her first exciting performance in weeks. Although I fear that it'll be rearranged into a stand still/sit down snorefest.

I imagine the producers want Matt, Emily and 5 After Midnight in the final as they seem to be obsessed with younger winners. That would be such a boring top three. It might be the first final I don't bother watching and I sat through a few hours of Luke Friend, Nicholas McDonald and Sam Bailey battle it out. Saara is the only one that's shown versatility, she's done the best with some rotten song choices, she's never had a bad week and going on that interview she has a vision and something to say. She even has the narrative of someone who turned it around on the live shows and won people over. Sadly, these are probably not things that Simon and the producers value when trying to push someone for the win. I wonder if they'll have a sing off tomorrow? I'm clinging to the hope that whoever Saara is up against tomorrow in the bottom two, she'll do another Ruth Lorenzo and blow her competition away.

Saara doing The Winner Takes It All was the best performance I've seen on this show in a long time. If she's not safe tomorrow, I'm going to lose it.

Yesterday was the first time I've watched this all series. Thought Saara was brilliant. Reading the thread, I'm guessing she's not been like that every week? Louis Walsh still clearly certifiable, I see "I want all of Finland to vote for you" oh do fuck off.

Saara's performance was the best of the night, and one of her best performances of the series, but the slight changes she made to the vocal melody made my teeth itch a bit.

xp Saara's made some mis-steps throughout this series, but she's been consistently great.

I don't think that bloke was actually a Honey G fan..

There's rumours that he was a member of the production team and it was a set-up (albeit a set-up that Honey G wasn't told about).

They pulled the same trick two years ago when someone ran up on stage and joined Stereo Kicks on stage when they were desperately trying to make them happen and get people talking about them. It didn't work. Back in 2009 Calvin Harris ran up on stage with Jedward with a pineapple on his head. I guess the security there is pretty weak.

Weird night last night. It really showed how average everyone is apart from Saara.

Matt Terry - Really struggling to remember what songs he did. I loved that his second VT featured him saying, "I'm going to ease off on my falsetto" like it was a big deal and then two minutes later there it was. It really is his only trick. I'm still seeing people say he's got it in the bag, I just can't see it myself. He hasn't had any standout performances and has been so forgettable most weeks.

Saara Aalto - Her first performance was seriously beautiful. If she's in next week, I hope she gets another ballad like that. The second performance was a bit of a mess but still really enjoyable. Her vocal was flawless despite being thrown around the stage. She gets bonus points for throwing that second parcel and it almost hitting Simon in the face. It would be embarrassing if she didn't make the final. It's funny that Sharon keeps saying, "Saara picked this song" which basically exposes that Sharon is doing nothing to mentor her acts in any way.

5 After Midnight - My comments about them are getting as repetitive as Louis Walsh, but I have to say it again. The amount of help their getting with their vocals is so ridiculous. I think they only sang about three lines in Uptown Funk. They expose themselves as soon as they sing individually. They are definitely the chosen ones by the producers judging by the endless praise for such average performances. They're dancing isn't even that good really. Their Uptown Funk just made me miss Fleur. Their version of Sorry/One Dance was a mess and they barely sang any of it. I really kind of hate these guys now.

Honey G - I could have sworn she'd already performed Push It and Can't Touch This on the show before? So, it's a bit weird that nobody mentioned that she forgot at least 90% of the words to Black Beatles. I was cringing so much as she wandered round the stage doing that awkward dance as she remembered only the odd word. The judges are sticking to the script so much this year. The joke is old and her comments were very end of the journey. They want her out.

Emily - She was supposed to do Toxic in week one, but she changed the song as she thought it was dated. Glad to see she got told to get over that. Her ukulele miming skills weren't up to scratch and it was a terrible arrangement The second song was possibly the worst performance of the night. It completely exposed how weak her vocals are. The song was too low for her and she was totally drowned out in the chorus. I wish we still had Cheryl and Danni there. They used to actually comment on weak vocals. The judges this year are just there for the paycheck and aren't trying to cover up how little they care. They used to show Cheryl at the rehearsals giving advice. Now they just show the contestants getting a phone call.

Not sure who will join Honey G in the bottom two tonight. I think it could be a shock. Maybe Emily or Matt? I hope it's 5 After Midnight so we can hear what they sound like without tons of backing vocals.

This time it's some cocks called Trollstation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trollstation

Matt - another couple of technically good but not exciting performances from him last night. It'll be interesting to see the voting stats after this all wraps up. He's probably been at or near the top for the entire series but maybe he's slipping now. Question: if he's always been a good singer, why did he even bother auditioning for XF? Surely there are a lot of producers who would have got him to sing on a track?
Saara - as I said above, her vocal melody on the ABBA song was different enough to be noticeable. Her second performance showed that she could be versatile. I don't know what the producers have planned for the winner's single, but Saara will pull it off whether it's a ballad or something more up-tempo.
Honey G - just piss awful. She'll be voted off if she's in the bottom two.
5 After Midnight - performing 'Uptown Funk' was a mistake, as it reminded people that they haven't had their equivalent of Fleur's 'Uptown Funk' moment. And it's a bit too late for them to have it now. 'Sorry' was pretty much the same as the Bieber original, and the visuals...
http://www.ultrasorry.com/gfx/sorry2013.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/brtcb-DmuuA/hqdefault.jpg
Lazy lazy stage design.
Emily - channelling Katie Waisel on 'Toxic', safe but dull arrangement on 'Human'.
Bottom two prediction: Honey G and 5 After Midnight. The joke has run itself flat with Honey G, and the boys don't deliver the goods despite nearly managing to on a couple of occasions in past weeks. Seems like it's the week where the audience clamp down and demand actual singers. 5AM will probably scrape through until next week, but they'll be gone before the final leaving Matt, Saara, and Emily.

I hope you're right about that final. I think the producers will do anything they can to get 5 After Midnight to the final. It doesn't always work. They've lost some producers favourites in 4th place before (Rough Copy, Cher Lloyd, Danyl Johnson and Diana Vickers)

Oh look Busted want to be Maroon 5.

Honey G out, finally. 5AM's vocals sounded piss-weak without the usual backing during the first half of their survival song. I think they'll be voted off next week.

idk, the judges are pushing the "you're going to be the next big pop sensation" angle pretty hard for 5AM, seems like someone hopes they'll actually have a career?

I think 5 After Midnight have been plan A for the producers for most of this season, just like Stereo Kicks were for the first half of the 2014 season. I thought they might actually succeed this time, but I'm glad to see the voting public haven't totally fallen for their appalling vocals/backing vocal use.

It really does feel like Saara has turned things around for herself. They gave her such a bad edit on the six chair challenge and she was so unpopular when they got to the live shows, but here we are now with her looking like real contender. I think she might be the only contestant left that people are heavily invested in.

On paper 5AM slot into the clearest post-XF plan: Wand are on hiatus, here's 5AM to take over. The other three acts don't have that. Saara is a unique artist, but because of that it would be hard to kickstart a chart career with her straight away - it would be more of a slow and sustained build. Emily works in the Diane Vickers kind of space, but that isn't as prominent at the moment as it used to be. Matt is the most current, but he's in an area where he's crowded out by Olly Murs, Bruno Mars, and even Robbie Williams. But the problem for 5AM is that they're just not up to it vocally, in pretty much the same way that Stereo Dicks weren't.

Stereo Kicks really were a disaster on the show. There was only one strong singer and he pulled really weird/ugly faces every time he hit a high note. Simon tried so hard to make them a thing and it just did not work in any way.

Well, with Honey G and Ed Balls both going today, well that's the front pages sorted out for tomorrow.

"When I say 'Honey', you say 'Balls'."

Brian Friedman making some great points here.

http://www.gaytimes.co.uk/culture/tv/55335/x-factor-brian-friedmans-top-five-moments-from-week-eight/

I Love how much he adores Saara.

I just realised that it's been a good few years since I was this invested in someone getting to the final. Possibly since Little Mix?

they (5 After Midnight) sound terrible when they're all singing at once but individually they're passable (in a Brian from East 17 way)

Oh dear...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_X_Factor_(UK_series_13)#Week_9:_Semi-final_.283.2F4_December.29

Amazingly Saara is now the favourite to win. This must be the biggest turnaround the show has ever had. Good on her. Chandelier wasn't quite as good as The Winner Takes It All last week or the first time she sang it in her audition but it still managed to make the other contestants look like complete amateurs. Her Mariah cover was solid and captured the essence of the song well. She had a good night and I'd be shocked to see her in the bottom two tomorrow. I had to laugh when Simon praised Sharon for "fighting for Saara" and being a great mentor. She got forgot her name for several weeks, forgot where she comes from and couldn't hide how much she hated her at six chair challenge/judges houses/those first five weeks. Sharon obviously stopped caring about any of her acts once Relley C got sent home.

Matt seemed to be a target this week. He got the Christmas song that has previously been given to winners (Little Mix and Alexandra Burke both did it), somehow it didn't feel like he was being set up for the win. I was so bored by Silent Night and the Jessie Ware cover was way too try hard. Simon clearly trying to kill off his support with his remarks. I wonder if it will backfire and give him a sympathy bounce? Shame that he got given that particular Jessie Ware song. She's one of my favourite artists around, but that is her worst song by a mile. I could see him in the bottom two tomorrow.

Emily had a terrible night. I could barely hear her on the John Lennon song. Those kids were carrying the whole thing. It was pretty embarrassing when she tried to use those kids to get votes at the end. Did she think it was some kind of charity or something? She had a look of someone who knew that the song didn't work and that her time was almost over. It was very Lauren Platt just before she got kicked out. Nice to see people telling her the Mad World cover was so original. It's only been done like that on these shows a hundred times (Adam Lambert, Jay James, Aiden Grimshaw etc). She just doesn't have any range and yet again seemed out of her depth. They want her in the bottom two tomorrow. I wouldn't rule out that powerful Scottish vote. Never forget Leon Jackson.

5 After Midnight's reaction from the judges were so far from what I saw/heard I was kind of embarrassed for them. I love that after that appalling sing off last week they demoted the two that really can't sing to backing vocalists. Shame the main singer isn't quite strong enough to carry the band. As always the use of backing vocals were a complete joke. I can see them joining Matt in the bottom two tomorrow. I think they will be saved as I do think that producers want them to win and think they will be the most commercial prospect after the show. I still think they're more Rough Copy than JLS.

Basically at this point it will be a joke if Saara doesn't win. She's not going to win, is she?

No, she won't win. Simon doesn't want Saara to win as she's a difficult fit for the Syco winnar contract. I don't want her to win, because she's the best remaining contestant and she'd be better off getting 2nd place and working with other people. As long as will.i.am doesn't pop up and offer to work with her.

1) Matt - terrible vocal theatrics all over the second half of 'Silent Night'. Alexandria was able to pull it off, which just shows how much worse Matt is as a singer. The whole 'big note at the end' thing is so Danyl Johnson. Maybe Simon wants Matt to win so that he'll have a do-over with a Danyl type singer who doesn't also have a massive ego. Although I'm thinking that if Matt wins he could go full Cardle. I don't know what the original Jessie Ware version of the second song sounds like, but it comes to something when that average performance was the most exciting thing Matt's done in weeks.

2) 5 After Midnight - they couldn't even hold it together on an East 17 track where Brian 'I ate three jacket potatoes and then ran myself over with my own car' Harvey was the lead vocalist. They've realised that Kieran is the 'best' singer of the three, but it's all relative, he's still terrible. When JLS finally got around to putting Aston front and centre, he really could sing. 'Signed Sealed Delivered I'm Yours', in every aspect of it's presentation, was basically Simon saying that he wants them to be the new Wand. But it won't happen. Rough Copy have all but disappeared and they had at least some small spark (that Gary Barlow pissed all over).

3) Emily - backing vocals really helping her out during 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' to the point where it sounded like she was singing along to a pre-recorded tape of herself during the verses. Children's choir is XF shorthand for 'you've got no vocal presence but we need you in the final'. Aiden's version of 'Mad World' was much much better - something I never thought I'd say. But at least he moved around on stage a bit, even if it did just look like he was busting for a piss.

4) Saara - 'All I Want For Christmas' was really really like the Mariah version. I would have liked to have heard Saara do something different with it, as the lyrics always seem way out of step with the presentation in the original. 'Chandalier' - again, not familiar with this song. Saara's big problem has been overcoming the public's assumption that she's a novelty act like Wanger ended up being under Louis. She's done that by communicating with the audience, but her second song felt like a step back into theatrical remoteness.

You are right about the Matt and Danyl big note comparison. It never occurred to me before now. It's their only trick and it's not as impressive as either of them thought. I had a feeling he would end up in the bottom two tonight. Simon's criticisms were just enough to plant that seed in the voting public's minds. His sing-off performance was possibly his worst vocal yet. He had no control and the song was way too big for him. I was shocked to see that Emily outperformed him.

I'm seeing this final in a similar way to the 2008 final (probably my favourite year of X Factor). They have Matt who is cheesy, dated and hopelessly being pushed as the heartthrob who I really don't think they want to win = Eggnog Quigg. 5 After Midnight are the hip (in their eyes) R&B group who they'll want to push outside of the show = a much worse version of JLS. Then they have the ultimate performer who is miles ahead of everyone vocally, can dance and looks like a professional on stage who probably will make the other two finalists look like amateurs next week = Alexandra Burke. I hope the result goes the same way.

I wonder who the duets will be next week? I'm sure they're doing everything they can to get Sia to perform with Saara. Nicole will predictably sing with Matt (hopefully she'll grab his microphone away like she did to poor Jahmene). I'm guessing Little Mix for 5 After Midnight? If they get paired up, I'm seeing 5 After Midnight win. I actually have this terrible feeling they will win despite miming every single week.

Nice to see Charli XCX on Xtra Factor. Shame she didn't get put on the main show instead of Lady Gaga doing that dreary ballad.

Matt and Saara

5 After Midnight sounded more like backing singers on both of their songs tonight.

Also Matt had a real rabbit-in-headlights look last night.

Ikr. So how's he gone favourite again?

It was hilarious during the 'Purple Rain' duet when Nicole came out and took the "honey I know I know I know" line right off him, and totally relegated him to a backing singer for the rest of the song.

Extremely niche news, but hints on social media appear to indicate that Chanal (auditionee in 2016XF) has replaced Frankee as a third member of small-time British pop/R&B trio M.O.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrYKjs286zQ