iTunes Chart: August 2010 (III)

August 29, 201014 yr

I can see Olly selling 70-80k this week.

Katy will probably miss out my a few thousand. She'll probably do 68-75k.

Having said that, a part of me still believes that Katy is going to end up at #1.

August 29, 201014 yr

I think Katy will be #2 or #1 by Midnight :)

August 29, 201014 yr

:o at Adele! I didn't even realise how high she was until a few minutes ago! I hope it stays this high, it's such a beautiful song. :wub:

August 29, 201014 yr

Sometimes you're right, sometimes you're wrong.

Some artists from The X Factor deserve their success and have worked hard to get where they are now. Take Leona for example, she tried to break into the music industry before and when the opportunity of XF came along, she took it - because she was determined to break through. Being a contestant or even winning XF doesn't guarantee success. It can kill careers - look at Laura White. No one wants to sign her because she didn't get the public support.

On the other hand, you can be right. The likes of Jedward and Chico shouldn't be allowed a record deal. Truly terrible. They haven't got an ounce of creativity and artistry judging by what they release - covers and cringe-worthy songs respectively.

While PDLMG is a pretty average, mediocre, dull song, Olly did (co-?)write it along with the majority of his album. It's not like he's totally undeserving.

And btw, some musicians who break into the industry the conventional way might have had it easier than some XF acts but because they weren't televised, nobody knows about their "signing process".

And you're always right?

But it's not even that. Leona might of tried to breakthrough before entering X Factor, but so what? She entered X Factor, won the show because of her voice alone, then - as with all the winners - she got manufactured into whatever Cowell and his team thought would sell records for her. It's not as if she would of been allowed to have any say on what style she would adopt. She had everything given to her on a plate once she won the show - she already had the instant fame, has conveniently only had her albums released around Christmas so she can perform on X Factor every year since she won it, and Cowell is constantly telling everyone how 'amazing' she is, and with all his contacts she managed to 'break' America for a short while. It's no coincidence. I honestly don't care how much of her 2nd album she co-wrote - it wasn't exactly a huge success, and the initial sales I believe were down to, again - the X Factor performance, and the hype because of how successful her 2nd album was. It didn't get great reviews either. If she was just some new artist no-one had heard of, I doubt it would ever of took off for her like it did.

Laura White was unfortunate I thought. I actually liked her and she was unlucky to get voted off early because of tactical voting by the puppetmaster (again proving the show is absolutely nothing to do with actual talent). Perhaps if she had reached the final like Olly Murs, she would of had more of a chance of success, but as it was, most people had forgotten about her and she had hardly any publicity - absolutely nothing like the amount Olly has had in the run up to this week.

And doesn't the fact that the likes of Chico and Jedward can get a record deal from the show prove yet again that real talent is the last thing X Factor is about? It's marketability, nothing else. The only difference is that the gullible people who think X Factor IS about talent can see for themselves that such alumni have no reason to be in the industry. The likes of Leona and Alexandra are manufactured just as much as they were, and have acquired their success in the same method - only difference is they can sing. That's all.

I don't care how many other acts not from X Factor are manufactured. I know it's always gone on and that's just how it is. I just don't like that we have a tv show that is teaching a whole generation of kids that X Factor is the right way to get into music, and that being on tv, having a half-decent voice, and being no.1 in the charts is what music is all about. And when we have people like Olly Murs doing well this week, it only encourages that. They don't have a clue about what really happens with the winners of the show, but they don't care - they just want to be famous and singing a load of songs given to them. No wonder so many young people enter the show each year and say the same things - 'it's my dream', 'it's all I want to do', 'I want to be really famous and for everyone to hear my songs'.

I do get fed up of spending my afternoons writing the same things time and time again. No offence to you but I say these things so many times and I know people will see me as argumentative, but I have to answer these things don't I?

Edited August 29, 201014 yr by kutox

August 29, 201014 yr

Laura white did not get voted out because of Tactical?

Ruth Lorenzo was way better in the sing off? and i believe overall a better singer :)

August 29, 201014 yr

Olly Murs at #1 offends my eyes and ears.

August 29, 201014 yr

And you're always right?

But it's not even that. Leona might of tried to breakthrough before entering X Factor, but so what? She entered X Factor, won the show because of her voice alone, then - as with all the winners - she got manufactured into whatever Cowell and his team thought would sell records for her. It's not as if she would of been allowed to have any say on what style she would adopt. She had everything given to her on a plate once she won the show - she already had the instant fame, has conveniently only had her albums released around Christmas so she can perform on X Factor every year since she won it, and Cowell is constantly telling everyone how 'amazing' she is, and with all his contacts she managed to 'break' America for a short while. It's no coincidence. I honestly don't care how much of her 2nd album she co-wrote - it wasn't exactly a huge success, and the initial sales I believe were down to, again - the X Factor performance, and the hype because of how successful her 2nd album was. It didn't get great reviews either. If she was just some new artist no-one had heard of, I doubt it would ever of took off for her like it did.

Laura White was unfortunate I thought. I actually liked her and she was unlucky to get voted off early because of tactical voting by the puppetmaster (again proving the show is absolutely nothing to do with actual talent). Perhaps if she had reached the final like Olly Murs, she would of had more of a chance of success, but as it was, most people had forgotten about her and she had hardly any publicity - absolutely nothing like the amount Olly has had in the run up to this week.

And doesn't the fact that the likes of Chico and Jedward can get a record deal from the show prove yet again that real talent is the last thing X Factor is about? It's marketability, nothing else. The only difference is that the gullible people who think X Factor IS about talent can see for themselves that such alumni have no reason to be in the industry. The likes of Leona and Alexandra are manufactured just as much as they were, and have acquired their success in the same method - only difference is they can sing. That's all.

I don't care how many other acts not from X Factor are manufactured. I know it's always gone on and that's just how it is. I just don't like that we have a tv show that is teaching a whole generation of kids that X Factor is the right way to get into music, and that being on tv, having a half-decent voice, and being no.1 in the charts is what music is all about. And when we have people like Olly Murs doing well this week, it only encourages that. They don't have a clue about what really happens with the winners of the show, but they don't care - they just want to be famous and singing a load of songs given to them. No wonder so many young people enter the show each year and say the same things - 'it's my dream', 'it's all I want to do', 'I want to be really famous and for everyone to hear my songs'.

I do get fed up of spending my afternoons writing the same things time and time again. No offence to you but I say these things so many times and I know people will see me as argumentative, but I have to answer these things don't I?

I never said i'm always right. But I have an open mind when it comes to talent show winners etc - I don't write them off straight away.

Firstly, we just have to disagree about Leona. I personally think she is a great writer and a great artist. I don't think her albums were released in the fall solely because of X Factor. The Christmas market was probably a main reason. And it's not like it's only Simon/Leona taking advantage of Xmas sales. And I actually think Leona did have some input when it came to her image and sound. Obviously her label wants the music to be commercial but ballads weren't/aren't exactly "in" atm. They haven't sacrificed Leona's style to increase her commercial success. I guess her first album was always going to be ballad orientated. But her second album was released in an era of electro-pop. Again, her style wasn't sacrificed. Also, she might have had the XF platform over here but in America and worldwide, she was treated as any normal artist - not as an American Idol winner, for e.g. I know you're thinking that Simon got her on Oprah etc but so would any other influential manager.

I think you are mixing up the music industry with X Factor. IIRC, Simon didn't sign Jedward or Chico. It's the music industry's fault that they were signed - not XF's or Simon's.

I know that XF is completely fixed and is at times pathetic (Simon voted for Jedward over Lucie? :mellow:) but I don't think you should tar the contestants and the XF with the same brush.

I do empathise with you regarding your last point though. People shouldn't see XF as a short-cut into the music industry because it isn't. It's not always the best thing to do. If you're a rocker, a serious musician, an unconventional artist etc, you shouldn't go anywhere near it since the target audience wouldn't connect. If you're a Leona/Alex type who has a huge voice, great talent, pop/R&B current sound, then you'll probably benefit from the show.