Still you know a show is in trouble when Mark Frith (the Editor of Heat magazine & former editor of Smash Hits, who was replaced in that job by Kate Thornton) says

 

"You know a show's in trouble when there is stronger musical talent in the line ups of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Celebrity Scissorhands & Strictly Come Dancing. Anyone one of the 4th to 6th placed singers in the first series of Pop Idol would have been favourite, if they were in this series of X-Factor...".

 

 

He is being unfair there

 

Ben I think is the best X Factor contestant EVER and Leona is probably the best female one, he is clearly drunk if he thinks the likes of Shayne and Steve Brookstein are better

He is being unfair there

 

Ben I think is the best X Factor contestant EVER and Leona is probably the best female one, he is clearly drunk if he thinks the likes of Shayne and Steve Brookstein are better

 

I watched him on BBC2's "It Takes Two" and to be fair what he said about this series of X-Factor was that there were only two decent acts on the show, who everyone watching, can workout who they are & he is shocked by the lack of strength in depth on the show's final stages.

 

However, I do agree with him that Zoe Birkett, Hayley Evetts & Rosie Ribbons had greater star quality than either of the two favourites within X-Factor 3. They were certainly better than a third rate Mariah Carey impersonator that is Leona!

 

If you seriously think that Ben has star quality, then I am shocked. He has none of the presence & charisma of Darius. He does not posess the cute teen appeal of Gareth Gates & quite frankly, he is an awful mediocre pub singer in comparison to Will Young.

 

 

 

I don't know a lot about rock music but enough I think, to comprehend that growing your hair long and singing in a gravelly voice, does not a rock musician make. You see, back when I was young, rock singers were born, not made. Ben is a Jim Morrison tribute act who's ditched his band to appear on XFactor, a bit like Santa Claus ditching his reindeer when he need them to pull a sleigh. The final insult to rock musicians everywhere, was having that multi coloured pratt, taking him along to buy a guitar :o Ffs, what the hell was that all about? A rock star that doesn't even have his own guitar, you couldn't make it up. :lol:

I watched him on BBC2's "It Takes Two" and to be fair what he said about this series of X-Factor was that there were only two decent acts on the show, who everyone watching, can workout who they are & he is shocked by the lack of strength in depth on the show's final stages.

 

However, I do agree with him that Zoe Birkett, Hayley Evetts & Rosie Ribbons had greater star quality than either of the two favourites within X-Factor 3. They were certainly better than a third rate Mariah Carey impersonator that is Leona!

 

If you seriously think that Ben has star quality, then I am shocked. He has none of the presence & charisma of Darius. He does not posess the cute teen appeal of Gareth Gates & quite frankly, he is an awful mediocre pub singer in comparison to Will Young.

 

I don't agree at all. Part of Bens appeal is that he is not like the pop acts like Will & Gareth. He does'nt fit the decription of being really good looking and having loads of charisma. He just gets on the stange and sings. Maybe if last weeks performance of "SOS" was the only performance you'd seen by him I could understand but it's beyond me how anyone could call someone with a voice like his a mediocre pub singer :wacko: His voice is amazing IMO. He sounds like nothing in the chart today and although he may not be rock, he certainly won't be singing Westlife reject songs considering he has Sharon as his mentor. As Simon said he has a great rock voice with soul. His performance of "Smile" was fantastic to say the least.

 

I would much rather listen to his voice than Will Young or any of the other pop Idol/X Factor contestents anyday B)

I watched him on BBC2's "It Takes Two" and to be fair what he said about this series of X-Factor was that there were only two decent acts on the show, who everyone watching, can workout who they are & he is shocked by the lack of strength in depth on the show's final stages.

 

However, I do agree with him that Zoe Birkett, Hayley Evetts & Rosie Ribbons had greater star quality than either of the two favourites within X-Factor 3. They were certainly better than a third rate Mariah Carey impersonator that is Leona!

 

If you seriously think that Ben has star quality, then I am shocked. He has none of the presence & charisma of Darius. He does not posess the cute teen appeal of Gareth Gates & quite frankly, he is an awful mediocre pub singer in comparison to Will Young.

 

Music to me is about the VOICE, Darius may have charisma and presence but vocally he is somewhat average and can't sing anything other than cheesy ballads and pop songs, Ben is a FAR better vocalist than Darius, Ben can sing rock, soul, blues as well as pop which is something Darius never can add to that Ben is an accomplished pianist and guitar player, if charisma was what X Factor is about as opposed to vocal prowess then Chico should have won it last year

 

I don't want entertainers and showmen/women I want vocal ability and for me Ben has the best vocals of any contestant I have ever seen on X Factor even if he lacks the charisma and stage presence

Edited November 10, 200618 yr by Kimi Räikkönen

Music to me is about the VOICE, Darius may have charisma and presence but vocally he is somewhat average and can't sing anything other than cheesy ballads and pop songs, Ben is a FAR better vocalist than Darius, Ben can sing rock, soul, blues as well as pop which is something Darius never can add to that Ben is an accomplished pianist and guitar player, if charisma was what X Factor is about as opposed to vocal prowess then Chico should have won it last year

 

I don't want entertainers and showmen/women I want vocal ability and for me Ben has the best vocals of any contestant I have ever seen on X Factor even if he lacks the charisma and stage presence

 

I don't want to start a row here here Kimi, but you obviously don't know much about Darius!! Darius can sing anything from opera to rock, have you ever heard Darius sing 'Resolution' or Save Me'!!? Don't get me wrong, I am really enjoying Ben's performances on the X Factor (although I think Leona or Eton Road will win, simply because they have had two male winners so far!! :cry: ) but I just take umbrage at you saying Darius' voice is average!! He has an amazing voice with a very wide range, something Ben hasn't!! Plus Darius is an accomplished saxaphone player and quitar player. Darius and Ben are both brilliant performers and you prefer Ben, but please don't say that Darius can only sing cheesey ballads and pop songs because that is far from the truth!! :)

 

Julie

 

I think Darius has a good voice but nothing that would make me sit up and take notice. I have always found Gareth's voice extremly average, especially when he murdered "Unchained Melody". Will has a very good voice but I find it a bit feminine for my taste. Ben is a proper musician which is exactly what the X factor needs. He said himself that he has never performed without a Guitar or Piano until the X Factor.

 

The last thing we need is some pretty face with a good voice like Leona to win. It will be Shaye Ward all over again for sure. <_<

 

I have heard singers like Leona loads of times. It's boring IMO. Ben has an excellent voice, very like Rod Stewart and has the potential to he HUGE. Well that is if Simon does'nt give him Westlife reject songs :rolleyes:

I agree that the contest should be about the voice, not charisma and stage presence - those are often things that develop/improve with practice - not everyone has great confidence infront of crowds at first! But, Craig, you saying that Darius can only sing cheesy ballads and pop songs is simply not the case. Darius coped well with all the genres in Pop Idol....and he started in opera, has performed in the West End, performed several jazz gigs (even wrote his own - Devil In You) and can certainly rock it live! :funky: As Julia says, Resolution, Save Me and (in my opinion his best track) Only You from Darius' second album were more outstanding songs than the likes of Kinda Love which his record company 'encouraged' him to release.

 

The problem is getting the public to hear an artists' full range - a problem when a record company want that artist in a certain niche. That will be Ben's problem if he wins.....I can't see him wanting to sing what Simon Cowell has lined up....letalone me wanting to hear it!!!! :blink: I love Ben's voice to bits but dread him winning incase he's forced down the 'pop' route and then disappears into obscurity because it's not the 'real' him and management and Jo Public won't give him a break.

 

I agree that the likes of Rosie Ribbons, Jessica Garlick, Hayley Evetts and Zoe Birkett would have outshone most of this years acts, and all of them, in my opinion, were all better than Leona!

Maybe it's me, personally I don't think that there will ever be any lineup like the very first PI. Will, Gareth and the rest of the final 10 outshone XF 2006 by miles.

 

 

By the way i'm new to BJ : :D hi everyone.

Maybe it's me, personally I don't think that there will ever be any lineup like the very first PI. Will, Gareth and the rest of the final 10 outshone XF 2006 by miles.

 

 

By the way i'm new to BJ : :D hi everyone.

 

Welcome buzzjill

 

I totally agree.

 

Remember, two singers who only came third in their Pop Idol heats. Future Sugababe Heidi Range (who finished third in the Gareth Gates, Zoe Birkett heat) & Sarah Whatmore (who went on to have two Top 12 hits) were both better than the two favourites (Ben & Leona) are in XF3 IMHO.

Did Ben run over your dog or something because you seem to have a deep hatred of the guy :o I have been buying music for the best part of 30 years and I think he is one of the best prospects I have ever heard during that time, I have not seen a genuine soul/blues/rock performer come out of this country for a very long time as good as Ben, you have to go back to the days of Eric Burdon and Rod Stewart's early Faces days to find someone of Ben's versatility at tackling soul/blues/rock.

 

Managed well I think we have a sensation on our hands who could easily win over the American market too

Did Ben run over your dog or something because you seem to have a deep hatred of the guy :o I have been buying music for the best part of 30 years and I think he is one of the best prospects I have ever heard during that time, I have not seen a genuine soul/blues/rock performer come out of this country for a very long time as good as Ben, you have to go back to the days of Eric Burdon and Rod Stewart's early Faces days to find someone of Ben's versatility at tackling soul/blues/rock.

 

Managed well I think we have a sensation on our hands who could easily win over the American market too

 

No, I just find him & his voice a dull & uninspired Joe Cocker/Michael Bolton/Mick Hucknall/Jim Morrison hybrid.

I think he will get better and better

 

He would excel at doing stuff like Dock Of The Bay, Midnight Hour, Sweet Soul Music, When A Man Loves A Woman etc but equally he would have the power to do something like Bohemian Rhapsody, he is more of a Joe Cocker than a Michael Bolton

 

Ok the field this year is abysmal but I think with the possible exception of Wlll Young he is the best reality tv music contestant we have had

How anyone could thing Gareth Gates is a better singer than Ben is beyond me :o

Thanks for the welcome thisispop :cheer:

 

I think the majority of the public are thinking the same as us, i'm afraid these shows are now 10 a penny and most ppl have lost interest. ( shown in the ratings) Can you remember the excitement , that wonderful moment Will was declared winner, it was breathtaking and had us all at the edge of our seats, now, i'm afraid it's old hat and no-one really cares :rolleyes:

 

Out of this lineup, Ben or Leona but I wouldn't vote to be honest.

I have to agree here with some people, i don't think Ben is all that good in my opinion. But that's just my opinion, we all think differently and like all kinds of music and voices the way Artists sing them. :dance: