It's 10 years since Alexandra Burke was replaced at #1 by her X Factor mentor Cheryl, both of whom had released their first proper debut solo singles.

 

Which did you favour at the time and which do you prefer 10 years on?

'Fight For This Love' both then and now - Cheryl's best song! I found 'Bad Boys' tacky at the time and now it also feels majorly dated.

Cheryl for both definitely

I'm almost tempted to say 'Bad Boys' now, but I think FFTL still just has it.

 

What a pair of pop BEHEMOTHS though. We didn't know how good we actually had it back then.

Loved both of these at the time, but it will always be Cheryl's 'Fight For This Love', with its sleek & powerful pop production with some cool synths & fantastic hooks. A great way to kick-start a solo career & really set the tone for some great things ahead.

Alexandra Burke's 'Bad Boys' was also great but feel that it hasn't aged as well (the electro-pop production dates it instantly), however its definitely one of the best post X-Factor winners singles & shame she never really bettered this and her success post first album was non existent.

Easily Fight for this love, what a first single to release! She really had a moment in time where she was the perfect popstar.

I cannot believe it's been 10 years, where has the time gone?

 

I've got to be honest here: I wasn't a fan of either track initially. More so in Cheryl's case because I was a hardcore GA fan, and I'd spent the last six or seven years being a fan of theirs when it wasn't cool to be, and really believing in them when everyone else I was at Sixth Form with were into dullard indie bands or hip hop.

 

So when all the universal acclaim and success and number ones came on the "Out of Control" album, whilst I was happy for them, my nose had been put out of joint a little bit because I felt like the general public was suddenly claiming ownership of "my" girl group and Cheryl in particular (I know that sounds weird now, but my 18/19 year old weird ass head worked out this was completely logical reasoning). So when they announced their break at the end of the OCC tour, I was not happy. I wanted another GA album damn it!

 

Also, I couldn't understand why everyone was hyped as hell about 'Fight For This Love' when in my eyes, she'd already done a solo thing the year before with will.I.am on 'Heartbreaker'. 'Fight...' wasn't an immediate song, nor was it produced by Xenomania. I wanted no part in it. Again, my 18/19 year old head was very weird. But I guess the turning point for me was when she performed on X Factor in her ripped soldier trousers. She nailed it. It was unquestionably a big pop moment, I was in my first year of uni and literally for all that semester, every time we went out to our SU or we switched on the radio it was there. I always think of uni whenever I hear it now.

 

And I watched it again on YouTube this afternoon and what's interesting now is seeing the wave of comments who can remember where they were when she released it etc. And it's held up so well, more than I imagined it would at the time.

Edited October 24, 20195 yr by ThePensmith

This is genuinely, quite possibly, the hardest poll I've ever had to take part in on BJ LMAO. I genuinely feel about them both (then AND now) the same. Both absolute SMASHING pop songs and probably my favourite top 2 of all time. Back then I think Alexandra had the edge, but now I think it's Cheryl... JUST. Literally just. They're more or less 50/50 in my affections :lol:

 

WHAT A YEAR <3

I don’t like the bias of this being in the GA forum x

 

“Bad Boys” for both EASILY, what a 10/10 pop moment. FFTL has been so overrated from the start, it’s a 7/10 and Cheryl has done better.

Bad Boys in both.

Both aren't great imo, went with 'Bad Boys' as despite the fact it sounds very cheesy now and hasn't aged well, better than boring which I find 'Fight for This Love'. 'Promise This' was way better by Cheryl.

Cheryl has the edge for me, but Bad Boys is amazing too! Two of 2009's very best songs!

Bad boys for me.

Both aren't great imo, went with 'Bad Boys' as despite the fact it sounds very cheesy now and hasn't aged well, better than boring which I find 'Fight for This Love'. 'Promise This' was way better by Cheryl.

 

I can't disagree with that last part enough.

Neither song is brill 10 years on but both still sound good.

Cheryl for both but I adore both tracks!!! :heart:

Bad Boys, and its not even close.

 

This poll should've been on the pop forum

Edited October 27, 20195 yr by Euphorique

Fight For This Love

Cheryl for both easily.

 

I can’t bare Alexandra one of my all time least favourite acts and by far my least favourite X Factor Winner based off personality but she didn’t get too good material either to be fair aside from Broken Heels.

 

Fight for this love is iconic though and had a massive impact it was a perfect solo non feature single to launch Cheryl who at the time was by far the most famous personality in the country.

 

I also feel like Fight For This Love hasn’t really aged much but it was so well suited to Cheryl. Given her personal life at the time

It was released it honestly couldn’t have been a better fit.

 

We got a few iconic performances of it too.

 

Cheryl easily. It’s genuinely one of the best female debuts ever.

 

I always remember when Dermot said “she’s like a god In Newcastle” just before that performance.

She literally was at the time. It was like nothing I’ve seen before in my area when Cheryl came home that year with Joe for the X Factor homecoming.

I can’t bare Alexandra one of my all time least favourite acts and by far my least favourite X Factor Winner based off personality but she didn’t get too good material either to be fair aside from Broken Heels.

Gross. You're aware James Arthur exists, right?

 

I voted Alexandra for both options, although neither have aged particularly well. 2009 was a shitty year in general for me (JFC at it being 10 year though, yikes) so I don't have particularly fond memories of either. I do feel they both bested their leads later down the line. 'All Night Long' and 'Promise This' are both massively superior to these two.