André

Carly Rae Jepsen is at 27 now. Not bad.

The Wanted are doing amazingly well but I kind of don't believe in their overall success. I mean, they might even have another hit but, at the end, they'll end up like Taio Cruz or something along those lines, not a credible consistent selling act. Not even in the UK, where they have all the biggest promotional tools at their disposal, they fare spectacularly well.

Yup. Played during a Chipotle commercial during the Grammy including a plug for people to buy it on iTunes cause the money goes to charity or something.

We Are Young was played during a commercial at the Superbowl. Party Rock Anthem was played as part of a mash-up with Music during Madonna's halftime show.

Well, I guess you lose the "rock" label if your target audience are tweens. By me? You'll see all of those songs being playlisted at rock radio stations (KROQ, US' biggest rock station, playlisted everything by Coldplay and Foster the People), will see them playing rock festivals, will see them being covered in websites targeted at rock enthusiasts, etc. (with the exception of James Morrison probably).

Bands that play their own instruments = rock bands. That's how it has been since forever, don't understand why people aren't trying to dispute that. Coldplay may not sound rock to you but they're a rock band in the classic term cause they write and produce their own songs and play their own instruments. And Birdy is in the list simply cause "Skinny Love" is a cover of a rock song since Bon Iver is also a rock band. I don't know, it doesn't seem very complicated to me tbh.

They cut the price majorly which is already trying A LOT. Plus, she's the host of Saturday Night Live this saturday, just in time for the price cut. To me, it seems like they want it A LOT. In the US market, there isn't much you can do besides airplay and there isn't any major X Factor-like show to boost song sales so there isn't much more she can actually. Cutting the price is already more than 90% of the artists, topping that off with two extremely high-profile TV appearances (SNL and AMAs) and the song being used in the TV commercials for the A Week with Marilyn movie is certainly waaaay too much above the usual.

I was thinking about performance slots specifically (artists rarely appear/perform in Glee although it does happens from time to time) but you're right, Glee also has a strong effect. Sometimes, a song being used in a TV commercial (i.e.: Miley Cyrus Party in the USA to promote her Wal-Mart line; Gaga Edge of Glory in the Chrome commercials; Chris Brown's Forever in a bubble gum commercial he starred in) can also help but I don't think they have that much longlasting impact. Even more than the UK, artists seems to rely mostly in airplay support in the U.S., so there isn't much need for them to actually perform on TV.

Award shows seem to be the only way to boost a song down the US charts with a televised appearance. That and American Idol. Most TV shows have absolutely no impact whatsoever.

LOVE Frank Ocean. Hope he wins it.

Danza Kuduro is mostly in Spanish but the Lucenzo verses are in Portuguese.

I'm aware of all that, I was just pointing out your "Ellie/The Script etc aren't big enough" theory is flawed. The Wanted may be associated to Louis Walsh but this has nothing to do with why they're on the show 2 years in a row, it has much more to do with the fact they're from the same company as Heart/Capital FM and TXF is desperate to get their acts on their stations. And about BEP, I'm pretty sure they would be booked without the Cheryl association, they are mainstream enough and I'm pretty sure a few of their songs has been played by Heart FM (and at this point in their career, they are probably more popular with middle aged people -- since I Gotta Feeling/Where is the Love is pretty much a staple in any wedding party and such -- than with young people who probably think they're waaaay over their peak). But yeah, I agree with most of what you're saying and I'm aware of the reasons Nicole/Pixie were booked.

How is Pixie Lott or The Wanted or even Nicole Scherzinger bigger stars than Plan B, Ellie Goulding or The Script? All of those have achieved achied more success internationally (Nicole solo career never went anywhere) and higher domestic sales.

It doesn't matter. Gaga is still a bigger star, with more critical acclaim and with much higher sales worldwide. That's not favourtism, that's a fact. Despite that, she obviously is huge (especially in the UK) and will get a slot. No way it'll be on the final though, X Factor is repetitive but not THAT repetitive.

Louis is so stupid and immature. I mean, I don't give a flying eff about what she did to him but to keep badmouthing a SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD when you're in your sixties yourself is just way too pitiful tbh.

That's not a matter of personal opinion though. If you look at sales and repercussion, which are the most important things, both Gaga and Adele are much bigger. Adele album will sell more than Rihanna's entire discography and she can get a hit single with 1/10 of the effort. Gaga may be the same size as Rihanna in the UK but, worldwide, she's much more well-known and has also sold better than Rihanan's entire discography with 2 albums and one E.P. (not to mention she trashes her in concert ticket sales, critical acclaim, etc). I prefer Rihanna over Gaga but c'mon, there's no way she's bigger... its debatable she's even bigger than Katy Perry for god sakes.

I can't see Adele snobbing The X Factor tbh. First of all, she's not dumb and goes to ALL major shows to promote her stuff. And secondly, she's a fan of the show, she has said it a few times and she even covered a Cheryl Cole song on Live Lounge. I think she will be on, unless she's sick (which it seems to happen all the time to her). Florence on the other hand... idk, most rock/indie acts would say no to an X Factor slot. Like Coldplay, for example. Those who are taking seriously usually decline (or aren't even invited anyway) with a few exceptions (Sir Paul). Oh well, we'll see... LOL no she's not. Gaga is bigger than her, so is Adele. She'll obviously be on TXF though... That's debatable considering the album is breaking records all over the world and The X Factor only impacts the UK.

I don't think Avril will get a spot. Taylor Swift is in the middle of her US tour so she won't be coming to the UK for promo either (and even if she did, I doubt she would get the X Factor slot. She was doing Alan Titchmarsh the last time she came over). Maybe Mary J Blige? She's releasing an album soon I think. And Michael Buble is releasing soon too, he'll definitely be on it! (for the 834774th year in a row)

Adele and Jessie J are the most obvious bets. I think Adele might be the big finale guest also. I doubt Wonderland will get a spot, even with Louis Walsh pushing it. Westlife, on the other hand, will easily get on the show. N-Dubz, Gary Barlow-related stuff and Kelly Rowland are most likely. Rihanna will surely be on the show, Bruno Mars probably will be too. Lady Gaga will visit the UK in october and november so I'm pretty sure she'll end up on the show. Beyonce MAYBE (she's pregnant and isn't too bothered with promotion this era), Katy Perry... Jennifer Lopez will depend... I mean, I think there's a huge chance she won't get a slot: her manager is Simon Fuller (Idol creator), Cowell's rival. Then there's all the X Factor-related acts. SuBo (I know she's from BGT but still) and Joe McElderry are the most risky bets but there's absolutely no doubt Olly, JLS, One Direction, Cher Lloyd, Leona Lewis, Matt Cardle and Alexandra Burke will all get slots.

No. Their MANAGEMENT COMPANY is Global. Their manager is a woman, Jayne Collins.

The Saturdays will be on The Jonathan Ross Show which is pretty good promo (but it'll obviously only count for the second week)

The Wanted's manager used to manage The Saturdays (they fired her). But the reason why they get slots is because they are managed by the company that runs Capital FM and Heart FM which are extremely influential. So basically Cowell books them and expect airplay from their artists in return. Well, that's completely understandable given the fact they're X Factor acts. Of course they'll get slots easily.

Maybe to you it isn't, but for the industry, it is. There's the obvious reason: 10 tracks sold individually equals the value of one album so, financially speaking, it's important to sell albums. But, more than that, when an artist can sell singles but not albums, it's a strong signal he is nothing more than a "fad". The artist doesn't have a strong enough fanbase (since those are the ones who buy albums) and, therefore, the second radio stop playing their song, they will fall off the radar (Flo-Rida is a proof of that). Besides, since good album seller = big fanbase, you can argue an artist who doesn't sell albums won't sell concerts or pretty much anything at all.

True, he is more of an album act. But with the fact he has a big fanbase and that's the lead single with the added he has actually put effort in promoting it I wasn't expecting anthing less than T20 tbh. But who knows... I think his album will do quite well too, with the iTV1 special and everything.

but Will Young has never been irrelevant. His last album went platinum and so did his 2009 compilation. He clearly have a big fanbase.