X Factor 2009

[Chris B]

Danyl was one of the worst singers ever! I do think with training he could improve, but i don't know that he wants to improve. I think he thinks he's the [!@#$%^&*] and since everyone keeps telling him that he's gonna keep doing what he's doing. I will say that I've never heard someone so out of tune get so much praise.

I think Olly would be the most successful, but they could do something with Stacey too. Joe is too musical theater so his career would go nowhere.

[DRW50]

I think Joe could have a successful career with the right backing. Musical theater types can be very popular. They just get crap material because most of the music out these days, especially if Simon Cowell is involved, is crap. People say he's like Leon, which just shows me how generic that criticism is, because Leon was as far from musical theater as you can get.

Olly seems very smarmy onstage and seems to not have a lot of singing or dancing ability, and he's not very attractive with his current hairstyle. He does have charisma, but he's going to need help. Unfortunately he won't get that from Simon, who only seems to care about Danyl.

Supposedly Simon wants Danyl to become popular in America. Something tells me that will not happen. I just don't see him fitting in here. I think that will only happen if it's by accident, and someone humble, and with a good story to propel her, like what happened with Susan Boyle.

[Chris B]

I think with Leon it's not that they're similar musically, but both are dull and forgettable and you can see the writing on the wall. All the people voting and raving about Joe because he's the best singer won't buy his album. It's just like Kris Allen on American Idol. People act like it's about the best singer, then they don't care when that person wins.

I look at Will Young and I do think you can be a fairly traditional pop singer without all the dancing and bells and whistles, but I don't know that Joe is interesting enough to pull that off. I also have major doubts that whoever is backing him would produce a good album. We'll see, but I think he's the most difficult to make a star.

Olly has limitations, but I can see them molding him into something good. He has a good recording voice so his songs will sound good and they can work on the rest. I do believe Simon wants Danyl in America, but surely he'll cut his losses by now? He's tried to push this "Danyl is the greatest!!" thing on us, but it hasn't worked. Just give it up already. I think they did a disservice to him by constantly pimping him.

[DRW50]

I think the people who are going on about what a good singer he is are more likely to buy his album. It's when you hear people talking about how hot someone is, or how they have "it", or how sorry they feel for the person, or how awful the other person who might win is, that you will have a more guaranteed flop. To a lot of people, Kris Allen wasn't seen as the best singer in his season, he was seen as a nice guy, as cute, as not being Adam.

I never thought Rhydian was all that memorable, beyond his hair and his muscular body, and his material after the show was, from what I've heard, a not all that great cover album. Some said that Leon's album was quite a bit better than Rhydian's. But since people remembered Rhydian's voice, they were loyal enough to give Rhydian decent sales and a second album.

I don't believe any of the people from this season will become big stars. I think having anyone from this show, which is a huge ugly circus mostly about shock value and about the judges, become a big star is difficult. The only big star they had was Leona and thanks to poor choices of singles, and generally uninspired material, she seems to be fading.

For a long term career in music, not a big career but a long, profitable one, I think Joe has the best potential, if he can get better representation than the likes of Cowell. Olly, there's always a chance. I don't think Stacey is there yet (she needs to learn how to "sell" songs, and she's a bit wobbly), but she has some charisma and might find a niche. Since Olly and Joe get a lot of hate, I think Stacey will win. Whether she has a career from that win, who knows.

[Sylph]

[DRW50]

Nigel didn't start SYTYCD - which is not exactly a juggernaut, it is a niche show which has slowly lost steam in the summer and has recently tanked in the fall lineup - until 2005. American Idol started in 2002, and most of the first season centered around Simon and how the public reacted to him. Nigel was one of the main producers on that show (until this year), but stayed offcamera most of the time. Simon became known to the American public long before Nigel did.

[Sylph]

Oh, boy.

[Sylph]

Nygel came to US in 2002 (as a judge and producer) and Cowell became judge in 2002 too.

[DRW50]

I do like the idea of Simon reading this article and reacting to the idea that he was an unknown in America before the hugely iconic Muppet Lythgoe.

Nigel wasn't a judge, on his other show, until 2005. I don't think he was ever a judge on Idol, although perhaps there was some time I forgot. He stayed behind the scenes, generally, until SYTYCD. Simon was the face of Idol, from the start.

[DRW50]

Sorry, I forgot to say, other than that the article is very true, and a good insight to his mind.

[Sylph]

Yes, that's how it went. But I don't know if the article says what you think it does. It's kind of ambiguous. Does He could do that refer to So You Think You Can Dance or to Nygel's British Popstars stint? I think the latter. So technically it can be debated whether there are mistakes. Perhaps she meant: Cowell could've been a judge of Popstars and went to US. Or something like that. Irrelevant.

So what's this about X Factor coming to the US? On NBC or Fox?

[DRW50]

The way it was worded, I thought she was implying that Simon was jealous of Nigel becoming well known in the UK and then in the US, and that's why he decided to do Pop Idol.

I think she greatly overestimates the success of SYTYCD in the States, but perhaps she just misspoke about the rest.

I had heard the show was going to FOX. There are some reports Dermot will be the host, others say Cheryl, or that Cheryl will be one of the judges, and Dermot will still host.

[Sylph]

Joe McElderry could barely sing the song that will be his first number one for grinning.

[DRW50]

Matt Damon lookalike

The comments about Sir Paul were nice.

[Chris B]

I always thought Simon was made a judge on Idol due to the success of Nigel on Popstars. Back to X Factor, I do hope the show comes to the US. They could attempt it in the fall instead of two SYTYCD seasons. I just hope they don't tone down the ridiculousness of it. I love the stage and how it feels like you're at a gladiator match. And the wacky choreography and such. I just hope we don't get a panel as dull as the UK. If Simon can't come then bring Louis and Cheryl over and go from there. If on FOX it would probably air tues-wed so it should be no problem for them to fly over. Similar to what they do with DWtS.