LovePopMusic

Let's play: Guess what Diana is singing!

I love Diana Vickers. She has managed to create a really genuine aura about her music and image. Though she is the product of a TV Talent show, she managed to put together an album using credible producers and songwriters (Guy Sigsworth, Ellie Goulding, Andy Chatterley, Nerina Pallot, Cass Lowe) and create an image of a slightly kooky singer/songwriter (she even has her name on the writing credits of 9 out of the 13 tracks on the initial release of Songs From The Tainted Cherry Tree). The visuals match as well, from the artwork of her album and singles, to the Boy Who Murdered Love video with it's cartoony bits.

It's all very well done, and importantly believable.

One thing that has always been a slight issue for her however, is diction and annunciation. I remember seeing a video on YouTube a couple of years ago when she was on The X Factor where someone had written their own subtitles over the performance because you can't really understand what she was singing. And it's been done again.

Diana performed her new single, My Wicked Heart, on The X Factor at the weekend (before Katy Perry wailed her way through Firework without hitting a note) and though I love the song (it's utterly brilliant), It's not exactly easy to understand the lyrics. See for yourself:

The video above also draws attention to the recent allegations that the melody for the chorus has been stolen from a Red Hot Chilli Peppers song. It may be a bit similar, but I hardly think anyone is going to be stupid enough to do that intentionally. Certainly not if they don't want to be sued.

The video for the song itself is actually quite good. It follows this theme of pastel colours, quirkiness, and lip-ness that the others did. Yep. Lip-ness. Basically, Diana's lips are amazing. And feature as a separate entity in her videos. Check them in Once and The Boy Who Murdered Love too.

My Wicked Heart is available to download now, and due for physical release on 1 November 2010 (why the 2 week difference? I have no idea. Makes no sense).

Dannii Minogue 'not taking part in X Factor Auditions' in 2010

Dannii Minogue has confirmed to Digital Spy that she will not be available for the X Factor auditions for the next season.

Dannii, who is pregnant with her first child, is due to give birth in July and has said "I will totally miss Cheryl and Louis and Simon, and not being there for the auditions, but I really need to be near my family in Australia at such an important time".

She also added: "I don't know what is happening with X Factor. I just adore it and I had such a fun time last year. I'd love to be part of it somehow even if I just pop back and visit".

 

All change for The X Factor in 2010?

There are reports coming in that Simon Cowell is toying with the format of The X Factor again for next years show, and there are lots of different things that are being said to change:

1. There will be 16 finalists instead of the current 12, resulting in the show lasting 4 weeks longer than normal
2. There will be a 5th judge on the panel. The 5th judge will be a celebrity guest and it will rotate each week.
3. Each judge will mentor one act from each category.
4. The final will be staged at Wembley Stadium, housing an audience of 90,000 - Spectacular!

Simon has been quoted as saying "The minute you start assuming that the audience is very happy to see the same show again, you're dead".

This all sounds very exciting. But it's only rumour at the moment, so you can't get your hopes up just yet. It also means that for another month of your life, you will not be going out on Saturday nights. Well, at least until after the X Factor.

Anyone placing their last bets?

The X Factor final 3 have been decided. Anyone surprised by the 3 who are left? I think I had Olly, Joe, and Stacey in the final since the beginning. You could always tell that they would go far. Even if there were a few surprises on the way (Rachel and Lucy losing out to Jedward - and interestingly, they were bottled during a live performance in Barnsley last week... a sign of their "popularity", eh Louis?).

My money for the winner is on Joe. I think everyone's is to be honest. I read somewhere a couple of weeks ago that bookies were so sure that he'd win that they were putting odds of 3/2 on him. And rightly so. He has been the most consistent, the most impressive, and he has been note perfect the whole way through.

Some, or maybe most, will say that Stacey has ridden through the contest on her personality. While no doubt this has been a key factor in her success (I just want to hug her whenever I see her), Saturday night's performance of Somewhere from West Side Story was rather phenomenal, and we shouldn't ignore that.

To be fair though, It doesn't really matter who wins the competition, because in the end the final 4 or 5 will always win a record deal (though not often to success - Eoghan Quigg?). So really, it doesn't matter all that much, apart from having the Kudos of saying you won, and securing the £1 Million deal. How much was JLS's deal worth when they were signed I wonder? It was reported that Simon Cowell's label, Syco, offered the boys £75,000, but then revoked the offer before JLS were signed to Epic Records (for how much, I'm not sure - probably somewhere around the £500k - £750k mark IMO). They also recently a publishing deal with EMI worth £1 Million, so they've ended up with a better deal by not winning.

So it'll all be over in a week. The winner's song is a Miley Cyrus one according to reports. The Climb is it's title. Not heard it yet, but I imagine it's appropriately pompous and dramatic. But can't imagine that coming from Miley, so who knows. More on that song later...

Also, how good was Lady Gaga last night!

Thunderbirds are go!