X-Factor Week Two Live Show Performance Review

Week two of the live show and the theme  is "Romance and Heartbreak" . Below is my run down of the female- they don't classify as Divas yet- performances from Saturday 15th of October, live show numero dos!

These are the impressions I got after hearing the performances, but they may change after I've heard them again tomorrow. I will link to the videos as and when they are up on Youtube.

[NOTE: I skip the VTs that show before the contestants comes out, as well as the judges critique.] 

Beyonce's "Countdown" and Kelly Rowland's "Lay It On Me" both suffer plagiarism accusations.

If the BBC think Beyonce and the plagiarism accusations levelled at her new video Countdown is news then who am I to not post on it. Read the the original BBC post below, and find my two pennies under it along with the Kelly Rowland story.

Lana Del Ray gives first televised live performance of "Video Games" on Jools Holland

Internet music sensation, and now it seems fully fledged pop star what with her EP debuting high on Itunes charts around the world, Lana Del Ray gave her first live television performance yesterday.

Taking to the stage on British music show Jools Hollland, Lana gave an emotive, if slightly fragile performance of the song responsible for the majority of her buzz, Video Games. It was a mesmerising rendition that though contained notes that sounded slightly off- whether this was due to artistic expression or nerves we'll have to wait for future performances to judge- it thankfully demonstrated that Lana Del Ray is  capable of singing live, and that her voice really sounds as beautiful and unique as her recordings suggested it did.

With even veteran performers shying away from simple arrangements that leave no place for a voice to hide, Lana Del Ray took a real and gusty risk opting for such a simple and exposing arrangement at such a crucial performance. It's one that could have caused her train to mainstream success to derail if it had been bad, but that wasn't the case with Lana bringing the requisite goods, and as such it should only add to the growing hype and intrigue around the singer.

Utada Hikaru- Vocal Profile/ Range

Utada Hikaru

Vocal Type: Contralto
Vocal Range: 2 Octaves  3 notes and a semitone E3-Bb5
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses: Soft, and sweet timbre to the entire voice. Her midrange is the strongest part of the voice and it's where it finds a solid, and stable tone and colouring. She is able to fluctuate quickly to and fro between the breathy warm, head voice and the other registers with ease.
Vocal Negatives: Chest notes in the fifth octave can sound forced, and strained. 

Nicola Roberts Bests Other Girls Aloud Member's music with the release of "Cinderella's Eyes"

Girls Aloud member Nicola Roberts released her unashamedly 80's inspired debut album Cinderella's Eye on the 23rd of September. Being the quietest, and youngest, member of the girl group it was always a mystery what direction the singer would take if she decided to release any solo material at all. Honestly, I wasn't holding my breath for music and had assumed that her fashionista ways would taker her down the Victoria Beckham route into that world. But what do I know, and the release of her first single Beat Of My Drum-see end of post- took me totally by surprise with the left field sound she went for. That was the exciting moment that I sat up and took an interest, realising that Nicola Robert's may just be about to deliver something special on her debut album.

Vocal news: Adele cancels shows to recuperate her voice and Christina Aguilera FINALLY decides to take vocal lessons, a decade into her career.

Vocal news from two of our Divas today: one piece great, and one  piece bad, but both resulting in our singers going back to vocal school to brush up on their technique.

Firstly we look to Christina Aguilera for the good, no GREAT news that FINALLY, allegedly mind, she has enlisted a vocal coach- Seth Riggs -to tame that unwiedly bastion that is her voice! I can only drool at the thought of what some proper training and instruction will do for her. It may just make that "voice of a generation" title her fans so proudly throw about finally ring with some truth, because as she is, with technique that bad, it is both undeserving and a sad indictment on my generation of singers for her to be called that yet.

Lisa Gerrard-Vocal Range/ Profile

Lisa Gerrard

Vocal Type: Dramatic Contralto
Vocal Range: 2 Octaves 1 note E3-F5
Whistle Register: No
Vocal Pluses: Incredibly versatile voice that has many colours and timbres throughout the range. Her lower chest voice is heavy,rich and dramatic with a dark colouring and operatic timbre. This contrasts greatly to the higher part, that is bright, thin and piercing with a greater affinity for melisma.

The lower part of her head voice sounds warm and rounded and can either have an operatic mezzo-esque quality to it or a breathier lighter sound depending on the desired effect. The top part of the head voice shares the piercing and shrill qualities of the upper chest voice.

Vocal Negatives: The harsher, more penetrating, parts of her voice are not as easy to listen to as the more rounded and fuller parts.

Recommended listening: Now We Are Free, The Valley of the Moon, Come Tenderness, Sacrifice, Elysium