The X Factor Allstars

The 12th season of The X Factor starts on August 29th (also that is my Dad's birthday!). I can't deny - I love The X Factor! I am a fan of both live performances and cringe worthy auditions (plus I also believe Simon and I are to one day destined to be a power couple). This year there are a few changes, it is goodbye to Mel B, Louis Walsh and Dermot O'Leary, and hello to Rita Ora, Nick Grimshaw, Olly Murs and Caroline Flack.

I sometimes don't agree with who should make the live finals, there is always a Gamu or Jade Richards left behind - but more often than not the judges get it right. So as I do I have created a top 10 list of my favourite (and lets face it, everyone's favourite) X Factor contestants.

10. Rebecca Ferguson
Favourite Performance - Make You Feel My Love

9. One Direction

Favourite Performance - Torn

8. Diana Vickers

Favourite Performance - Man In The Mirror

7. Janet Devlin

Favourite Performance - Your Song

6. Ella Henderson

Favourite Performance - Believe

5. James Arthur

Favourite Performance - Make You Feel My Love (w/ Nicole Scherzinger)

4. Cher Lloyd

Favourite Performance - Stay

3. Alexandra Burke

Favourite Performance - Listen (w/ Beyonce)

2. Leona Lewis

Favourite Performance - I Have Nothing

NUMBER ONE

LITTLE MIX

Favourite Performance - Don't Let Go

Of course these four talented Queens are my top pick. Every week they shone, every week they were the highlight and god damn it every week was Little Mix week(except week one, when it was Rythmix week - remember that?). There is a reason why they are the only band to ever win The X Factor! This is something that can't be duplicated, they are pure magic (I know this was a perfect time to say 'Black Magic' but I don't know if that would sound a bit racial). Perrie, Leigh-Anne, Jade and Jesy are my top X Factor picks!

C Festival

I have been to a few festivals and they have been very hit and miss. My main issue is the people that go. Some are great do not get me wrong, but there are a few that ruin it for everybody. Everyone I know can have fun and be respectable, I don't want to sound like a Dad but everyone can be happy if everyone is considerate. Be loud, be energetic but don't throw cups of piss over the crowd and intimidate people. If you can't handle your drink then know your limits, if you can't handle drugs then don't take them. 

Another problem for me is the music, I like a lot of bands from a lot of different genres but there isn't a lot of festivals that cater just to me (regardless of my intense letter writing). I love country music (and proud of it) but England doesn't, there are so many other types of bands or acts that also don't get a chance to show themselves off. Even if they aren't popular they should get a shot in front of a large crowd.

The toilets. Enough said. How can so many people be so disgusting? Flush the toilet, poop in the toilet and use the toilet for toilet reasons only. Simple.

So I have come up with an idea - C Festival. A festival for me. Stay with me - it will have all the music I like and because my taste is diverse there is something for everyone. Plus I have some reunion surprises like Destinys Child and Mis-teeq. Acts from all walks of life will have a slot. Food is free - I would get food vendors to donate food with the promise that this will get their company attention for the future and never disregard word of mouth. Also free alcohol will be available. I would get major drink companies to sponsor the event.

So hands up who wouldn't like this, no one? Thats good. All I will need is a couple hundred companies to sponsor me, a good place to put the festival on and a few thousand people to attend. See ya there folks.

Lets hear it for the boys!

I may have expressed my love for the female singing voice one or two thousand times on this teeny blog; but I can't help it, they dominate my Spotify and iTunes playlists. However, always the hypocrite, there is quite a few of the old male variety that consume a small percentage of my music. I do have the same criteria for these as I do the girls - 1st their voices have to be special, 2nd the songs have to hit me and resonate with me and 3rd I need to be able to sing along, for what I lack in ability I sure make up for in passion. So as a lover of lists I have chosen 10 male music acts that I happen to love - lets go:

1. Ed Sheeran

His voice is beautiful, his songs are beautiful and that red mane is beautiful. His songs stick with me because they are so deep and meaningful. He tells stories in a unique way, there is no-one like him in the industry. I need to see him live, I can only imagine it will be one thing - beautiful.

2. Yellowcard

I discovered these about 10 years ago when 'Ocean Avenue' was released. There first album is great but their second album was amazing. It has some of my favourite songs of all time on it 'Holly Wood Died' and 'Two weeks from Twenty' are particularly special. 'Way Away' is probably my favourite song they recorded - it is an amazing shout-it-when-your-frustrated type of songs.

3. Fall Out Boy

I think everyone has a special place in their hearts for this band. They are just fun, the songs are amazing. There is a club where I live called The Sugarmill, and in the back room they will play 'Dance Dance' or 'Sugar, We're going down' - this is where you will find me throwing some serious shapes.

4. OneRepublic

Ryan Tedder is a music writing genius, he has probably written some of your favourite songs and you didn't even know. He truly shines though when he is fronting this great band. 'Counting Stars' was by far one of my favourite songs of 2013. Also Ryan is quite pretty and there ain't nothing wrong with that.

5. Imagine Dragons

This band is quite new to my musical loves. They sang some songs that I didn't even know was them. So one day I decided to look at the Discover page on Spotify and there they were, so I though why the hell not. My days the album is so so so good. Full of emotion fuelled songs, mixed with fun songs and some great modern rock songs. 'Demons' is probably my favourite and the last 30 seconds of the video has me in buckets.

6. The Killers

I have being a silent fan of these for 10 years now. I have loved all of their stuff but I never made a big deal about it. Brandon is everything - beautiful, talented and a great showman. I have had the honour to see this band twice live and it is such a good atmosphere, it is electric when the intro for 'Mr Brightside' starts. Chills.

7. One Direction

Once again I show no shame in my love for the boys. I have probably mentioned too many times just how much I love them. They aren't your typical boy band, their songs have a more rockier edge to them which I respond to very well - but honestly they could sing the phone book and I would be happy, as long as they are looking at me whilst they do so.

8. Hunter Hayes

My love for country music rarely goes past the female voices but this little scamp creeped up on me from nowhere. 'Wanted' was a major hit for him and I even saw it on a British Music Channel. His next single was even better in my eyes 'I Want Crazy'. His country twang, great lyrics, blond hair and cheeky grin make up one great country star.

9. Ron Pope

I'll put my hand up now, I don't know much of his music - however he made the list because he sang and wrote one of my favourite songs of all time. 'A Drop in the Ocean' is beyond a beautiful song, I think I heard it when I had a lot of the same emotions so it stuck with me. Even to this day I listen to it and it reminds of certain things. I love it love it love it. Also his voice is top notch.

10. Bastille

I first heard this band when they did this amazing mash-up of 'No Scrubs' by TLC and quotes from 'Psycho' - it was genius. Worked so amazingly well, so I downloaded the mixtape and there was even more to love. So happy for them now that they are getting international success. His voice is so special and the songs are unlike anything you have heard before.

Honourable Mentions

Kanye West

Justin Timberlake

Bruno Mars

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

Pharrell Williams

Fun.

Michael Buble

Calvin Harris

The 1975

Jake Bugg

Arctic Monkeys

John Legend

Kings of Leon

Craig's Movie Club - The Sequel

So, no surprise here but I have been watching a few more films. Once again some were a bit lame but some were a bit fantastic. I saw some amazing acting, awesome locations and some inspirational moments - so lets go.

Carrie (2013)
We all know the old adage "Don't fuck with the original". Most of the time I agree. You can't recreate something that was perfect, for example when you make the most amazing meal and you want it again and again - it never tastes the same. Some films should remain untouched. 'Psycho' was one of these - why Vince Vaughn decided to sign on for the remake I will never know. However, 'Carrie' needed retelling. I don't want to insult anybody and diminish anyone's work but the original sucked. It was boring and was too reliant on people becoming invested in the title character. Lets all thank Jesus that someone decided to give it another shot. This movie was great. If you don't know the story I will try and quickly sum it up. Basically Carrie is a 17 year old girl, she is cruelly bullied for no reason, her mother believes Carrie is some sort of descendant of the devil and must be punished and to top it all off she develops telekinesis (the power to move things with her mind).
The ending of the film is beyond perfect, I was in awe throughout it. Carrie goes bat shit crazy when her tormentor drops a bucket of pig blood on her as she is crowned Prom Queen. The effects are top notch. Chloe Grace Moretz plays the title character and she was perfectly cast for the role. Julianne Moore plays her mother and for someone that is so naturally beautiful she plays this haggard role extremely well. This was a great retelling of a Stephen King classic, even though I have a slight moral problem with siding with someone who is basically a mass-murderer.

The Spectacular Now (2013)
When the words 'From the creators of (500) Days Of Summer' is written across a movie poster you know I will be seeing it. Unfortunately for Britain this film came and went without so much as a whisper. I could ask everyone I know about this film and I know only 1 other person would know what I was talking about. The story of the film is mainly based around an 18 year old called Sutter (nope, never heard that name before either), to cut it short he is basically an alcoholic with a lot of issues - he has no father in his life, he is failing some of his classes and his girlfriend just dumped him after a misunderstanding. Then Aimee, the beautiful Shailene Woodley, finds him passed out whilst on her paper route. It sparks up a beautiful little romance.
I have some pro's and con's for this film. It is a beautiful film and the acting is top notch. The relationship between the two main characters in incredibly believable. Some of the shots are stunning and I love all the location choices. The story is a great one and you really pull for Sutter and Aimee. Well now you have had your sugar it is time to take your medication - the ending! What was that? I get so frustrated when there is no closure as I get extremely attached to characters. She is just about to say something and BAM the credits, I even had to message a friend about my frustration. Another thing that kind of irked me was Aimee's character, don't get me wrong she is a great character with some amazing qualities, but she seems to lose some of herself when she gets in to the relationship and she becomes so all about Sutter - she breaks her arm for god sakes and apologises. Anyway regardless of this I thought it was great little film and I will definitely be watching it again.

Elf (2003)
This was my choice for the film to watch on Christmas morning with the fam. It is a great film, but let me get real on your ass for a couple of minutes - I used to hate it. I couldn't watch it, I thought it was stupid, I didn't like Will Ferrell and the story didn't interest me. I don't know what happened, maybe my heart grew 3 sizes Grinch style, but now I love it. It is such a funny film, literally laughing out loud through out, Will is amazing as Buddy and my beautiful Zooey is there. This movie is about a man called Buddy who is raised by elves and Santa Claus. As he is now in adulthood they tell him the truth and Buddy sets out to New York to find his father.
Hilarity ensues as he gets accustomed to life outside of the North Pole. His excitement of seeing Santa in a department store, his introduction to escalators and his many naive moments are what make this film so great. There is one moment that always makes me laugh and I don't think many others notice; he is walking his half-brother home and simply says 'So good news, I saw a dog today'. I think this one line just sums up everything I love about Buddy. So, I want to apologise to everyone connected to this film, I slagged it off to high heaven - but we all make mistakes.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
I had my reservations about this film, and I don't want to sound mean but I just haven't enjoyed much Ben Stiller has done since his one episode stint on 'Friends'. I think he is great at what he does, he makes millions of people laugh but I just don't. However I still went to see it, and thank the lord I did. It was so beautiful. If you are a fan of amazing landscapes and images of places you haven't seen before then this is the film for you.
The story centres around Walter Mitty (surprise), he works for a magazine, the magazine is publishing its last issue but the image for the cover is missing - so Walter goes on this great adventure to track down the photographer and get the photo. That is basically the skeleton of the story, there is so much to it. Walter is an avid day dreamer and imagines himself in amazing situations, but then it often comes crashing down on him as the realisation of his real life dawns on him. So this adventure is exactly what he needs and with it comes a lot of ups and downs. I won't ruin too much for you because you should discover this film for yourself. It was shot with such care for the locations it shows, you see some amazing sights. It is great film and I will definitely watch it again because I am sure I will discover more that I love about it. I am also a sucker for a great quote and this film is literally filled with them.

One Direction: This Is Us (2013)
I will put my hand up with no shame at all - I am a fan of One Direction. I don't understand why I should be ashamed at all. They are harmless, sing great pop songs and lets face it there is nothing wrong with 5 good looking boys looking back at you. When my friend told me she had a copy of the film I had no hesitation with setting a date for when we would watch it together. So, there I was, vodka-lemonade-lime in hand and I was ready to embrace One Direction. What I didn't expect was the film to be so good. I knew I was going to enjoy it but not to the extent that I did.
The cinematography was so good, the shots they chose were great and I really felt that I knew One Direction on such a deeper level then I did before I watched the film. We got to meet the real them, nothing felt staged and I believed everything they said. The film was obviously littered with performances, but I wasn't mad because they sang some of my favourite songs. Will I watch it again? I am not sure as I felt I got everything I could from the film, but I am so glad I watched it.

Biggest Losers

Last night Britain was ablaze with disappointment after watching The Voice UK. Clear favourite to win, Leah McFall, was a runner up. One thing I don't understand is that it is based on a public vote; I would bet my life that a lot of the people who were angry didn't even vote. We did it to ourselves. However we shouldn't be too angry - these days you don't need to win to achieve success. Some examples I hear you ask - read on my dear friend.

One Direction

They came third on The X Factor, losing out to Matt Cardle. Propelled to international success by the power of social media, their two albums Up All Night and Take Me Home, released in 2011 and 2012 respectively, broke several records, topped the charts of most major markets, and generated hit singles, including "What Makes You Beautiful" and "Live While We're Young". I don't think they care that they lost.

Cher Lloyd

She came fourth on The X Factor. Since then she has a number one single in good old Blighty, a double platinum selling single in America and has been featured with such artists as Demi Lovato, Ne-yo and Sean Kingston. She has also had a sold out tour that had 14 dates around the UK. I don't think she cares that she lost

Susan Boyle

She came second on Britain's Got Talent. Since the show she has released 4 albums - 3 number 1's in England and 2 in America, culminating in over 20 million record sales. Susan also broke a record in America as she had 2 number 1 albums in the space of a year. Now she has covered magazines, toured the world and even had a musical written about her. I don't think she cares that she lost.

Jennifer Hudson

She came seventh on American Idol. Since the show she has won a freaking Oscar (plus another 28 worldwide awards)! It was for the portrayal of Effie White in Dreamgirls. She has overcome a number of personal tragedies. She has also become the face (and body) for Weight Watchers, appeared in 8 other films and was called upon to sing at the Oscars - twice. I don't think she cares that she lost.

Kellie Pickler

She came sixth on American Idol. Since the show she has had two number one country albums (the third gaining a still impressive number 2 spot), released nine top 50 singles and has toured with Taylor Swift, Rascall Flatts, Sugarland and Brad Paisley. Also an accomplished song writer, she has won three songwriter awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. Just this year she competed in Dancing With The Stars (Strictly Come Dancing to us Brits) and she won. And if her success wasn't enough she also shaved her head in support of her friend who was battling cancer. I don't think she cares that she lost.

Samantha Barks

She came third on I'd Do Anything (A BBC show searching for an actress to play Nancy on the West End show Oliver). Since the show she has starred in 6 theatre shows (including Oliver as Nancy). However her moment came as she picked to play Éponine in the stage version of Les Misérables, which led her to been cast in the film version along side Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman and Russel Crowe. She has now won international awards for best newcomer. I don't think she cares that she lost.

Sophie Sumner

She came second on Britain's Next Top Model. Then the wonderful Tyra Banks announced the Brits Vs Yanks cycle of America's Next Top Model. Sophie competed and won! She has now been featured in Vogue Italia, become the face of Covergirl, become the face of Top Model's perfume and randomly appeared in a Bollywood movie. I don't think she cares that she lost.

So, the moral of the story is that your Mum was right - Its not the winning that counts, its the taking part. In this day and age you don't need to win a reality show to be the star of the show. In my opinion the winner tends to be the sympathy vote a lot of the time, or the person most relatable  - not necessarily the most talented. I personally can't wait for Leah McFalls album and I will try my darnedest to be at the tour.