X Factor – The Final

[buzzenator]

Looking back a few weeks, from MJs blog 11/30...X Factor: Can Any of These Contestants Sell Records:

"Ever since I started watching these televised talent competitions, I’ve noticed a glaring flaw in the system. A majority of the time, contestants who win over America on TV are not the same contestants who win over America’s record-buying public. Sure, every once in a while, America will strike gold with a delightfully loveable Carrie Underwood, who endears herself to the voters and goes platinum many times over once the show is done with. With all of the pyrotechnics, backup dancers, and futuristic technology (i.e. Steve Jones) that X Factor USA brings, it’s sometimes hard to tell what these contestants will be like after the show.

Josh Krajcik: I know I may light the comments section up with this remark, but I stand behind it: Josh Krajcik won’t sell records, no matter what place he lands in this season. He just won’t- and I say that despite him being one of my favorites left in the competition. The type of music he makes is no longer relevant in the mainstream. People like Lee DeWyze and AGT winner Michael Grimm have already tried and failed.

Melanie Amaro: Melanie is extremely talented, but I’m very torn about what her future holds. Part of me used to think that maybe America was danced out, and might embrace a little bit of old school balladry, but Pia Toscano’s single being DOA gave pause to that theory. If Melanie can modernize her style, she might have a shot. Women are ruling the charts these days, and she’s young, attractive, and has an exotic (new) accent to boot...It all depends on what kind of material the producers give her moving forward.

Chris Rene: If anyone has chart success in the bag, it’s Chris Rene. I have found almost all of his performances verging on terrible, but it’s clear that there’s a place in the market for someone like him. He sings and raps, and whatever pitch problems he has can be fixed in the studio. Additionally, he manages to straddle the line between having street credibility and mainstream appeal, something very rare. His combo of singing and rapping has been very successful lately, with acts like LMFAO and Drake having similar sounds and tremendous success.

Summing up, this season of X Factor is honestly a disappointment when it comes to long term prospects for the artists. On the season running concurrently in the UK, the top 5 all have great commercial appeal and seem poised for chart success. In America, there’s barely one contestant who seems like a total slam-dunk when it comes to commercial viability. We’ll see how the rest of the season goes, but I’d advise you folks to savor every minute of the performances, because I don’t think we’ll be hearing from most of these contestants again."

RealityTV Overdone Singing Competition Organization (ROSCO for short) deals with fan fatigue and the eventual migration of the masses. With all the singing/talent competitions flooding the airwaves it makes it that much harder for any former contestant to build a career and sell records.

Enter Haley into this musical punch bowl that is becoming so diluted with former contestants, is it possible to escape the watered down concoction Hollywood has made? I'm really concerned that the very format which gave us Haley will shackle her to the ROSCO image and stigma.

A hit single can make it all go away...very tough to do though.