Melanie - X-Factor - "Earth Song"

[Miguel]

It was Michael Jackson night on X-Factor. They apparently paid a load of cash to get his mother, brothers and children to sit in the audience.

Simon chose Earth Song for Melanie to close the show with, calling it one of Michael Jackson's biggest hits. And that he could think of no better way to honor Michael Jackson.

Hmm...guess he didn't check with RJ and JL.

If James Durbin had done Earth Song, the production might have been something like this:

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The sound on my television seemed to project the choir more than Melanie. Maybe that's because I didn't hear her do the shout chorus. Someone on MJsBB said "they changed it to be gospel-diva in the second half." (edit: Watched the video - posted above - and my impression hasn't changed).

But it has generally been well-received and applauded. The judges fell all over themselves in praising it. And it was the best of the night because the other performances were forgettable.

My initial impression was she sung it well but didn't seem passionate about what she was singing.

[Miguel]

Originally posted by JB in the Haley's in the Studio thread:

Speaking of Michael Jackson's Earth Song, Melanie Amaro just scored the best performance of the season on the X Factor tonight singing what seemed to be the exact version Haley sang on season 10 of American Idol. However, as good as Ms Amaro's rendition was, to me at least it wasn't close to being near the same caliber as Haley's rendition was.

As a matter of fact, Melanie Amaro so far this season has been my favorite to win the X Factor this season, which just goes to show you how great Haley is.

[john]

But it has generally been well-received and applauded. The judges fell all over themselves in praising it. And it was the best of the night because the other performances were forgettable.

My initial impression was she sung it well but didn't seem passionate about what she was singing.

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I enjoyed Melanie's performance but I agree it lacked passion. She divafied it. I always thought that Haley did a great job on the studio version of ES, but looking again at her live performance I better appreciate the edge she brought to it. Haley was passionate and kept it raw.

For comparison, here's Haley:



and Michael Jackson:

[john]

The Jackson kids -- Prince looks like a barrel of fun.

[John Brown]

When you watch the judges responses on the X Factor and compare them to JLO and Randy's responses, it becomes very apparent that the American Idol judges were definitely trying to manipulate the views and responses of the audience with respect to Haley's performances. Who was behind it and how it was organized, I have no idea, but nevertheless like Randy says, “there is quite a bit of difference between” the judges responses on the X Factor relative to the judges responses on American Idol.

Further, I like Haley's voice characteristics much better with respect to this song than I do Melanie's, and her growls during the shout chorus fit the song much better as well, and as you guys already noted, Haley sang it with much more passion and feeling than Melanie did.

Nevertheless, I still like Melanie Amaro a lot on this show and she is still my favorite to win the X Factor this season.

[john]

Nevertheless, I still like Melanie Amaro a lot on this show and she is still my favorite to win the X Factor this season.

Melanie has an amazing voice and she makes it look effortless. From the beginning I've seen her and Josh as the favorites. Drew could be there too, but I'm always waiting for her to kick up the tempo and really lace it. Melanie needs to show the passion more or she becomes a bit paint-by-numbers, albeit at a high level of skill. Josh needs the right songs and I hate some of the productions that Nicole has arranged (he'd never do that stuff). However, after watching a couple episodes I've found that I truly can't stand the show. I just watch selected performances on YT.

With respect to manipulation of voting by judges (and producers) I'm on board with your comments about IA and Haley. But X Factor seems just as manipulative, probably more so since the judges can choose the songs and shape the stage production. I like to listen to the songs on YT without the build up and without the judges comments, although sometimes I'll go back and find an upload that includes the entire performance segment for a contestant. I avoid Steve as much as possible ("YOU ROCK, YOU ROCK").

[Miguel]

Recap of Melanie's performance by Michael Slezak (Haley fan) of TV Line:

I know Simon would rather spend a season sitting between Kara Dio Guardi and Ellen Degeneres than admit he still carefully watches American Idol, but I can’t help but think his introduction of “Earth Song” as “one of Michael Jackson’s biggest hits” was a winking indictment of Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson acting as if the monster ballad was an obscure b-side when Haley Reinhart covered it during Idol‘s tenth season. (Good to know Simon is #TeamHaley, too!) But sorry, I know, we’re talking about Melanie, and Melanie’s rendition was, as Steve Jones noted, “epic” in its own right. I’ve played Melanie and Haley’s versions back-to-back and back again, and it’s interesting to me that Melanie’s rendition has a soaring quality — almost as if she’s witnessing the planet’s destruction from above, her voice gaining strength, her riffs on the melody becoming more daring, the more passionately she pleads for humanity to take action. (Ugh, sorry, I think Nicole Cirqueduwhatzit is rubbing off on me.) Haley’s rendition is more grounded, angrier even, as if she’s knee-deep in the pollution and war and poverty, and trying to wake up her brothers and sisters with the furious shake of her voice. But one thing the covers have in common is an uncommon beauty, the sense that an undeniable pop-Gospel hook is being deftly handled by a vocalist who’s not even breaking a sweat as she’s lifting up her audience and lifting the melody to the rafters.

http://www.tvline.com/2011/12/the-x-fact...l-jackson/

He also tweeted:

[Miguel]

New York Times "Arts Beat" blog:

None of the seven finalists proved a particularly good fit for the Jackson songbook, though one, the teenager Drew, at least made things interesting by turning “Billie Jean” into a sort of ballad. Her delivery — simply sitting in a chair, rather than lost in a mob of dancers and background singers like most of her competitors — divided the judges.

...At least Drew could be heard, which wasn’t the case with Josh Krajcik, who made a game effort on “Dirty Diana” to open the performances but was drowned out by that army of support personnel. What is this show, a full employment act for recent dance school graduates and vocal accompanists?

...Only Melanie Amaro delivered a relatively memorable performance, belting “They Don’t Care About Us.” She didn’t fit the material any better than the others, but she at least forced you to admit that she has a darn good voice.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/1...k-oh-dear/