X Factor Live, week 6: Best of Something

The screaming pre-teens in the audience this week can only mean one thing: One Direction are set to perform. This week’s theme was ‘Best of British’, three words rarely associated […]


The screaming pre-teens in the audience this week can only mean one thing: One Direction are set to perform. This week’s theme was ‘Best of British’, three words rarely associated with The X Factor. Britain’s premier man-child band were somehow chosen as the representatives of our great nation, which should have been a sign of the quality of Saturday night’s show.

There are only 7 acts left in the competition, meaning the backstage team have gone crazy with the budget. Christopher’s performance had a ten pin bowling theme reminiscent of The Big Lebowski at an 80s house party, while Rylan’s Spice Girls mashup featured scantily clad women floating around a martini glass, which is obviously what the band were aiming for with their girl power mantra.

I feel like a broken record, but the best performance of the night came from James Arthur. He sang ‘Hometown Glory’ by Adele, the only British artist anyone still talks about. I’m rooting for James to come second: close enough for a record deal, but far enough away that his career doesn’t take the route of past illustrious winners like Shayne Ward and Joe McElderry.

The highlight of the night was the re-emergence of the Battle of the Boybands. I have spent weeks egging the groups on to tear each other apart, but there haven’t even been hints of a break dancing battle.

Union J, the pretty boys, chose to sing ‘Fix You’. While their intentions were lovely, their performance was average. The moment they threw in a cheesy key change, they ruined one of the only Coldplay songs I can stand. District 3 are the better vocalists, but they made the same mistake as Union J and chose Eric Clapton’s tragic ‘Tears in Heaven’. It is a moving song, but their take was one step away from an air grab, reducing it to a lame karaoke version. My eyes were rolling rather than tearing up.

The two boy bands found themselves in the bottom two this week, leaving Louis to choose between his beloved acts. If One Direction proved anything, it’s the fact that looks trump talent every time in the pop world. Although Louis abstained from voting, proving once again that he is the most indecisive man alive, the other judges chose to give District 3 the boot. Well, they can always have a career as a One Direction cover band.