I haven’t been following X Factor, Simon Cowell’s popular reality competition talent show in Britain. The finale was tonight, crowning the winner, Alexandra Burke.
Upon hearing the news, Alexandra nearly begins hyperventilating, almost completely losing her sh*t. You must watch:
She wins a recording contract, and her winning single, Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”, will be available (across the pond) for download tonight, and in stores next week.
Simon Cowell can’t get enough of “Hallelujah”. His operatic boyband Il Divo just released their version, and now the winner of X Factor will release it as a “Christmas Single” (I’m thinking Cohen didn’t exactly have the holidays, or even religion in mind when he wrote it, but whatever).
Watch what a giant gospel choir and a pile of over-the-top runs adds to “Hallelujah” (Me: Nothing) after the jump…
ETA: By request, I added Aleandra’s duet with Beyonce…
Duet with Beyonce
I really love some of Leonard Cohen’s versions of “Hallelujah”. I had never heard the song and had never heard of Cohen until Top 24 week when Jason sang the song. I had heard of Buckley but I didn’t know any of his songs.
After Jason sang the song, I bought his version and the Cohen and Buckley versions. I also looked up their videos on YouTube. I can look at the Cohen ones for hours (and I have). Some of the live performances this year are terrific. I love the versions that he did years ago too. I love how he changes up the song verses whenever the mood strikes. The audience can never know which lyric set he will sing in concert.
Jason must have reminded Simon of how much he liked the song and when both versions had great sales on iTunes, Simon probably just saw dollar sings from then on when he heard the song.
I love this song and loved it way before Jason sang it on AI. If I am not mistaken it was on the AI radar for some reason it was discussed during season 5, not sure why and it what context, and that was when I heard scores of covers. My fave will always be Leonard Cohen’s because of the ‘character’ of his voice, the lyrics are emphasized. With this song, that is key. I loved the Buckley and Lang version equally. Both stunning. John Cale’s is prolly right under those. Haven’t heard Bon Jovi do it so I will check that one out now. I just think it’s an incredible song. I didn’t might the Alex Burke rendition too much until the caterwauling began. She needed to realize that less is more in most cases.
That being said, I’ve heard some other stuff of hers and she ain’t bad. I do want to kick Simon’s ass for treating Syesha so bad, yet praising these clones of other singers across the pond. Syesha’s listen was every bit as good as Ms. Burke’s maybe even better. Maybe one day he will be youtubing and catch it.
This girl has a nice voice but her take on that song doesn’t do it for me like Castro’s…or the original by buckley or cohen. I think its the maie sentiment that makes it work. I still love JC’s version but maybe becasue that is the one I heard first. I have herd him do a more complete version sense Idol and he rocks that song. These “me too’s” can’t cut it. I am waiting for someone on Idol to do it.
I happen to think that Jason broke the song for Idol. Nobody can live up to that. While his isn’t the best version ever (imo) it is the quintessential Idol version that can’t even be lived up to. Some songs (like anything David Cook sang) should never be attempted on Idol (or X-factor or whatever you want to call it) again. That Simon asks people to do them again is really sad although he wanted David Cook to do FTEISYF and he nailed it…how many times could that happen?
Simon didn’t praise Alexandra at first. She got some critique similar to Syesha. I remember they showed a backstage video of her crying and saying it’s difficult to hear Simon say that Laura and Diana are so unique and she isn’t. (Or something like that.) Later she was able to sing some better songs (like Relight My Fire http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ia9k679kBU ) and show her personality. Maybe if they would have had different themes on AI Syesha would have also been able to prove herself as a performer more. But I do think that Simon expects to hear big voices in the US but when he hears them in the UK he is pleasantly surprised.
ETA: Here is the backstage video and Alex singing Candyman. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvb07wFpJhY
Two R & B divas in a row though for X Factor, like the world doesn’t have enough R & B divas, is that all the UK’s got?
Well yes is there such as thing as too many good R & B divas. At least Leona Lewis has a unqiue quality to her voice that I can’t put into words.
It was kind of Beyonce to appear esp. after what Simon said about her in the past. A good sport.
As for Alexandra, sorry but I see Broadway in her future, like many of the ex-Idols. The field is too crowded right now with her type of singer. If she cannot break out of the Diana-ross-cross-over-pop-R&B mode, (say go the Sharon Jones or a blues singer mode), then she’s toast. The entertainment field is just too crowded. And for Simon to say she’ll make her a bigger star than Leona….well, I wonder how Leona is taking that….he always manages to get singers to compete against each other.
If anyone’s looking for a really good woman’s version of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Hallelujahà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ , try k.d. lang. Here’s a live performance of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_NpxTWbovE
I think these 2 guys (Not famous) sing better than Alex… Check this out. David choi (the guy on ur left) is good.
My thinking: X Factor will be coming to America in 2011, once the AI broadcasting deal expires.