There seems to be less stigma associated to American Idol winners, since Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood have launched pretty sustainable careers, whereas I can't think of anyone from X factor in the Uk that has a had that length of a career.
There's also the longest lasting singer from Pop Idol, and that's Will Young, and he's still going strong after nearly 12 years;):D
Leona and Alexandra have both got good voices, but IMO Alex is the stronger singer/performer and is hell bent on getting ahead in any way she can, and good luck to her, whereas Leona just hasn't got that charisma and personality that's needed in the Pop World.
Which is the root of ANY act's success in music. Management, material and a damn good budget. Good/smart marketing helps too.
Pop music is about good songs. And to succeed you need as many of them as you can get or, preferably, write. The vast majority of artists are not superstars and the X Factor sets its aspirations too high.
There are some here suggesting that Leona and Alexandra should leave Syco, make their own albums and play smaller gigs and rebuild an audience. There are lots of artists who have done that all along, why not go and listen to some of them? Instead of worrying whether those who wanted the quick route to stardom and it hasn't quite worked out the way they thought it would.
Pop music is about good songs. And to succeed you need as many of them as you can get or, preferably, write. The vast majority of artists are not superstars and the X Factor sets its aspirations too high.
There are some here suggesting that Leona and Alexandra should leave Syco, make their own albums and play smaller gigs and rebuild an audience. There are lots of artists who have done that all along, why not go and listen to some of them? Instead of worrying whether those who wanted the quick route to stardom and it hasn't quite worked out the way they thought it would.
Because some of us don't care how singers make it, as long as they are talented, work hard and make music we like, then that is all that matters. And Alex and Leona both meet that criteria for me.
Also what makes you think we don't listen to new and upcoming singers? Just because you like a couple singers who happened to come through X Factor doesn't mean we don't discover music any other way. :rolleyes:
Because some of us don't care how singers make it, as long as they are talented, work hard and make music we like, then that is all that matters. And Alex and Leona both meet that criteria for me.
Also what makes you think we don't listen to new and upcoming singers? Just because you like a couple singers who happened to come through X Factor doesn't mean we don't discover music any other way. :rolleyes:
True. And in fact, I do that mostly myself. Alex I believe is starting that process, start small, and end up bigger. The show gave her a platform and she is using it and learning from her mistakes.
Pop music is about good songs. And to succeed you need as many of them as you can get or, preferably, write. The vast majority of artists are not superstars and the X Factor sets its aspirations too high.
There are some here suggesting that Leona and Alexandra should leave Syco, make their own albums and play smaller gigs and rebuild an audience. There are lots of artists who have done that all along, why not go and listen to some of them? Instead of worrying whether those who wanted the quick route to stardom and it hasn't quite worked out the way they thought it would.
They didn't want the quick route per se, they gigged a heck of a lot before getting their big break, that break that millions never see. Also I care because they're talented, their voices are music to my ears and also because what they do is where I want to be (I like launching and rebuilding things, in a musical environment).
Pop music is about good songs. And to succeed you need as many of them as you can get or, preferably, write. The vast majority of artists are not superstars and the X Factor sets its aspirations too high.
There are some here suggesting that Leona and Alexandra should leave Syco, make their own albums and play smaller gigs and rebuild an audience. There are lots of artists who have done that all along, why not go and listen to some of them? Instead of worrying whether those who wanted the quick route to stardom and it hasn't quite worked out the way they thought it would.
That comment just shows a complete and total lack of understanding. I'm so fed up of this "quick route" "if they were good enough they would have been signed" stuff that is said.
Leona was trying for a singing career well before the X Factor, she recorded loads of demo songs and even recorded demo albums before the show but she was turned away. The same with Alexandra, she recorded demos and sang everywhere and anywhere she could, clubs, bars, pubs, bah mitzvahs, weddings etc, but she was also snubbed by record labels.
There's a perception that things just happen in the industry but they absolutely do not. An artist could very well tour bars and pubs and build an audience but never get signed, regardless of their talent. I don't blame Leona and Alexandra in the slightest for going on the X Factor.
It gave them both a platform for their voices to be heard and they've both gone on to make the history books. Alexandra for becoming the first ever British female solo artist to sell over 1 million copies of a single in the UK and Leona for becoming the first British female solo artist to debut at #1 with an album in the US. They have both achieved so much on an international level, prior to the X Factor, during the show and after, they both showed that they were more than willing to work and fight for their dreams and tbh I don't think anyone can begrudge them for that. They went out and got what they wanted.
Leona was trying for a singing career well before the X Factor, she recorded loads of demo songs and even recorded demo albums before the show but she was turned away. The same with Alexandra, she recorded demos and sang everywhere and anywhere she could, clubs, bars, pubs, bah mitzvahs, weddings etc, but she was also snubbed by record labels.
There is an obvious reply there that maybe the original record companies were right and that Leona and Alexandra weren't long term propositions!
Interesting none of you can defend Leona or Alexandra on the strength of their music, how creative or how how you relate to it? The best you can do is suggest they are good singers. I guess that's the nature of manufactured pop.
It's about being a star and if you can't be a star well, what' s left?
You all chose to ignore the original crucial point, pop music is about good songs and you need to have as many of them as you can get which becomes a problem if you are dependent on others for writing. So no, it is not a problem of marketing and changing labels etc, it's a creative vacuum and their best hope of success is through a collaboration with a successful artist/producer or writing something worth listening to.
I actually quite like Alexandra and expected more from her creatively. She could easily reinvent herself. Not so easy for Leona. For me they have both had good careers but time's up and time for others.
Leona was trying for a singing career well before the X Factor, she recorded loads of demo songs and even recorded demo albums before the show but she was turned away. The same with Alexandra, she recorded demos and sang everywhere and anywhere she could, clubs, bars, pubs, bah mitzvahs, weddings etc, but she was also snubbed by record labels.
There's a perception that things just happen in the industry but they absolutely do not. An artist could very well tour bars and pubs and build an audience but never get signed, regardless of their talent. I don't blame Leona and Alexandra in the slightest for going on the X Factor.
It gave them both a platform for their voices to be heard and they've both gone on to make the history books. Alexandra for becoming the first ever British female solo artist to sell over 1 million copies of a single in the UK and Leona for becoming the first British female solo artist to debut at #1 with an album in the US. They have both achieved so much on an international level, prior to the X Factor, during the show and after, they both showed that they were more than willing to work and fight for their dreams and tbh I don't think anyone can begrudge them for that. They went out and got what they wanted.
Leona was 21 and Alex was 20 when they won the X Factor - That says to me they didn't try that hard to make a career pre X Factor. They chased the disposable audience (people who watch x-factor) for their 15 minutes, but now it's over those people have moved on.
I think Alexandra has a better chance, to be honest. She's away from all things Cowell-related, which is a good foundation to get back to the top.
The combination of Syco, Leona staying loyal to them and(in my opinion) not caring enough about getting back to the top(chart and fame-wise) is an extremely bad one, in my opinion. It's always going to be an uphill struggle. Adele, Sande, Ellie Goulding and more are filling the female singer gap nicely for the majority right now, it seems.
There is an obvious reply there that maybe the original record companies were right and that Leona and Alexandra weren't long term propositions!
Interesting none of you can defend Leona or Alexandra on the strength of their music, how creative or how how you relate to it? The best you can do is suggest they are good singers. I guess that's the nature of manufactured pop.
It's about being a star and if you can't be a star well, what' s left?
You all chose to ignore the original crucial point, pop music is about good songs and you need to have as many of them as you can get which becomes a problem if you are dependent on others for writing. So no, it is not a problem of marketing and changing labels etc, it's a creative vacuum and their best hope of success is through a collaboration with a successful artist/producer or writing something worth listening to.
I actually quite like Alexandra and expected more from her creatively. She could easily reinvent herself. Not so easy for Leona. For me they have both had good careers but time's up and time for others.
With the labels, that's rubbish. And I say it because a label would not look at either and see a star, and it's based on image. There are few and far between black acts that make it big in England and they are always pigeoned holed musically. I did comment on music, and stated Alexandra needs the right songs, it's a tweaking issue in her case, using her voice properly and releasing right tempo music.
To compare the two, I'd say that Leona has reached her musical peak with songs like Run and Bleeding Love, which Alex never did (or Syco never aimed to do), and so has a far easier chance of a revamp. She's the more versatile of the two as well, which makes recording easier too, and is younger.
It's about songs with music, and the right ones have to be used. Alex has not reached any kind of peak with that at all, and has a lot of growth there, which she can fix (and currently is in the US). Leona's is a harder issue completely. Adele, Emeli and others have filled her niche and she won't get it back as people really like them. Also she is contractually bound to Syco still, a big mistake/problem. At least Alex got out of syco and Sony - she's free to do as she pleases, and it seems she currently is as well. Only time will tell. But never forget that drive, determination and contacts are crucial in music, especially long term.
With the labels, that's rubbish. And I say it because a label would not look at either and see a star, and it's based on image. There are few and far between black acts that make it big in England and they are always pigeoned holed musically. I did comment on music, and stated Alexandra needs the right songs, it's a tweaking issue in her case, using her voice properly and releasing right tempo music.
To compare the two, I'd say that Leona has reached her musical peak with songs like Run and Bleeding Love, which Alex never did (or Syco never aimed to do), and so has a far easier chance of a revamp. She's the more versatile of the two as well, which makes recording easier too, and is younger.
It's about songs with music, and the right ones have to be used. Alex has not reached any kind of peak with that at all, and has a lot of growth there, which she can fix (and currently is in the US). Leona's is a harder issue completely. Adele, Emeli and others have filled her niche and she won't get it back as people really like them. Also she is contractually bound to Syco still, a big mistake/problem. At least Alex got out of syco and Sony - she's free to do as she pleases, and it seems she currently is as well. Only time will tell. But never forget that drive, determination and contacts are crucial in music, especially long term.
You don't do sarcasm then?
On the black acts there is some truth in that but there have been better times and better labels in the past.
The late 70s and 80s gave us Two Tone, Factory, Rough Trade, Mute etc which were record labels dedicated to quality music as well as artists and they weren't necessarily simply trying to find a star.
Much of this changed with the insidious intervention of SAW in the 80s and Syco are just the latest incarnation. These guys have too much influence and XF is just part of that whole biz thing. I cringe every time I hear 'we are looking for a world wide recording artist' on that show. They are just looking to make money. I really don't care much about relatively successful or failed stars that emerge from that.
I want some true stories of pop.
I'm currently listening to Baby Blue on the radio doing 'Bump' which is a follow up to her collaboration with Matrix and Futurebound. I though she was a rapper but she can sing and she writes all her own stuff. She's doing it the hard way I would rather see that being a hit than the next cover of a Editors song by Leona Lewis.
^ I like Bump by Baby Blue as well. I heard the song for a while now as it's also getting played by Choice FM and Radio 1Xtra. But I would still like Bump if it was written by a different person rather than the vocalist. I don't care who wrote it, and I don't care where Baby Blue came from. It's a good song, that's why I like it. If I discovered Baby Blue had been on the X Factor, I wouldn't like or dislike the song any more than I do now.
They both need to be a little more independent with their music careers like Florence and Adele instead of having their records companies and management team control everything without them having a say.
^ I like Bump by Baby Blue as well. I heard the song for a while now as it's also getting played by Choice FM and Radio 1Xtra. But I would still like Bump if it was written by a different person rather than the vocalist. I don't care who wrote it, and I don't care where Baby Blue came from. It's a good song, that's why I like it. If I discovered Baby Blue had been on the X Factor, I wouldn't like or dislike the song any more than I do now.
Yes, good pop songs are what counts and 'Bump' is one, just as 'Bleeding Love' is one too. I quite like the Little Mix album as well. But Baby Blue has the credibility and the creativity to produce more good stuff, she may even turn into a star, I hope so. But she's not constrained by the would be hit machine that is XF and Syco.
They both need to be a little more independent with their music careers like Florence and Adele instead of having their records companies and management team control everything without them having a say.
I think independence is a great thing and leads to much more creative, innovative and risky music. That doesn't happen with Syco 'stars', everything has to be safe and popular. And if it isn't popular there's no plan B.
They both need to be a little more independent with their music careers like Florence and Adele instead of having their records companies and management team control everything without them having a say.
This is a problem with anyone. Rihanna is controlled by her management, same for Gaga and others. The label choose singles and tracklists. Artists have no choice at all. Adele is not signed to a major label firstly, so she has more choice and say. Florence is a songwriter firstly too, and has control over that. Alex and Leona (iirc) weren't allowed to write on their debuts (Leona did have on credit on Spirit though) Syco were very controlling back then, less so now (ie Olly, Cher etc.)
I know Alex has a lot more control over what she does now from the sounds of it, but I don't think Leona does.
@mgvsmith I had no idea that was sarcasm :eek::D:p
I do want both to have more control. I loved how Alex co-wrote on Elephant, it was an interesting record lyrically in how it was constructed. Her new stuff is meant to be Whitney meets Coldplay, so I'm interested to see what that sounds like.
For Alexandra Burke I believe finding that balance with the Soul RnB genre is where Alex deserves to be. Maybe even working with artists like John Newman would be a good move.
Hearing her covering songs like Can't give up now show where her true passion is.
Yes, good pop songs are what counts and 'Bump' is one, just as 'Bleeding Love' is one too. I quite like the Little Mix album as well. But Baby Blue has the credibility and the creativity to produce more good stuff, she may even turn into a star, I hope so. But she's not constrained by the would be hit machine that is XF and Syco.
I think independence is a great thing and leads to much more creative, innovative and risky music. That doesn't happen with Syco 'stars', everything has to be safe and popular. And if it isn't popular there's no plan B.
Which in short is very sad when you have serious talent on your hands. Their debuts were fine and put them in good stead for follow ups. Neither had a second album that was a good progression on the first (for various reasons).
The issue is people are obsessed with image and credibility. To be honest, if you can sing, you have a shot. They can on a big scale.
Alex is fixing the issues with her career here and has upped sticks to a place where her team care about her and want her to do well. She was only properly pushed here and England is NOT the only country in the world.
Leona's issue is bigger. She's being sabotaged imho.
My Bold.
People were saying the same thing about Alexandra Burke on here some months ago but getting back to Leona Lewis; why would there be attempts to sabotage her career? Is it over upsetting label or management or something like that? (I don't follow the career of either lady). Certainly the Cowells and Walshes of this world care about little other than there personal fortunes and egos, talent being incidental to this, so is it a case of these companies, when they find they can no longer turn a profit from an artist because the audience has moved or because they has mismanaged their career, they are happy to let them flounder, tied into a useless contract - and don't care for the idea of them to be able to see some renewed success under a new team?
I don't know if AB will but I do hope so because she's amazing. And lmao at people hating for okay.com thing while those talentless singers like Ke$ha, Rihanna etc appear drunk in public, swears, ........ :rolleyes:
Maybe part of the problem is the attitude of the public towards singers who come up through these supposed talent shows ie. the public feels they 'made' them by texting their votes in and then feel they have co-ownership of the artist and can knock them back down again when they are egged on by a rather prejudiced tabloid/gutter press?
When it comes to vocal performers there are those who have their own ideas of what they want to do or where they might want to take a career opportunity and those who need to be steered. (Of course, some people with plenty of vision will also be steered in directions they do not want to go, causing conflict with management and labels).
Some of the greatest singers ever were not writers and it would appear that most of these 'talent-show' singers are not writers either but increasingly, we have come to expect some participation in song-writing from vocalists as well as singing.
You may receive massive exposure being on a prime-time TV show but if you had aspirations to be a soul or R&B singer (presumably the case for Alexandra and Leona) would you really want those characters involved in X-Factor managing your career? I know I wouldn't!
My Bold.
People were saying the same thing about Alexandra Burke on here some months ago but getting back to Leona Lewis; why would there be attempts to sabotage her career? Is it over upsetting label or management or something like that? (I don't follow the career of either lady). Certainly the Cowells and Walshes of this world care about little other than there personal fortunes and egos, talent being incidental to this, so is it a case of these companies, when they find they can no longer turn a profit from an artist because the audience has moved or because they has mismanaged their career, they are happy to let them flounder, tied into a useless contract - and don't care for the idea of them to be able to see some renewed success under a new team?
I mean from within her own team with single choices etc. Alex had a very odd issue where she couldn't get any big promo or anything. Leona to me seems to be constantly held back by her own team for god knows what reason. And the public do have that view oddly although the public are the reason any act has success, not just acts discovered via talent shows.
There are few and far between black acts that make it big in England and they are always pigeoned holed musically.
Absolutely. I can't think of many black artists who have had much success without fitting rather snugly into a specific black music genre. An exception would be someone like Seal. Despite this you could be forgiven for thinking that soul and jazz were not black music genres when you look at the sheer level of support and promotion that is given by the majors to certain white artists doing their take on those styles.
Comments
She toured in 2010 after Echo
There's also the longest lasting singer from Pop Idol, and that's Will Young, and he's still going strong after nearly 12 years;):D
Leona and Alexandra have both got good voices, but IMO Alex is the stronger singer/performer and is hell bent on getting ahead in any way she can, and good luck to her, whereas Leona just hasn't got that charisma and personality that's needed in the Pop World.
Pop music is about good songs. And to succeed you need as many of them as you can get or, preferably, write. The vast majority of artists are not superstars and the X Factor sets its aspirations too high.
There are some here suggesting that Leona and Alexandra should leave Syco, make their own albums and play smaller gigs and rebuild an audience. There are lots of artists who have done that all along, why not go and listen to some of them? Instead of worrying whether those who wanted the quick route to stardom and it hasn't quite worked out the way they thought it would.
Because some of us don't care how singers make it, as long as they are talented, work hard and make music we like, then that is all that matters. And Alex and Leona both meet that criteria for me.
Also what makes you think we don't listen to new and upcoming singers? Just because you like a couple singers who happened to come through X Factor doesn't mean we don't discover music any other way. :rolleyes:
True. And in fact, I do that mostly myself. Alex I believe is starting that process, start small, and end up bigger. The show gave her a platform and she is using it and learning from her mistakes.
They didn't want the quick route per se, they gigged a heck of a lot before getting their big break, that break that millions never see. Also I care because they're talented, their voices are music to my ears and also because what they do is where I want to be (I like launching and rebuilding things, in a musical environment).
That comment just shows a complete and total lack of understanding. I'm so fed up of this "quick route" "if they were good enough they would have been signed" stuff that is said.
Leona was trying for a singing career well before the X Factor, she recorded loads of demo songs and even recorded demo albums before the show but she was turned away. The same with Alexandra, she recorded demos and sang everywhere and anywhere she could, clubs, bars, pubs, bah mitzvahs, weddings etc, but she was also snubbed by record labels.
There's a perception that things just happen in the industry but they absolutely do not. An artist could very well tour bars and pubs and build an audience but never get signed, regardless of their talent. I don't blame Leona and Alexandra in the slightest for going on the X Factor.
It gave them both a platform for their voices to be heard and they've both gone on to make the history books. Alexandra for becoming the first ever British female solo artist to sell over 1 million copies of a single in the UK and Leona for becoming the first British female solo artist to debut at #1 with an album in the US. They have both achieved so much on an international level, prior to the X Factor, during the show and after, they both showed that they were more than willing to work and fight for their dreams and tbh I don't think anyone can begrudge them for that. They went out and got what they wanted.
There is an obvious reply there that maybe the original record companies were right and that Leona and Alexandra weren't long term propositions!
Interesting none of you can defend Leona or Alexandra on the strength of their music, how creative or how how you relate to it? The best you can do is suggest they are good singers. I guess that's the nature of manufactured pop.
It's about being a star and if you can't be a star well, what' s left?
You all chose to ignore the original crucial point, pop music is about good songs and you need to have as many of them as you can get which becomes a problem if you are dependent on others for writing. So no, it is not a problem of marketing and changing labels etc, it's a creative vacuum and their best hope of success is through a collaboration with a successful artist/producer or writing something worth listening to.
I actually quite like Alexandra and expected more from her creatively. She could easily reinvent herself. Not so easy for Leona. For me they have both had good careers but time's up and time for others.
Leona was 21 and Alex was 20 when they won the X Factor - That says to me they didn't try that hard to make a career pre X Factor. They chased the disposable audience (people who watch x-factor) for their 15 minutes, but now it's over those people have moved on.
Will Young hasn't done badly either!
If the songs they come back with are good enough then of course they can regain popularity. It just takes a smash hit.
The combination of Syco, Leona staying loyal to them and(in my opinion) not caring enough about getting back to the top(chart and fame-wise) is an extremely bad one, in my opinion. It's always going to be an uphill struggle. Adele, Sande, Ellie Goulding and more are filling the female singer gap nicely for the majority right now, it seems.
With the labels, that's rubbish. And I say it because a label would not look at either and see a star, and it's based on image. There are few and far between black acts that make it big in England and they are always pigeoned holed musically. I did comment on music, and stated Alexandra needs the right songs, it's a tweaking issue in her case, using her voice properly and releasing right tempo music.
To compare the two, I'd say that Leona has reached her musical peak with songs like Run and Bleeding Love, which Alex never did (or Syco never aimed to do), and so has a far easier chance of a revamp. She's the more versatile of the two as well, which makes recording easier too, and is younger.
It's about songs with music, and the right ones have to be used. Alex has not reached any kind of peak with that at all, and has a lot of growth there, which she can fix (and currently is in the US). Leona's is a harder issue completely. Adele, Emeli and others have filled her niche and she won't get it back as people really like them. Also she is contractually bound to Syco still, a big mistake/problem. At least Alex got out of syco and Sony - she's free to do as she pleases, and it seems she currently is as well. Only time will tell. But never forget that drive, determination and contacts are crucial in music, especially long term.
THIS
Alex want it, Leona doesnt :cool:
You don't do sarcasm then?
On the black acts there is some truth in that but there have been better times and better labels in the past.
The late 70s and 80s gave us Two Tone, Factory, Rough Trade, Mute etc which were record labels dedicated to quality music as well as artists and they weren't necessarily simply trying to find a star.
Much of this changed with the insidious intervention of SAW in the 80s and Syco are just the latest incarnation. These guys have too much influence and XF is just part of that whole biz thing. I cringe every time I hear 'we are looking for a world wide recording artist' on that show. They are just looking to make money. I really don't care much about relatively successful or failed stars that emerge from that.
I want some true stories of pop.
I'm currently listening to Baby Blue on the radio doing 'Bump' which is a follow up to her collaboration with Matrix and Futurebound. I though she was a rapper but she can sing and she writes all her own stuff. She's doing it the hard way I would rather see that being a hit than the next cover of a Editors song by Leona Lewis.
Yes, good pop songs are what counts and 'Bump' is one, just as 'Bleeding Love' is one too. I quite like the Little Mix album as well. But Baby Blue has the credibility and the creativity to produce more good stuff, she may even turn into a star, I hope so. But she's not constrained by the would be hit machine that is XF and Syco.
I think independence is a great thing and leads to much more creative, innovative and risky music. That doesn't happen with Syco 'stars', everything has to be safe and popular. And if it isn't popular there's no plan B.
This is a problem with anyone. Rihanna is controlled by her management, same for Gaga and others. The label choose singles and tracklists. Artists have no choice at all. Adele is not signed to a major label firstly, so she has more choice and say. Florence is a songwriter firstly too, and has control over that. Alex and Leona (iirc) weren't allowed to write on their debuts (Leona did have on credit on Spirit though) Syco were very controlling back then, less so now (ie Olly, Cher etc.)
I know Alex has a lot more control over what she does now from the sounds of it, but I don't think Leona does.
@mgvsmith I had no idea that was sarcasm :eek::D:p
I do want both to have more control. I loved how Alex co-wrote on Elephant, it was an interesting record lyrically in how it was constructed. Her new stuff is meant to be Whitney meets Coldplay, so I'm interested to see what that sounds like.
Hearing her covering songs like Can't give up now show where her true passion is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmI6syS1guo
And that version of Hallelujah is what the "nation" fell in love with.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQpod0tKOfE
The song that stood out for me on Heartbreak on Hold was "What Money Can't Buy" that song to me signals what Alexandra is all about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrIpJCjouQc
Which in short is very sad when you have serious talent on your hands. Their debuts were fine and put them in good stead for follow ups. Neither had a second album that was a good progression on the first (for various reasons).
People were saying the same thing about Alexandra Burke on here some months ago but getting back to Leona Lewis; why would there be attempts to sabotage her career? Is it over upsetting label or management or something like that? (I don't follow the career of either lady). Certainly the Cowells and Walshes of this world care about little other than there personal fortunes and egos, talent being incidental to this, so is it a case of these companies, when they find they can no longer turn a profit from an artist because the audience has moved or because they has mismanaged their career, they are happy to let them flounder, tied into a useless contract - and don't care for the idea of them to be able to see some renewed success under a new team?
When it comes to vocal performers there are those who have their own ideas of what they want to do or where they might want to take a career opportunity and those who need to be steered. (Of course, some people with plenty of vision will also be steered in directions they do not want to go, causing conflict with management and labels).
Some of the greatest singers ever were not writers and it would appear that most of these 'talent-show' singers are not writers either but increasingly, we have come to expect some participation in song-writing from vocalists as well as singing.
You may receive massive exposure being on a prime-time TV show but if you had aspirations to be a soul or R&B singer (presumably the case for Alexandra and Leona) would you really want those characters involved in X-Factor managing your career? I know I wouldn't!
I mean from within her own team with single choices etc. Alex had a very odd issue where she couldn't get any big promo or anything. Leona to me seems to be constantly held back by her own team for god knows what reason. And the public do have that view oddly although the public are the reason any act has success, not just acts discovered via talent shows.