It should be open to modern songs with the big band style... Michael Buble tracks, Candyman, Mambo #5 etc....anything like bang bang ..no...you completely missed the point of the theme if you went so out of the box...Its unfair, I'm sure almost everyone would pick something more modern if they could, but they aren't allowed... Simon would not let them...ts only cuz Fleur is Simon's act that she is allowed to do this ..everyone else would be blasted by Simon for going off the theme rules...BTW, I think Amy winehouse songs fit the theme...

Brian Friedman dropped a hint that OTY would be dancing tonight, can't wait to see them!!!

Also looking forward to hearing from Ben and Jay.

OTY always dancing... Anyways, looking forward to everyone except Jay...only act that I absolutely have no interest in whatsoever...

Boo hoo.

Write to OFCOM about it.

I don't get how Fleur has avoided the theme? She's picked a song that can be played by a big band; how is that avoiding the theme?

When will people wake up and smell the coffee? She is a below average singer, with a below average voice and range and praise for her on this forum gets right up my nose. She doesn't deserve it.

I know I am getting boring not his subject but that Let It Go was the final straw. Amateur doesn't begin to describe it.

Lmao, chill, all of this is your opinon, in mine I think she is a brilliant singer, and has the whole x factor, of course she isnt the best singer in the world, non of them are, but you cant be annoyed because some people on here happen to like her and you dont.

I'm no fan of Fleur's, quite the opposite in fact, however she hasn't avoided the theme at all. Is the theme 'rat pack'? No. It's 'big band'. Is there a big band? Yes. Can 'bang bang' be played by a big band? Of course it can.

Hell, if 'proud Mary' can be included as a big band song anything can.

I am so tempted to vote for Stevie this week I so cant wait to see his performance

Seeing the list, I can see Stevi finally going home. She Bangs was covered twice before as well by Wagner and Jedward. I don't think the public will appreciate that one being recycled for him.

I hope Jay doesn't attempt to dance to New York New York

I was going to say how some of them aren't even big band (especially Bang Bang and Empire State Of Mind but I guess the latter is a mash-up with an actual big band song at least), but then this is X Factor my thoughts:

Andrea - this is only going to further his hype and winning potential, because as usual I'm sure he'll nail it vocally. That will impress me, but usually he leaves me a bit cold as brilliant as his voice is.

Lauren - I adore her, but Cheryl is doing her no favours with these basic and cliché song choices... I can already see the Facebook bored housewives with their "she only ever sings dated boring rubbish!1!1!11" :/ I'm sure it will be lovely but it's a bit of a non-event song, certainly not a moment kind of song. It's one of those songs that, while a classic, is just "nice" really.

Only The Young - cheesy, but I actually like this fun vibe for them. Perhaps they should be a little more current and credible, but look how well that went with Boom Clap...
Stereo Kicks - quelle surprise, they're going for the "24 hours to learn a song" """"drama"""", and then they'll get comments that they've "smashed it" etc. when in reality they did anything but.

Ben - I'm biased as I don't like him, but I really don't think he has the voice for his. He's got the tone (even though I hate it) but not the power... For me when he goes for it with too much power he sounds strained and it's painful to listen to. But we'll see.
Fleur - slay. It's a bit annoying she's just singing this again rather than something like Ain't No Other Man by Christina Aguilera (that can definitely fit under big band if this can!) but with how great it was at JH with minimal production, this is surely going to steal the show on the live stage with a whole band. I agree that this is actually fine for big band, the point of theme is that they have to sing with a whole orchestra on stage. Usually that means the song is a 40s Frank Sinatra etc. kind of thing, but if you take the theme to mean that then I'd argue Andrea and OTY's song choices don't fit. At least this one is contemporary, and she's the only one aside from Andrea who's singing a song that suits her and her potential recording style.
Jay - meh. One cliché song choice, and one that's vocally too big for him. As always, this will be one I'll hate.
Stevi - I see they're heading straight back to joke territory, oh well at least he has fun even if a lot of us don't have fun watching him

Don't actually watch the show but was just passing ---- Gaga recently did a Jazz version of Chers Bang Bang maybe they are doing that ??????

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-huNrHAou-E

I think they just wanted to get her to perform this song at some point (again) during the competition and have chosen this week to shoe-horn it in as it can be classed as a slightly different performance from the JH one because of the backing.

She has the advantage because it is one of her party pieces, but the same thing happened with Only the Young (with Monster Mash), even though it happened to fit the theme perfectly.

Re-hashing a song is not uncommon, it did Matt Cardle a service when he was able to perform his wonderful The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face for the second time.

But if it is considered a rule bend to do what Fleur is doing, it will only help her for one week. Next week she will still have to do better, and stick to the theme and learn a new song just like everyone else.

I always think of Cry me a River being sung by a woman.

I don't think of Mr Bojangles as a XF staple - who has sung it on XF in the past?

The reason she is performing ti is because the majority of people are going to love it, and will be a vote winner.

I totally agree.

The jealous criticisms just getting boring now

Andrea Faustini
Summertime (by Ella Fitzgerald)
YAWN

Lauren Platt
Smile (by Nat King Cole)
YAWWWWWWWWWWWWWN


Only The Young
I Wanna Be Like You (From The Jungle Book)
INTRESTING

Stereo Kicks
Still TBC!
?

Ben Haenow
Cry Me A River (by Michael Buble)
YAWN

Fleur East
Bang Bang (byJessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj)
REALLY?!

Jay James
Empire State of Mind/New York New York medley (by Alicia Keys/Frank Sinatra)
I LIKE THIS

Stevi Ritchie
Mambo Number 5/ She Bangs medley (by Lou Bega/Ricky Martin)[/quote]
DIFFERENT COULD BE FUN


Overall only Jay and Stevi have good choices. And OTY could be good. Fleur's is wtfery The rest are so incredibly p[predictably DULL!

Am I the only one who is not looking forward to Andrea's Summertime?

The guy doesn't tend to do subtlety and this song needs it. Plus he has a tendency to over-sing and that is just the way to wreck Summertime.

He is not going to be able to touch what Queen Leona did to that song! It gave me goosebumps!

Any SK song info?

Let's have a look through her performances shall we?...

Happy - Ballad + Uptempo / Stood still for most of it...
What A Feeling - Ballad / Stand still - walk forward one step.
Dark Horse - Uptempo / two steps to the left and two to the right (Finds it too hard.)
Let It Go - Ballad / stand still - walk forward two steps.
I'll Be There - Ballad / stand still - walk forward four steps.

Well you can hadly dance around with them songs, also I think, the acts, not just Lauren should only do what they feel comfortable with.

I can only remember Robert Allen (S3) doing it on XF and Sam Nixon on PI2

IMO, only Ben, Andrea and Lauren's song genuinely fit the theme whereas the rest are either stretching it, completely disregarding it or absolutely ridiculous