I can guarantee that the girls had no input into last weeks choice of song nor this weeks.

With her voice, why would she pick Suddenly I See. Do you see any similarity with KT?

That was what made me strongly dislike her performance I guess. I really like KT and that song, but Tara managed to ruin it with her ridiculous shouting of 'see'.

I'm sure with more suitable song choice she will be better.

Yeah, I think with regard to song choices, the first week tends to be a bit hit or miss (and mostly miss). There are a lot of contestants, we don't know anything about their strengths or weaknesses yet and they're keeping better songs for later in the series. For me, Keisha gave the best performance on Saturday, but it is worth bearing in mind that the song itself is fabulous, really suited her voice and actually came from the world of musical theatre. I imagine that week after week the requests from the forums will include 'more musical theatre songs please'. And they will ignore it, as always

No need to be sorry. As you say, each to their own; if you didn't like it, you didn't like it. It just baffles me because I'm not seeing why she was supposed to be so bad. I've re-watched her performance a few times in the light of the negative comments on here, and I'm still not getting it. There we go, we're all different.

Interesting to note, I was just looking at the discussion over on Mumsnet on the show, and Tara's hardly getting a mention, but Francesca is getting torn to shreds. Funny how different forums seem to generate a different mood.

Ultimately, they have thier list, they can say what they would like to sing but ALW has final say. Sometimes he may say, like the artist but pick a different song.

Well for this weekends show coming they were all TOLD what to sing.
Some are very happy with the choice and some arent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I remember Daniel Boys saying last year at one point they wanted him to sing a 'Scissor Sisters' song and it clearly wasn't working at all - so they did finally agree to change it - but usually they have no choice but to get on with it.

But then again when your in a production you don't get the choice of song you wish to sing. This at least demonstrates versatility.

But then in a production you are singing, usually, a musical theatre song - and not some obscure pop number. Some pop songs lend to a 'musical theatre' interpretation of it - like Lee singing 'Paint it Black' or Daniel singing 'You Give Me Something', but on the reverse some pop songs have no depth to them at all - no matter what you do with them

thought the same real shame, looked like bad brides maids dress. How ever i did agree with her tuning problems but dress it made her look like a wedding singer giving the band a break, jessie for me gave a real gut performance for one so young especially for 1st on, francesca and tara weak on the night but standard over all high

The Josephs didn't get to choose their songs on the first night. I know Chris Coles was very upset with his and felt it was the reason he was the first out . I also know that others were not too pleased with the song they were given.

Mmm wonder which Nancy's are they manipulating us to vote for

I don't think it's too hard to work out the direction in which the producers are managing the audience to vote.

Songs which provide the contestant with big note moments, songs which provide the contestant with the opportunity to express things which are consistent with Nancy's character and situation = conditioning the audience to vote for that person.

Examples from week 1: I Like Rock N Roll was a clearly favourable song for Samantha to sing. It was irrelevant that it was a pop song; the point is that it gave the fresh-faced 17 year old an opportunity immediately to demonstrate that she could portray the raunchiness or ribaldry of Nancy. Whereas Get Here was not about sex, or craving, or passion - it was an elegant, soulful song. Sarah might as well have sung O Ma Babbino Caro for all the good it would have done her in transforming her into an East End prostitute.

The First Cut Is The Deepest was a double edged sword. It simultaneously alludes to the fact that Nancy is/will be brutalised, but it could also be seen as referring to Niamh being cut from the show. Besides, I am not sure if self-pitying reflection forms the greater part of Nancy's screentime. Similarly, Mad About The Boy makes a superficial allusion to Oliver! but it doesn't really Nancify.

Suddenly I See was a pointless song from the point of view of Nancification, as were most of the others.

I would say that Samantha and then Jodie's songs were the most Nancificatory.

I've watched the show again since and just as you can't see why people didn't like Tara's performance, I disliked it just as much (if not more!) the second time - I still had to fast forward through it! So we'll have to agree to disagree

Interestingly, I read Zoe Tyler's review of the show in The Stage as she was also not a fan of Tara's performance. I think she hit the nail on the head when she referred to the 'affectations' which Tara put on while singing the song - and the constant posturing. What set my teeth on edge was the american-accent style of singing that she and some of the others slipped into

Maybe Tara will redeem herself tonight with a different song.

I'm not sure I agree with all the particulars in your post, but I do agree with the overall premise. I'd say any contestant who gets to sing Amy Winehouse (especially 'You Know I'm No Good', 'Back to Black', or 'Love Is a Losing Game') is definitely (one of) the favoured one(s). Similarly, if anyone is allowed to sing 'Maybe This Time' from Cabaret or 'My Man' from Funny Girl, or perhaps a Judy Garland song or an Edith Piaf song.

Abi sang Maybe this Time in Maria and she was most definitely not one of the favoured ones

But Maria is not Nancy.