Exactly - sales of CD's is less & less important in terms of earnings. I find this label 'success' after X-Factor an interesting one. I don't think we can honestly say how successful acts have been until a few years have elapsed. X-Factor gives untold publicity & exposure which is bound to give huge impetus to an act at the start. The key is can they maintain it - making anything like a career for the future.

What I think will become evident is that the acts who were not 'amateur' before going on X-Factor will actually fare the best. All these guys had professional training which they have or can rely on to sustain them. I'd be very surprised if these guys weren't at the top of he game in terms of either pop music / classical crossover / musical theatre in 10 years time.

- Leona (i know she won!!)
- Rhydian
- Jonathan Ansell

Somebody correct if I'm wrong but I think Will Young had professional training which if I'm right supports this theory.

The others like Shayne, Leon I do think will have come & gone. Others will continue but not at top level.

I think that its a reasonable assumption however there are hundreds and hundreds of extremely successful artists with next to no training that learn on the job over the years.

I think he has already beaten Gareth if you don't only include album deals. In fact I think he's doing better than Leon and Shayne Ward had done too as he is set up across numerous genres and different levels of publicity in the media.

His next goal is Leona which will be a tough one because she's a bit of a lovey in the US and the world now.

Just what exactly is set up?

I do think Rhydian will be very successful in musical theatre in the long run and I honestly believe this was always Rhyds long term plan but I fail to see how he is more successful at the moment than Shayne Ward or Leon.

How could he have already "beaten" Leon, Shayne and Gareth? We haven't heard any of his new material yet and he hasn't released any singles or albums! People will decide whether they like his material or not when he releases it!

Sorry it just slipped out .. then I realised that we were talking only about the music related shows ...lol

Set up across different genres? Thought that is obvious.

In terms of publicity as a professional singer and a commercial singer. That is publicity as a welsh ambassador and further he is popularisied commercially and classically as well as musical theatre. He is also fully trained classically and has academic qualifications in music as well. He has performed on massive stages already and is pretty much lined up for more than small scale publicity winning events to big scale events on an international scale from sports to high culture events too.

His recording material is commercial but also classical and musical theatre. The work involved is also integrating all kinds of genres as well. Completely successful and set up for life. It's basically obvious but well I guess it's not to some.

I don't think Leon can barely touch Rhydian. I think Leon got more votes but I feel I have touched at this in detail on other threads which cover my wide ranging knowledge on the media manipulation of a show that doesn't exactly glorify singers but works on advertising revenue. I guess Leon was used as nothing more as a teen vote and scottish vote winning media sales pawn during the X Factor.


As was indicated in my post and others on this thread, this is not accounting record sales alone. I fail to see how us listening to his material has an effect on the basis he has carved his niche in the musical arena as a credible singer (well publicised and respected in classical field already as well as his academic credentials) and has been received on live events that people like Shayne, Leon and Gareth wouldn't even begin to think about being within as their pulling power is basically looks if anything.

Ok I get your point about being set up and agree with you to a degree (wonders will never cease hey) however until he capitalises on this foundation that has been laid and this success materalises he is not more successful than anyone. I did say in my own post that I believed it was always Rhyds intention to follow the musical theatre route and do expect he will be very successful.


Your dislike of Leon is obvious from your numerous posts but what you fail to understand about Leon is that alot of people that are neither teens nor Scottish voted for Leon because they like his voice - I was one of those.
Whether he makes a successful career out of this remains to be seen I for one hope he can.
I don't believe like you do that Leon was ever the chosen one on last years XF, there are many examples of production cues I could use to illustrate this point.


The only event thus far I can think of that fits this scenario is the ALW birthday party which I think for Rhyd is a great honour and something he is definately more suited to than the others - but thats it really more suited, that doesn't diminish them in any way or negate their own experiences.

No way would Leon have won on Scottish and teen votes alone. Same as Rhydian wouldn't have won on Welsh and middle-aged people's votes alone.

Leon may have had strong support in his home country, but you can't deny that Rhydian also had strong support from the people of Wales. It didn't work for SD as English people tend to be less patriotic towards their country. I voted for a Scot and a Welshman (Andy ).

Are you suggesting that only classical singers are credible singers? A credible singer is someone who is serious about their music and is not in it for the money or the fame!

In answer to the thread question "who knows?"

As a supporter of Rhydian I hope he is successful in his music career as well as happy in his career. To me it's not a competition as to who ends up the most successful and success is judged in different ways by different people.

Leona has obviously been successful recording wise so far and others seem to be doing well i.e. Ray Quinn has been appearing in theatre for example.

Sunday 14th September for Rhydian has so far been the most important occasion for him since the 'X Factor' ended. This event being the 'Birthday in the Park' celebrating Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's 60th birthday. His birthday was actually in March but he obviously loves the taste of birthday cake, ha ha!

I was feeling apprehensive for him as I knew this would be very important for him and a lot of pressure was riding on this to be successful. To perform at Hyde Park with an orchestra in front of an audience of around 20,000 (someone correct me if I'm wrong, please) with the majority of performers who took to the stage being established musical theatre stars or who have released albums, and in front of Lloyd Webber himself, was an achievement in itself. Thankfully it was a success.

How successful Rhydian will become is anyone's guess, but for now I'm proud as a peacock at how well Rhydian coped with this mighty event; and delivered his performance of 'Music of the Night' from one of Lloyd Webber's best known shows 'Phantom of the Opera'.

I think Rhydian's future career path will undoubtedly lie in the West End musical theatre and on Broadway eventually. I think he'll become a major star that way and he'll be a good album seller too.

As much as I hope he does well, we do not know his recording material. How can anyone say that it is an integration of all kind of music and that he is set up for life?

Shayne hasn't 'been and gone'. He's writing a new album. He's actually doing OK considering the dross he's put out so far.

Will had about a couple of months at an acting/arts school before winning Pop Idol, unlike Leona who was groomed through the Brits school.

Gareth Gates is now to be appearing in Panto this Christmas. And I'm not joking

Good luck to Rhydian - I think he has a lovely voice.

.....not forgetting the numerous corporate events around the world he has done.

The recording of his album appears to have been given equal status to the winner, ie not rushed, top songwriters involved and he has been recording it in Sweden and the US. And unlike other runners-up Simon Cowell seems to be more personally involved. My own opinion is that he maybe sees him as a kind of one-man Il Divo (able to cross the divide between modern and classical) and probably expects the same kind of success for him. As ever, it all depends on the quality of the album (as it does with Leon), but the signs are looking good - at least it has not been rushed out like previous runners-up, and top songwriters and producers are involved.

His FUTURE recording material.

Do you know what the key thing here is?

One thing that encompasses all of this?

You really do think Leon can sing. You do. You think that is the case. You think he's fab, brill, like amazing.

Now - the truth is. He cannot. He can't sing. Read what I write, not the world of the Leon is the best singer of the world press foundation.

X Factor is not real.
X Factor is not a real singing competition.
X Factor chooses people every year who will create the most votes and therefore the most advertising revenue.

And yes - Rhydian has made more waves, he has been more publicly grasped and realised and he has also been trained in classical singing - so as stated, will be a more successful singer.

You know what? I don't think there has been a decent singer from the X Factor in ever. I think they're all generic.

I'll state this without fact though. Leon sounds like my hard drive when I'm defragging and by that I mean - he was used by the X Factor to bring money in.

We are on different wavelengths. I speak from the point that the show is doctored and contrived. You speak from the point of "Leon Jackson is supersonic real wild funky sonic singing machine that won the best competition in the world."

I would really not read my posts because as far as the show goes and as far as Leon being used as an example goes - this is just the tip of what I will write because it's not a decent singing competition and it is a business, first and foremost.

You set up the Hannah appreciation thread because you thought she was fit, so what does that say about you? I'll take this into account when I see your posts in future.

Leon can obviously sing or he wouldn't have been put through to the final 12 by the judges (who have seen more live singers than we've had hot dinners!) Just because you don't like his style of singing doesn't mean he can't sing.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf-hk0AkROI (45 seconds clip)

With regards to Rhydian - yes, I do think he will probably be the most successful X Factor runner-up.

You lay such store in Rydian being classical trained, and you might be surprised to hear that Gareth has also classical training. He can play classical piano and guitar. He has grade 8 in piano, guitar and singing.
Gareth also made his debut at the West End this year showcasing songs from a brand new musical of the award winning writers Styles and Drew, and he was doing fantastic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?eurl=ht...&v=aU23QXo1PSA

.........the problem I always had with Gareth was that I found his voice incredibly nasally - more so now than on the X Factor. Having said that, he is a talented young man, and I see his future more in musical theatre - rather like Duncan James - more than in singer/songwriter.

Rhydian is still very much marmite. What some see as a sign of genius is perceived by others as weirdness, as proven by the comments about his latest MOTN performance. (here and there).
There is a fine line between intensity and OTT, and he is right on the line, and I am sitting on the fence about him now. I used to be a massive fan during XF, but I have been slightly underwhelmed by his subsequent performances. I'll reserve my judgment until the album is out.

Ray Quinn has not been forgotten. He is currently starring as Doody in Grease in the West End.

What a condescending post Beer you really are full of yourself. So if someone disagrees with you and you can't brow beat them into submission is it then your next tactic to insult their intelligence way to have a discussion.

The truth is you think Leon can not sing - it is not a fact just your opinion, and an obviously bias one at that.

Please don't try to tell me what I do and don't think.

I have never in my life made or even thought such a Leon Jackson is supersonic real wild funky sonic singing machine that won the best competition in the world." I like Leon's voice - I'm not unique in that, and just for the record I do not think XF is the best competition in the world.

I am under no illusions that the XF can be manipulated however I do not agree with you that Leon was their ideal winner - maybe your point is anyone of the 12 are their ideal winner its hard to tell sometimes.

This thread is about Rhydian though I honestly believe for Rhydian the opportunity to appear on the XF provided him a short track to the career he wanted that being musical theatre - he was lucky as it has paid off. Whether he is successful or not remains to be seen but I for one fully expect he will be.

...........the Whatsonstage forum have always been very anti-Rhydian (even to the point where someone thought his name was "made up") I found some of the comments on there about how people found his performance "scary" and "weird" amusing and a back-handed compliment - given that Rhydian was in character as The Phantom Personally I found his performance fantastic - wonderful vocal range - a much slower version which in itself is difficult to pull off - and he bought a much needed gothic element to the role. I saw his performance as very much a public audition for the role of the Phantom in the sequel - Love Never Dies. It would be a crying shame if his album/tour commitments next year prevented him from being seriously considered for the role by ALW.

I hope so, I think he was excellent on last year's show.
Guess it just depends on the strength of his material. I'm interested to see what route he'll take - classical, modern or a hybrid of both.