Joe McElderry and the Obama Factor
I genuinely dislike anything fake or any imitation. If you can't give 100% you, then don't bother. I'm simply not interested. The last thing I thought I'd ever be doing is blogging about an X Factor winner. I couldn't even tell you who won the last last 3 years, which to me is simply an indication of how I either, dislike manufactured pop, or find the vocals so grating, they are up there with nails running down a chalkboard. I watched the first few episodes this year, to see who the genuine contenders were, and then let it be.
This years winner, Joe MeElderry is something special. Yeah I know, he's an X Factor winner, so he'll be the Christmas number one, even if it's a recording of him breaking wind. But back to his final winning performance. To me, he's the Obama of the X Factor. He's got the Obama factor. He stands there, and he sings. And he sings his heart out. Nothing else. No cocky smiles, no arrogant smugness, no choreography, no distractions, he just gives it 100% Joe McElderry. And that, along with this powerful voice, is what made him stand out head and shoulders above any other competitors I saw perform this year. All the props others use, he simply doesn't need. His performance gave me goosebumps, as it did the judges, and I loved watching every second of it. One line in the lyrics that gave me goose bumps was the "Ain't about what's waiting on the other side" line. Why? Sometimes it seems that, what's waiting on the other side, is all that drives people these days. Let's face it, X Factor and reality TV shows are a prime example of people simply queueing up to get their hands on what's waiting on the other side.
I'm sorry I didn't see him perform with George Michael. I'll find it online. It's not hard to see George's spirit running thought Joe's performance. Joe has got a long career ahead of him, and I think Simon knows that. There's something special in being yourself. You can't fake that. We all identify with it. Someone who has the balls to be themself, in front of the entire country. Kudos to you, Joe McElderry.
