I've had a love-hate relationship with Cher Lloyd on this year's X Factor. Regular Shout readers will recognize that I reallydon't value the girl's voice - it's not warm enough or developed enough for a point like X Factor. And another thing, Cher is one of those contestants who the judges give good comments to even when she's delivered a clunker of a performance.
Sure, sometimes Simon will have a bit of criticism at her - like on the winding staircase in last week's John Lennon song - but it's clear that the show wants her to succeed. Often in the face of all logic.
Ask yourself why. Why is this scrawny kid so crucial to The X Factor?
The solution came tonight in a gloss from her mentor, Cheryl Cole. After a performance of Aerosmith's Walk This WayCole commented "We have never seen anybody like you on the X Factor before."
The missing ingredient from any class of X Factor is a contemporary urban sound. The X Factor never attracts urban acts, yet urban artists are among the most democratic in the UK charts - look at N-Dubz (who never appear to be off ITV2), Dizzee Rascal, Taio Cruz, Chipmunk and rappers of a more international flavour. That's got to be a very lucrative part of the market, and one that X Factor hasn't captured yet.
And surprisingly, Cher Lloyd is the foremost such act to be that British urban scene. Admittedly she's not really good. Sorry, but it's a fact folks. And it's not particularly relevant that she's not good. She's a foundation in the doorway for The X Factor.
Imagine aspiring British rappers watching the present this year, thinking "I could do better than that." And they probably can. And they might just audition next year. It'll make such a difference from the damp and boring aspiring popstars - let's face it, X Factor hasn't had as much success with especially male winners like Joe McElderry and Leon Jackson.
If X Component can draw some good urban acts, it'll mean less of the cheesy copycat rubbish we're getting now and more advanced music representative of what sells in the charts today. Imagine them bringing on a negro male and giving them something otherthan crappy soul songs to stamp them. I've ever thinking that the X Agent has systematically failed black artists by never quite knowing what to do with them. Look at how Treyc Cohen, John Adeleye and Paije Richardson have been failed this class by rubbish staging, bad song choices and an intrinsic disconnect with the audience. Adeleye in particular might have done better if he'd been granted more relevant modern R&B to sing.
So, Cher Lloyd may not be a success in any of this, but she may be quietly ushering in a new era of X Factor, one where the show attracts artists capable of competing in the charts with great urban music and a certain sort of individuality.
It's release to take some vary on the office of the picture too. The themes will make to remain broad to provide the correct song choices for urban acts. Louis Walsh will get to broaden his comparison vocabulary from Lenny Henry and Lionel Ritchie! And the scaffolding will give to change - Brian Friedman (a constant bone of argument for me) will make to deal with the backing dancers and cheesy 'street' staging. The man is so cheesy, he probably thinks backwards baseball caps are still acceptable.
Like I say, I don't think Cher represents the better or the most talented rapper that will always bear on that stage. But I trust that she encourages more rappers and hip-hop acts to connect the show. With rival shows like Must Be The Music already attracting a highercalibreof talent (in their first year! X Factor needs to modify and they may be capable to do that by tapping into the vibrant youth culture in this country. What do you guys think?
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