X Factor UK 14: Live Show 2 (Overs & Groups)

Not as strong as the other night, but there were a couple of worthy performances in these two categories and maybe the possible winner of the season? I don't know. One thing is for sure, this format sucked!

I mean, this was a weaker group compared to last night and yet, they had to eliminate someone from the first live show when they could easily pick two or three acts from this pool. We could've saved Spencer instead. Sigh. Oh well. What do we know.

On with the show!

08. Talia Dean
What Make You Beautiful
[OVERS]
The song choice and the arrangement was a risky move for Talia and I actually understood what she was trying to do. However, the execution was just horrendous. Her vocals were all over the place that at one point, I questioned myself if she was still hitting the right notes. Such a shame because I was really happy to see her comeback, but she just crashed and burn. 3

07. Sean & Conor Price
Strong
[GROUPS]
On paper, this should've worked given the pure quality of Conor's voice and the delicate melody of the verses of the song, but nerves got into them. The first note alone was so off I didn't think they were able to recover, the harmonies were weak, and when the band kicked in, they were just overpowered completely. 4

06. Kevin Davy White
Stay
[OVERS]
Kevin's performance was essentially okay. There was a good amount of vocal dynamics and heartfelt emotions, but there were moments where it sounded as if he was too lazy to support the backend of his notes. The rasp and texture of his voice was a nice touch to the performance, but if only he worked on his intonation, this would've been a killer. 6

05. Matt Linnen
Scars To Your Beautiful
[OVERS]
I love myself some Matt Linnen, but his version of Scars To Your Beautiful was, at best, passable. I don't know. There was intensity and grit in his vocals and I didn't think he hit a lot of bad notes throughout the performance, but I felt though that it didn't go anywhere - maybe it was the monotony of his delivery especially at the beginning of the song - and I got bored. I'm positive he could do better than this. 6

04. Jack & Joel
New Rules
[GROUPS]
Quite frankly, this was a fun and sassy performance! They are obviously becoming the token "joke" act this season and while I just couldn't take their performances seriously, they can honestly sing. Vocals were strong for the most part, the rap in the middle was a clever break, and they looked like they were having fun. I'm not sure how long they can last, but they are like a LOT better version of Bratavio. 6

03. Tracyleanne Jefford
Written In The Water
[OVERS]
Vocally, this wasn't a strong one from Tracyleanne, but what made up for it was the sheer enthusiasm, attitude, and charm she exuded during the performance. It started out good with her pitch mostly on point, but as soon as she started to move around and work the stage, she kind of threw all her inhibitions and just let loose. If only she restrained a bit and held her notes intact towards the end, I would've ranked her a little higher. 7

02. The Cutkelvins
What About Us
[GROUPS]
I wasn't sure about the song choice at first, but they pulled it off quite nicely. I thought the lead vocals were good with enough tweaks that made it their own. The arrangement also gave them the opportunity to set up the climax to something a lot bigger than I expected and the staging was good with little choreography here and there. 7

01. Rak-Su
Mamacita
[GROUPS]
Still can't decide if they're a one-trick pony or just pure brilliant, but Mamacita, at this point, was just fantastic. It's catchy as hell - I was still singing the song even after the episode - their stage presence was infectious, they looked like they were having the time of their lives, and the're a charming group of lads. I honestly wouldn't mind if they win the season. 8

ELIMINATED

Talia Dean