Syco

If Simon Cowell was particularly apprehensive about Ben Haenow being declared the eleventh winner of the X Factor, he had every right to be. The alleged curse of male X Factor winner has been in full force since Series One winner Steve Brookstein’s refusal to be Cowell’s puppet and subsequent drop from Syco music. Since then, male winners have come and gone; Shayne Ward, Leon Jackson, Joe McElderry, Matt Cardle and James Arthur – all recipients of a fleeting moment of fame.

Still, it began promisingly for Ben Haenow. During his stint on the X Factor, the former white van driver was largely consistent, gaining the most votes in six out of the ten weeks. Début single was an enjoyable cover of OneRepublic’s ‘Something I Need’, a rousing pop-gospel anthem. It is largely this sound that Haenow has adopted for his début self-titled album but with varied results.

Lead single ‘Second Hand Heart’, a duet with US powerhouse singer Kelly Clarkson opens the album modestly. Whilst a pleasant pop track, it’s clear why Clarkson has been enlisted to lend her vocals to it. Without her sparkle, it’s unlikely the track would have charted at all (it reached a dispiriting #21 in the UK singles chart). ‘Slamming Doors’ and ‘Way Back When’ are mope-y ‘love is exhausting’ pop ballads whilst mediocre vocals let down saccharine piano ballad ‘Make it back to me’. ‘Start Again’ is an average arena pop-rock anthem featuring an easy sing-along chorus and it all gets overly-sentimental on ‘Brother’, a track about, well, you guessed it. It’s a generic pop-rock anthem but has a competent chorus.

There are some successes, however. ‘All Yours’ is Haenow’s Macy Gray moment, utilising R&B beats, a jazz organ and rich gospel choir vocals. Haenow’s vocals are sturdy and well-matched to the track. ‘Lions’ is a charming Ben Howard-esque ballad featuring folk acoustic guitars and a melodic chorus whilst ‘Something I Need’ is still a surprisingly enjoyable and substantial cover which closes the album beautifully.

The album’s triumph is ‘Testify’, a buoyant and rousing pop track which mirrors the pop-gospel synthesis found on ‘Something I Need’. Co-written by Daniel Bedingfield, it’s tight in production, catchy and optimistic, featuring gospel music-like piano chords, fierce percussion and of course a gospel choir.

The main issue is the album lacks any variation or diversity. It’s consistent in genre but is painfully dull aside from its pop-gospel moments. It’s the generic and conventional X Factor winner album, plastered from start to finish with a drab form of pop-rock. At times even Haenow sounds bored; it’s evident he’d much rather have created the rock album he’d always wanted to make.

A bland and uninspiring album which, had it developed the pop-gospel theme further, could have been infinitely better.

Rating: 2/5.
Highlights: All Yours, Testify, Something I Need, Lions, Greatest Mistake (Deluxe Track).

Ben Haenow is available now on RCA/Syco records.

Since their formation in 2011, Little Mix have undeniably taken the world by storm. They have sold five million singles and 2.5 million albums worldwide, overtaken The Spice Girls to become the first girl group to reach Number Four on the US Billboard chart and have become one of Simon Cowell’s most viable X Factor products. Not bad in the slightest for a manufactured girl band whose origins lay in the X Factor.

‘Get Weird’ largely follows the same successful formula as previous albums ‘Salute’ and ‘DNA’, on which a team of A-list songwriters are recruited to assist in the creation of a fierce pop album promoting girl power. The difference here is ‘Get Weird’ provides more scope by utilising doo-wop and 80’s synthpop influences – experimenting with a new sound.

Lead single ‘Black Magic’ opens the album triumphantly and despite its over-exposure, it is still a piece of pop perfection. Likewise, ‘Weird People’ replicates 80’s pop, utilising funky bass lines, catchy guitar riffs and heavily gated percussion. ‘Love Me Like You’ rather bizarrely mirrors ABBA and the material of StooShe featuring catchy ‘sha-la-la-la’ hooks and polished brass instruments whilst ‘A.D.I.D.A.S’ features doo-wop influences with elements of R&B.

The album’s softer moments provide a breather from the cheerleader exuberance and punctuate the album nicely. ‘I Love You’ is a gentle pop ballad featuring breathy, lovely layered harmonies whilst ‘Love Me or Leave Me’ is a pleasant piano ballad with powerful vocals. ‘Secret Love Song’, a duet with Jason Derulo fails to impress, however. Derulo’s auto-tuned wailing is unnecessary and is largely responsible for the track being one of the weakest points in the album.

Elsewhere, the album ventures into hip hop territory. ‘OMG’ sounds like a Chris Brown out-take and features meticulously programmed bass lines and synths whilst ‘Lightning’, a stand out track is rife with manic distorted synthesiser drops.

The album swings from 80’s Pop to Hip hop to Sixties Doo-Wop and this results in a confused affair at times. Whilst variety is welcomed, it’s rather manic which results in its inconsistency. Had it stuck with the 80’s Pop ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ theme exhibited so effortlessly on ‘Black Magic’, it would have been far more successful. Instead, it seemingly recycles the formula from previous two albums and whilst it is a step up from them, it lacks innovation.

An overall enjoyable pop album but one which falls short of its potential.

Rating: 3/5

‘Get Weird’ is available now on Syco/Columbia records.