One More Time

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I watched One for the first time on TV last night, and I must say that I think I'm starting to love it. It's actually rising towards the top of my list and I know I'm far from alone in feeling this way so I started picking apart and analysing my initial reaction to it.

From One's opening, we were expecting a certain type of interpretation from Adam. We heard the pure ravishing beauty of those first few honeyed notes and we were completely spellbound. We wanted more and looked forward to the song continuing in the manner it started so we could get more of this wonderful drug, not only because it was breathtaking, but because we'd been a little starved of slow emotional numbers in the last couple of weeks.

Adam has surprised us many times with his performances and his interpretation of songs, so much so that paradoxically it was getting unsurprising. With Adam never settling for predictable, he managed to challenge and astonish us with a drastic change mid-performance that we were least expecting. I think the issue we had was the shock factor - which sent some scuttling towards wanting the safety of the song's opening - because it was so far from what we were expecting. Less than a minute until the end of the song wasn't enough time to get over that shock. With a little more time we might have been better placed to process and understand it within the limits of the song and left less bewildered. Is it fair to feel disappointed just because he didn't do what we expected, even if he did something better and put a glittering cherry on top? Ironically, the unpredictability was something I'd wanted, but when he hit me with it, I wasn't particularly receptive because I was completely unprepared.

If we look at the latest performances in the context of the competition, intentional or not, they were relatively 'safe', on the Adam scale. Maybe it was in preparation for a real treat when it comes to the final. I expect that in the same way when WLL came round we'd been yearning for a RoF type performance for some time, the little taster of a tender number in One has us completely ravenous for one in the final, and maybe it will taste so much sweeter for it.

I think One improves on subsequent viewings because I neither expect nor want the song to continue softly-softly. It no longer jars but works brilliantly and I think Adam provides a better representation of the lyrics to give us that huge and impassioned crescendo, than the more mournful and resigned original. I strongly felt the intensity and emotion first time round but I'm now able to really appreciate the full impact of this gem of a moving performance. Here it is again for your viewing pleasure:

Top 3 Results

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We can all breathe a collective sigh of relief for now as Adam has made it to the final and we get to see a more of him. I'd been checking the Dialidol predictions before the results show and even though Adam was a few points in front, it didn't stop me from fretting because it's not particularly accurate. I'd never rooted for any contestant like I've done for Adam and the wait was agonising. As I've become more emotionally invested throughout the weeks, it's been increasingly nail-biting.

When it was showtime, he wore a striped top under a black leather jacket teamed up with dark jeans. He seemed quite happy but I'm sure he must have been shitting his pants just like the rest of us. I was expecting to find out the result right at the end of the show and for Danny to go home. Apparently there were 88 million votes cast, with the gap between the top two being a close 1 million votes.

The advert this week was a little odd, with Adam being turned into a cartoon character that threw a piece of meat at some hungry scary looking dogs. I wasn't digging the stone-coloured shirt he wore, which looked like he'd just gotten up from a dirty stopout after a heavy night out it was so creased. And it was a little too small as well. I'm sure he cannot seriously be a medium size like he says when it comes to clothes, being over 6ft tall.

When it came to introducing the homecoming clips, the contestants got called one by one from backstage. Danny got called first which made me nervous that he might be declared safe then we would have to have the excruciating wait to find out who would join him. Massive relief after the clip when he was just sent to sit down.

Although I'd seen so much footage already from the homecoming, I was wondering how the producers would edit the footage to present Adam. The other clips showed Kris and Danny at very big events with huge crowds. Adam was the last one to be called in amongst a cacophony of screaming fans, which took quite a long time to quieten down. He responded particularly well to Ryan's questions, his elocution really standing out after the the other contestants' bumbling. His answers were interesting and he gave us a charming giggle when asked about his streaker.

The video was filled with Adam being pursued by lots of squeeing fans and giddy presenters falling all over him. The clip started off with the fun bits to the soundtrack of BTBW, which included Adam applying makeup to the weather girl, his python boots and his stint at TV presenting and a radio slot. A cute moment included Adam giving a tween girl a hug and a funny moment when a slightly scary granny pressed up against the window of his limo to try to get a glimpse. There were hordes of people chasing down him down. A more sentimental section started with a visit to Adam's old theatre group to the sound of Come Home. I enjoyed his introduction when he talked to the camera and think he could add presenting to his plethora of talents. It was very touching because it was a low-key, personal audience with the kids only. He dedicated the visit especially to help and inspire them and give something back. Even a truckload of fluffy kittens have nothing on the cuteness and 'Aw' factor that his interaction with the kids had. It could seriously melt Antarctica and drown us all. The next part showed Adam going to an audience in his old high school which surprisingly included footage of the streaker, and to the air base which included a snippet of his beautiful rendition of the national anthem in front of a huge American flag.

I thought the clip was the best of the three because it really showed his altruistic side whereas the others were a little more self-absorbed in their new-found fame. He looked so happy and enthusiastic throughout. There were no cheesy happy family clips and only his mother was featured, wiping away a tear of pride.



When Ryan read out the summary, I felt a terrible sense of foreboding, afraid that there might be a shock boot. Adam looked nervous too, taking in a deep breath, but a huge wave of relief washed over me when he was asked to go join the others on the couch. I hate this freaking show! Just before Katy Perry came on, Danny was describing how he just wanted to cut straight to the results, and Adam very excitedly blurted out 'I wanna see Katy Perry!' and he and Kris both cracked up. It was a funny fanboy moment and whether intentional or not, he showed Danny up in an unfavourable light. Katy Perry was so OTT and her blatant endorsement on the cape of her Elvis ensemble just made me laugh so hard. An Adam-Kris mention needs to be made of Kris wearing nail varnish on the only nail that Adam didn't:

When it was finally time, there was a bit of banter between Adam and Kris before Kris was completely shocked to be declared safe. There was a big hug from Adam, who then went on to Danny for an awkward hug. For the final announcement, Adam pulled a nervous face before grabbing Danny to put his arm around, then hid his expression by facing the floor. Adam's reaction to being declared safe was a priceless 'Oh!' and he covered his eyes with one hand, then the rest of his face with the other. It was a heart-melting moment to see Adam suddenly lose his cool to show such emotion. I squealed with joy as I watched him, hands on head in delighted surprise. Judging by that reaction, I think he was expecting to go home. I'm guessing he probably Googled himself after his performances to find a fairly cool reception. From a previous interview, he said he thought he was too alternative to win, and we're aware that he wanted to use AI to get more work. I wonder if or when he started to allow himself to believe he could win. In his last confessional, he said it was possibility and I've been convinced that he's wanted it, but I don't think he truly believes it. He seemed more excited about making an album than anything else. Towards the end of the show during Danny's swansong, the camera shot to Adam who had a sad, stern expression on his face. I wonder what was on his mind, whether he was thinking about winning. We all know he's made of it.

Top 3 - One / Cryin'

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I found this week's review hard to write. Last night I had mixed feelings and was left slightly subdued and despondent, and I can't tell whether this was because Adam didn't quite hit the spot which left me worried, or whether he hit it dead on and he ripped my heart out. This was one of those nights where I repeat viewings were necessary.

The confessional this week didn't reveal much we didn't know and it I think he looked as if he was just going through the motions. Perhaps the hectic schedule took quite a lot out of him. Before the show, I managed to see a spoiler that told me he was going to be singing One and Cryin' and that he had the pimp spot. I didn't think Cryin' was a great song choice to show another side of him and was mourning the loss of Wicked Game which I think would have been a showstopper.

The first time Adam walked out on to the stage, his wardrobe choice surprised me by being quite understated. He was fresh-faced and natural looking, with the make-up and hair styling being kept to a minimum. He was wearing a light faded denim shirt, blue jeans and snakeskin boots. I couldn't tell what he was going to do from this but I started feeling a little nervous. I didn't like the shirt because it was too tight around the chest with the pockets too high up, like it was meant for someone much shorter.

Danny's performance was pretty bad and Kris's was OK but his voice just wasn't up to it. Next was Adam, and I felt this was a great opportunity to completely blow the others away. The song started with a piano intro and I thought we were in for an Upright-type performance, or at least one that was understated by Adam standards. I liked the thought of a stripped arrangement where his voice could really shine. He was bathed in royal blue light from behind, slowly fading to white. The first notes were low, very pure, soft and breathtaking. He looked quite elfin because of the earpieces. The camera close-ups made him look mesmerisingly and achingly beautiful. I felt makeup-less Adam looked like he was baring his soul and looked so exposed. Those first looks into the camera emoting his vulnerability before gently closing his eyes, tugged heavily at my heart shaking me to my core. His expressions were tender and heartfelt but tinged with sadness and dejection. I thought he showed a hint of tiredness. Unusually, I felt there was a note or two that could've done with some fine tuning, but perhaps it was an intended effect to load additional emotion.

After a slightly shaky start the vocals were flawless. When it came to the the bridge, I felt it came much too soon with little build-up that was too sudden. The camera didn't engage his movements well when he walked off the stage to stand in front of the judges, and it seemed a bit too aggressive. I think it needed a close-up to show his facial expressions. I thought the vocal acrobatics were hectic and he could've done with slowing it down, mellowing it a little and holding the notes for longer because the melody was lost to emphasis on the lyrics. When he got to the glory note Hurt though, it was truly magnificent and made me gasp and my hairs stand on end. It managed to stab me in the heart. The emotion of the song really did get to me. It was one of his most impassioned performances where I felt like it was personal, he was naked and I was looking straight into his soul. He seemed to really feel and resonate with the meaning of the song, which, in addition to the pink lights seemed to make as strong a statement as possible without explicitly stating the obvious. This is me, we are one but not the same. I think perhaps that's why his mum was teary-eyed afterwards.

Adam added the light and shade that I thought was missing from the original, with the bonus massive firework on top, but I think it was too much to handle in such a short space of time. It didn't quite seem to work as I felt the song was unbalanced. It could have done with another verse at the start to build up to the massive crescendo. I thought this took up too much of the song and we overdosed on it. Perhaps he could have shortened it by bringing everything back down immediately after the glory note, or put a lull in the middle of it. Another option is that he could have played it down all the way through the song which would probably have done more for the popular vote. Personally though, I'm glad he did take a risk as this song works much better with a shot of light and shade and I'm looking forward to the longer studio version. I feel really frustrated because the performance was so close to bringing everyone to their knees with just a few simple changes. If only there'd been enough time to do it justice. Why oh why did they have to squeeze it into such a short time just so the stupid judges can wank themselves off?

I wonder what happened and why he ended up with such an arrangement. There seemed to be a suggestion that Simon was somehow involved with the mentoring, so I wondered whether Adam could have been revealing his displeasure about it when he told Paula to punch Simon. I'm probably reading way too much into it. Common sense tells me Adam's such a perfectionist and that if he was unhappy with Simon, he'd just do things his own way. How much time did Adam actually spend preparing for the song since it was only cleared on the Saturday? And is it unfair that he'd been preparing three songs in that time, when everyone else was preparing two? I'm guessing he did Cryin' because it was an easy option that he was already familiar with. I think I'm looking for excuses now because I'm in denial that Adam is human and susceptible to faltering.

I didn't feel great after the song and I've been trying to figure out why ever since. It pains me to say that I don't think it worked as well as it should have. I felt both underwhelmed because I didn't like what he did with the song and overwhelmed at the same time, because it really hit me emotionally. Did he manage to inject the sorrow of the song into me so effectively it became real? Or do I feel terrible about disliking the song where I think he really laid himself out so bare? Or maybe in doing that, he made me feel uncomfortable? This is the first time I've ever been really moved by a song I didn't care much for. How is that possible? How the hell did Adam do that? I feel challenged and it's left a strong impression on me that I'm still pondering over, which I suppose is what being a great artist is all about. Maybe it just needs more time.



After Danny and Kris's performance, I started to get more worried because it meant that Adam had to really do something amazing. It all seemed to rest on this one. For the second performance, Adam came back with eyeliner dressed all in black in casual-looking and understated rocker gear. He wore a leather jacket with a cut like the one he wore for Mad World with very long sleeves and clunky boots. I found Ryan's thinly veiled comments regarding Adam's song choices of Queen and Cher a rather silly attempt to poke fun but I'm glad Adam just dismissed him and laughed it off. We were to expect a fairly straight-up version.

I loved Adam's vocals at the start of Cryin', which were in his lower register, very resonantly rich and velvety - absolutely stunning. He started off in the centre of the stage and did some pacing about. Then the backing singer came in which really distracted from my enjoyment of the performance. It was terribly discordant and the timing was way off and annoyed me immensely. I'd also found this the case but to a much lesser extent on BTBW. Adam doesn't need them. He did a great job using his rocker wail to sing through it, not allowing it to faze him. There were definitely some technical issues because Adam ended up pulling out one of his earpieces midway through the performance. The band sounded very loud and seemed to drown out Adam's voice at points. Adam's stage presence didn't seem as commanding as usual and it seemed like a very controlled performance in terms of his movements, but the vocals were out of this world. They were pitch perfect and powerful throughout and he made brilliant use of his breath to convey the feeling of desperation. I found him to be very expressive and loved the incredible Dying to forget you as well as the final Crying, which was low, long and and perfectly unembellished. He was awesome and took my breath away. After he finished, he looked quite happy and the first thing he did was signal to the band, then shook his head to zone back in and removed his remaining earpiece. I found it a little bit strange that Simon practically begged everyone to vote for him and I hope he negated any possible backlash by complimenting the other contestants.

I still have mixed feelings about the nights performances which I thought seemed slightly jaded. It wasn't a great night for anyone and I'm left a bit worried that Adam's lost a little momentum this week. Perhaps it's just been a very hectic and tiring week. I was hoping for Adam to blow the roof off but felt that what he gave was relatively tame by his standards. I half expected Adam to give two performances that were complete polar opposites but I guess it's hard when you don't know until late on what you're allowed to sing. I still think his performances were the best of the night, beating everyone else's. He actually didn't put a foot wrong in either performance and sang his ass off - but as he himself is aware, at this point, it's not about skills or talent but a matter of taste. I'm annoyed at myself for having built up such high expectations that are unfair on Adam. I hope they'll announce him safe early on in the show because I desperately want to see him completely blow us away next week and win.

The Run-Up to Top 3 - Judge and Personal Picks

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It's getting to the final stretch and Adam needs to continue with his upward climb from the past two weeks. I think he'll manage it but if he plays it level, I'm afraid it won't be enough. This week is pretty open in terms of the type of music we're going to be hearing. I believe from the homecoming event that there are a couple of possibilities for Adam: One by U2 and Wicked Games by Chris Isaak. These aren't definite but I kind of wish I was clueless as I really loved it last week when Whole Lotta Love came out of the blue as a complete but very welcome surprise. I really appreciated the fact that Adam came back from the Glumbert Day scare with all guns blazing, giving us a thrilling performance. And frankly, we were gagging for some of that crazy Adam we hadn't quite seen since RoF. To be able to hear him sing two songs by himself tonight just hasn't come soon enough. I haven't managed to refrain from speculating, but I think I've managed not to build up my expectations too much.

I think One is a great song although I'm not quite sure what Adam could do with it to make it really special. It's not the most exciting song and I don't see it to be challenging enough as I think he does best when he's really pushed. I'm guessing we'll be relying on the pure emotion of the vocals to drive home the impact as I don't think One lends itself well to being re-arranged. But then again, although the song is lacking in light and shade, I feel I can pretty much rely on Adam to shine his fog lights and dig a trench, then slap a bonus 1000lb firework on top.

I love Wicked Games by Chris Isaak. It's one song I'd already entertained in my mind that I'd like to hear him sing. It's not quite mainstream and such a stirring, intensely gripping and steamy song that simmers a heartbeat away from boiling point. It doesn't have much range in terms of pitch, but there's a lot of room to play with in regards to the emotional delivery. Providing he doesn't mess with the arrangement too much, it's quite bare, which should enable him plenty of space to allow us to marvel when his voice unfolds its spectrum of nuances. I'd be interested to hear more of his lower range which I think would better suit the song's sensuality. Adam can express the anguish and desperation of obsession like no one else can. I have no doubt he'll be able to connect to the song and in doing so, he'll connect us to the song. The only problem is that we might die watching it! The lyrics describe how we feel towards him, and for him to return the sentiment might just send us over the edge! Someone will have to mop my remains up off the floor after I've melted in his heat then drowned in the agony of yearning.

Of course he might not even sing these songs at all as I'm doubtful that Wicked Games will get cleared. I'm not quite as nervous as last week, just a little apprehensive. I'm excited to see what's in store but a little concerned from the Tweets I've picked up that Kris has been doing very well this week. If Kris has a 'moment' and Adam doesn't amaze with his songs, then it's possible that Adam might end up in trouble. GET VOTING!