Nicole Scherzinger and Jahmene Douglas
Nicole Sherzinger getting in the studio with Jahmene, tweeting the picture you see above on Monday night, but what struck us was quite how rare it is for the X Factor judges that claimed to truly adore their act to actually follow up and guide them a bit at the start of their musical careers.
In fact, in a quick whip around the offices here, we couldn’t think of a single other time that the judges have gotten their hands dirty with their acts after the show’s conclusion. Now, now don’t know about you, but this doesn’t really seem right to us.
The X Factor is a show that takes people from obscurity and throws them into the spotlight with an almost malicious amount of vigour. While they’re then given guidance by one of the judges on the show (although we’re still not too sure how much direct impact they actually have in the contestants), once the show has climaxed or they get kicked off the show, what happens then?
While they might be lucky and catch the eye of someone like Will.I.Am like Cher Lloyd did, most will then have to fend for themselves in a world that they’ve only before seen from the outside. Surely the show should have a little bit more compassion for its contestants and offer them a guiding hand throughout their first year in the music business.
Success on the show is not a direct correlation to success outside of it. Look at Leon Jackson. He swanned to victory on the show, yet has sunk without a trace since. The same can be said for many a contestant who wasn’t given the advice and help they needed after the cameras stopped rolling.
Getting by in the music industry’s not all about talent. You need the right marketing people and the right decision making to truly get by in this cut-throat world. Are Ke$ha, Rita Ora or ~Justin Bieber any more talented than dozens of independent artists struggling to get by? No, they’re not, but they have far better people around them advising them on what to do.
The judges on X Factor know this, so surely it would just seem logical for them to take an artist they’ve mentored under their wing for just a short amount of time and give them some words of wisdom. For this we applaud Sherzinger, who might actually be doing just that and giving Jahmene the helping hand he might need.
What do you think? Should the X Factor and other show’s like it take better care of their contestants, or should they be left to fend for themselves using the publicity of the show? Let us know in the comments section below.
Tagged in The X Factor Nicole Scherzinger Jahmene Douglas