X Factor 2012 judges. Demi Lovato, Spears, Cowell, and Reid
For those who have been waiting for X Factor season 2 to debut in the USA – the wait is over.
The first show of the new season kicked off with a revamped panel of judges that included Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, L.A. Reid, and Simon Cowell.
New judges Britney and Lovato
And of course producers would not let you forget that it was the X Factor who found and created the latest boy band sensation with “One Direction”.
As much as the U.S. seems to hate Simon, he actually seems to have gotten the message and has mellowed somewhat.
Yes, there were some expected awkward X Factor moments.
Like when the cross dressing male dressed in a wedding gown tried to sing his heart out, and when a 50 year-old tried to sing his original song about picking up young girls in bars called “Cotton Candy”.
Okay, we’ve been watching Austin Mahone for the last year - watching him slowly improve his covers and voice quality over time.
While we we’re impressed in the early days, he seemed a bit timid and a bit unwilling to totally let himself get lost in a song. He seemed a bit shy.
But a couple of months ago, Mahone started using either reverb, compression, or a delay with his video recordings and it stepped up his game by a mile.
A big fat Texas style mile…
There was a HUGE improvement over his earlier videos.
And tonight, Austin Mahone just released his latest cover which is “How to Love” by Lil Wayne – a song that’s been covered by a lot of singers including Justin Bieber.
And we got to say that Austin’s version just blew us away. In fact, we think that his version of “How to Love” may very well be the video that finally gets him noticed.
For those of you who aren’t musicians, “How to Love” is a very hard and somewhat technical song to play and sing.
It is NOT for the timid and shy – and he NAILED it.
Austin Mahone has grown up. He has improved. He now seems able to quickly learn any song he wants, and compile a very professional sounding video with just the right amount of effects to make it sound great.
That may not sound impressive until you realize he is NOT in a $10 million dollar digital studio with sound technicians and guru mixers.
He does it in his bedroom!
You have to listen to it to see what we mean….
As much as we hate to admit it, we like Austin’s version better than Lil Wayne’s.
Now, that brings us to Justin Bieber…
Justin also covered the song and it WAS in a $10 million dollar studio. While Justin’s version was powerful, we think Mahone’s was almost as good but in a more pleasurable, romantic, and “pure acoustic” way – without all the HIV drama and hip/hop rap that’s in Lil Wayne’s music video.
Anyway, we think that this cover is the one that some producer for Ellen, L.A. Reid, or some other Indy label or A/R person is going to hear – AND THEY’RE GOING TO TAKE NOTICE AND COME KNOCKING.
Did you hear that Austin?
You better sit down and take a deep breath because it may be awhile before you have a chance to rest those tired feet once they find you.
Get ready – we think you just recorded the video that’s going to make you famous.
We hope we’re right. We first wrote about Austin in in July when we we’re blown away by the fan following he had accumulated via social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and his Blog.
Mahone seems to be hitting on all the right cylinders, and doing everything right in the social media world. He has a great voice and the ability to pick up various music styles quickly.
We’re afraid the only thing left to happen now is for his fans to help get him noticed by an important person or music label so he can get famous and start recording his own music.
Austin on the beach
Personally, we can’t wait.
And we know about 500,000 other people who will be beating down the doors of the record store to buy his first album.
Hear that L.A. Reid? Hear That Ellen? Hear that music industry people? Hear that A/R scouts?
We’re just saying – you better snap this kid up because he is going to leave you in the dust if you don’t get him a deal fast.
And Austin, when you hit it big - please don’t forget about us small, yet humble blogs that helped get your story out.
Simon Cowell got the one thing he wanted most for his X Factor show – Paula Abdul.
Deadline is reporting the deal went down last night and that taping will start today. Talk about last minute deals.
Cowell has been very vocal about his desire to have Paula on the show.
Besides Cowell, Cheryl Cole and Antonio Reid will also be judges.
Antonio (L.A.) Reid who was the CEO of Island Def Jam Records announced last month he was stepping down to join Cowell as a judge on X Factor.
L.A. Reid and Island are the backers and record label for notable platinum recording stars like Mariah Carey, Pink, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Kanye West, Avril Lavigne, Toni Braxton, TLC, Usher, Ciara, and OutKast.
You know what they say - you’re not successful until somebody tries to sue you. So it goes in the teen heart throb world of Justin Bieber.
The original producers of the 17- year-old's hit single “One Less Lonely Girl” are suing Bieber’s Production company saying they are due royalties from the song, and accuses them of fraud and copyright infringement. Ouch!
Vance Tate and Thomas Oliveria, who represent the songwriting team A-Rex, have filed a lawsuit seeking additional royalty money from the hit single which appeared on Bieber's hit 2008 debut album, “My World”.
In 2008, A-Rex wrote the song, "One Less Lonely Girl," as part of a music project by soul and R&B singer Noel Gourdin. Gourdin’s team passed on the song so A-Rex shopped it around the music biz and it eventually found its way onto Justin Bieber's first album.
The suit alleges that A-Rex are due ten percent of the publishing royalties tied to their share of the song, a dollar amount they say is about $200,000. They are also seeking damages for breach of contract, fraud, conversion and copyright infringement.
Really? Only $200,000? Bieber makes $300,000 per concert and “One Less Lonely Girl” is one of his hit songs on stage.
The suit also names EMI Music Publishing and the L.A. Reid Music Publishing Company.
L.A. Reid, just announced last week that he will be stepping down as Chairman of Island Def Jam Records to become one of the judges on the Fall premier of Simon Cowell's new reality show “X Factor”.
Bieber's management team has not commented on the suit.
