This week, it was announced that The X Factor winner Sam Bailey had been dropped by her record label, Syco Music, just 14 months after she won the show. For most contestants, the promise of a record deal is what makes the winner’s position so appealing. However, with a proven track record that the winner’s career often falls flat, we ask: why do the winners end up ‘losing’?
A woman of the people, Sam Bailey entered The X Factor aged 34 as part of the ‘Overs’ category. She won over the British public with her belter renditions of classics such as My Heart Will Go On and beat off all the competition to claim first position. So why has she been dropped? Sam has released just one album: last year titled The Power of Love, it is full of covers bar one original track, Treasure. While the album was a No. 1 hit, Sam failed to chart any singles beyond her winner’s song and after announcing her third pregnancy, her record was rapidly swept under the carpet. She was left with Bell’s Palsy – temporary facial paralysis – following childbirth last year and although she was determined it would not hold her back, it is likely a lack of promotion and the obvious need for rest during and following pregnancy, led to the halting of her Syco career.
Similarly, Joe McElderry won The X Factor in 2009, smashing the charts with his cover of The Climb. Just over a year later, his relationship with Syco faltered, resulting in his departure from the label in early 2011. Joe admitted to Real Radio that it was partly to do with his lack of commercial success, stating: “I think a lot of it was to do with the fact that I went away for so long… I think we left it a bit too late with releasing the album. But I think it’s also down to the label.” It seems that despite being picked up by Decca Records and getting three top 10 albums, the South Shields singer’s ‘ambitions’ were not enough, with his last charting single peaking miserably at No. 147.
After ten series of The X Factor, it has become clear that the ‘winner’s curse’ well and truly exists, and Sam and Joe are just two unfortunate examples. In fact, only two winners have had significant success – Leona Lewis and Little Mix. How is it that One Direction can be the most successful act to ever appear on the show, despite coming in third place? It begs the question of whether winning the show is actually as beneficial for a rising popstar’s career as it is made out to be. Whether you’re an X Factor fan or not, it is likely that at some point you have criticised the show’s decision to give the winner a Syco record deal like it’s a hand out, when other artists have to truly fight for their talent to be heard. The pressure is undoubtedly extremely high – the public may have voted for you but that means relatively little when your vocal ability does not bring results in the long-term.
Expanding on the public’s input, it occurs to me that millions of votes can be cast for the sake of one person being kept in and ultimately winning the competition, yet shortly after the show has finished, the artist becomes a flop. Despite falling under the dubious ‘reality TV’ genre, The X Factor far from portrays ‘reality’. The show is heavily edited; those with quirks and sob stories are exploited to attract the masses and encourage public discussions. However, as soon as the series has finished, the next reality show arrives and The X Factor and its finalists, whether last or first place, become forgotten – that is, unless they have built themselves up a loyal legion of fans. One Direction, as five male teenagers, quickly accumulated a huge young female fanbase and if you want loyalty, they’re sure going to give to you! The same goes for Olly Murs, with his cheeky personality and boyish likeability, he was never going to lose fans for it was not just his voice that carried him to the finals. Sam Bailey, a beautiful mother and wife with a smashing voice, never established such a connection with her fans who appeared to be vast ranging in age, background and sex, but not united in their desire to drive her career on.
In the music industry, there will always be winners and losers, those who make it and those who don’t. For pop wannabes, the hugely coveted first place on The X Factor appears to bring the promise of a high-flying career but the reality is often far from such a dream. Do you think winning the show has lost its appeal or do you feel that finalists just don’t work hard enough after they are crowned the winner? We’d love to hear your comments below!
