The Collective Is Not A Boyband. I Repeat. Not A Boyband.

The Collective is not a boyband. Let's just get that clear. They are a vocal group because they're all vocal giants with completely different styles that make them utterly unique in the history of music. I'm just playing. The X Factor 3rd place-getters haven't exactly mastered the art of the interview yet but that makes them kind of charming. I particularly love their explanation of Jason Owen's success and the light-hearted Samantha Jade shade. Also, I'm a bit of a stirrer by nature - so take this entire conversation with a grain of salt. The vocal group is releasing an album on December 14 and a cover of "Last Christmas". Can't wait for that one.

How did you feel about being thrown together as a group? Was that what you were expecting when you signed up?
Will: I don’t think we were expecting it at all. There were rumours about it but I was pretty set on it not happening. But it did happen and I’m glad it did because as we went forward going through the competition we saw that solos… how hard it is for them. To have these four boys with you, it’s an incredible thing to share the thing you love.

Did you guys like boybands growing up?
Zach: As far as a boyband is concerned, I would rather look at us as a vocal group. I consider certain bands – not naming any – as boybands but I look at other groups of male singers and consider them to be vocal groups or bands. I’d rather be considered as part of a vocal group and I think that’s a great thing to be part of.

So which “vocal groups” do you look up to?
Zach: Boyz II Men.
Will: Boybands are cool as.
Zach: People automatically hear boyband and go [makes a face] but they don’t understand how much work goes into it. They’re cool. Like 'N Sync – doing all those moves while singing is a hard thing to do. But it looks fresh when you can pull it off.
Trent: I did listen to Backstreet Boys and Boyzone growing up and I liked them. I’ve got nothing against them at all. To be in one now is unreal.
Zach: I love Nsync and B2K and all those dudes. They’re cool as.

Do you think there’s a bit of a gap in the Australian market because there hasn’t been a big or successful boyband in ages?
Zach:Who was the last one? Human Nature. There’s a massive gap. I think the whole boyband fad is coming back. There are a lot of boybands coming out of the woodwork. It’s easier for them now that they’ve realised there’s a huge gap there.

What’s gonna set you guys apart from all the other people we’ve just mentioned? 
Trent: I think the fact that we have a lot of improve on is a big advantage. We’re already doing well and we’ve just got so much more potential and room to grow. We are a vocal group – meaning that all members of the group can actually sing and we’re starting to learn to move and dance. I think that does set us apart.
Jayden: Will, not only can he sing, but he can rap also. That brings a different vibe to the group – a different edge. We always say we’ve got the edge.

Is urban music something you’re going to explore on your next single?
Will: Possibly. The thing is - we bring lots of different things to the table. Trent’s a rock singer and so is Zach. They have edgy as voices and you bring that and you mix it with hip hop and R&B and technical singing like Jaden does – it’s cool as. It’s something that hasn’t been done.

What was your initial reaction when you heard [their debut single] “Surrender”?
Julian: Ronan played it for us in one of our rehearsals. To be honest we heard the track – it’s a track with someone else singing on it – and we didn’t like it. It was very far from what we thought our style was. We changed it and made alterations to it and stuff. We twisted it to be a little bit more our vibe and in the end we were happy with it. But I think being our first song there is so much more room for improvement. With years to come we’ll find our sound and I’m sure it will be very different to “Surrender”.

How long did you get to record the song?
Zach: We had a couple of hours over two days.

That must have been hard.
Trent: Yeah that was while the show was still on.

A lot of X Factor acts in the US and UK are now taking more time before releasing material so they can get it right. Did you consider that?
Julian: No. Obviously you need to get it out there. We can’t sit around doing nothing for six months. People will just forget about you. If you’re not constantly on the radio with new songs, people forget about you. That’s just the music industry these days. So we’ve got our album coming out on December 14, which will have “Surrender”, the songs we did on X Factor and “Last Christmas”.

You’ve got a Christmas song coming? Joy.
Trent: Yeah “Last Christmas”. We put our own vibe on it, hey. It’s looking good. We’ve all got different parts. We all split our singing up.

Are you filming a video for that?
Jayden: Maybe. We don’t really know.

Is there gonna be one for “Surrender”?
Zach: Yeah. “Surrender” is gonna have a clip for sure.
Julian: We haven’t filmed it yet. We have to wait for this one [flicks Samantha Jade cardboard cut out in interview room].
Zach: As much as we love you Sammi [laughs]. It’s life-sized right?

Talking about the show, from the beginning you guys were hyped as one of the favourites. Did you ever think you were going to win it?
Julian: We just took it week by week. We were always told, you’re the favourite but we just went week by week and tried to improve every week. We didn’t end up winning. We were happy with where we came. To get top 3 was great for us.

Do you think it’s rigged that the boring country dude came second?
Zach: He’s not as boring as you’d think. We shared a room with him. Think about it. There’s more little country towns than there are cities. Sydney is so small compared to the rest of Australia. There’s a market for it. It’s not all about pop music.
Julian: We’re appealing to a younger audience. His audience is all those hardworking mateship people so of course they’re going to vote. That’s why Shiane did so well. He never made the bottom two throughout the whole live shows so we weren’t surprised when he came second.

But your song has done a lot better than his...
Julian: I guess our sound just works on radio. Also think about who uses technology. Who uses computers? Young girls. The music industry is just about being smart. It’s come to that.

How are you dealing with all those young girls?
Zach: It’s not as good as you’d think. Just kidding. I wouldn’t have a clue. I have a girlfriend. I have to stay away but these boys…
Will: It’s great to know that they support you. It’s a good thing to have. It’s the same with any fanbase – it doesn’t matter if it’s a bunch of guys, getting respect from the bros. That’s cool as well.
Julian: If you didn’t have your fans your song wouldn’t be in the charts. Yeah.

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Samantha Jade Wins X Factor, Gets A Second Chance To Shine

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about Samantha Jade's utterly fabulous but completely unsuccessful pre-X Factor career and mused: "I'd be surprised if Sam wins - her stunning beauty and flawless vocals will no doubt alienate the frumpy girls who have nothing better to do than vote!" I'm happy to say I was wrong. The 25-year-old beauty won the competition last night and now has a second chance at the pop stardom she deserved the first time around.

Sammi's victory is notable for several reasons:

1. The budding diva breaks the pretty girl curse becoming the first attractive talent show winner - possibly ever
2. She is the only winning act that had a legitimate pop career before the show. Flops like Mahalia Barnes and Prinnie tried out for The Voice but were sent packing.
3. SJ actually has a chance of lasting longer than one album. Unlike previous winners, she is the total package - good looks, good voice and sweet personality.

I guess that takes us to her winner's single. "That's What You've Done To Me" is another excellent DNA production - this time with a bit of help from Swedish songwriter Jörgen Elofsson (he wrote Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger") and former Bachelor Girl vocalist Tania Doko. It's a brilliant pop song with an atomic-powered chorus and always popular angry girl lyrics. This version of the track sounds a little Eurovision to me but I  mean that as a compliment. It's very catchy and could work internationally!

Watch Samantha perform "That's What You've Done To Me" live on X Factor below and download the song from iTunes now. It's already number one by a giant margin. 

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Ke$ha Performs 'Die Young' On Australian X Factor. Kills The Game.

Ke$ha conquered Australian TV earlier this evening with a game-changing performance of her international smash hit "Die Young". It's always a revelation to see the greatest wordsmith of our time ply her trade but this was particularly breathtaking. The unstoppable hitmaker humiliated your wigless fave with glorious live vocals, dazzling choreography and peerless musicianship. I've watched this ten times and I still can't process her magnificence. How can one woman possess so much charisma and sex appeal? Prepare to be slayed.

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The Second Coming Of Samantha Jade

Samantha Jade is the only reason I watch X Factor. At first I was kind of depressed that the former next big thing had been reduced to appearing on a shitty TV show to kickstart her career but I guess that's just life for bitches on the grind circa 2012. If you can't beat them, join them. I'd be surprised if Sam wins - her stunning beauty and flawless vocals will no doubt alienate the frumpy girls who have nothing better to do than vote - but the Perth-born diva has already proved her point. She is still pop star material. In case you're unfamiliar with the 25-year-old's plethora of defining achievements, here is step-by-step guide to Samantha Jade.

1. Sammy moves to LA with her family in 2003. She's 16. The following year the teenager signs a record deal with Jive.

2. JoJo records a Samantha Jade original called "Secret Love" for the Shark Tale soundtrack.

3. The world is stunned and amazed by the teen diva's Wyclef Jean-produced 2006 debut single "Step Up" from the similarly-titled movie (above).

4. With a mountain of buzz building, the next big thing releases "Turn Around" (below) and snatches more wigs than she can carry. Unfortunately it does not chart.

5. Unperturbed, Sam begins recording her ominously-titled debut My Name Is Samantha Jade. Didn't Her Name Is Nicole teach pop divas anything about naming albums?

6. Sam works with industry heavyweights like Timbaland, Stargate, Darkchild and Max Martin on the never-to-be-released recording.

 7. In 2007 the frustrated songstress throws in the towel and records backing vocals on Ashley Tisdale's "Positivity".

8. Samantha leaves Jive and returns to Australia in 2009 to star in a flop movie. She records a new song called "Secret", which fails to chart but rocks the Pop Panel with its stunning gay-themed video (below).

9. With nothing better to do, the sexy brunette decides to conquer dance music in 2010 and somehow gets "I Need You Now" on David Guetta's One Love album.

10. Sam takes a job in her father's factory until X Factor comes along and gives her a second chance.

I know that at least one record company is in talks with the Jade clan to record a post-X Factor album. Is it too much to ask that we finally get the Max Martin and Stargate tracks she did in 2007 as a bonus disc? I don't give a shit if they're 5 years old. They have to be better than the trash they give Rihanna.

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Johnny Ruffo's New Song Is Actually Quite Good

Johnny Ruffo's debut single was memorable - albeit for all the wrong reasons. I'm man enough to admit that I liked "On Top" in a so-crap-it's-amazing kind of way but the song gave Vanessa Amorosi's "Gossip" a run for its money in the cringeworthy lyrics stakes with clangers like "I'm on top of the world when I'm on top of you girl". Subtle. It's a testament to Johnny's popularity with teenage girls that the unusually dodgy DNA production still went top 20 and sold platinum. Imagine what the 2011 X Factor third-place getter could do with a song not about the missionary position? I guess we're about to find out.

The DNA boys redeem themselves by writing Johnny a great little pop song called "Take It Home". To be honest, it's quite similar to "On Top" - only better in every way. The subject matter is fun and sexy without being crude. There's a cute chorus with lots of "woahs" (always a bonus in my book) and even a non-embarrassing rap that name-checks Keira Knightly. All in all, a massive step forward. It looks like there will be plenty of promo to support it too. The teen heartthrob is joining Home & Away - it worked for Dannii - and he's slated to perform the song on X Factor. Check out the club-themed clip below. Good on him for throwing in some choreography!

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Christina Parie Talks X Factor, Avril & Katy Perry

Christina Parie first came to Australia's attention as a contestant on last year's X Factor. Her rock chick attitude and quirky covers made her an instant fan favourite and she eventually placed 6th. Warner Music saw something special in the 16-year-old and recently released her debut EP - the surprisingly enjoyable 16 & Unstoppable. It's Avril Lavigne meets The Veronicas pop/rock for moderately angst-ridden teenagers but it works for me. I met up with Christina to discuss the EP and her future plans last week. Check it out.

"16 & Unstoppable" has finally landed. How does it feel? 

It’s a nice feeling. It’s a good feeling. I don’t think people realise how much work goes into putting a single together, putting an EP together. All the crap you have to go through. All the stuff you have to organise. So to finally see it was a nice relief. It was a great feeling.

Tell me about the song. Who did you work with? What was the inspiration behind it?

Unfortunately, I wasn’t part of the writing. I was writing with these guys at Hit City and one of them played the beginning of “16 and Unstoppable”. I was like - that’s cool, work on that. I want to hear more of it. And then the next time I came in they had finished the song. Hayley Warner was in and she was fixing the second verse and I was like – wow, the song’s already done. Great! They got me to sing on the track and then when we were trying to pick a single, it really stood it. We all thought it was really cool. We knew it was an instant hit, so we went with that.

And the video (below)? It looks like you had a lot of fun.

I come from playing in bands – pub rock punk bands – and now emerging as a solo artist, a pop artist, I wanted to keep a bit of me rock roots and the first thing I think of when I think of rock is rebellion. There were a few mixed comments about how people perceived it. There were a couple that said what is she doing? Her mother would hate her if she did this! And then there were others that found it really cool. I’m kind of glad there was criticism. That’s my rock side.

It’s good to get a bit of controversy...

Yeah, it means people watched it. That’s great.

You’ve talked about your roots. How did you start out before X Factor?

I started off acting. I went to acting school. Then I started singing lessons on the side. I was like, I don’t wanna do it. But that’s where I met Victor Reyes who has been the mentor of my whole career. He started teaching me when I was 10. Then at 14 he introduced me to the first band and we did a few gigs and then I got my own band and started doing more gigs. Then I did the whole festival thing and band competitions. Now I’m here! Loved a lot of Blink 182 growing up. Loved Avril Lavigne. I love The Pretty Reckless - stuff like that.

I was going to ask if those younger pop/rock chicks like Taylor Momsen are the artists you look up to.

Yeah definitely. Girls like Hayley Williams, Avril Lavigne but I also like my pop/rock as well – like Katy Perry, P!nk and Kelly Clarkson. They’re all great but Avril Lavigne is my favourite. Growing up I used to wear the boy shorts and the chain.

She’s awesome. Do you have a favourite song?

You know what? I don’t know why but I’ve always just loved “Sk8er Boi”. I love her older stuff. You go into my mum’s car and it’s full of all Avril’s old CDs – Under My Skin, Let Go. All that stuff!

I guess that takes us to X Factor. For someone that was singing in rock bands – was that a bit of a shock to your system to be doing pop covers?

You know how that came about? My friends and family said I should do it. My whole life I was always like – I’m not going to go on a TV show. They’re just going to judge me. It was a week out from auditions and I just thought – whatever. I’ll give it a go. And yeah, I got a lot further than I thought I would. When I made it past the TV auditions and got to boot camp, I was like – I’m happy with this. I remember walking down the first day at boot camp and I thought it was like being surrounded by barbie dolls. They were all wearing the dresses , poofy hair and beautiful make-up and I was wearing purple jeans and a t-shirt. Yeah, X Factor – it made me pop but now I’m mixing in a bit of rock. It’s a good mix for me.

Were you expecting to progress and do so well in the show? You were one of the fan favourites.

I really did not expect it. After every round I was like – I’m happy with that. I’m happy with that. I eventually came 6^th. I’m happy with that. That’s great. I only decided to audition a week out. It was all so last minute.

How soon after the show ended did you hear from Warner?

At the beginning of this year, they were like – look, go down your stuff and come back to us with what you’ve got. They liked it and then they signed me. They had their eye on me and then when the final product came around, they were cool.

So you had quite a lot of control over your own sound then.

Exactly, yeah.

So what was the brief when you went into the studio?

For the first single I knew I was going to have to lean towards pop. That’s what’s current. You can hear on my EP, it just gets more rock and more mature. You can hear in the stuff I’m writing now – I’ve already grown a lot and I want people to grow with me. I love how they gave me creative control by saying – go into the studio and come back to us.

What’s the plan from here? How are you going to get your song hear?

I’m going to do a few shows and a lot of radio and TV. I guess we’re just going to see how well the song sells and go from there.

You’ve got a really strong online following. How important is that?

Online is where it’s at these days. I go home and get on Twitter. It’s great and my following is incredible for someone that placed 6^thin a show and didn’t even make the grand final. I’m incredibly grateful. Usually after the show, it all dies down but to have so many people still following me is great.

How are you going to separate yourself from the other X Factor alumni?

I’m just doing my thing. When you come off those shows, you don’t know exactly what you want and end up doing what everyone tells you to do but being with Warner – they’re so open-minded and ask me about everything. I have a say in everything. They’re putting it in my control. This is me shaping me. This isn’t someone telling me this is what Christina Parie is going to be like. It’s so personal and it’s me driving it... I think that’s what really separates me. Well, I hope so.

Are you still in touch with anyone from X Factor?

I think we just end up seeing each other at places like the Katy Perry movie premiere. I saw Luke Jacobz and Reece. It’s so friendly when we see each other. We have a chat and a catch up but we definitely need a reunion or something.

One last question – if you could pick anyone, whose career would you most like to have?

After seeing her movie, Katy Perry. I want to make a difference like her. I just don’t know how I’m going to do it yet! We’ll see. That’s my goal.

Good luck with that! All the best.

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