The year in TUNEZ!

2010 had a lot to live up to after 2009 provided such class-A tunes as Million Dollar Bill (Freemasons remix, obvs), Tik Tok and Sexy Bitch, but it proved to be another tune-full year, with ballads basically becoming extinct (unless you're Westlife or Take That). 2010 was also an auto-tuneful year, with such super-successful acts as Ke$ha, Taio Cruz and The Black Eyed Peas all (over)using it on their hits.

Here are 16 tunes that made me lose my manners - and my mind - on the dancefloor in OH10.

1. Ricki Lee - Can't Touch It. A song so amazing, it made us all want to go to SATC 2 even though the first film was meh and the second one clearly didn't have a plot. This song has the ability to make me feel excited about absolutely anything.

Doctor: You need to go for a prostrate exam.

Me: What?!

Doctor: "HEY-EH-EH-EH BABY!"

Me: (jumps up) "Let's do this thing!"

Ricki's vocals are incredible and she looks like the kind of girl you'd want to go razzing with.

I had hoped I Am... Sasha Fierce would be full of songs like this but alas, it was a ballad-fest.

Also, love the West Coast Cooler ad-esque video and the fit, beanie-wearing love interest.

Best bit: "HEY-EH-EH-EH BABY! LEMME SEE YOUR HANDS UP IN THE AIR!"

2. Lil' Jon feat. Kee - Give It All You Got. Heard it for the first time in July when I was on a plane from New York to Dublin. I was on my own and beyond exhausted, but this song gave me back the will to live. I FUCKIN' LOVE LIL' JON! I hate it when people complain, saying that all he does is shout - yeah? So what? If my shout was that amazing, I'd go around shouting all the time as well.

Best bit: "YYEAH! I DON'T CARE WHAT TIME THE CLUB CLOSE! (WHASSUP!)"

Tinie Tempah feat. Labyrinth - Frisky. The best song from this year's biggest, new British act. The "la la la la" bit gets stuck in my head, but never makes me want to kill myself like other melodies that get stuck there. Eg. "I whip my hair back and forth, I whip my hair back and forth" and "alouette-wetta-wetta, alouette-wetta-wetta".

Best bit: "Would you risk it for a chocolate biscuit?"

Ke$ha - Your Love is My Drug. "Maybe I need some rehab? / Or maybe just need some sleep..." - from the first line, this song is a classic and it just doesn't let up with amazing lines such as "My speech is going to be affected/ If I keep it up like a love-sick crack-head."

There is a carefree abandon to the song's production - with a refreshing lack of autotune for her. Like Ke$ha herself, the song is a loveable mess.

Best bit: when she says "I like your beard" and giggles at the end of the song.

Ke$ha - We R Who We R. Unpretentious euphoric electro-pop. When this comes on in a club, it goes off! Ke$ha has this knack of making me smile - the beats in her songs are big and happy and her lyrics are always memorable. She has hit on a formula which is so simple, it's genius: killer beat + gas lyrics + Autotune = HIT.

Best bit: "We're sellin' our clothes, sleepin' in cars/ Dressin' it down, hittin' on dudes - HARD."

Taio Cruz feat. Ke$ha - Dirty Picture. Brilliant collabo from two of OH10's most ubiquitous popstars. Whoever thought of making Ke$ha dance on a filthy jaxx in the video is a genius!

Best bit: "Whenever you are gone I just wanna be with ya/ Please don't get me wrong, I just wanna see your picture."

Fun fact: Sundai from cycle 13 of America's Next Top Model (midget cycle) features in the video.

Katy Perry - Peacock. It's not clever, it's not original, but it's an absolute tune. Like many of the best songs, I fell in love with it for the first time when it came on in The George.

Best bit: "Are you brave enough to lemme see your peacock?/ Don't be a chicken, boy, stop actin' like a biatch/ Ima peace out if you don't give me the pay-off/ (Come on baby let me see what you hiding underneath)"

Katy Perry - Supernatural. Katy Perry's tribute to T.A.T.U turns out to be quite a tune.

Best bit: "Kiss me, k-k-kiss me/ Infect me with your love and fill me with your poison".

Katy Perry - California Gurls. The undisputed song of the summer. Melodically, it borrows quite heavily from Ke$ha's Tik Tok (sing the choruses of both songs one after the other - it'll make you gasp) but there are enough differences to make up for that. It also has fun lyrics and one of (if not the) best pop videos of the year.

Best bit: "Fine, fresh, fierce - we've got it on lock."

Lady Gaga feat. Beyoncé - Telephone. While the video was overblown and self-indulgent (and featured a sickening amount of product placement), there's no taking away from the song itself. The lyrics are brilliant in a 'wow - their singing about my life!' way and the Beyoncé section is nothing short of breathtaking.

Best bit: "THE WAY YOU BLOWIN' UP MAH PHONE WON'T MAKE ME LEAVE NO FASTER! PUT MAH COAT ON FASTER - LEAVE MAH GIRLS NO FASTER! SHOULDA LEFT MAH PHONE AT HOME COS THIS IS A DISASTER! CALLIN' LIKE A COLLECTOR - SORRY I CANNOT ANSWER!"

Rihanna - Rude Boy. At the end of the day, all the best songs are about sex.

Best bit: "Do you like it? Cos I want want want what you want want want/ Give it to me, baby, like boom boom boom!"

Rihanna - Only Girl. Back with her fourth album, Rihanna was keen to show that she was over feeling shit about Chris Brown and ready to rock out, half-naked with a Ronald McDonald weave on her head. Welcome back, gurl!

Best bit: When the beat kicks in after the middle eight. "Make it last all niiight (explosion sound)/ WANT YOU TO MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I'M THE ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD!"

Rihanna feat. Drake - What's My Name. A song I thought was shit until Rihanna appeared on X Factor and threw off her robe. What a moment in pop culture!

Best bit: "Hey boy, I really wanna see if you can go down-town with a girl like me."

Hurts - Wonderful Life (Freemasons remix). There's something late-nineties/early-noughties dance about the beats. Reminds me of Chicane. A haunting piece of music.

Best bit: "Don't. Let. Go. / Never give up - it's such a wonderful life."

Deadmaus feat. Neon Hitch - Can't Behave Myself. Deadmaus has gone more mainsteam with this tune - teaming up with mate of Ke$ha and ex-roommate of Amy Winehouse, Neon Hitch, who's tipped to be big next year (cos there's such a lack of solo female vocalists atm...).

Best bit: When the Scissor Sisters riff comes in at the beginning of the song.

And there you have it! I'm Robinita - that was the year in tunez.

Here's to a tune-ful 2011!

Usher feat. will.i.am - OMG. Sorry, I don't know what E I was on at the time I compiled that list, but I somehow left this song out! While I can't pick my number one tune of the year, OMG is definitely in my top three. The song is perfectly constructed and has every element of a pop anthem; the synths create a sense of mystery and suspense while the drums and the football chanting hit you on a visceral level and give the song a tribal feel.

It's Usher's best song since Yeah! and easily will.i.am's best work of OH10.

Best bit: "You make me wanna say oh oh oh-oh, oh oh oh oh-oh, oh oh oh oh-oh, oh oh oh my gosh (beat kicks in, crowd goes wild, it all goes off)"

Final X Factor post - Sunday's show and best of series

After being on our TV screens for almost four months, X Factor 2010 is finally over. And I have to say, even though Matt didn't bring his 'A' game in the last couple of shows, he was the most consistent contestant and he did have the two best performances of the series (Nights in White Satin and First Time Ever I Saw Your Face). 1 Direction may have been more exciting and loveable and Rebecca may have been more unique, but Matt is a talented guy and not an unworthy winner. To be honest, I was more happy for Dannii than Matt when Dermot read out his name - she has worked hard and acted with such dignity throughout this travesty of a series, and while Cheryl's and Simon's approval ratings have plummeted, she has quietly won the public's respect and admiration. Also, she looked stunning on Sunday in that shimmering, white, plunging gown. Go Dannii! Nice power!

As far as Sunday night's performances are concerned, I thought all three acts did a fairly good job. Matt's version of Firework was quite good, even if he was wearing tight, lime green trousers and there wear scary, blue-clad dancers on stage who were wearing rugby headgear and trying to do synchronised swimming out of water. (Seriously, what goes on in Brian Friedman's mind?).

Rebecca's performance of Sweet Dreams was pretty cool - I loved it when the beat kicked in! It carried on from where Show Me Love left off and I thought it was a smart song choice.

I thought she looked great in that short, gold dress, but I wasn't sure about her dark lipstick and Queen Amidala hair. I suppose they were going for a futuristic kind of look...

1 Direction's final *sob* X Factor performance was a great one. Natalie Imbruglia's Torn was the song that they sang at their judge's house and, yet again, Harry shone, giving an emotional performance . It was a brilliant last performance and though I was gutted (and shocked!) that they didn't make the top two, I've no doubt that they'll go on to pop superstardom (on this side of the Atlantic, at least).

Anyhoo, you know the rest: Rebecca and Matt sang their X-Factor-winner-sounding X Factor winner songs and Take That sang The Flood. Again. But while last night's show wasn't that exciting as X Factor final's go, some very interesting things happened after the show on Xtra Factor. First of all, Konnie Huq revealed who Nicole Scherzinger, Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell predicted who would win the show back when they were in bootcamp and Nicole and Simon both picked Gamu! Cheryl Cole's expression said it all; it was as if she had been kicked in the mouth. PRICELESS. Konnie then went on to announce the contestants who had placed first and second after each live show this year and, excluding the first week when Mary Byrne got the most votes, Matt was top every week. Interestingly, 1 Direction were never in the top two and Katie got the second highest amount of votes the week before she sent home (people must have really liked her new hair). It just goes to show that teenage girls aren't as silly as we thought; they might scream themselves hoarse for 1 Direction but they don't spend all their credit on voting for them.

Best and worst of X Factor 2010

Anyway, with the recap of Sunday's show over with, I thought I'd give out some awards to the heroes and villains of this year's competition.

Best judge: Dannii Minogue

Worst judge: Chermon (the super-smug, two-headed beast that sits to Dannii's left)

Olly Murs-style surprise fittie: Matt Cardle

Biggest fittie: Zain (with Aiden Grimshaw a close second)

Cheekiest chappie: Harry Styles

Least rideable member of 1 Direction: Niall Horan

Least loveable member of 1 Direction: Liam Payne

Best performance by a contestant: First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Matt Cardle

Best facial expressions: Niall Horan

Contestant I'd least like to meet in a dark alley: Cher Lloyd

Contestant most likely to end up in an insane asylum: Katie Waissel

Contestant who ate all the pies: Paije Richardson/Mary Byrne

Contestant for whom I'd most like to make shepherd's pie: Niall Horan

Contestant who I'd most like to make me shepherd's pie: Mary Byrne

Brian Friedman's best stage show: Barbara Streisand, Diva Fever. Homoerotic beach party on a family show? Genius!

Brian Friedman's worst stage show: Don't Speak, Katie Waissel. Horrific. Well, in fairness, that was the week Katie took creative control (and the week she should have been sent home).

Best celeb performance: What's My Name, Rihanna. I respect a girl who just gets naked when she wants to.

Worst celeb performance: Nothing to rival Whitney's shambolic turn last year or Britney in 2008, but The Wanted's dodgy dodgem routine was pretty fucking weak.

Biggest injustice: Gamu not being chosen as one of Cheryl's girls

Second biggest injustice: Aiden being sent home in place of Katie in week 6

Sky's the limit: 1 Direction

Going, going, gone: Cheryl Cole

I'm going to leave you with a choice quote from a friend of mine who summed up this series of the X Factor beautifully: "Simon and Cheryl think they are the show but really, they are the worst thing about it."

On that note, goodbye!

Hope you've enjoyed the X Factor posts!

Mwah!

Xoxo, Robinita ;)

Penultimate post on X Factor final: Saturday's show

It's been a long, looong road, but the X Factor is almost over for another year. I tuned into last night's show more with resignation than excitement, but the show was actually less tedious and full of padding than I expected so I was actually reasonably entertained.

I began watching the show wishing with all my heart that Cher would be voted off (I expected she would but there was also a part of me that thought, 'This is the same shit series that saw Katie Waissel last for eight weeks - who knows what horrific injustices are in store?'), but I thought she performed quite well and was actually better than Matt and 1 Direction on the night. Obviously, she was never going to win the competition but I thought that Cher left on a good note and redeemed herself somewhat by how she carried herself last night. I think she made the show more interesting and went as far as she deserved to go.

In terms of X Fashion, both female judges opted for full-length dresses; Dannii wearing a pretty but unspectacular red number, while Cheryl wore a cream, diamante encrusted, off-the-shoulder gown which showed neither leg nor cleavage :O Dannii looked better, obvs; I wasn't a fan of Cheryl's wet, slicked-back hair. Did she come straight from the shower or what?

The group song saw the final 16 reunited and was predictably awful. What a Feeling? What a Load of Shit! Katie wore what can only be described as American football armour fashioned out of a disco ball. Cher's rap was sort of cringey - she kept going on about musical chairs and I had no idea what it had to do with the song and whether she had written it herself or lifted it from another song. Rebecca sounded well and looked the most animated I've ever seen her, while Matt sounded poor for him and 1 Direction were 1 Direction.

Round 1 - Solos

Matt was the first up, and watching his VT, I thought (not for the first time) that he lacked something behind the eyes. He doesn't have the warmth or the joi de vivre that one looks for in a winner. As far as his first performance is concerned, I thought singing a Dido song was a bad move. When you're an artist who airs on the beige side, the last thing you should do is sing a song by the beige overlord. Watching him, I thought 'This is NOT how you win the X Factor!'; the song choice was naff and his voice didn't sound fully recovered.

It wasn't one of my favourite Matt performances and it was a lukewarm start to the show.

Rebecca - Watching her VT, I thought, 'Aw, she's a lovely woman!' and also, 'Cheryl is clearly not as pro-Rebecca as she is pro-Cher'. I thought Rebecca's speech to students in her old school was heartfelt and touching; her personality has blossomed into the personality of an X Factor winner (unlike Matt).

I thought the song choice was perfect; Corinne Bailey Rae's Just Like a Star is an absolutely beautiful song and its laid-back, soulful sound suited Rebecca down to the ground. I thought she was performing better than usual; she was looking out at the audience and giving charming smiles. Her vocals were great and she looked amazing in her long, ruched, beige dress (so on trend!). The only thing I didn't like about the performance was when those male dancers came out and spun the platform on which she was standing around; it mocked the fact that she never moves when she performs. That said, it was still my favourite solo performance; she is peaking at a perfect time.

I thought Dannii's comment about how she hoped this was the start of Rebecca's confidence was so nice! However, I wasn't so keen on Cheryl's tears; she's such a manipulative cunt.

1 Direction - After they 'smashed' Elton John's Something About the Way You Look Tonight, I thought them performing Your Song would be magical, but it wasn't. It was a safe move and it didn't move me like some of their other performances. It seemed like they weren't fully present.

That said, I loved Liam's Bieber hair flick when he was trying to get the artificial snow off his head and, let's be honest, when you've got crazed teenage girl fans, there's no stopping you.

Cher - Is it just me or was there a real disconnect between Cher and her family in the VT? It came across like Cher wasn't that close to anyone at home.

She performed YET ANOTHER MASH-UP, but I respect her for singing a Missy Elliot song on the X Factor (cos let's be honest, what other contestant ever would?).

It was quite good - entertaining, unlike Matt or 1 Direction's solo performances.

Round 2 - Duets

Matt - Again, I didn't think the song choice was very good; there are better songs than Murderer in Rihanna's back catalogue. I thought that Matt sounded quite sharp at the beginning of the song and when Rihanna joined him I just thought they were an odd pairing; she is clearly not someone who influences him musically. I thought her hair was hilarious (Sideshow Bob called...) and it served to make her look even taller than him than she already is, which was unfortunate.

I didn't think there was any chemistry between the two of them, despite what the judges said, and I think that she is too sexual to be a good match with Matt.

Rebecca - I wasn't sure about her multi-coloured shawl thingie but I thought she sang very well in the beginning. However, when Ms Aguilera came on stage, she was kind of forgotten about - I forgot how incredible Christina's voice was! Sure, she was dressed a little sluttily and she is a bit fat at the moment, but they're the only flaws people can pick out of her performance because she sounded amazing.

It wasn't an Alexandra and Beyoncé moment but I think that was down to Rebecca's shyness and the fact that they didn't have as much time to sing this year. (Can you imagine how incredible it would have been had they gotten to sing the middle eight! Rebecca: "The sun will always"; Christina: "Always!" Together: "SHI-I-I-I-INE!" *Robinita faints*).

It was short of spectacular, but nonetheless, it was my favourite of the duets.

1 Direction - I thought She's The One was a great song choice and I liked their multi-coloured suits (Zain looking especially well in racing green *swoon!*). Personally, Robbie Williams was the least exciting of the duet artists for me and while he is praised for being 'so involved' with his duet partners, I think it the way he interacted with Olly Murs last year and 1 Direction this year made him look desperate and amateurish. I also didn't think 1 Direction sounded that good; they're harmonies were off.

Also, how gauche is Niall? He's like an over-excited puppy the way he jumps up on people. I love how Robbie picked him up and then put him down and got as far away from him as possible.

Cher - When I heard that Will.I.Am was duetting with Cher, I imagined it would be one of the most overblown performances in X Factor history, but there were no gimmicks to be seen. No robots; no pyrotechnics; no Nicki Minaj being lowered onto the stage from the ceiling. Personally, I thought that Cher sounded better singing Where Is the Love? by herself than she did singing I Gotta Feeling with Will.

It was a disappointing enough performance and I lay the blame with Will.I.Am, who didn't interact with Cher very well in my opinion. Well, I guess he is a robot so it's no surprise he doesn't have the human touch...

As far as the celebrity performances are concerned, I thought both Rihanna and X-Tina sang well and put on a good show. My lord, Rihanna is a whore! I thought her performance was brilliant and her stage presence and live vocals have come on lots since she first came on the scene.

Christina was also great. I usually prefer it when she sings ballads but she gave the performance socks and her voice held up really well (if anything it was her matted extensions that let her down. I wonder if she has the same hairdresser as Britney?).

Overall, I thought Rebecca was the best; she gave my favourite solo and duet performances. Silver would probably go to Cher, as I thought 1 Direction didn't give their all and Matt had an off night (on the last bloody night you would want to have one!).

I predict 1 Direction will win the competition and Rebecca will come second based on last night's performances, but I wouldn't be surprised Matt's fans outnumber Ms Fergusons.

Anyhoo, that's all for now; there'll be more tomorrow!

Hope you enjoyed this post.

Love, Robinita ;)

X Factor: Mah verdict on semi-final & results

Ugh, let me start off by saying that this year's show has killed X Factor for me. In previous years, I was addicted to the show but I loved it; this year, I'm addicted to the show, but I HATE it, and I hate myself for watching it.

Anyhoo, on to Saturday's show which was alright, if a little underwhelming in my opinion. In terms of the judges' appearances, Simon had gotten a haircut and I thought he looked younger with shorter bristles; Cheryl looked like a geisha, with white foundation and too-red lipstick (bless her), while Dannii looked stunning with flawless natural make-up and her hair pinned back. It was her best look of the series so far - bravo!

Round 1 - Club Classics

Rebecca kicked off the show with her Club Classic song, Robin S's transcendent Show Me Love. It was a great song choice and it suited Rebecca's voice - I particularly liked when she sang "You've got to giveittome giveittome giveittome yeah!" Rebecca looked very well, and was thankfully dressed a lot younger than usual, in a monochrome outfit. It was her best performance so far but, being Rebecca, she was very still and she didn't sing with any passion. That said, it was much more entertaining than her usual performances.

Mary - Something was off with this performance from the beginning. She didn't seem comfortable with the dancing or the fast tempo of the song, and while her voice sounded good, she didn't sell the song like she usually does. Also, her outfit was quite dowdy (fat chicks don't have to always wear black!) and visually she didn't fit in with her dancers in their hot pink outfits.

Sadly, Mary messed up at the end of the song and came in two bars before she was supposed to (but did any of the judges pick up on that? Hell no! I doubt any of them know what a bar is in musical terms). It pains me to say, but it was a shoddy performance and the worst of the Club Classics.

Matt - You've Got The Love was a GREAT song choice. It was obvious that he was quite ill and his vocals weren't up to his usual standard, but Matt is a pro and was able to build energy as the song progressed, making for a moving finish. There were a couple of rough notes but all things taken into account, he did very well and it was the best of the Club Classics (even if his rendition was more Florence than Candi Staton).

Cher - Nothin' On You was a good song choice but a bit on the 'bloody typical' side. She looked quite well in a tuxedo and it was refreshing to see her not look so 'urban'. She started off well but she lacks Matt's gift for pacing himself and ending on a high, and so the energy of her performance dipped. With Cher, you have the sense that the audience aren't with her because her performances are so self-aware and self-indulgent.

1 Direction - Only Girl was a brilliant song choice for them, but the boys' movements were out of sync and their harmonies were the worst they've ever been. They're loveable as fuck, but there's no denying that it was a sloppy performance and a big missed opportunity.

Round 2 - Ballads

Matt - Always A Woman To Me was a naff song choice, while the illuminated stairs and the dry ice made it seem that Matt had died of his fever and gone to Heaven. He hit a fair few bum notes and it was his worst performance so far, but that said, the man was dying.

I look forward to a healthy Matt 'smashing it' in the final.

Mary - I was in two minds about whether The Way We Were was a good song choice or too predictable. Her voice wasn't completely secure at the start of the song but she overcame her nerves and it was a moving performance in the end. It was unfortunate that she broke down before the last line of the song, especially because Mary's last note is often her best.

Much better than her Club Classic.

Cher - Love The Way You Lie was a brave song choice (especially when she had to be both Rihanna and Eminem) but it was a risk that didn't pay off. Her tuning was bad from the start, with her voice sounding weak and pitchy throughout. It was a cringey performance and her rapping was more like shouting.

I couldn't believe it when the little smunt disregarded Dannii's criticism, as if to say 'I don't give a fuck what you say - I know that was amazing'. Cher is so in love with herself that she thinks everything she does is incredible just because she did it. She thinks she's the Messiah of British culture - 'I'm the future of British music; I say ballads have been done and rapping, gurning and Mariah-style ornamentation is in' - but she's never going to be a great artist if she's not self-critical.

Also, where does she get off thinking she's so original? She sang someone else's song like every other contestant did - does she think that by choosing songs that are currently in the charts she's doing something radically different? Or is it that she thinks she's the first female rapper to come out of Britain? If so, I've got two words for her: 'Lady' and 'Sovereign'. She's the original white English chavette who raps so don't give yourself too much credit, mini-Chez.

Cheeky little cunt, I was delighted that she landed in the bottom two.

Rebecca - SO boring. Who needs sleeping pills when you can listen to Rebecca singing Amazing Grace?

1 Direction - It was much better than their first song. Chasing Cars was a good song choice - it was contemporary, emotive and the vocals were solid (with Harry singing a particularly lovely harmony in the second chorus).

The best performance of the night. I've a feeling they'll win the competition...

Overall, I thought 1 Direction were the best of the night, followed by Matt.

The results

Onto the results show, I thought Alexandra Burke was fairly amazing. Her voice was powerful and impressive, even if the song was a bit naff and her hair was awful. I loved when she rose into the air at the end - it made it a real X Factor performance. Next up were the cast of Glee and, to be honest, the performance was a bit strange for me - the beginning was definitely a bit confused and while the singing was good, I didn't know what was live and what was pre-recorded and there was no wow choreography. (Also, where was Kurt?). Last and least, were the Black Eyed Peas with their piss-take of a new single, The Time (Dirty Bit). They looked like fools, Fergie's vocals were painful and someone should tell Will.I.Am he's not a robot and to stop looking and acting like a gobshite.

In the sing-off, I thought Mary was much better than pitchy and tearful Cher. I was hoping that Dannii would get Cher back for disrespecting her on Saturday's show, but Dannii did what Simon and Cheryl wanted her to do (after all, how is she going to become part of the cool crowd if she does things that make them angry?).

I fucking hate this show. I think Simon, Cheryl, Katie and Cher should all be put in a space rocket and blasted into the sun.

On that cheerful note, I bid you adieu.

Hope you enjoyed this post!

Xoxo, Robinita ;)