Does Louisa show that the X factor now produces no success factor?

In the past, the UK music scene had seemingly become so manipulated that the X Factor winner was not only guaranteed to get the Christmas number one single, but then would almost certainly be guaranteed a modest slice of success before fading out and finding a random new career with their raised profile.

While devoted fans of the X Factor still enjoy the show, the truth of the matter is that viewing figures are in decline. What is more damning, though, is the fact that the show seems to have lost the cross-generational appeal that it previously enjoyed, with fans growing weary of the formula and type of singer that seems to prevail. The recent news that the youngest ever winner Louisa Johnson has been dropped by Syco, despite previously being heavily backed by the record label and Simon Cowell personally, highlights the fact that the show’s star power seems to be firmly on the wane.

Not just about talent
The cruelest element here is that Louisa clearly had talent, something reported on in the earliest days of her X Factor appearances, and a fact that became evident when she followed up her show success with incredible opportunities to collaborate and make a name for herself with acts like Clean Bandit.

Everyone that came out on tour, which was your favourite moment / song / cover? We wanna hear from you! pic.twitter.com/jm8JIqRVCU

— Rak-Su (@RakSuMusic) August 11, 2018

With most recent winners Rak-Su already fighting to stay relevant despite the initial success of their first single Dimelo, it is clear that it’s not just about individual talent but also about the show itself no longer having its own X Factor appeal.

Perhaps the most obvious manifestation of this can be seen in the fact that while the first 11 winners all earned a Christmas number one (even including the awful cover of Hallelujah by Alexandra Burke), there is now absolutely no guarantee that the winner will hit the heights of Christmas number one. In fact, there is no more of an air of inevitability that they will be dropped from Syco shortly after they have released an album than Christmas success.

Still a cash cow…for now
X factor is still, despite its flaws, a commercial cash cow for ITV. The brand of X Factor has managed to branch out into other areas, with a huge money-spinning live tour, computer games, and even free spins no deposit slot games available that have capitalized upon the brand. If the X Factor continues to slide, though, and can no longer operate as a cash cow, then the future will be far from certain for the show.

Forever grateful for my journey so far.. can’t wait for you to hear new music ?? pic.twitter.com/qAtxhvMtZe

After all, it is easy to see a vicious cycle developing, with the decline in success affecting the pool of talent who want to compete on the show, meaning that the chances of those winning becoming credible successful artists post-show becomes even lower. With this in mind, the show will need to use its 2018 renewal to prove itself capable of rising above the comedy acts that seem to have become so prevalent, and digging out those gems that seemed to be there in the early years of the show.