X Factor is a Danish television music competition to find new singing talent. The eighth season premiered on 2 January 2015 and ended on 27 March on DR1. Eva Harlou returned as host for her second season. Thomas Blachman, Remee and Lina Rafn returned as judges for their respective seventh, fifth and fourth seasons.
Judges and hosts
On 29 March 2014 Remee announced that he would not be returning as a judge for season 8. On 11 August it was announced that Eva Harlou would be returning as host.https://www.dr.dk/DRPresse/Artikler/2014/08/11/091844.htm On 18 August it was announced that Thomas Blachman, Lina Rafn and Remee would all be returning as judges for season 8.
Selection process
Auditions Auditions took place in Copenhagen and Aarhus.
5 Chair Challenge For the eighth season, superbootcamp was replaced by 5 Chair Challenge. 5 Chair Challenge was filmed from 28 to 29 October 2014. The 14-22s category was changed to the 15-22s. Remee received the 15-22s category, Rafn received the Over 23s and Blachman received the Groups. Before the Groups were due to perform, Blachman removed two of the chairs.
The 15 successful acts were: 15-22s: Baraa, Daniel, Emilie, Johannes, Tannaz Over 23s: Jògvan, Nanni, Peter, Rene, Sophia Groups: The CCS, Citybois, Finn & Rie, Ivarsson, Bang & Neumann, Second Venue
Bootcamp Remee took the 15-22s to a military base; Rafn took the Over 23s to Horsens Statsfængsel; and Blachman took the Groups to a school. For the first time since the show's inception in 2008, the judges had no assistants.
The 6 eliminated acts were: 15-22s: Daniel, Johannes Over 23s: Peter, Rene Groups: The CCS, Second Venue
Contestants
Key: – Winner – Runner-up ActAge(s)HometownCategory (mentor)ResultEmilie Esther15Aalborg15-22s (Remee)WinnerJógvan Joensen25Faroe IslandsOver 23s (Rafn)Runner-upIvarsson, Bang & Neumann16-21Frederiksberg, Holbæk & HolteGroups (Blachman)3rd placeCitybois15-16GentofteGroups (Blachman)4th placeBaraa Qadoura15Gellerup15-22s (Remee)5th placeTannaz Hakami16Odense15-22s (Remee)6th place Sophia Nohr25FrederiksbergOver 23s (Rafn)7th placeFinn & Rie56-60Tølløse & SlagelseGroups (Blachman)8th placeNanni Klitte26RandersOver 23s (Rafn)9th place
Live shows The live shows started on 13 February 2015 at DR Byen. The final will be held at Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning on 27 March. Colour key –Contestant was in the bottom two and had to sing again in the final showdown –Contestant received the fewest public votes and was immediately eliminated (no final showdown) –Contestant received the most public votes
Contestants' colour key:
| – Over 23s (Rafn's contestants) |- | – 15-22s (Remee's contestants) |- | – Groups (Blachman's contestants)
Contestant Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 1st round 2nd round Emilie Esther2nd13.7% 3rd14.7%1st18.8%1st20.8%1st24.1%1st32.7%1st51.2%Winner59.8% Jógvan Joensen8th7.3%2nd15.6% 4th14.4% 4th16.3%2nd20.8%2nd25.6%2nd27.4%Runner-Up40.2% Ivarsson, Bang & Neumann 4th13.2% 5th11.9% 3rd15.1%2nd17.2%4th18.5% 3rd22.2%3rd21.4%Eliminated(Week 7) Citybois 5th12.4%1st16.4% 2nd15.7% 3rd16.7% 3rd18.6%4th19.5%Eliminated(Week 6) Baraa Qadoura1st14.6% 6th11.2%7th9.5%6th14,4%5th18.0%Eliminated(Week 5) Tannaz Hakami 6th11,9%7th10,0% 5th13,9%5th14.6%Eliminated(Week 4) Sophia Nohr 3rd13,3% 4th12,4%6th12,6%Eliminated(Week 3) Finn & Rie 7th7.8%8th7.3%Eliminated(Week 2) Nanni Klitte9th6.4%Eliminated(Week 1) Final Showdown The act that received the fewest public votes was automatically eliminated. Remee voted out Nanni Klitte Finn & Rie Sophia Nohr Tannaz Hakami Ivarsson, Bang & Neumann Rafn voted out Nanni Klitte Finn & Rie Baraa Qadoura Tannaz Hakami Baraa Qadoura Blachman voted out Jógvan Tannaz Hakami Sophia Nohr - Baraa Qadoura Eliminated Nanni Klitte9th Finn & Rie8th Sophia7th Tannaz Hakami6th Baraa Qadoura5th Citybois4th Ivarsson, Bang & Neumann3rd Jógvan JoensenRunner-Up Emilie EstherWinner
Live show details
Week 1 (13 February) Theme: Signature
+ Contestants' performances on the first live show Act Order Song Result Tannaz Hakami 1 "Take Me to Church" Safe Jógvan Joensen 2 "Forget Her" Bottom two Finn & Rie 3 "(That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace" Safe Emilie Esther 4 "We Are Young" Safe Ivarsson, Bang & Neumann 5 "White Winter Hymnal" Safe Nanni Klitte 6 "Kører for dig" Eliminated Citybois 7 "Former" Safe Sophia Nohr 8 "Ghost" Safe Baraa Qadoura 9 "We Are Here" Safe (Highest votes) Judges' votes to eliminate Blachman: Jógvan Remee: Nanni Klitte Rafn: Nanni Klitte – felt the competition was not the right place for her
Week 2 (20 February) Theme: Grammy nominated hits
+ Contestants' performances on the second live show Act Order Song Result Sophia Nohr 1 "American Pie" Safe Emilie Esther 2 "Chandelier" Safe Finn & Rie 3 "Harvest Moon" Eliminated Baraa Qadoura 4 "Brave" Safe Ivarsson, Bang & Neumann 5 "Holocene" Safe Tannaz Hakami 6 "I Want to Know What Love Is" Bottom two Jógvan Joensen 7 "Stay with Me" Safe Citybois 8 "Maniac" Safe (Highest votes) Judges' votes to eliminate Remee: Finn & Rie – backed his own act, Tannaz Hakami Blachman: Tannaz Hakami – backed his own act, Finn & Rie Rafn: Finn & Rie – thought Hakami would get more out of a recording contract
Week 3 (27 February) Theme: Contemporary hits Musical guests: Heidi Svelmøe Herløw, Lucas, Asian Senstation, Alien Beat Club, Thomas Ring Petersen, Babou, Tandberg & Østenby, Jean Michel, Karoline, Zaina, Anthony Jasmin, Lucy Mardou and Henriette Haubjerg ("A Sky Full of Stars")
+ Contestants' performances on the third live show Act Order Song Result Baraa Qadoura 1 "When Love Takes Over" Bottom two Sophia Nohr 2 "Prototypical" Eliminated Citybois 3 "The Strip" Safe Tannaz Hakami 4 "Back to Black" Safe Ivarsson, Bang & Neumann 5 "Miles and Miles" Safe Emilie Esther 6 "Wild Eyes"/"Pompeii" Safe (Highest votes) Jógvan Joensen 7 "Radioactive" Safe Judges' votes to eliminate Remee: Sophia Nohr – backed his own act, Baraa Qadoura Rafn: Baraa Qadoura – backed her own act, Sophia Blachman: Sophia Nohr
Week 4 (6 March) Theme: Danish hits + Contestants' performances on the fourth live show Act Order Song Result Citybois 1 "Lørdag aften" Safe Emilie Esther 2 "Glimpse of a Time" Safe (Highest votes) Jógvan Joensen 3 "Når tiden går baglæns" Safe Baraa Qadoura 4 "Better Than Yourself (Criminal Mind Pt. 2)"/"Faded" Bottom two Ivarsson, Bang & Neumann 5 "Comforting Sounds" Safe Tannaz Hakami 6 "I Danmark er jeg født" Eliminated Judges' votes to eliminate Rafn: Tannaz Hakami: decided to go with the talent instead of the voice Blachman: decided to let Remee decide between his two acts Remee: Tannaz Hakami
Week 5 (13 March) Theme: Songs from Movies (accompanied by DR Bigband) Group Performance: "Uptown Funk"
+ Contestants' performances on the fifth live show Act Order Song Movie Result Ivarsson, Bang & Neumann 1 "Yellow Flicker Beat"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 Bottom two Baraa Qadoura 2 "Don't Let Go (Love)"Set It Off Eliminated Citybois 3 "Earned It"Fifty Shades of Grey Safe Jógvan Joensen 4 "Creep" Happily Ever After Safe Emilie Esther 5 "Poker Face"N/A Safe (Highest votes) Judges' votes to eliminate Blachman: Baraa Qadoura – backed his own act, Ivarsson, Bang & Neumann, and also said to Baraa Qadoura that he never thought a contestant had been sent through after three times in the bottom two Remee: Ivarsson, Bang & Neumann – backed his own act, Baraa Qadoura Rafn: Baraa Qadoura – because it was Qadoura's third time in the bottom two
Week 6: Semi-final (20 March) Theme: Viewers choice; Judges choice Musical guest: Basim ("Picture in a frame") and ("I Believe I Can Fly")
+ Contestants' performances on the sixth live show Act Order First song Order Second song Result Emilie Esther 1 "One Last Time"/"Love Me like You Do" 5 "FourFiveSeconds" Safe (Highest votes) Ivarsson, Bang & Neumann 2 "The Balcony" 6 "Empty Room" Safe Jógvan Joensen 3 "Use Somebody" 7 "Josephine" Safe Citybois 4 "Kongens Have" 8 "Belong to the World" Eliminated The semi-final did not feature a final showdown and instead the act with the fewest public votes, Citybois, was automatically eliminated.
Week 7: Final (27 March) Theme: Free Choice; Duet with Musical Guests; winner's single Musical guests: Ulige Numre ("Halvnøgen"); Julias Moon ("Palace"); Stine Bramsen ("The Day You Leave Me"); OMI ("Cheerleader") Group Performances: "Break Free" (Ariana Grande featuring Zedd; Performed of Ivarsson, Bang & Neumann, Emilie Esther, and Jógvan); "Born This Way" (Lady Gaga; (auditionees); "Vi er helte" (Performed of Peter Bjørnskov and X Factor 2015 contestants)
+ Contestants' performances on the seventh live show Act Order Free Choice Song Order Duet with Musical guest Order Winner's single Result Jógvan Joensen 1 "Yellow" 4 "København" 8 "Best Kept Secret" Runner-up Ivarsson, Bang & Neumann 2 "The High Road" 5 "Lipstick Lies" N/A N/A (Already eliminated) 3rd Place Emilie Esther 3 "Nature Boy"/"If I Were a Boy"/"Bitter Sweet Symphony" 6 "Karma Town" 7 "Undiscovered" Winner
Controversies and criticism On 25 March, two days before the final, Bente Boserup, leader of BørneTelefonen, criticized the Danish X Factor for exposing children under 18 to high pressure and stress, after contestants Baraa Qadoura and Tannaz Hakami broke down in tears during the fourth live show. This was supported by psychologist John Halse, as well as contestant Finn Irs, who protested by not showing up to the all-stars song during the final live show. Irs stated that the producers were more interested in their contestants showing their emotions, rather than making a musical show. Jan Lagermand Lundme, the contributing editor on DR1, stated that all contestants were checked by a psychologist to see if they were fit to handle the pressure.Politiken: Børneeksperter: Fjern alle under 18 år fra X Factor. (Danish)
References