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Filipina girl band 4th Power is at the center of controversy in the United Kingdom after joining the recent auditions for X Factor UK.
The Filipino sisters shocked X Factor judges with their rendition of Jessie J’s ‘Bang Bang’. 4th Power got rave reviews from Cheryl, Rita Ora, Nick Grimshaw, and Simon Cowell, which meant they were through to the next round.
Simon even said based on that performance, 4th Power “could give Little Mix (English girl band) a run for their money.”
But after the show, viewers felt slighted to find out that the sisters — Almira, Celena, Mylene and Irene Gollayan — are actually professional singers who have also made the rounds of talent shows here in the Philippines.
The negative response is not surprising, as X Factor showed video clip showing the girls shy amateurs, content in practicing their craft at home. The VTR also showed the girls flying to London along with their mom.
“We’ve been competing in different places. Some people are saying we should just give up, we’re not going to make it,” Almira said in the clip.
The Gollayan Sisters had joined Korean talent show Superstar K6, but at that time, viewers knew them as M.I.C.A.
They were also the grand champions on ABS-CBN’s It’s Showtime in 2012, under the name Gollayan Sisters. They have also performed in Pinoy Idol, but were known as Cercados.
A report from mirror.co.uk reveals, producers were aware of the background of the Gollayan sisters before going on the show. Yes, they are also aware that the group has released albums on Amazon, and had signed with Star Records. They were also not kept in the dark about the sisters’ millions of hits on YouTube.
The show’s saving grace? “The judges had not been told what was coming, to ensure their reaction was as strong and completely natural as it could be,” the source told mirror.co.uk.
Simon had also said he welcomes talent from all over the world: “Part of me welcomes foreign talent in case we may not find enough at home. Another part of me thinks it is a badge of honor if you do well on the UK show. We sell it all around the world. That’s the one they all want to audition for and I’m competitive against the other versions of the show. So I like it if foreign talent comes to the UK and not to their home country.”
But what’s the rule anyway?
Well, X Factor Rules state: Acts may be invited to audition for the programme by researchers acting on behalf of the producer. Such acts will be required to go through the audition process.
What do you think? Does 4th Power deserve the spotlight in X Factor UK? Or should they give other newbies a chance?
