Since winning X Factor back in 2006, Leona Lewis has set the standard by which all contestants are now judged. But has 2013’s Sam Bailey taken things to a whole new level?
With this weekends theme ‘Best of The X Factor’ marking 10 years of the reality series, I thought I’d pose the question: Is Sam Bailey better than Leona and in fact the best contestant the show has ever seen?
If I was to base my opinion on how good a vocalist Sam is now compared to Leona when she was competing in the live shows, I’d probably say Sam just edges it, but it’s real close.
However, if the comparison is made based on how well Leona can sing today, I think the result gets reversed. As great as the series 3 winner was in 06, her voice is now even stronger. I think this live video above of Miss Lewis singing the song ‘Somewhere’ from the musical ‘Les Miserables’ illustrates this point perfectly. The vocals towards the end are truly world class.
That’s not to say the series 10 winner elect isn’t capable of this level, I believe the best of Sam is still yet to come. Plus saying someone is a worse singer than Leona Lewis is hardly an insult. But with Sam expected to be singing ‘Bleeding Love’ on Saturday nights live show, fans will get to make an even clearer, direct comparison between the two British divas.
For me, the best part about watching the 2013 series of X Factor has been seeing just how good the 36-year-old can get. Win, lose or draw, the now (surely) former prison officer will doubtlessly sell albums by the bucket load and make a name for herself as one of the worlds top solo vocalists.
Here’s a demo track of Sam Bailey singing her cover version of ‘Run’: