Nicholas McDonald was the runner up in 2013’s The X Factor, after Sam Bailey. The Wishaw lad’s boyish looks and angelic voice won over the voting viewers and after leaving school to pursue his music career, the 17-year-old is about to release his debut album.
In the Arms Of an Angel is a collection of both covers and original songs from Nicholas. I have to be honest and say that the name did make me a bit sceptical. After ten series and many X Factor graduates,a standard mould has emerged: sickly ballads or overly perky renditions of popular hits. I also have to be honest and say that Nicholas’ album does feature a couple of these: Flying Without Wings always reminds me of cruise ships and while he does sing it well, it seems a bit cheesy. However his cover of If You’re Not The One by Daniel Bedingfield is a refreshing addition to the collection and a song I definitely wouldn’t have expected.
The majority of the songs on the album are about love and longing – ideally suited for the teenage girls he appeals to. It’s not difficult to imagine fangirls screaming over him and pining for someone to sing to them like he does. He blends what’s great about Take That and Bruno Mars: boy band vocals and smooth charm.
While the album includes several covers, it does have three original songs from Nicholas. I think the best of these is Answerphone. No, not Payphone. And no, not Telephone featuring Beyonce. He sings about his special someone being “just so amazing” and how his “heart beats louder” whenever she’s close. It’s catchy but verges on teeny pop. He’s one of the few singers that both my little sister and my mum enjoy but it would be good to see him branch out into more mature music and take advantage of his talent.
To be honest, as long as he behaves better than Justin Bieber, he’ll be alright.
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