Why is Alexandra Burke hated so much?

[Resi12]

What I'm saying is that yes of course Cheryl has more people that dislike her (haters, whatever the fuck you want to call it) but that's because she also has 10 times the amount of supporters that Alex does not have.

You can't compare them, it's ludicrous. It's like comparing gold to bronze and I hate to talk about Alex in this way but right now it's the sad truth. Cheryl has many, many fans that will get her to number 1, get her album to number 1, get her following singles good positions, have a vested interest in her. Alexandra does not have that large a fanbase, whether it be the general public or in the business and she still receives the same amount of disdain as of someone who is getting multiple #1's would receive.

[Itty Bitty Piggy]

I was reading a copy of heat magazine in the hairdressers, and in their review of the album they manage to find the word-space to call her annoying twice.

It really does all stem from "ok.com", doesn't it? It's as simple as that. At the end of the day, she did over-step the mark with that tiny comment - not because she was black and therefore people would view her more harshly, and not because we would all like to insult Louis Walsh anyway... BUT, she was a guest on the show. She hadn't had the weeks of building up a back-and-forth with the other judges, and really the only way of viewing that remark is as "annoying".

[Kirkland]

It isn't the 'OK.com' comment that I found annoying, I wasn't a huge fan of her anyway, but I did find her performance as a judge very grating. It was the bad acting, the pretence that she was emotionally invested in her singers that I found bizarre. Feigning concern only works if it looks and feels very genuine. It didn't with her. The long pauses, the drawn out breaths, the closed eyes...it was all a very artificial performance. Even if Cheryl (sorry) doesn't give a damn about Cher Lloyd or Alexandra, she has the most remarkable ability to appear caring and genuine. Alexandra definitely had her eye on a full-time role on X-Factor. I'm absolutely certain of it. It felt very opportunistic. That's what I found so unlikeable about her, and it didn't really leave her either. Yet she comes across very well in some other interviews I've seen, but I agree with the posters who place her stint as a judge on X-Factor as the moment it all went wrong for Alexandra.


@Itty Bitty Piggy Thank you for your nice compliment. I was beginning to wonder if this thread had gone mad!

[malifact]

I have to admit even I thought she came across a bit over the top in her role as a guest judge. I remember when she was introducing Sophie and Misha B in the sing off she gave a sigh and said something like, "This is too close to home". I think she probably did feel some empathy towards the girls, but the average person at home probably said to themselves, "For God's sake, she's only known these girls five minutes".

[SuckMyBean]

Kirkland - that just looked to me like to was innocently trying her best in her judging role, because we all know that she always tries her best. She looked like she was trying to be a really good talent show judge - witty, caring, interesting, constructive, friendly, feisty and entertaining all in one, and it back-fired. She probably really did care about the girl's sing off, because she genuinely does know how they feel.

@Itty Bitty Piggy - in Heat last November-ish, they did an article about "has the show that made Alex RUINED HER?" which was about that her judging performance has messed up her career. I tried to find it on the internet, but couldn't. It would have been interesting to re-read it in light of this this topic.

What I'm saying is that yes of course Cheryl has more people that dislike her (haters, whatever the fuck you want to call it) but that's because she also has 10 times the amount of supporters that Alex does not have.

You can't compare them, it's ludicrous. It's like comparing gold to bronze and I hate to talk about Alex in this way but right now it's the sad truth. Cheryl has many, many fans that will get her to number 1, get her album to number 1, get her following singles good positions, have a vested interest in her. Alexandra does not have that large a fanbase, whether it be the general public or in the business and she still receives the same amount of disdain as of someone who is getting multiple #1's would receive.

Cheryl only has a healthy fan base because of the industry constantly pushing her. Proportionally she probably has more "haters" than Alex, but (unless they're demented) haters don't actually do anything other than snipe and they don't directly affect record sales. You only need a dedicated fan base to get you record sales. However, Overcome very very well, which showed that she had many casual fans, who have not had ha chance to hear about her new album's existence.

I really don't that Alex is hated that much. She is a little unpopular, yes, but she's hardly Myra Hindley.

[Itty Bitty Piggy]

I randomly thought about this again today, and I think her floppage is simply explained.

Her last album was so successful because she was riding an X Factor high, which she won because she was reasonably talented, but more so because she had been kicked out the pervious year and the Brits like to support the underdog. There wasn't any substantial competition for her and the winners song really suited her voice.

Aside from the X Factor crowd, she just didn't really carve herself a niche market that would be interested in a follow-up album. Leona had her sights set on the ballad-lovers, Olly appealed to everyone through his presenting roles, JLS struck when the market was less populated with boybands, Diana went for the quirky teenager route etc etc. In all honesty, Alex just isn't a particularly interesting or exciting artist for the British public, so when she releases a half-baked dance-pop effort you can't really blame people for not giving a toss.

I hate to break it to people, but Alex's popularity is really one of those PJ-only things... Like Nicola Roberts, the exaggerated success of Girls Aloud, continued relevance of Britney Spears, knowing that Cassie still exists, and so on.

[KhiaShamone]

But I mean, how much of an X-Factor high accounted for her single's successes? Usually it's only the first single that does OK and utter floppage after that, but she managed to do quite good even with lame songs like "Broken Heels" and "The Silence".

[shitshoveller]

In all honesty, Alex just isn't a particularly interesting or exciting artist for the British public, so when she releases a half-baked dance-pop effort you can't really blame people for not giving a toss.

I agree with that. I don't think even she knows what kind of music she wants to make and if she doesn't know then why the fuck should the general public care enough to buy into any half arsed attempts. I don't think people have the patience to ride it out, so to speak, while she finds herself. They expect their popstars to be "fully grown" and to know where they fit (or where they want to fit) into the market before they even release their debut single. Alex faffing about with dancey-pop, and not even doing it well, has left the music buying public indifferent to her.

[Stacey.]

Her music's okay, what I don't like is her attitude/personality.

[malifact]

I hate to break it to people, but Alex's popularity is really one of those PJ-only things... Like Nicola Roberts, the exaggerated success of Girls Aloud, continued relevance of Britney Spears, knowing that Cassie still exists, and so on.

The thing is Alexandra was popular in terms of sales. Her singles were all hits before The Silence and the album sold very well too. Okay, it didn't have Leona style success but it outsold efforts by every other winner I think (maybe bar Shayne Ward). If she had just been riding the wave of her win, Bad Boys wouldn't have been a hit nearly ten months later. That's what makes the chart run and reception to Heartbreak on Hold quite bizarre. I do agree with you that she was never popular as a personality in the way that Cheryl is which is a problem for any pop act when their material is perceived as not strong enough.

[Robinho#1]

Her music's okay, what I don't like is her attitude/personality.

Comment made by someone with a Cher avatar. She pretty much sums up everything that can go wrong with British music.

[jinzo]

Comment made by someone with a Cher avatar. She pretty much sums up everything that can go wrong with British music.

"Dry, tired, through and delayed."

[Mr.Arroz]

I can agree with Itty's posts. As an artist, who is Alex? And as far as material goes, what really distinguishes her from her peers? Yes, every popstar should be free to explore and grow, but there has to be a decent starting ground, something constant. And I would be hard-pressed to have to find something like that in Miss Burke.

[Robinho#1]

But couldn't you say the same thing about the other X-Factor contestants? They aren't given the platform to grow at all because they're suppose to achieve instant success. The lack of quality control from recent acts from that show is just appalling.

[Mr.Arroz]

Well Cher is definitely carving out a niche for herself - her music is catchy, youthful, and energetic, if a bit juvenile. But that's okay, since it works for her. One Direction reigned in teen pop, and Rebecca is an A/C songstress. I can't pinpoint Alex as more than someone passing through fads. But then again, I'm not super-invested in her, so...

[popprincess]

I was reading a copy of heat magazine in the hairdressers, and in their review of the album they manage to find the word-space to call her annoying twice.

It really does all stem from "ok.com", doesn't it? It's as simple as that. At the end of the day, she did over-step the mark with that tiny comment - not because she was black and therefore people would view her more harshly, and not because we would all like to insult Louis Walsh anyway... BUT, she was a guest on the show. She hadn't had the weeks of building up a back-and-forth with the other judges, and really the only way of viewing that remark is as "annoying".

I thought "ok.com" was hilairious, still makes me snigger now! I liked her as a judge, mind you I have always liked her personality wise and can't see why people are harsh on her, she always comes across warm and easy to get on with on the shows I've seen her on.

[Stacey.]

Okay.com was possibly one of the most cringiest things to ever be said on tv.

[Kirkland]

I think her main problem is one of music. I've said on occasion that her stint as a judge did some damage to her public persona, but if the music had been good enough, I really think none of that would matter. Her last two singles are terribly uninspiring and a little bit boring, to be honest.

[dennis]

I wouldn't know, I haven't heard them, but it still doesn't explain the utter joy seeing her flopping seems to give a few people on here. But I wouldn't understand that of any artist.

[Kirkland]

It is a bit strange. I find the 'stan wars' very taxing at times. Whenever someone comes into the Madonna thread to criticise her, I'm unsure whether or not they mean what they say or just harbour some sort of illogical anger on behalf of Lady Gaga.

[jinzo]

Laughing at flops can be funny, at times. Christina Aguilera and Bionic flopping, for example, was constant hilarity for all the internet reactions/photoshops/commentary, as are the continued mis-stepped exploits of Keri Hilson and Ciara. But for those three, they're established girls and they can recover from the adversity.

When it comes to Alexandra, I feel quite sorry for her. She's not really got the safety net of the previous three examples, so her non-performance this era's inevitably going to lead to her being out of a recording contract. And watching the X Factor, seeing her 'journey' through our TV screens, watching her rise to stardom during the Overcome era and getting into a false sense of security with this era has all made the damage that little bit more raw.

Quite simply, she waited too long to release new material, she didn't keep her name in the public eye enough and she didn't have any decent material to re-establish herself with.

[shitshoveller]

I wouldn't know, I haven't heard them, but it still doesn't explain the utter joy seeing her flopping seems to give a few people on here. But I wouldn't understand that of any artist.

Me neither. There are plenty of artists whose music I don't get but that doesn't mean I don't see how/why they appeal to others. Rita Ora for example bores the shit out of me, but she's a young girl so good for her. Actively wanting people to flop is too mean.

It depresses me that Alexandra seems so hated just because she's "annoying" and yet Chris Brown is currently number 1 in both the singles and albums chart on iTunes. Ok, so I lied... he's someone I want to flop.

[SuckMyBean]

I randomly thought about this again today, and I think her floppage is simply explained.

Her last album was so successful because she was riding an X Factor high, which she won because she was reasonably talented, but more so because she had been kicked out the pervious year and the Brits like to support the underdog. There wasn't any substantial competition for her and the winners song really suited her voice.

Aside from the X Factor crowd, she just didn't really carve herself a niche market that would be interested in a follow-up album. Leona had her sights set on the ballad-lovers, Olly appealed to everyone through his presenting roles, JLS struck when the market was less populated with boybands, Diana went for the quirky teenager route etc etc. In all honesty, Alex just isn't a particularly interesting or exciting artist for the British public, so when she releases a half-baked dance-pop effort you can't really blame people for not giving a toss.

I hate to break it to people, but Alex's popularity is really one of those PJ-only things... Like Nicola Roberts, the exaggerated success of Girls Aloud, continued relevance of Britney Spears, knowing that Cassie still exists, and so on.

Alex actually was on XF 2005, so that was nothing to do with it. XF 2008 was full of talent, so Alex had a lot of competition. Laura White for example, had a much better voice than her. Ruth Lorenzo, Rachel, and Miss Frank, vocally were nearly as good as Alex (and of the males, Austin and Scott were excellent), and Diana, Eoghan and JLS had a lot of fans. Alex won because she was the best all rounder - she could sing very well and dance, and was likeable too, at the time. Her win was thoroughly deserved.

[Solenciennes]

She has an abrasive personality. She's not very good at conveying her excitement about her projects because she sounds like she's bragging or overconfident; and she's not very good at playing down how nervous she is because she ends up talking too much and not letting interviewers get a word in edgeways. I think that's why people hate her (or dislike, rather, I don't think people really hate her because she's not plastered over the tabloids like other popstars.) As for why her music's not doing well, I think it's a combination of waiting too long to put music out; putting it out without the launch of X Factor live shows; not keeping her name in the tabloids; having SO much competition from other young female artists doing the exact same sound; and the oversaturation of X Factor alumni. I think with all X Factor winners/artists who get a deal out of the show, they have one shot at it to make the most of the publicity from the show, otherwise they've wasted their fifteen minutes of fame. It's unfair, but I think that's just how the music industry sees it. If people won't buy your music after you've been given the best instant exposure in the country, why would they buy music from a new campaign?

[shitshoveller]

She has an abrasive personality. She's not very good at conveying her excitement about her projects because she sounds like she's bragging or overconfident; and she's not very good at playing down how nervous she is because she ends up talking too much and not letting interviewers get a word in edgeways.

Agreed. I think she is very enthusiastic/passionate about what she does and as you said, that can often come across as bragging.

It annoys me a little that she's slagged off for supposedly being arrogant. To a degree all popstars have some level of arrogance or they wouldn't be able to survive in the industry (criticism wise). Self belief and self confidence are too often mistaken for arrogance. I think Alex is just confident and us Brits are wary of that, we're high achievers in the art of self deprecation.