FLEUR East was robbed! Easily THE talent of last year’s The X Factor, Ms East was pipped at the final hurdle by the instantly forgettable Ben Haenow.
The moment that galvanised Fleur East as a bona-fide star was her blistering version of the then unfamiliar Uptown Funk. Indeed, before British audiences had heard the Mark Ronson classic, Fleur East scored the best-selling i-Tunes down load of the week, with her version.
Inevitably, the bosses at Syco are keen to capitalise on the extraordinary success of what was, in reality an audition piece that struck gold. Hence, 14 of the 15 tracks on Love, Sax & Flashbacks are mere pastiches of Uptown Funk.
Other influences are chucked in for good measure. The lead single, Sax, is a hybrid of the aforementioned hit and George Michael’s Wham Rap, but without the smart lyrics. Meanwhile, Over Getting Over steals a cheeky motif from Donna Summer’s Bad Girls and Paris pilfers from Tina Marie’s Ooo La La La.
Unfortunately, in an effort to duplicate her initial hit, Love, Sax & Flashbacks showcases Fleur East as a one-dimensional pop act with little depth. Fortunately the closing track, a formidable cover of Alicia Keys’s Girl On Fire displays the shades and hues of a more substantial artist with credibility and destined for greater things.
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