Single Review: Janet Devlin – ‘Wonderful’
2 min read
The main problem with former talent show contestants is that, despite being whittled down to twelve per year, and despite at least half of those being more than forgettable, even the remaining ones struggle to put together all the pieces of the singing competition jigsaw into something that could potentially go on to create a lasting career. Try and name the successful ones; on The UK X Factor the most successful acts have been boyband JLS, singers Olly Murs and Leona Lewis, and – of course – One Direction and girl group Little Mix, perhaps the only acts that truly won the fight to for recognition on the other side of the pond.
Enter Janet Devlin into the mix. The Irish songstress with the flame coloured hair has returned after what feels like an age since her stint on The X Factor 2011. Two years between your rise to public consciousness and your debut single feels very much like risky business, but now the 18 year old is back with her new song, Wonderful. Co-written by Devlin and British singer-songwriter Newton Faulkner, Wonderful is a radio friendly, summery number with a light hearted tone that combines an intensely poppy sentiment with a folk sound that perfectly compliments Devlin’s wispy, whimsical vocals.
The song feels relevant for her age and musical interests, whilst still appealing to a wider audience, making it a nice stop-gap until her Pledge-funded album (whereby fans are invited to part-fund a project) is finally released in the near future. After such a long time spent writing and recording what will hopefully be her perfect debut album, Devlin can be satisfied in delivering a track that – whilst being a little forgettable – will no doubt provide a little ray of sunshine in somebody’s gloomy day.
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