After the decline in the popularity of talent programs in the Arab world, the Dubai satellite station is regaining the popularity of the “X Factor” program, with a new version, which work has begun on its production, and it is expected to be shown at the beginning of next fall. Egyptian singer Angham, along with her colleague from Lebanon, Ragheb Alama, and Kuwaiti Abdullah Al-Ruwaished, will meet in a coaching committee. Each of them chooses a team of competitors who undergo a crossing exam with the solo voice, or through singing groups.
In 2005, the Lebanese producer, Janan Mallat, chose to present an Arabic version of the talent show “X Factor”, and chose the artist Nelly from Cairo, Khaled Al Sheikh from Bahrain and Michel Elefteriades from Beirut. These choices constituted a clear change in the arbitration committees of these programs, and they were transformed from academic professors into “stars” of Arab singers.
“X Factor” succeeded in its first edition (2005) with the victory of the Moroccan Rajaa Kassabini, and in 2006 with the victory of the Syrian Muhammad Al-Majzoub. It was produced by Rotana TV, until it fell out with the Saudi company, and today it is affiliated with Universal Music MENA. Al-Majzoub’s colleague, the winner of the first season, was not lucky, Rajaa Kasabini, whose attendance declined after an orphan album, released by Rotana entitled “Hal al-Dunya”, as the singer was absent from concerts and artistic events for no apparent reason.
In 2013, a version of “The X Factor” was re-presented, produced by NMedia. In that version, the coaches’ committee consisted of Elissa, Carole Samaha, Hussein Al Jasmi, and Wael Kfoury. A quartet that tried to break out of the traditional, but failed to harmonize. Hussein Al Jasmi dominated the version, especially since he was forced to go through the experience of talent programs, and he captured the limits of winning from the first episodes, challenging his colleagues in the committee, especially Wael Kfoury, to win this version, Moroccan Mohamed Al-Rifi, who is from Al-Jasmi’s team, despite the criticism that Al-Rifi faced. And his competition at the end of the program was with Jordanian Adham Al-Nabulsi, who finished second, and he is from the Wael Kfoury team.
Months ago, the first Saudi version of the famous “Arab Idol” program ended. It was clear that the MBC group wanted to invest commercially for the popularity of the program, and to show Saudi talent in a way that seemed good, but it was not completed until Hams Fikri finally won, and her name was absent from circulation at the end of the first season, at a time when the videos of the dispute between the two singers Ahlam and Asala Nasri are still In “Saudi Idol”, a high follow-up rate was achieved, which was agreed upon from the beginning to ensure that the viewer would follow the program.
It is not possible to predict what the new version of “X-Factor” will carry, but the truth is that this type of program has lost light after more than a decade of its beginnings on Arab satellite channels, and today it is just a follow-up to a group of singers, and a judgment on interaction between them.
