The X-Factor has been a brilliant experience

The X-Factor has been a brilliant experience

4 October 2017

AT just 18 years-old, singer Karen Mullan has faced the toughest stage of all — the X-Factor judging panel and their infamous Bootcamp.

The talented Crossgar musician has been immersed in the intensive reality show experience for the past eight weeks and was seen battling through on Saturday for a place at the arena auditions stage of the competition.

Karen made it through the Bootcamp ‘Wall of Songs Challenge’, in which the singers will run to claim a song, before splitting into groups to perform a range of hits.

Describing it as “one of the most insane experiences ever”, Karen has to keep hush about the results of the next stage of the competition but has described playing in Wembley Arena as a dream come true.

The Assumption Grammar School pupil, who has just started a law degree at Queen’s University, has been performing in local bars, but Wembley, understandably, was a little more daunting.

“It definitely was a bit of a difference to the crowds I am used to back home,” she said. “You feel a bit like a goldfish in a goldfish bowl but as a singer everybody dreams to have kind of crowd.

“Before that at Bootcamp I was fortunate to get a song that I knew, ‘Ex’s & Oh’s’. It is tricky as you are working in a group for that part of the process but we didn’t have too many problems. The only thing was I had to sing it in a different key.”

In the early hours of the morning Karen got a good news call from one of the producers to say she would be singing again the next day in what is clearly a gruelling schedule.

“There was no day off,” said. “You’re told to be ready at 8am. 

“Others mightn’t have been singing again for a few days.”

Describing her sound as Country Pop Rock, Karen said: “I love Elvis, which surprises people, and I love people like Shania Twain and Miley Cyrus.

“I studied music at A-level and got involved in a lot of the groups in Assumption such as the barbershop group and choir. I have always been very interested in music and as well as a few local bars have also sung at a parties and weddings. I’m starting to try to put my name around locally.

“The X-Factor has been a brilliant experience and mum and dad have been 100% supportive of me going over and doing it.”

Karen said that the judges remarks, overall, had been encouraging.

“Prior to the main audition there are actually lots of auditions with the producers,” she said.

“Then when you go into the audition room where the judges are what struck me was how close you are to them. You are told to stand on the ‘X’ but my instinct was to take a step back. You are incredibly close. 

“Sharon said she really liked me. Louis said he could see me in a girl band. Nicole said I yodelled and she liked a yodeller.

“Simon has always been pleasant about me, he said he liked my voice but he doesn’t always like my song choice.”