There's been some sad news today: John and Edward – or Jedward, as they're known in these portmental days – are no longer signed to Sony. After one single they are ex-recording artists; their No 2 single is of interest only to pop historians. They've gone to tunelessly wail alongside, then dance in front of, the choir invisible.
There has been a certain amount of boo-hooing about how any act could be dropped after a debut single getting as high as No 2, but while single sales may be up in the iTunes era let's not kid ourselves that one week in the Top 10 is a guarantee of any long term success. A short burst of chart success for an act who were the most talked-about kids in pop just three months earlier does not suggest that Sony would have been well-advised to get stuck into an album campaign. Just remember poor old Steve Brookstein – the X Factor's first winner - who was dropped by Sony after a platinum debut album.
It might seem ruthless, but imagine the misery and wasted time and money that could have been spared if this practice were applied outside of X Factor acts. Take Hard-Fi, a band precisely nobody in their right mind could really have expected to ever get any better after their first album. What if their contract with Atlantic had been quietly knocked on the head after one album? Right now we're all watching MGMT's label beginning to flog a second album which the band themselves have breezily claimed contains "no singles". Would the world continue to spin if Columbia said to MGMT: "Do you know what lads? Thanks for the first album and everything but if you're going to turn in a follow-up with no singles and announce that to the world with some bizarre sense of pride then maybe it's best if you find someone else to throw millions of pounds at launching what is essentially a sonic turd in a basket"? Yes, the world would most certainly continue to spin.
As for Jedward, how bad is today's news? Well, you don't need a record contract to continue charging £5K for a three-song PA at a nightclub, freshers fair or shopping centre. You don't need a record contract to charge a hefty fee for panto, and you don't need a record contract to take up a role with ITV2 as The Xtra Factor's roving reporters. It's hardly The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle but look at it from the right angle and John and Edward got what they needed out of Sony and they can now get on with the job of simply "being John and Edward", a profession even they shouldn't find too much of a challenge.
