Little Mix

Little Mix have revealed they are planning to meet with record label boss Simon Cowell in the new year, thanking the music mogul for his support during The X Factor final. As we previously reported, Cowell had expressed his love of the girls on Twitter, telling his followers he believes they "could be stars." Speaking of SiCo, Jade Thirlwall told Digital Spy: "It was lovely. It was really nice of him. We're seeing his tweets, but we haven't had the chance to actually speak to him yet," Leigh-Anne Pinnock then stated: "He said he's going to see us when he gets back, so I'm guessing that will be next year some time."

Jessie J

It’s all well and good having a multi-octave voice, but without control it’s an accident waiting to happen. Jessie J – born Jessica Cornish in Redbridge – rushes up and down her scales on this anticipated debut album; but there’s more than one occasion where her fluctuating pitch is a pain in the ear. The frustration doesn’t end there. As evidenced by her breakthrough debut single, Do It Like a Dude, Cornish has an annoying habit of inserting zany tics where songs would benefit from being played straighter (one Ke$ha is quite enough, thanks). A pretty acoustic ballad, Big White Room – recorded live, applause included – is ruined by unnecessary gymnastics. A shame, as when she’s not overreaching Cornish showcases sweet, if unspectacular, vocals. http://www.the-tube.co.uk

Westlife

They arrived in the middle of a pre-X Factor boyband boom, five guys standing in a line, looking constipated in love, and plucking imaginary keys out of the air. In popular memory, every new single was a ballad, ending with a key-change, the boom of a confetti cannon, and a sudden leap off a line of stools. Fourteen number one singles and one former bandmate later and they’re leaving amid a craze for cavernously anthemic pop/classical albums, made by stubbly men in tuxedos who don’t care about credibility.

Noel Gallagher

He knows what he likes, and has turned his influences into an enjoyable solo debut.Songwriters who listen to too many records can struggle to come up with fresh ideas for their own. They're too cowed by their own taste, too aware of pantheons and precedence, and too easily influenced by old and dusty sonic blueprints. It's hard to say whether this is a greater problem for the artist or the listener. Certainly it would be easy to provide a list of reference points for Noel Gallagher's pugnacious solo debut, some of which come from his old band – two songs reference Wonderwall. But that's missing the point.

Olly Murs

Murs seems to be pop's answer to Jamie Oliver: a bit bland but unfailingly affable and a massive hit with the mums. ("I'm OK" even has the happy chappy line: "I jumped on my Vespa, ride through the gloom".) Unlike Oliver, though, he's dishing up mostly pabulum: this second album is characterised by cheesy, soul-flavoured pop, the sort that's nice enough soundtracking a KFC advert, but too much and its very inoffensiveness begins to offend. There's zip, though, to single "Heart Skips a Beat", a nagging ska track featuring Brit rap duo Rizzle Kicks, suggesting perhaps Murs just needs a little help from his friends http://www.the-tube.co.uk

A dignified reminder of Winehouse’s talent – but what more could she have achieved? Amy Winehouse performed, wrote and lived with a seductive and startling blend of confidence and vulnerability. Her early death may not have been a huge surprise to anyone who had an interest in her life, but it shocked her beloved Camden and far beyond because she was one of us. She may have had an exquisite voice redolent of broken hearts and lost weekends, but even when Amy was selling millions of records she could be found shooting pool and downing drinks in north London pubs.

Rebecca Ferguson

An impressive debut album with the focus firmly on Ferguson's great voice. She came second to Matt Cardle on last year's X Factor, but unlike her hat-clad vanquisher, Rebecca Ferguson has yet to criticise her alma mater or claim "there's a lot of conspiracy" to the events of 9/11. The 25-year-old Liverpudlian has conducted herself in a fashion unexpected from a talent show star – with dignity.