Marcus Collins - Mercy

Where did it all go wrong for Marcus Collins? For an artist that looked so promising for most of his X Factor journey, come the show's final and the subsequent release of his album and dire White Stripes cover, it all seemed to have gone a bit tits up.

While Little Mix were busy becoming the UK's new sweethearts, Marcus devolved into a kind of cabaret act, and Mercy only furthers the dispiriting sense of 'Is this it?' that surrounded his attempt at Seven Nation Army. A methodical stomp through big brass riffs and Motown vibes, it's symptomatic of the largely disposable nature of Collins' debut.

And it's a shame really, because there's a glimmer of potential still in there somewhere - Break These Chains and Gary Barlow-penned Feel Like I Feel were actually rather good, and it'd have been nice to see Marcus push the boat out a bit and release the latter as a single. As it stands though, it's hard to imagine Mercy doing anything to reverse the fortunes of its parent album.

Mercy is released on the 3rd June.