Pinay sister act dazzles judges in ‘X-Factor UK’ auditions

CEBU, Philippines – A girl group consisting of four sisters was all the rage in the first week of auditions of the 12th season of the popular UK talent search series “The X-Factor.”

Raising the roof with a jaw-dropping performance of the smash dance hit “Bang Bang” by Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj, the group who call themselves 4th Power drove audiences wild as judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw were also visibly impressed.

Composed of sisters Mylene, Celina, Irene and Almira, the girls told Cowell that they had flown in from the Philippines to see him and Queen Elizabeth.

Following their performance, the UK media immediately compared them to Little Mix, the sensational all-girl English group that became the grand winners of the show’s 2011 season.

But the group’s overnight popularity also drew attention to their history as seasoned professionals, according to a report by the online edition of the UK tabloid Daily Mirror.

“All contestants are supposed be wannabe beginners but these girls are seasoned performers who have been on TV and even released records available to buy on Amazon,” the Mirror report noted.

Apparently, the girl group originally from Isabela had already found success as far back as 2010 under the names The Gollayan Sisters and The Cercados and had even released an album called “Unstoppable” that’s available in the UK.

They have also competed in several talent shows in the Philippines including “Pinoy Idol,” “It’s Showtime” and “Talentadong Pinoy.”

Recently, they joined “Superstar K6,” the biggest talent show in South Korea, and reached the final round under the name, M.I.C.A.

Their “The X-Factor UK” audition marked the first time the sisters performed under their new name 4th Power.

The 4th Power is also not the first act that was specifically scouted by the show’s producers, which as the Mirror reported is also in accordance with the show’s rules: “Acts may be invited to audition for the program by researchers acting on behalf of the producer…Such acts will be required to go through the audition process.”

It is not yet announced if the 4th Power has advanced to the next stage of the competition, but things are certainly looking good for the sisters at this point. — InterAksyon.com