Quick Facts
Biography
Whenua Patuwai (born 13 March 1995) is a New Zealand singer. He is known for his appearance on the first New Zealand series of The X Factor where he was the runner-up. Competing in the Boys category, he was mentored by Ruby Frost. His debut single "Something Special" was released in July 2013 and peaked at number three in the New Zealand singles chart. His debut album The Soul Sessions was released in June 2014 and debuted at number four in the album chart.
The X Factor
Patuwai initially attended the Christchurch pre-audition in January 2013, where he was put through to the judges' auditions in Auckland. At his judges' audition, Patuwai performed the soul classic "A Change Is Gonna Come", eventually progressing to the top 13 in the live shows. In week eight, after a performance of "You Are Not Alone", Patuwai was in the bottom two with Cassie Henderson. The judges vote was deadlocked, with Patuwai saved by the public vote. During the final shows on 21 July, Patuwai duetted with Hollie Smith on the song "Bathe in the River". Patuwai voted was the series runner-up from the audience vote.
List of performances on The X Factor
| Episode | Theme | Song | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| First audition | Free choice | "A Change Is Gonna Come" | Through to bootcamp – stage 1 |
| Bootcamp – stage 1 | Boys group performance | "Come on Home" | Through to bootcamp – stage 2 |
| Bootcamp – stage 2 | Solo performance | "Unfaithful" | Through to judges' retreats |
| Judges' retreats | Free choice | "Holding on to You" | Through to live shows |
| Live show 1 | Number-one singles | "Rolling in the Deep" | Safe |
| Live show 2 | New Zealand music | "Bathe in the River" | Safe |
| Live show 3 | Best of British | "Somebody to Love" | Safe |
| Live show 4 | Soul classics | "When a Man Loves a Woman" | Safe |
| Live show 5 | Top 40 | "Impossible" | Safe |
| Live show 6 | Songs from movies | "I Wish" | Safe |
| Live show 7 | Made in America | "Empire State of Mind" | Safe |
| Live show 8 | Coke Choice | "You Are Not Alone" | Bottom two |
| Final showdown | "I Believe I Can Fly" | ||
| Semi-final | Love and heartbreak | "If You're Not the One" | Safe |
| The best of rock | "Piece of My Heart" | ||
| Final | Judges' choice | "I Won't Give Up" | Safe |
| Duets | "Bathe in the River" (with Hollie Smith) | ||
| Final results | Audition song | "A Change Is Gonna Come" | Runner-up |
| Winner's single | "Something Special" |
After The X Factor
Whenua's single "Something Special" was released digitally on 26 July, with a CD release on 30 July. It debuted at number three in the Official New Zealand Music Chart. Patuwai later performed as the opening act for The X Factor judge Stan Walker on his World Tour of New Zealand tour in September and October 2013.
In June 2014 Patuwai released his debut album, The Soul Sessions, a selection of covers of soul classics. The album was produced by Sam De Jong, brother of Patuwai's The X Factor mentor Ruby Frost, and includes guest vocals from Ria Hall and Troy Kingi. The Soul Sessions debuted and peaked at number four in the New Zealand album charts.
In August 2014, Patuwai featured with other New Zealand artists on the charity single "A Song for Everyone".
Discography
Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| NZ | ||
| The Soul Sessions |
| 4 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | |||
| 2013 | "Something Special" | 3 | Non-album single |
As featured artist
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ Artists | |||
| 2014 | "Song For Everyone" (as part of All Star Cast) | 5 | Non-album single |