Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Burke |
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Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewan Burke (born 25 August 1988)[1] is an English singer and winner of the fifth series of UK television singing talent show The X Factor. Burke had previously auditioned for the 2005 series of the show, where she reached the last seven in her category but was not selected for the live shows.
Burke's prize, as winner, was a recording contract with Simon Cowell's Syco record label, which is co-owned by Sony Music Entertainment. The contract has a stated value of £1 million, of which £150,000 is a cash advance and the remainder is allocated to recording and marketing costs.[2]
On 15 December 2008, Burke became the current European record holder for single sales over a period of 24 hours, selling 105,000 copies of her debut single, "Hallelujah", a Leonard Cohen song, in one day.[3] Hallelujah went on to become the Christmas number one single of 2008. It was also announced as the top-selling song of the year on the BBC Radio 1 Chart Show on 28 December 2008, beating The X Factor finalists' song "Hero". It is the first time that an X Factor winner has topped the end of year chart in the UK with their winner's single. Sales of "Hallelujah" passed 1 million by 9 January 2009, making Burke the first British female soloist to sell 1 million copies of a single in the UK.[4]
Her debut album, Overcome, was released on 19 October 2009 and entered the charts at number one. It will be released in the US at a later date. Lead single and BRIT-nominated single[5] "Bad Boys" featuring Flo Rida was released on 12 October 2009 and debuted at number-one in the UK, becoming her second consecutive number-one single. The single was released to European markets in early 2010 and charted well in the top tens, and twenties in many countries. Burke has enjoyed a total of ten non-consecutive weeks at Number 1 on the UK Singles Chart (three with "Hero" with the X Factor finalists of 2008, three with "Hallelujah", one with "Everybody Hurts" as part of Helping Haiti, one with "Bad Boys", and two with "Start Without You". She has been nominated twice for BRIT Awards.[5] She has achieved three number one singles ("Hallelujah", "Bad Boys" and "Start Without You") as well as two number one singles as a featured artist (the "Hero" and "Everybody Hurts" charity singles).
Early life
Burke was born on 25 August 1988 in Islington, London. Her middle names come from her great grandmother (Imelda) and grandfather (Cecil) and her mother's maiden name (Ewan). She is the daughter of Jamaican-born David Burke and British-born Melissa Bell of Jamaican, Irish and Dougla descent, who is a former Soul II Soul member. Her parents separated when she was six.[citation needed] She has lived in Islington all of her life and has four brothers and one sister.[citation needed]
Burke started singing when she was five and at nine years old, she sang on stage in Bahrain with her mother. At the age of twelve, Burke entered the TV talent show Star for a Night where she was the youngest person in the competition. She was beaten to the number-one spot by Joss Stone. At age twelve, she sang down the phone to Stevie Wonder.[citation needed] When Burke's mother asked her to sing to Jean Carne, Carne was so impressed that she asked her to perform at her show the next night.[citation needed]
Burke attended Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School in Islington, Angel and after her GCSEs she left school to pursue a career in music. Before her X Factor success, she had been working as a singer, gigging at weekends in clubs.[1] She also went on tour with "Young Voices", a charity that raises money for children with leukemia, where she performed at large venues such as the Royal Albert Hall.[citation needed]
Career
2005–2009: The X Factor
Burke auditioned for the second series of The X Factor in 2005 (which was eventually won by Shayne Ward). She made it through to the final seven in Louis Walsh's 16–24 category, effectively the top 21 of the competition; however, Walsh did not choose her for his final four as he felt that she was too young for the competition. Burke however did not give up and went on to seek professional singing lessons over the next three years, proving her dedication and commitment to becoming a popstar.
Burke's second bid to win The X Factor came in 2008. Falling into the "Girls" category, she was mentored by Girls Aloud's Cheryl Cole who selected her for the finals—a series of ten weekly live shows in which contestants are progressively eliminated by public vote. On the first live show, Burke performed Whitney Houston's classic "I Wanna Dance with Somebody". For the second live show she covered "I'll Be There" by The Jackson 5. In week three, big band week, Burke performed Christina Aguilera's "Candyman" and received her first standing ovation. For the disco-themed fourth live show, Burke performed Donna Summer's "On the Radio". During Mariah Carey week on 8 November, Burke and the other finalists met Carey for individual masterclasses, with Carey complimenting Burke on her voice. Burke performed "Without You" and received a standing ovation from the judges who all gave her positive comments. Cowell commented that "by any standard, that was just outstanding". Following the show Burke's performance was also praised by Carey who called her rendition of the song "absolutely amazing".
In weeks 6 and 7, Burke received positive comments from the judging panel for her performances of Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful" and Dan Hartman's "Relight My Fire" (the popularity of which in the UK is mostly a result of Take That's 1993 revival thereof). Week 8 saw her replace Diana Vickers as the bookies' favourite after performing Britney Spears' "Toxic" and Beyoncé Knowles' "Listen", for which she received yet another standing ovation. In week 9, Burke performed Rihanna's hit song "Don't Stop the Music" and again received positive comments, with Louis calling her "the British Beyoncé" and Simon commenting "...We may be seeing the birth of a star here [...] you've got it all, that was a terrific performance". Diana Vickers was eliminated in the semi-final, to the shock and upset of both Burke and Eoghan Quigg. Burke confessed after Vickers' final performance that she thought Vickers was going to win.
Burke was joined in the grand final by Irish teenager Eoghan Quigg and boyband JLS. She sang "Listen" as a duet with Beyoncé (who later performed her UK number-one single "If I Were a Boy"), and after performing with the American singer she proclaimed: "I have achieved a dream".
After the elimination of Quigg she sang what became her debut single, a 1984 song by Leonard Cohen, Hallelujah, for the first time. Finally, with over eight million votes cast in total, Burke was revealed as the winner with 58% of the final vote.[6] The single went on to become the Christmas number one of 2008, holding the top spot for three weeks and selling one million copies. There was also a campaign to take Jeff Buckley's cover of Hallelujah to the top of the Christmas chart to deny Burke the top spot.[7][8] The campaign was fuelled by Jeff Buckley fans' dislike of The X Factor's commercialism and the song's arrangement,[9][10] as well as a desire by this contingent to introduce younger music fans to Buckley's version.[11] Burke herself was not enamoured of the choice of song, and dismissed the original by remarking "It just didn’t do anything for me".[10]
2009–present: Overcome
On 13 February 2009 it was reported that Burke signed a £3.5 million, five-album US record deal with Epic Records.[12] Burke's first album was originally scheduled for March 2009, however, Simon Cowell confirmed that her album was scheduled for release later in the year to allow Burke to polish her skills and find the right songs for the album, so that it would not be rushed. The album was released on 19 October 2009 in the UK, titled Overcome.[13]
Burke's first commercial single from her debut album is titled "Bad Boys", which features Flo Rida. The single premiered in the UK on The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 on 25 August 2009.[14] On 18 October 2009, Bad Boys topped the UK Singles Chart.[15] After visiting Burke in the studio, Beyoncé spoke of possibly recording a duet with her[16] and also asked for Burke to join her for Beyonce's second European leg of her I Am… Tour.[17] Bad Boys was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry on 7 January 2010.
American rapper 50 Cent has expressed an interest in Burke, correctly predicting that she would win The X Factor and invited her to appear in an upcoming music video of his, most likely for a song from his upcoming album Before I Self Destruct.[18] On 19 July 2009, Burke confirmed that she had signed a six figure contract with Italian fashion designers Dolce & Gabbana, to become the face of a new fashion line. She will also model their clothes and accessories in her music videos. Burke performed on the Royal Variety Show on 7 December 2009.[19]
It was confirmed by Burke on 17 November 2009, that "Broken Heels" would be the second commercial single, (third overall), from Overcome.[20] She also confirmed via her Official Twitter page that the video was shot in Los Angeles on 22 and 23 November 2009.[21] On 18 January 2010, Burke began her European Promo Tour in Brussels, Belgium.[22] On 12 March 2010, Burke confirmed on Twitter that "All Night Long" will be her new single, featuring Pitbull. She appeared on Dancing on Ice during the semi-final to perform All Night Long.[23]
On 29 April 2010, Burke entered FHM's poll for the world's top 100 sexiest women 2010 at number 75. This is her first appearance on the poll since she rose to fame in 2008.[24] It has been since confirmed that Burke's next single will be a completely new song, "Start Without You", which is set to be released on 5th September 2010.[25] The video for "Start Without You" debuted on August 19th through VEVO on later premiered on The BOX. [26] The song was performed at T4 On The Beach on 4th July 2010. Additionally, Burke was announced as the first ever brand ambassador for Sure Women, for which she starred in a television advert.[27] Burke gained her fifth consecutive top ten hit, and her third number one single, after Start Without You stormed to the top of the charts, beating Katy Perry to the top spot.
The "repackaged" edition of Overcome was revealed to have a release of November 29, 2010. Music Week reports that the deluxe makeover will include three brand new tracks, as well as three number one and two Top 10 singles. A DVD will accompany the release featuring seven videos, including an exclusive promo for album cut 'The Silence'. The magazine also confirmed that Burke will promote the record with a performance on The X Factor and it is rumoured that the star's next single is called 'Perfect', which she recently revealed to be a duet with "an amazing group".[28] On the 28th September 2010 Alexandra started a 3 day mountain climb along with Fearne Cotton and Denise Van-Outen.
Discography
- Studio albums
- Overcome (2009)
Tours
- 2009 - The X Factor Live
- 2011 - All Night Long Tour[29][30]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "Hallelujah" | BRIT Award for Best British Single[31] | Nominated |
| "Hero" | Nominated | ||
| Alexandra Burke | MOBO Award for Best UK Newcomer[32] | Nominated | |
| 2010 | "Bad Boys" | BRIT Award for Best British Single[33] | Nominated |
| Alexandra Burke | Glamour Women of the Year Awards for Best Newcomer[34] | Won | |
| Overcome | Urban Music Award for Best Album 2010 | Nominated | |
| "All Night Long" | Urban Music Award for Best Collaboration (with Pitbull) | Nominated | |
| Urban Music Award for Best Music Video | Nominated | ||
| Alexandra Burke | BT Digital Music Awards for Best Female Artist | Pending | |
| "Bad Boys" | BT Digital Music Awards for Best Song | Pending | |
| BT Digital Music Awards for Best Video | Pending | ||
| The 2010 Popjustice £20 Music Prize | Nominated | ||
| Alexandra Burke | MOBO Award for Best UK Act | Nominated | |
| MTV Europe Music Award for Best Push Act | Pending |
Philanthropy
Before her X Factor appearance and success, Burke went on tour with "Young Voices", a charity that helps to raise money for children with leukemia, where she performed many times at large venues such as the Royal Albert Hall.
Following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, many celebrities, including Burke, wanted to help the suffering people of the country. She was confirmed for the Haiti Charity single, Everybody Hurts, commenting "I hope the single raises lots of money. It's great that we can come together and do this. It's a very special song." Soon after, Burke revealed she would be travelling to Haiti so she can physically help the people out there, saying "For me, singing two lines on a single doesn't mean I have really helped. I wanted to go out and physically help the kids. I'm not a doctor, but I can give clothes, food and love. At least I'll be able to make a couple of kids smile." Burke visited and helped in the week beginning 8 February 2010, and posted two video blogs about her visit on YouTube.[35] She later returned six months later to check the progress of the country after being a huge part in the Save the Children charity campaign.[36]
Alexandra was confirmed to join various female celebrities to join the Peru Inka Trail Hike for Breast Cancer Care, along with Fearne Cotton, Denise Van Outen, and Holly Willoughby.[37]
References
- ^ a b Alexandra – All you need to know! ITV – X-Factor, 29 November 2008
- ^ Hallelujah: how Leonard Cohen became an X Factor winner without trying The Times, 13 December 2008
- ^ "X Factor single breaks sales record". The Press Association. 15 December 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
- ^ Alexandra is first million-seller BBC News, 9 January 2009
- ^ a b Girl power as Lily Allen, Pixie Lott, Florence + the Machine and Lady Gaga go head to head for Brit Awards Mail Online, 19 January 2010
- ^ "Alexandra Burke wins 'The X Factor'". Retrieved 14 December 2008.
- ^ Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen fans unite on Facebook to keep reality show version of 'Hallelujah' off British chart National Post
- ^ Hallelujah! You Buck the trend The Sun
- ^ The fight for a Hallelujah Christmas victory The Times, 18 December 2008
- ^ a b Hallelujah hits number one and two slots in Christmas charts The Times, 22 December 2008
- ^ Mark Lawson: Warring Hallelujahs, The Guardian, 19 December 2008
- ^ Alexandra Burke 'gets £3m US deal' Digital Spy, 13 February 2009
- ^ Overcome Alexandra Burke Official Website
- ^ Alexandra Burke's 'Bad Boys': 30 plays later Digital Spy, 25 August 2009
- ^ "Alexandra Burke steams past Robbie Williams to top UK charts". msn.com. 19 October 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
- ^ Burke, Beyoncé planning to collaborate? Digital Spy, 13 April 2009
- ^ Alexandra Burke to join Beyonce on tour STV Entertainment, 15 June 2009
- ^ 50 Cent after X Factor winner Mirror Celebs
- ^ X Factor winner signs major deal with Dolce & Gabbana STV Entertainment, 19 July 2009
- ^ Diary Blog – Tuesday 17 November 2009 Alexandra Burke Official Website
- ^ Alexandra Burke on Twitter
- ^ European Promo Tour Alexandra Burke Official Website, 14 January 2010
- ^ Dancing on Ice ITV Guide
- ^ Full list of FHM's top 100 world's sexiest women 2010 Metro, 29 April 2010
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://www.alexandraburkeofficial.com/gb/
- ^ http://www.alexandraburkeofficial.com/gb/newsdiary/post/alex_is_unveiled_as_new_face_of_sure_women/
- ^ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a276673/alexandra-burke-confirms-lp-re-release.html
- ^ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a266622/alexandra-burke-to-announce-tour-dates.html
- ^ http://twitter.com/alexandramusic
- ^ BRIT Awards 2009 Nominations Brit Music Scene
- ^ MOBO Awards 2009 Nominations Daily Telegraph
- ^ BRIT Awards 2010 Nominations Daily Telegraph
- ^ Cheryl Cole named Woman of the Year
- ^ Alexandra Burke Haiti Visit Digital Spy
- ^ Alexandra Burke returns to Haiti
- ^ Alexandra Burke joins Breast Cancer Care Hike
External links
- 1988 births
- Living people
- 2000s singers
- 2010s singers
- Black British musicians
- English female singers
- English people of Jamaican descent
- English pop singers
- English rhythm and blues singers
- Musicians from London
- People from Islington
- Reality show winners
- The X Factor (UK) contestants
- X Factor series winners
- Number-one single or album artist in the UK