Rebecca Ferguson’s new album is coming tomorrow! Is Olly Murs returning to X Factor?
Rebecca Ferguson’s third studio album, “Lady Sings The Blues” will be released tomorrow.
Rebecca Ferguson, Lady Sings the Blues, review: ‘rich, tender, soulful’
Ferguson’s run through of Billie Holiday classics could have been bolder, says Neil McCormick, but she sings with sass and feeling
Still the best voice to have come out of a Simon Cowell talent contest, former X Factor 2010 runner up Rebecca Ferguson has a rich, tender, soulful tone, a kind of lived-in essence that oscillates precariously between happiness and sadness. It is a quality familiar in the work of tragic jazz legend Billie Holiday, whose centenary is celebrated this year.
Read more: The Telegraph
Rebecca Ferguson: Lady Sings the Blues review – decent set of Billie Holiday covers
The 2010 X Factor runner-up’s previous albums had a satin-smothered ambience that might be best suited to a yoghurt advert. Nevertheless, Rebecca Ferguson has a melancholic timbre that distinguishes her solo material from that of most other generic reality-TV balladeers. It’s less of an insult to Billie Holiday’s legacy than you might think, then, that Ferguson has decided to interpret a number of songs from the jazz legend’s seventh studio LP, Lady Sings the Blues, plus an additional handful of big-band covers. Her husky, resilient vocals ease effortlessly into these classic tracks, but without the subtext of Holiday’s tragic backstory they are little more than languorous, luxurious exercises in easy listening. (Mercifully, though, there is no attempt at a coffee-table cover of Strange Fruit.) Like Lady Gaga’s pairing with Tony Bennett or Robbie Williams’ recent career, Lady Sings the Blues is a regal step into retro, and a guaranteed dinner-party pleaser. Müller, take note.
Read more: The Guardian
“All that history made me work that much harder” – hmv.com talks to Rebecca Ferguson
Jazz albums, or albums in general, don’t come much more iconic than Billie Holiday’s seminal 1956 effort Lady Sings The Blues.
Holiday’s life had descended into a blur of booze and drugs in the years leading up to the album and her voice was not what it had once been, but she somehow managed to pull together a remarkable, ghostly performance out and create an LP that is still regarded as one of the best there is.
To cover this album is a little like covering the whole of Nevermind, or The Dark Side Of The Moon, but former X-Factor finalist Rebecca Ferguson is doing his damndest. We chat to her about the daunting prospect of taking on Billie Holiday’s songs, recording in LA and her plans to take the record out live.
Read more: HMV
Rebecca Ferguson: How a ‘year of loss’ inspired her Billie Holiday album
Rebecca Ferguson planned to celebrate the centenary of Billie Holiday’s birth by re-interpreting some of her biggest songs. But the project took on personal significance after the singer had a “year of loss and sadness”.
Billie Holiday had one of the most distinctive voices of all time.
Her intensely personal style, on songs like Strange Fruit, Lover Man and Don’t Explain, inspired everyone from Janis Joplin to Joni Mitchell.
One of the first singers to employ the subtleties of jazz phrasing in a serious manner, she danced around the beat and the melody, often adding harmonies inspired by her favourite horn players Louis Armstrong and Lester Young.
But she is also remembered for her turbulent personal life – born to teenage parents who couldn’t cope, jailed for prostitution in her own teenage years, and dying, aged 44, while under arrest in her hospital bed for possession of narcotics.
Read more: BBC
Rebecca Ferguson talks singing the blues: “I’ve become a complete perfectionist”
Official Charts talks to the singer about taking on Billie Holiday, a turbulent 12 months and writing for popstars.
For her third studio album, Rebecca Ferguson has side-stepped the usual drill of self-penning her own soulful confessionals and taken on Billie Holiday’s Sings The Blues album.
OfficialCharts.com caught up with the singer to talk about why she decided to take on on the ambitious project, her turbulent year and ambition to hear the world’s biggest popstars sing her songs.
Read more: The Official Charts Company
Rebecca Ferguson talks new covers album: ‘I had to stop being a snob’
After two well-received albums of original material, X Factor alumna Rebecca Ferguson has worked on a unique project for her third release.
To mark its semi centennial year, the Liverpudlian singer has re-recorded Billie Holiday’s classic Lady Sings the Blues album.
Digital Spy caught up with Ferguson to speak about the recording process, any concerns she had about the project, and whether we’ll ever get that dance anthem out of her.
Read more: Digital Spy
Rebecca Ferguson displays her slim waist in a purple pencil dress just five months after giving birth… as she admits being a single mum can be ‘hard’
Rebecca Ferguson gave birth to her gorgeous little girl Arabella just five months ago
But the 28-year-old looks as though she has already managed to shed her baby weight.
The X Factor beauty showed off a noticeably trim post-pregnancy figure on Friday when she made an appearance on This Morning.
Read more: Daily Mail
‘We celebrate people snapping back into shape after the birth, but I don’t want to’: Rebecca Ferguson on why she won’t listen to cruel taunts about her post-baby body
Since giving birth to her daughter Arabella four months ago, Rebecca Ferguson has become the victim of cruel taunts about her size 12 post-pregnancy body.
But the singer has now hit back at her critics and vowed to resist the pressure to slim down.
Speaking to Fabulous magazine, the 28-year-old former X Factor star confessed that recent comments aimed at her weight, and questions about when she’ll ‘drop the post-baby pounds’, have left her more determined than ever to stand up for herself.
Read more: Daily Mail
LITTLE MIX: Album #3 is done!
The girls will do a Google Hangout live stream on Friday March 13th – 5:00pm (GMT). We expect album news!
VIDEO: First look at Stacey Solomon’s debut single Shy
WATCH the brand new video for Stacey Solomon’s Shy from her long-awaited debut album with Lilly Allen and Rita Ora
It’s been six long years since Stacey Solomon burst onto the scene – and into our hearts – on The X Factor.
Finally, the loveable Essex girl has announced that she’ll be releasing her long awaited debut album Shy next month.
The official video for the first single from the album has just been released, and the track, that is also titled Shy was co-written by Rita Ora.
Stacey seemed pretty excited before the premiere of her new video as she took to twitter.
“So excited for my music video to go online tomorrow wooooooo eeeeek!!!”
Read more: The Daily Star
Stacey Solomon – Shy
Sony Music to DUMP X Factor band Union J
X FACTOR boyband Union J are set to be axed by their record label after disappointing album sales.
The group will be dropped by Sony Music after second record You Got It All peaked at No.28.
But it is not all bad news for former X Factor contestants as I can also reveal 2010 runner-up Rebecca Ferguson is about to sign another two-album deal with RCA.
My Union J source told me the decision to axe the band has been made but the official line from Sony is they are still signed.
Read more: The Daily Star
One Direction’s Harry Styles and Niall Horan touch down in London on separate flight from band-mates Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne
They have just finished the Japanese leg of their world tour.
But One Direction clearly don’t always travel as one unit – at least when it came to making their return journey to London, this week.
Both Harry Styles and Niall Horan flew back to Britain without their band-mates Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne on Tuesday.
Read more: Daily Mail
Zayn Malik leads the way for One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson as they return to London following world tour in Japan
They have finally completed the Asian leg of their latest tour.
So British fans of One Direction will surely be delighted that the chart-topping quintet are back in the country, following a sell-out show in Tokyo.
Zayn Malik led the way as they arrived in London’s Heathrow on Tuesday afternoon – clearly fresh from a long-haul flight.
Read more: Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE: Olly set for big X Factor job – but will he replace Dermot or Louis?
OLLY Murs will take a major role on The X Factor as bosses plan huge format changes to this year’s show.
The 2009 runner-up is tipped to replace Louis Walsh on the panel or be added as a fifth judge.
Other options being discussed include the popular singer replacing, or joining, Dermot O’Leary as the main show presenter.
Simon Cowell, 55, and X Factor producers have already had several meetings to discuss a major makeover.
Our source revealed: “Simon has been incredibly vocal that The X Factor needs to see some major changes.
“It is too early to confirm what they are yet but one thing is for certain – everybody wants Olly to be a part of the show.
“Olly’s become a huge in- ternational star off the back of the show, he’s well liked from his time presenting the Xtra Factor and is massively popular with the all-important younger fans.
Read more: The Daily Star
_ _ _
Irish Charts
Singles
1 Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You Do
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12 Olly Murs – Up (feat. Demi Lovato)
33 Kelly Clarkson – Heartbeat Song
38 Ella Henderson – Ghost
41 G.R.L. – Ugly Heart
60 Olly Murs – Wrapped Up (Feat. Travie McCoy)
64 One Direction – Steal My Girl
93 Ben Haenow – Something I Need
Albums
1 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Chasing Yesterday
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8 Kelly Clarkson – Piece By Piece
16 Olly Murs – Never Been Better
34 Ella Henderson – Chapter One
35 One Direction – Four
_ _ _
The Official Charts
Singles
1 Years & Years – King
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10 Kelly Clarkson – Heartbeat Song
23 Olly Murs – Up (feat. Demi Lovato)
51 Ella Henderson – Ghost
67 Ben Haenow – Something I Need
69 Olly Murs – Wrapped Up (Feat. Travie McCoy)
78 One Direction – Steal My Girl
87 One Direction – Night Changes
Albums
1 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Chasing Yesterday
.
6 Kelly Clarkson – Piece By Piece
22 Ella Henderson – Chapter One
27 Olly Murs – Never Been Better
56 One Direction – Four
