Ella Henderson is yet another promising talent to emerge from the UK version of The X-Factor. A finalist on the show’s ninth series back in 2012, now 18-year-old Ella Henderson finished in sixth place. Despite losing out James Arthur, Henderson, who was a favorite to win the whole thing early on, was signed to Simon Cowell‘s Syco Music. Her debut single, “Ghost” was co-written with Ryan Tedder (Leona Lewis, Kelly Clarkson) and released June 8th before debuting at #1 on the UK Singles Chart. Henderson’s debut album, Chapter One will follow on September 22nd (iTunes). Signed to Columbia Records here in America, Ella Henderson seems primed to take America by storm. Does she have what it takes to be the next great UK import? My fingers are crossed.
Columbia Records is a major label here in America and a major label means a budget for promotion. Fellow X-Factor alum (and Music Is My King Size Bed favorite) Rebecca Ferguson was (is?) signed to Columbia here in America…but after some moderate TV promo surrounding the release of her debut album, Heaven (which peaked at a respectable #23 on the Billboard 200) she hopped a plane back to the UK never to return. With no U.S. release announced yet for her sophomore album, Freedom, (out in the UK in December), I’m thinking at this point it’s not happening. My worry with Ella is, if her album doesn’t chart in the Top 10 and/or create a radio hit, the promotional budget will disappear and she’ll disappear into obscurity. This happened with X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke, who signed a lucrative major label deal here in the U.S. only to never release a single track or make a single appearance. Here’s hoping this doesn’t turn out to be the case for Ms. Henderson.
With Ryan Tedder producing her lead single, and an impressive arsenal of pop music power players on board for her debut album, including TMS (Little Mix, Professor Green), Jamie Scott (One Direction, Enrique Iglesias), Steve Robson (Olly Murs, Leona Lewis), Babyface, and Claude Kelly (to name a few)…Ella Henderson certainly has the tools she needs to build herself a pop career here in the U.S. Not only that but, Henderson co-wrote most (if not all) of the songs included on the album, an impressive feat for a newbie reality show winner. I guess the question is…does Ella Henderson want it bad enough? Does she want to be an international pop star bad enough to put her entire life on hold? God…I hope so because I feel like this girl could be massive. Do right by her, Columbia. Don’t f**k this one up!
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=behtsGEfnHE]
Check out the Jem Talbot-directed video for “Ghost” which was filmed in New Orleans back in March, below. I’ve also included remixes by Switch, Kastle and Oliver Nelson above (iTunes).
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA8AfQaUnXM&feature=youtu.be]
Check out Ella Henderson on the web:
Official Site || Facebook || Twitter || YouTube || Instagram || SoundCloud
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