Rebecca Ferguson in Milton Keynes

About the artist

Rebecca Caroline Ferguson (born 21 July 1986) is a British singer-songwriter. She came to prominence in 2010 when she became the runner-up of the seventh series of The X Factor, losing to the winner that year Matt Cardle. She subsequently signed a joint record deal with Syco Music and Epic Records in the UK. She later signed in the United States to Columbia Records. Ferguson's debut album, Heaven, was released in December 2011 to commercial and critical success, peaking at number 3 in the United Kingdom. Co-written by Ferguson, it was certified two times platinum in the UK and platinum Ireland. The album yielded six singles including lead single "Nothing's Real But Love", which enjoyed commercial success throughout much of Europe and Oceania, entering the UK Singles Chart at number 10. A deluxe version of the album included the single "Backtrack", which entered the charts in October 2012 at number 15, giving Ferguson her second Top 20 hit. Ferguson's second studio album, Freedom, was released in December 2013, being met with positive reviews from critics and commercial success in the United Kingdom where it charted at number 6 and has since been certified Gold by the BPI. The album's lead single, "I Hope", peaked at number 15 in the UK; whilst "Light On" was released as the lead single in mainland Europe. She cites Aretha Franklin, Kings of Leon, Christina Aguilera and Amy Winehouse among her influences. She has endorsements with Nescafé and Walkers. In 2012, she was nominated for two MOBO Awards and one MTV Europe Music Award.