James Arthur is a British singer and songwriter who won the ninth series of “The X Factor UK” in 2012. He went on to release several hit singles and an album that debuted at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart. It became the 30th best-selling album of the year in the UK.
Arthur auditioned for the show in New Castle and performed a song called “Young” by Tulisa, who also happened to be a judge that season.
Before he performed, he told the judges and the audience a little about himself. He explained that he had been in respite foster care and had spent time in flats and bedsits because he couldn’t get along with his family. He also revealed that his father and mother had hardly spoken to each other for over 20 years and that being at his audition was like a reunion for them.
He went on to singe “A Million Love Songs” at boot camp and was chosen as one of six contestants in the Boys category to advance to the next round.
Then, he got to spend time at the judges’ house. Nicole Scherzinger mentored him. At the judges’ house performance, he chose to sing “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” He was picked to advance to the live shows.
Arthur didn’t handle the live shows as well, and he found himself getting really nervous backstage.
After his second live performance, he had an anxiety attack. He was treated at the studio and didn’t have to be hospitalized. He went to his hotel to rest and returned to the show later in the evening to learn the results.
He went on to perform “Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO on the third live show.
While he performed his own version, he was accused of plagiarism because it was so similar to a version recorded by a YouTube star. In defense of the accusations, Arthur tweeted:
“Btw doesn’t everyone know I was putting a spin on Noah’s version? It had 13.something million hits! Was I supposed to state the obvious?”
He moved on to week seven, where he performed the song “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
He was sent on to the final showdown, where he sang “Fallin.” He completed for survival over another fan favorite, Ella Henderson, and the judges came to a deadlock. The decision fell on the public, and they ultimately voted to send Arthur on to the quarterfinal.
In the finals, he performed Shontelle’s “Impossible’ and ended up winning. He was the first-ever winner of the show to have previously been in the bottom two. After winning, he recorded “Impossible” as a single, and it was released as a charity single for Together for Short Lives. It became the fastest-selling “X Factor” winner’s single so far, reaching 255,000 downloads within 48 hours and over 490,000 by the end of the week.
He went on to release a self-titled debut studio album in 2013 and went on a 37-date tour around Europe.
In 2016, he opened up about his struggles with drugs and alcohol and became an ambassador for UK mental health charity SANE. He released a book titled “Back To The Boy.” In 2017, he was nominated for an American Music Award in the “New Artist of the Year” category.
His climb to the top wasn’t an easy one, but he stuck it out. In the end, the fans fell in love with him. Maybe it’s because everyone loves an underdog, or maybe it was simply because he is an amazing performer who deserves to be heard.
He left Syco records and is now signed with Columbia Records, where he continues to make music. He still has a lot to offer the world as far as music, and he has a large fan following that can’t wait for his next single or album to come out.
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