Fleur East says going on 'The X Factor' twice saved her music career.
Fleur East
The 27-year-old singer - who hails from London - first tried her luck on the second series of the ITV talent contest as a member of the girl group Addictiv Ladies in 2005 and then again as a solo artist last year.
Speaking about her struggle to make it before her second attempt, Fleur said: "Before going on X Factor again, I felt like I'd tried everything else. I got to the point where I'd featured on songs, I'd done backing singing for major artists, I'd done all these shows but it was always for other people. At this point I thought 'What do I do now?' I either go, just get a job doing something else, but that terrified me because all I know and all I love is music."
But Fleur said appearing on the show was still the most stressful time in her life.
She added: "It's a lot less glamorous than it appears. It's a lot of hard work. It's probably the most stressful thing I've ever done. There's so much pressure but I think if you really love it, if you truly love it and it's your passion to sing, then that's what will get through. I think if you don't have that, you'll realise quickly.
Meanwhile, the singer's debut single will be released on SYCO Music soon but she says the tracks she covered on 'The X Factor' are a good indication of the sound she's followed.
She told the latest issue of Fault magazine: "I was fortunate enough that on the show, the songs that I was given represented the sort of direction that I wanted to go in. It's basically really strong, sassy, full of attitude, really confident, vibrant and energetic."
Tagged in Fleur East