Overcome (Alexandra Burke album)
Encyclopedia
Overcome is the debut studio album
by British pop
/R&B singer Alexandra Burke
, released October 19, 2009 on Syco Music. The release of the album came a year after Burke won the British talent show, The X Factor
, with the recording process taking place between 2008 and 2009. Critics praised the album for showcasing Burke’s vocal charm and characterization, comparing her vocal to American singer Whitney Houston
and its contemporary finish; using a variety of acclaimed producers including Red One and Ne-Yo
.
Upon its release, Overcome debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart
, selling 132,065 copies in its first week, the fourth largest first week sales for a female singer in 2009. The album became a commercial success in Europe being certified double platinum in the United Kingdom
and Ireland
. To date the album has sold over 1 million copies worldwide. All six singles released from Overcome peaked within the top twenty on the UK singles chart, three of which reached number one. As well as receiving positive reviews, Overcome earned a nomination for Best Album at the Urban Music Awards.
of the British reality singing competition, The X Factor
, having previously entered in 2005. The singer received 58% of the final public vote. Burke's prize was a £
1 million recording contract with Syco Records, a subsidiary of Sony BMG, including a £150,000 advance payment. Burke's debut single
, a cover
of Leonard Cohen
's "Hallelujah" was released as the show's "winner's single". Upon winning the show, Burke remarked: "Thank you so much for making my dream come true. I'm the happiest girl alive."
Burke's album was originally scheduled for a March 2009 release in time for Mother's Day
. However, following the success of fellow X Factor contestant, Leona Lewis
, the album was pushed back for an autumn release. On 13 February 2009 it was reported that Burke had signed a £3.5 million, five-album United States record deal with Epic Records
. After visiting Burke in the studio, Beyoncé Knowles
spoke of possibly recording a duet with her.
and Akon
were reportedly asked to produce for the album according to MTV
. Meanwhile, British tabloid The Daily Mail reported that Burke had worked with producers Stargate
, Ne-Yo
, and RedOne
. Burke's website confirmed that RedOne
had produced a selection of songs for Burke to work on, including a song titled "Broken Heels", which was the first song recorded for Overcome. Whilst in the states she also worked with Louis Biancaniello
, Sam Watters
, Jim Jonsin
, Rico Love
, Roc Nation
and Stargate
. New production team "Element
" announced on their website that they had produced two songs for Burke, including one track which made the final cut for Overcome, titled "Bury Me (6 Feet Under)". Another song, "Dangerous", was released as the B-side for "Bad Boys".
Aside from working with American producers, Burke also collaborated with British singer-songwriter Taio Cruz
and Steve Booker
. Booker produced the track "You Broke My Heart", which he co-wrote with Niara Scarlett
and Pixie Lott
, one of several the British singer submitted for the album. According to Booker the song was originally had a different title and it was Simon Cowell
that requested the name change. Burke also recorded tracks with British dance duo The Freemasons
.
According to the Daily Mail
, Burke has said that she decided choose pop music
for the record because "everyone expected her to do the opposite." She has said of the decision: "My voice will give it soul but the music is pop."
Writing on her official website, Burke has said of the album:
Burke has revealed that she is making changes to the album for a US release. Burke has said will still use the same music videos in the United States. The singer quoted that "I'd love for America to go well next year. I'm working on an American version of Overcome," she told the Daily Star. I'm writing a few things for it. Ideally I just want to lay down some ideas, present it to the label and then see what happens. I don't think we're going to change it that much for the American market as the videos will definitely stay the same. That's the reason I wanted them ("Bad Boys" and "Broken Heels") shot in LA. It's cheaper and wiser to make one video and make it work for both markets."
RedOne will also be producing songs for the re-release:
and The Runaways. The songs were titled "Overcome" and "Perfect". Cowell confirmed that the songs were early demo tracks stolen by hackers. A criminal investigation was launched into the incident in support with the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. At the end of March 2010 it was reported that Burke's Syco Music had suffered once again from computer hackers who managed to obtain 14 of Burke's previously unheard studio recordings as well as 26 from fellow label-mate Leona Lewis
. Following the second incident of leaks Cowell has contacted the FBI to track down those responsible. Included in the leaks was newly recorded version of "All Night Long" featuring American rapper, Pitbull
which was tipped to be the singer's third single in March 2010. According to Burke, the songs were leaked by "Two little boys in Germany on work experience", working for Syco.
stated "last year’s X Factor winner belts out a few impeccably voiced big ballads, but they’re merely fillers among sci-fi disco tracks and bassy, beaty collaborations that often more closely resemble Christina Aguilera
or Lady Gaga
." Alexis Petridis
of The Guardian
said that "Broken Heels" is a "spectacularly polished product." His review also praised the album's ballads saying "[t]he ballads are seldom the highlight of any pop-soul album, but at least here they come equipped with booming post-Umbrella beats to distract you from the river of lyrical drivel – you lift me up, been hurt so many times before, some things are worth fighting for, and so on." Petridis gave the album three out of five stars, noting that "'Bury Me' and 'You Broke My Heart' are Motown pastiches that seem a little too craven and obvious in their pursuit of the Duffy
market." Another reviewer for The Guardian drew comparisons with Barbadian singer Rihanna
, whilst calling the album "cast-iron edifice of a debut" and saying it has a "crack team of producers." Al Fox of the BBC
said that the album is "relevant, it’s contemporary, it’s edgy enough for younger fans but accessible enough for a wider audience", calling it "swathed in personality."
, selling 132,065 in its first week according to the British Phonographic Industry
. Its first-week numbers were the fourth largest first-week sales by a female artist in 2009 behind releases by Susan Boyle
, Lily Allen
and Leona Lewis
and was the twenty-second best-selling album of 2009, and the forty-third best-selling album of 2010. The album spent 60 weeks on the UK Albums Chart and has been certified double platinum
by The British Recorded Music Industry for shipments over 600,000 copies. To date the album has sold 788,000 copies in the UK.
In Ireland
, where the album made its first chart appearance, debuted at number two behind Michael Bublé
's fourth album Crazy Love
, eventually being certified double-platinum for sales over 30,000. Elsewhere in Europe, Overcome received a moderate reception, debuting inside the top forty in Greece
and Australia
and the top one-hundred in Switzerland
, Germany
and Poland
. To date, the album has sold over 1 million copies worldwide.
of Leonard Cohen
's song, was Burke's debut release as The X Factor
winner's single. The song, which reached the UK Singles Chart
Christmas number-one, broke numerous records including the "fastest-selling download ever across Europe" after selling 105,000 digital copies after just two days of release, and 576,000 copies in its first sales week. The song remained at number-one for three weeks, and was certified
Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
. "Hallelujah" went on to sell over one million copies in the UK alone, and was 2008's biggest selling single in the United Kingdom, despite having only been on sale for two weeks. The song is notable for fueling a campaign for singer Jeff Buckley
's version of the song to become number-one instead of Burke's version. Buckley's rendition eventually reached the UK's Christmas number-two, making it the first time the same song had occupied both the first and second spots on the singles chart. Burke's version of the song is the seventh best-selling download of all time in the UK.
"Bad Boys
" is the lead single from Overcome, and the second single overall. Described as "21st century techno future-pop" by Burke's website, it features American rapper Flo Rida
. In one of the song's earliest reviews, music website Popjustice
called the song "literally amazing." Bill Lamb of About.com
has said of the single: "big international success seems a real possibility." "Bad Boys" debuted at number-one on the UK and the Irish Singles chart, becoming Burke's second consecutive chart-topper in both countries, selling over 187,000 copies to become the fastest selling single of 2009 in the UK, beaten the following week by Cheryl Cole
's "Fight for This Love
".
"Broken Heels" is the second single from Overcome, and third single overall. It was released on 18 January 2010 and peaked at #8 on UK Singles Chart thus making it Burke's third top ten single in the UK. The single peaked #5 on the Irish Singles Chart.
"All Night Long
" is the third single from Overcome. It was confirmed by Burke as her fourth single via her Twitter page. The song's video was filmed on Saturday 27 March 2010 in London
and has been remixed to include American rapper Pitbull
. The song reached #4 on UK Singles Chart. The single has reached #1 on the Irish Singles Chart, making it Burke's third number-one single in Ireland. It also reached number 24 on the Dutch Top 40.
"Start Without You
" was the fourth single from Overcome, included on the repackaged edition of the album. It was released on 5 September 2010 and is debuted at #1 on the UK Singles Chart, selling 73,000 copies in its first week. The song became her 3rd number-one single in the U.K. The single debuted at #5 on the Irish Singles Chart, becoming her fifth consecutive top-five hit in Ireland.
"The Silence
" was the fifth and final single from Overcome. Burke performed the single on The X Factor
a day before the single's release. The single was released digitally on the 5th December 2010, the day the deluxe version of Overcome was released. The music video premiered via Burke's official YouTube account on 21 October 2010.
, performing "Bad Boys", "They Don't Know" and "Hallelujah" live for the broadcast. Burke also played a small set including "Bad Boys" and "Hallelujah" at the BBC Switch Live alongside American group The Black Eyed Peas
. Burke started her European Promo Tour in Brussels
on 18 January, also visiting Amsterdam
, Copenhagen
, Stockholm
, Berlin
, Vienna
, Zurich
, Milan
and Paris
, where she promoted "Bad Boys" and her debut album, by visiting many radio stations and performing the single making several TV appearances.
on 14 January 17, 2011, in support of Overcome.
(*) signifies co-producer
|-
! style="width:120px;"| Country
! style="width:50px;"|Provider
! Certifications
|-
| Ireland
| IRMA
| 2× Platinum
|-
| United Kingdom
| BPI
| 2× Platinum
|-
|-
!Region
!Release date
!Label
|-
|Ireland
|16 October 2009
|rowspan="2"|Syco Music
|-
|United Kingdom
|19 October 2009
|-
|Canada
|2 November 2009
|rowspan="8"|Sony Music Entertainment
|-
|Switzerland
|15 February 2010
|-
|Austria
|rowspan="3"|19 February 2010
|-
|Germany
|-
|Netherlands
|-
|Italy
|26 February 2010
|-
|Japan
|26 May 2010
|-
|Australia
|4 June 2010
|}
Deluxe edition
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Region
!Release date
!Label
|-
|Netherlands
|rowspan="3"|3 December 2010
|Sony Music Entertainment
|-
|Germany
|-
|Ireland
|rowspan="2"|Syco Music
|-
|United Kingdom
|rowspan="2"|6 December 2010
|-
|Poland
|Sony Music Entertainment
|}
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by British pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
/R&B singer Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke is a British R&B and pop recording artist who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008...
, released October 19, 2009 on Syco Music. The release of the album came a year after Burke won the British talent show, The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
, with the recording process taking place between 2008 and 2009. Critics praised the album for showcasing Burke’s vocal charm and characterization, comparing her vocal to American singer Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
and its contemporary finish; using a variety of acclaimed producers including Red One and Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
.
Upon its release, Overcome debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, selling 132,065 copies in its first week, the fourth largest first week sales for a female singer in 2009. The album became a commercial success in Europe being certified double platinum in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. To date the album has sold over 1 million copies worldwide. All six singles released from Overcome peaked within the top twenty on the UK singles chart, three of which reached number one. As well as receiving positive reviews, Overcome earned a nomination for Best Album at the Urban Music Awards.
Background
In December 2008, Burke won the fifth seriesThe X Factor (UK series 5)
The fifth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in 2008. The series started on 16 August and was won by Alexandra Burke on 13 December, with new judge Cheryl Cole emerging as the winning mentor. Auditions in front of producers were held in April/May, with callbacks in front of the judges...
of the British reality singing competition, The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
, having previously entered in 2005. The singer received 58% of the final public vote. Burke's prize was a £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1 million recording contract with Syco Records, a subsidiary of Sony BMG, including a £150,000 advance payment. Burke's debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
's "Hallelujah" was released as the show's "winner's single". Upon winning the show, Burke remarked: "Thank you so much for making my dream come true. I'm the happiest girl alive."
Burke's album was originally scheduled for a March 2009 release in time for Mother's Day
Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, yet most commonly in March, April, or May...
. However, following the success of fellow X Factor contestant, Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
, the album was pushed back for an autumn release. On 13 February 2009 it was reported that Burke had signed a £3.5 million, five-album United States record deal with Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. After visiting Burke in the studio, Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
spoke of possibly recording a duet with her.
Recording and production
Producers Pharrell WilliamsPharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
and Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
were reportedly asked to produce for the album according to MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. Meanwhile, British tabloid The Daily Mail reported that Burke had worked with producers Stargate
Stargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
, Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
, and RedOne
RedOne
Nadir Khayat , known by the stage name RedOne, is a Moroccan producer and songwriter. Renowned for co-producing hit singles such as "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Bad Romance", "Alejandro" and "Judas", he is attributed by some as the key to Lady Gaga's success...
. Burke's website confirmed that RedOne
RedOne
Nadir Khayat , known by the stage name RedOne, is a Moroccan producer and songwriter. Renowned for co-producing hit singles such as "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "LoveGame", "Bad Romance", "Alejandro" and "Judas", he is attributed by some as the key to Lady Gaga's success...
had produced a selection of songs for Burke to work on, including a song titled "Broken Heels", which was the first song recorded for Overcome. Whilst in the states she also worked with Louis Biancaniello
Louis Biancaniello
Louis John Biancaniello is a songwriter, record producer, and musician.-Background:Louis' skills were developed while working alongside producer Narada Michael Walden with whom he produced hits for Shanice "I Love Your Smile", Whitney Houston "I'm Every Woman" from the Grammy winning album The...
, Sam Watters
Sam Watters
Sam Watters is a Grammy nominated American songwriter, record producer, singer, and record executive. Watters was a member of the multi-platinum selling 1990’s R&B group Color Me Badd and co-authored many of their hits including “I Wanna Sex You Up”, “I Adore Mi Amor”, and “All 4 Love”...
, Jim Jonsin
Jim Jonsin
James Scheffer, better known by his professional name, Jim Jonsin, is an American Grammy award winning record producer, songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur...
, Rico Love
Rico Love
Richard Preston Butler, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Love wrote and produced hit records such as Usher’s "There Goes My Baby" and "Hey Daddy ”, Nelly's "Just a Dream" and "Gone", Beyoncé Knowles' "Sweet Dreams"...
, Roc Nation
Roc Nation
Roc Nation is an American management, music publishing and entertainment company founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter.-History:In April 2008, Live Nation partnered with Jay-Z to create Roc Nation...
and Stargate
Stargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
. New production team "Element
ELEMENT (production team)
Element is a Norwegian record production and songwriting team, consisting of Hitesh Ceon and Kim Ofstad. Some of the latest productions of the team include two songs for U.K...
" announced on their website that they had produced two songs for Burke, including one track which made the final cut for Overcome, titled "Bury Me (6 Feet Under)". Another song, "Dangerous", was released as the B-side for "Bad Boys".
Aside from working with American producers, Burke also collaborated with British singer-songwriter Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz is a British singer-songwriter, record producer, occasional rapper, and entrepreneur. In 2008, he released his debut album Departure, which Cruz wrote, arranged and produced himself. It achieved initial success in the UK and earned him a MOBO Award nomination...
and Steve Booker
Steve Booker (producer)
Steve Booker is an award-winning British music producer and songwriter best known for "Mercy", "Stepping Stone" and "Rain on Your Parade", three hits he produced and co-wrote for Duffy's Brit and Grammy award winning debut album "Rockferry"...
. Booker produced the track "You Broke My Heart", which he co-wrote with Niara Scarlett
Niara Scarlett
Niara Scarlett is a British born singer-songwriter, perhaps most famous for her work with British production house Xenomania. Scarlett appeared on a number of dub, garage, grime, and house singles in the latter half of the 1990s and the 2000s.-Background:...
and Pixie Lott
Pixie Lott
Victoria Louise "Pixie" Lott is an English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her debut single "Mama Do" was released in June 2009 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Her second single "Boys and Girls", also topped the UK charts in September 2009. Her debut album Turn It...
, one of several the British singer submitted for the album. According to Booker the song was originally had a different title and it was Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
that requested the name change. Burke also recorded tracks with British dance duo The Freemasons
Freemasons (band)
Freemasons are an English dance band from Brighton, East Sussex, England. The act consists of producers Russell Small and James Wiltshire .-2005-2007: Early Career:Their name is taken from the Brighton pub, Freemasons Tavern, Hove, which they frequently...
.
According to the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, Burke has said that she decided choose pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
for the record because "everyone expected her to do the opposite." She has said of the decision: "My voice will give it soul but the music is pop."
Writing on her official website, Burke has said of the album:
"I said to my manager I want my music to be fun, to be uplifting and to be bold. I want it to reflect my personality. I want it to be in your face, I want it to be a beast. I want it to be energetic and fun. When I record the ballads I want to cry. And if I go through a roller coaster recording this album then I want the listener to go through a roller coaster when they hear it."
Burke has revealed that she is making changes to the album for a US release. Burke has said will still use the same music videos in the United States. The singer quoted that "I'd love for America to go well next year. I'm working on an American version of Overcome," she told the Daily Star. I'm writing a few things for it. Ideally I just want to lay down some ideas, present it to the label and then see what happens. I don't think we're going to change it that much for the American market as the videos will definitely stay the same. That's the reason I wanted them ("Bad Boys" and "Broken Heels") shot in LA. It's cheaper and wiser to make one video and make it work for both markets."
RedOne will also be producing songs for the re-release:
When we [RedOne and Alexandra] were in the studio together the other day, he was like, 'OK, do your ad libs for the beginning of the track', so I went, 'OK! I'm going to say your name and then I'm going to say mine. I've done that already and I'm going to do it again'. I don't do it on all our tracks though - 'Dumb' doesn't have it and 'The Silence' doesn't have it - but I think that when it's a fun song, the shout-out suits it. This song we were working on the other day is fun and lively, so it just felt right.""Well, we did manage to finish it the other day and it's an uptempo song.
Theft of production demos
On 11 and 12 July 2009 two previously unheard songs surfaced on the internet believed to be produced by The StereotypesStereotypes (producers)
Stereotypes are a R&B/hip hop/dance production team created in 2003, composed of Jonathan Yip, Ray Romulus and Jeremy Reeves. They were listed as Top 10 Songwriters and Producers to Watch in the June 5, 2010 Billboard magazine. The first artists on their production company/label is Far*East...
and The Runaways. The songs were titled "Overcome" and "Perfect". Cowell confirmed that the songs were early demo tracks stolen by hackers. A criminal investigation was launched into the incident in support with the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. At the end of March 2010 it was reported that Burke's Syco Music had suffered once again from computer hackers who managed to obtain 14 of Burke's previously unheard studio recordings as well as 26 from fellow label-mate Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
. Following the second incident of leaks Cowell has contacted the FBI to track down those responsible. Included in the leaks was newly recorded version of "All Night Long" featuring American rapper, Pitbull
Pitbull (rapper)
Armando Christian Pérez , better known by his stage name Pitbull, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. His first recorded performance was from the Lil Jon album Kings of Crunk in 2002, after which he released his debut album in 2004 titled M.I.A.M.I. under TVT Records...
which was tipped to be the singer's third single in March 2010. According to Burke, the songs were leaked by "Two little boys in Germany on work experience", working for Syco.
Critical reception
The album has received mainly positive reviews. Giving the album four out of five stars, Alex Hardy of The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
stated "last year’s X Factor winner belts out a few impeccably voiced big ballads, but they’re merely fillers among sci-fi disco tracks and bassy, beaty collaborations that often more closely resemble Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
or Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
." Alexis Petridis
Alexis Petridis
Alexis Petridis is a British journalist, head rock and pop critic for UK newspaper The Guardian, as well as a regular and contributor to the magazine GQ.Petridis began his career writing for Varsity whilst a student at the University of Cambridge...
of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
said that "Broken Heels" is a "spectacularly polished product." His review also praised the album's ballads saying "[t]he ballads are seldom the highlight of any pop-soul album, but at least here they come equipped with booming post-Umbrella beats to distract you from the river of lyrical drivel – you lift me up, been hurt so many times before, some things are worth fighting for, and so on." Petridis gave the album three out of five stars, noting that "'Bury Me' and 'You Broke My Heart' are Motown pastiches that seem a little too craven and obvious in their pursuit of the Duffy
Duffy (singer)
Aimée Ann Duffy , known as Duffy, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her 2008 debut album Rockferry entered the UK Album Chart at number one. It was the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in 2008 with 1.68 million copies sold...
market." Another reviewer for The Guardian drew comparisons with Barbadian singer Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
, whilst calling the album "cast-iron edifice of a debut" and saying it has a "crack team of producers." Al Fox of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
said that the album is "relevant, it’s contemporary, it’s edgy enough for younger fans but accessible enough for a wider audience", calling it "swathed in personality."
Chart performance
Overcome debuted at number one on the UK Albums ChartUK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, selling 132,065 in its first week according to the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
. Its first-week numbers were the fourth largest first-week sales by a female artist in 2009 behind releases by Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle
Susan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ...
, Lily Allen
Lily Allen
Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper , better known as Lily Allen, is an English recording artist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of actor and musician Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. In her teenage years, her musical tastes evolved from glam rock to alternative...
and Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
and was the twenty-second best-selling album of 2009, and the forty-third best-selling album of 2010. The album spent 60 weeks on the UK Albums Chart and has been certified double platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
by The British Recorded Music Industry for shipments over 600,000 copies. To date the album has sold 788,000 copies in the UK.
In Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, where the album made its first chart appearance, debuted at number two behind Michael Bublé
Michael Bublé
Michael Steven Bublé is a Canadian singer. He has won several awards, including three Grammy Awards and multiple Juno Awards. His first album reached the top ten in Canada and the UK. He found worldwide commercial success with his 2005 album It's Time, and his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible was...
's fourth album Crazy Love
Crazy Love (Michael Bublé album)
Crazy Love is the fourth studio album released by Canadian vocalist Michael Bublé. After only three days of sales, the album opened atop the Billboard 200 chart with 132,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, making the album Bublé's second number #1 album...
, eventually being certified double-platinum for sales over 30,000. Elsewhere in Europe, Overcome received a moderate reception, debuting inside the top forty in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the top one-hundred in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. To date, the album has sold over 1 million copies worldwide.
Singles
"Hallelujah", a coverCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
's song, was Burke's debut release as The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
winner's single. The song, which reached the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
Christmas number-one, broke numerous records including the "fastest-selling download ever across Europe" after selling 105,000 digital copies after just two days of release, and 576,000 copies in its first sales week. The song remained at number-one for three weeks, and was certified
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
. "Hallelujah" went on to sell over one million copies in the UK alone, and was 2008's biggest selling single in the United Kingdom, despite having only been on sale for two weeks. The song is notable for fueling a campaign for singer Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
's version of the song to become number-one instead of Burke's version. Buckley's rendition eventually reached the UK's Christmas number-two, making it the first time the same song had occupied both the first and second spots on the singles chart. Burke's version of the song is the seventh best-selling download of all time in the UK.
"Bad Boys
Bad Boys (Alexandra Burke song)
"Bad Boys" is a song by British recording artist Alexandra Burke. The song is her second single after winning the fifth series of The X Factor, and the lead single from her debut album, Overcome. The song features American rapper Flo Rida. It was written by Flo Rida, Melvin K. Watson Jr, Larry...
" is the lead single from Overcome, and the second single overall. Described as "21st century techno future-pop" by Burke's website, it features American rapper Flo Rida
Flo Rida
Tramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He released his debut album, Mail on Sunday, in March 2008. His debut single "Low", featuring T-Pain, was a #1 hit for ten weeks in United States in early 2008. Two other singles resulted from...
. In one of the song's earliest reviews, music website Popjustice
Popjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 and is the work of UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for NME, The Guardian, Attitude and many others....
called the song "literally amazing." Bill Lamb of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
has said of the single: "big international success seems a real possibility." "Bad Boys" debuted at number-one on the UK and the Irish Singles chart, becoming Burke's second consecutive chart-topper in both countries, selling over 187,000 copies to become the fastest selling single of 2009 in the UK, beaten the following week by Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls...
's "Fight for This Love
Fight for This Love
"Fight for This Love" is a song by British recording artist Cheryl Cole, taken from her debut studio album, 3 Words. Initially, the song was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland as the lead single on 16 October 2009 by Fascination Records however, in 2010 it was also released in Europe as the...
".
"Broken Heels" is the second single from Overcome, and third single overall. It was released on 18 January 2010 and peaked at #8 on UK Singles Chart thus making it Burke's third top ten single in the UK. The single peaked #5 on the Irish Singles Chart.
"All Night Long
All Night Long (Alexandra Burke song)
"All Night Long" is an uptempo song performed by British pop/R&B singer Alexandra Burke taken from her debut studio album, Overcome . The song was written and produced by production team, The Runaways...
" is the third single from Overcome. It was confirmed by Burke as her fourth single via her Twitter page. The song's video was filmed on Saturday 27 March 2010 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and has been remixed to include American rapper Pitbull
Pitbull (rapper)
Armando Christian Pérez , better known by his stage name Pitbull, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. His first recorded performance was from the Lil Jon album Kings of Crunk in 2002, after which he released his debut album in 2004 titled M.I.A.M.I. under TVT Records...
. The song reached #4 on UK Singles Chart. The single has reached #1 on the Irish Singles Chart, making it Burke's third number-one single in Ireland. It also reached number 24 on the Dutch Top 40.
"Start Without You
Start Without You
"Start Without You" is a song by British recording artist Alexandra Burke. Featuring vocals from Jamaican American reggae rapper Laza Morgan, it was written by Kristian Lundin, Savan Kotecha, Julian Bunetta, and RedOne. The song is a pop song, which incorporates reggae fusion and dancehall....
" was the fourth single from Overcome, included on the repackaged edition of the album. It was released on 5 September 2010 and is debuted at #1 on the UK Singles Chart, selling 73,000 copies in its first week. The song became her 3rd number-one single in the U.K. The single debuted at #5 on the Irish Singles Chart, becoming her fifth consecutive top-five hit in Ireland.
"The Silence
The Silence (song)
"The Silence" is a the sixth single from English recording artist Alexandra Burke's debut studio album Overcome. It was written by RedOne, Bilal Hajji, and Savan Kotecha and produced by RedOne, who co-wrote and produced her previous singles "Broken Heels" and "Start Without You".The song is a pop...
" was the fifth and final single from Overcome. Burke performed the single on The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
a day before the single's release. The single was released digitally on the 5th December 2010, the day the deluxe version of Overcome was released. The music video premiered via Burke's official YouTube account on 21 October 2010.
Marketing and promotion
Burke helped to launch UK music channel VivaViva (UK & Ireland)
Viva is a music video and entertainment channel in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The channel was officially launched on 26 October 2009 by Alexandra Burke, with an exclusive live performance of her single "Bad Boys". The channel replaced TMF. The channel is owned by MTV Networks Europe and was...
, performing "Bad Boys", "They Don't Know" and "Hallelujah" live for the broadcast. Burke also played a small set including "Bad Boys" and "Hallelujah" at the BBC Switch Live alongside American group The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
. Burke started her European Promo Tour in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
on 18 January, also visiting Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where she promoted "Bad Boys" and her debut album, by visiting many radio stations and performing the single making several TV appearances.
Tour
Burke embarked on the All Night Long TourAll Night Long Tour
The All Night Long Tour is the debut concert tour by British pop/R&B singer Alexandra Burke. It is Burke's first concert tour which is to promote her debut studio album Overcome. The tour is set to kick off in Wales on 14 January 2011 and currently finishes on 24 June 2011 in Ireland...
on 14 January 17, 2011, in support of Overcome.
Track listing
Information taken from Overcome liner notes.(*) signifies co-producer
Deluxe Edition
- Digital SpyDigital SpyDigital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
unveiled the official track listing on 1 November 2010, it's includes 4 new songs; "Perfect", "What Happens On The Dancefloor", "Before The Rain" and the single "Start Without You". - The deluxe edition was released as a 2-disc combined CD+DVD package in addition to a digital downloadMusic downloadA music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
.
Chart positions
| Chart (2009/10) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
1 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 Albums European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
7 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
2 |
| Scottish Albums Chart Scottish Singles and Albums Chart The Scottish Singles Chart and Scottish Albums Chart are charts compiled by The Official Charts Company, based on physical and digital sales in the STV North, STV Central and ITV Border regions.... |
1 |
| Australian Urban Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
25 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 54 |
| Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Vl) |
73 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 61 |
| German Albums Chart | 60 |
| Greek International Albums Chart | 20 |
| Polish Albums Chart OLIS Oxford Libraries Information System, or OLIS, is an online union catalog of books held by the libraries of the University of Oxford, England, which include the Bodleian Library. It currently operates the Geac ADVANCE integrated library system . Prior to 1996 it operated DOBIS/LIBIS software... |
79 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 54 |
Deluxe Edition
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
22 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
29 |
Year-End Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
22 |
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
| UK Albums Chart | 43 |
| Ireland (IRMA Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... ) |
Certifications
{| class="wikitable"|-
! style="width:120px;"| Country
! style="width:50px;"|Provider
! Certifications
|-
| Ireland
| IRMA
Irish Recorded Music Association
Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:...
| 2× Platinum
|-
| United Kingdom
| BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
| 2× Platinum
|-
Chart procession and succession
Release history
{| class="wikitable"|-
!Region
!Release date
!Label
|-
|Ireland
|16 October 2009
|rowspan="2"|Syco Music
|-
|United Kingdom
|19 October 2009
|-
|Canada
|2 November 2009
|rowspan="8"|Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
|-
|Switzerland
|15 February 2010
|-
|Austria
|rowspan="3"|19 February 2010
|-
|Germany
|-
|Netherlands
|-
|Italy
|26 February 2010
|-
|Japan
|26 May 2010
|-
|Australia
|4 June 2010
|}
Deluxe edition
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Region
!Release date
!Label
|-
|Netherlands
|rowspan="3"|3 December 2010
|Sony Music Entertainment
|-
|Germany
|-
|Ireland
|rowspan="2"|Syco Music
|-
|United Kingdom
|rowspan="2"|6 December 2010
|-
|Poland
|Sony Music Entertainment
|}