Rebecca Ferguson first stepped into the spotlight when she became a finalist on The X Factor UK. With the U.S. release of her debut album, Heaven, she's bringing her fame overseas. In honor of her new album, Rebecca dished to J-14 about her singing struggles, living with One Direction, and her unique sound!
J-14: You auditioned for 'The X Factor UK' three times before you made it. What motivated you to not give up?
Rebecca Ferguson: I dreamed for years and years. I just kept on going back and didn't give up. At some points, I'd get upset, and I thought, "You know what? Maybe I can't sing. Maybe I'm not meant to be singing." But in the end, I just thought, "No, keep going. Keep trying."
J-14: What was it like living in a house with your 'X Factor UK' competitors, including One Direction?
Rebecca: We had some really fun times! You know, you'd all share in the fridge, and everyone's having a laugh. But, in others ways it was quite hard because you'd share a room with the people you're in competition with!
J-14: What was your most challenging moment on the show?
Rebecca: It was the day I sang, "Make You Feel My Love," and that actually ended up being my biggest performance! Honestly, I didn't want to go on the stage. I remember just feeling like, "I can't do this." In the end, I went on the stage, and I just thought, "You know what? Channel all that emotion into the song."
J-14: Tell us about your debut album, 'Heaven.'
Rebecca: A lot of it is about my life. I wanted it to be an album that people listened to and thought, "You know what? I've been through that, or I'm going through that." I literally poured by heart and soul into Heaven.
J-14: What advice do you have for aspiring singers?
Rebecca: Anything is achievable. Don't ever let anyone say that you're less than anything good -- you just got to really believe in yourself.
Photo Courtesy of Columbia Records
By: Rachel Bennett
