Alexandra Burke Interview

WE haven’t heard much from Alexandra Burke for a while. After the whirlwind of the very emotional X Factor win in 2008, an album and several hit singles later it all went quiet... until now.

"There’s definitely going to be a tour next year. I really wanted to open Beyonce’s last tour for her but my album wasn’t ready at the time. You never know though, one day we might do a duet. God willing."

Alexandra comes sashaying into the Malmaison Hotel in Manchester, beaming from ear to ear as if she’s been bottling up a year’s worth of work and is ready to pop the cork.

First thing to be noted, the usually glammed up Alex is without her heels, or broken heels for that matter. Today she’s wearing bicycle chic AKA Lycra and some sensible shoes. And damn her, she’s pulling it off.

She’s in town to plug Sky Ride Manchester - a campaign from Sky and British Cycling to get one million people cycling regularly by 2013. She’ll be heading up the event taking place this Sunday, 7 August in Deansgate, Castlefield, and Sport City.

“I’ll be riding my bike on Sunday. I’m putting the fun factor back in to cycling. I actually bought my bike before I became the ambassador for Sky Ride. It’s a sports bike but I’ve ordered a Pashley as well with a basket. My friend says they’re like the Porsche of bikes.”

Alexandra Burke for Sky Ride

Only the best will do for the people’s princess of pop. It was after all, the viewers at home who chose Alex as their X Factor winner. Since the show, she’s managed to keep the momentum going - something several other winners have failed to do.

“When I won the show I remember saying to Simon ‘I don’t know how my future is going to be.’ It’s natural to worry how it will turn out but it’s up to you as the artist to make it happen.

“People believe that because you’ve won the show that it’s instant stardom but the hard work starts the day the show finishes. I would be lying if I said I didn’t worry but as I sit here today it’s about 10 per cent of me that worries and it keeps me going. It makes me work harder. It makes me want to achieve more. I really put the hours in.”

That she does. While the songs may have stopped, she’s been busy marketing herself through other ventures including a clothing line with JLS, deodorant advertisements with Sure and most recently, watches with Argos.

“I got asked a year ago to design jewellery and watches. I did everything – the whole shebang. It’s all about bling babes,” she told me, flashing her dazzling gold watch adorned wrist in my eyes.

But as talk turns to her music career, you can visibly see that if she had to make a choice she would ditch the bling and endorsements in a nanosecond, to just sing. The pop industry comes with a lot of promotion – particularly for the winners of reality shows. Alex is certainly bringing home the bacon where all that’s concerned, but in her own words “I just see myself as little Alex from North London trying to keep singing” and as I think back to her balling on Beyonce’s shoulder in the final, I can’t help but believe her.

Alex talks about the new album

“This album is quite uptempo. All my singles apart from ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘The Silence’ have been up-tempo. It’s just who I am. I love to dance.

“This album is gonna be a lot sexier. I’ve taken loads of risks with it and I’m the executive producer too. With the first album when songs were being mixed, Simon was the one who picked the track listing. But with this one, I haven’t let anything go past these ears. I approve everything.

“The first single is in the mix. I’m yet to decide which one of two songs it will be. One’s a duet and one’s not. When they’re both mixed I’ll have to see which one sounds amazing in my car because that’s the best way to test it. In a couple of weeks it will be on the radio. The album is now completely finished. It’s got a couple of names at the moment, but we haven’t done the track listing yet.”

I suggest the name ‘The Beast’. After all, this is the nickname Alex has given to her stage persona and the fans are lapping it up, despite somewhat unflattering connotations.

“I don’t care” she laughs, “I’ll be that beauty and that beast babe. I call my fans the beasties and they love it. They call me Mama Beast.”

The Beast certainly means business when it comes to pleasing fans. And that’s why she’s keen to let me know of her plans for world domination, by touring and maybe one day teaming up with her idol, Beyonce.

“I’m in the process of planning my tour. There’s definitely going to be a tour next year. I really wanted to open Beyonce’s last tour for her but my first album wasn’t ready at the time. You never know though, one day we might do a duet. God willing.

“I can’t wait to go to the States next year and hopefully do loads of promo. My biggest dream is to break the States.”

Moyo meets 'The Beast'

Quick to put to bed any rumours of delays to her impending album, she recently took to her Twitter page to set the record straight. Twitter has allowed many a celebrity, including Alex, to cut out the publicists and press releases.

“If I didn’t have Twitter I don’t know how I’d get my voice out unless it was through interviews. And I can’t just do an interview to say my album isn’t delayed. I thank God for Twitter because I can communicate with fans and it’s a nice way to keep that communication up when I’m in this stage of recording.

“I had to address that rumour myself because fans were getting angry. They’d been waiting ages for new music. If it was going to be delayed I’d let the fans know first though. It’s only fair I give them the truth.”

You have to admire her humility. Having interviewed Alex a couple of years ago, it’s safe to say everything she told me back then, from getting a puppy to bringing out a clothing line, has since happened. She makes things happen and just being around her for half an hour, it’s easy to see how. The girl talks a mile a minute, each answer more enthused than the last. She wasn’t late, she didn’t ask for anything and she laughed. A lot.

“God forbid if I died tomorrow, I’d die a happy girl. I love what I do and I have the best team around me. I see artists out there who moan about doing promo. But what are they moaning for?

“I am a very lucky girl. I wake up every morning and give thanks for another day of doing what I love to do. My management and team keep it real. If I’m in the wrong, they’ll let me know. My feet are firmly on the ground. We’ve all got blood that runs through our veins in the same way, we’ve all got the same bits. Why should I be any different to anyone else in this world?"

“Well, you’re famous” I suggest. “That certainly makes you different from me.”

“I’m not interested in it” she assures me. “I’d rather make music and just chill. My mum shouted at me for going to Tesco on my own the other day. But I’m just little old me. I’m not that girl who needs protection all the time. I’m normal.”

Alexandra Burke

There is of course one thing missing from Alex’s dream world and that is the man of her dreams. She tells me that man is Usher or possible Shia LaBeouf, but something tells me the cheeky and flirtatious name dropping is simply there to help keep her true private life just that.

“I’m not even going to lie, I always go for the wrong men. I’m so single it hurts. I met Usher last year and then I met him again in the studio last week. We talked for ages and I fell in love. Usher is beauuuutiful,” she giggles.

Being the old mother hen I am, I remind her that Usher cheated on Chilli from TLC and then made an album about it.

“Of course. That’s what Confessions was all about. Ok let’s just call it a crush then.

 “At the moment I do feel like it can get lonely though. I despise hotels. If I haven’t got my dog I’m so unhappy and lonely, especially at night. I don’t like being alone. I feel lost. ”

“I would like to be with someone now. I’m in no rush, but I’m never going to say no to love. I’m not scared of that commitment anymore."

And with that I suggest a tandem bike for Alex at next year’s Sky Ride.

“Yes, I’m definitely down for that,” she chuckles, before sashaying off again.

Alexandra Burke will be attending Sky Ride Manchester this Sunday (7 August) where people of all ages and abilities will be able to cycle through the city on traffic free streets. She's also supporting the nationwide search for The Perfect Hill to cycle down. To register for this Sunday’s event, nominate your Perfect Hill or find out about all the great ways to get back on your bike visit: www.goskyride.com  

Follow Lynda Moyo on Twitter @lyndamoyo