‘Hallelujah’ British X Factor sensation in Mallorca

Burke rose to fame after winning the fifth series of The X Factor in 2008 and currently stands as one of the most successful winners of the show selling well over 4 million records in the UK alone.

After winning The X Factor, Alexandra released the winner’s single ‘Hallelujah’, which became the current European record holder for single sales over a period of 24 hours, selling 105,000 in one day.
The song also became the top-selling single of 2008 in the UK and the UK’s Christmas number one. By January 2009, the single had sold over one million copies in the UK alone, a first for a British female soloist.

Her debut album, Overcome, debuted at number one in the UK Album Charts and spawned four number one singles on the UK Singles Chart and the Irish Singles Chart – ‘Hallelujah’, ‘Bad Boys’, selling over 780,000 in the UK and becoming a Platinum selling single, ‘All Night Long’ and ‘Start Without You’.

The album became one of the most successful albums of that year in the UK and the singles released from the album earned her three BRIT Award nominations.

The album also saw the release of UK top 10 hit, ‘Broken Heels’ and ‘The Silence’. In late 2010, Alexandra released Overcome: Deluxe Edition which was followed by ‘Elephant’ with Eric Morillo in February 2012, which became a hit single, with a peak position of number three in the UK. ‘Let It Go’ served as the second single and Alexandra’s second album, Heartbreak on Hold, was released in June 2012 and her self funded EP ‘Renegade’ followed receiving critical acclaim.

From a young age Burke has supported a number of charities around the United Kingdom.
Before Burke auditioned for The X Factor and attained a successful music career, she went on tour with Young Voices.

Burke performed in large venues such as the Royal Albert Hall before she became famous. Burke went on tour with her mother’s band, Soul II Soul where Burke sang to raise money for charity.
Burke’s mother, Melissa Bell, said that herself and Burke only do professional gigs together for charity.
In 2008, while Burke was a contestant on The X Factor she and her fellow series five contestants released a cover of Mariah Carey’s “Hero” for the Help for Heroes and The Royal British Legion charities.

The release was backed by, and originally suggested by, The Sun newspaper.
On 30 October 2008 it was announced that British Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling would waive all tax on copies sold on the single. He said: “I support the efforts being made by the X Factor contestants and in recognition of that I’m proposing effectively to waive the VAT on the sale of these singles. We will do that by making a donation equivalent to the value of the VAT.”

Simon Cowell ordered the song to have a big promotional push to get it to the top of the UK Singles Chart, and the contestants performed the song live on The X Factor and again with Carey herself.
On 2 November 2008 it debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, staying there for three consecutive weeks and becoming the fastest selling single of 2008.

The song sold 100,000 copies in the first day of its release and 313,244 copies by the end of the week. It sold over 770,000 copies and raised over one million pounds for Help For Heroes foundation. Many shops had to order additional copies of the single due to “high demand.”

It was listed as the second biggest single of 2008 and the nineteenth best selling single of the decade.
The single sold 1.2 million copies within the UK getting certificated double platinum.