During the seventh series of The X Factor, Rebecca Ferguson blossomed from a shy twentysomething from Liverpool to a bona fide popstar.

Since finishing a runner up on the ITV series in 2010, Rebecca has released three albums and sold millions of records. Now she is ready to release a fourth, titled Superwoman and is heading out on tour.

She told us: “I like touring, I really enjoy it. It is the best part of being a performer so I can’t wait. I’ve got new music now – a new album coming out – so I can’t wait to just play my old stuff and the new album.”

With the internet bringing fans closer to their idols, Rebecca told us she considers her fans as ‘friends’, which adds to the fun atmosphere of her shows

She said: “I like to get my band involved a lot. We have a laugh.

“We toured Germany and one of our favourite songs was a Tina Turner song and we all used to just go mad on stage. It is very fun. We just have a laugh, really.

“There are moments of quiet with the emotional songs but generally I just want people to have a good laugh.”

After a curveball of a third album – Rebecca remade Billie Holiday’s seminal Lady Sings the Blues to commercial and critical success – but is back on more modern territory with Superwoman, which is out on October 14.

She said: “I’m really excited, I have worked really hard on it. We have all worked really hard on it, the producers as well. I am excited to see how it does really and how people like it.

“It’s a lot more modern, a lot more soul-pop. I think the jazz Billie Holliday album was an extension of what I do but I don’t think I’ll be releasing another album like that for a long time.

“But I really did enjoy it – it was a great experience and it helped me as a writer as well. It was a good learning curve for me.”

In her six years since the X Factor, Rebecca has had some notable high points in her career, including millions of record sales and MOBO and MTV awards nominations, but it is collaborating with legends in the form of Lionel Richie and Andrea Bocelli that stand out.

Rebecca told us: “They were properly moments where I was a bit like ‘what’s going on? Why am I here?’

“I thought they had booked me by accident, especially with Andrea Bocelli because I’m not an opera singer.

“He is lovely and he was trying to help me learn the songs. He was very helpful, he was like ‘come in, we’ll practice round the piano’.

“At the time I was in a whirlwind of promo so you forget how big it was. He was really kind and Lionel was the same. I find the more established they are the kinder they are.”

While the X Factor led to a flood of offers, Rebecca has been keen to dictate the path of her career herself.

She said: “I made a decision in the second year after X Factor to only go for stuff that I like whereas before it was natural to go to stuff you are told to.”

Rebecca added: “I play my own game in the sense that I get on with it – I make my music, I do my tours, I enjoy touring, I enjoy my fans and I don’t get lost in the parts that some people could get lost in.

“It is very much about making music with me. I don’t go to that many events, I don’t get caught up in the lifestyle.”

Rebecca Ferguson’s album Superwoman is out October 14. She plays the London Palladium on November 1, Guildford’s G Live on November 13. Go to rebeccaofficial.com

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