Impossible By James Arthur

 
Impossible By James Arthur Rating: 5,0/5 2021 votes

[Verse/Chorus] Em G D C [Pre-Chorus] C D Em D [Verse 1] Em I remember years ago G Someone told me I should take D Caution when it comes to love C I did, I did Em And you were strong and I wa.

(Redirected from Impossible (James Arthur song))
'Impossible'
Single by Shontelle
from the album No Gravity
Released9 February 2010
FormatDigital download
Recorded2009
Studio
  • Chalice Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
  • The Vault, Stockholm, Sweden
GenreR&B, pop
Length3:46
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Arnthor Birgisson
Shontelle singles chronology
'Battle Cry'
(2009)		'Impossible'
(2010)		'Perfect Nightmare'
(2010)

'Impossible' is a song by Barbadian singer and songwriter Shontelle. It is the lead single from her second studio album, No Gravity (2010). The song was written by Arnthor Birgisson and Ina Wroldsen, and produced by Birgisson. It was released digitally on 9 February 2010. 'Impossible' peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, number 33 in Canada, number nine in the United Kingdom and number five in Denmark.

  1. Watch the video for Impossible from James Arthur's Impossible for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. Watch the video for Impossible from James Arthur's Impossible for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. Playing via Spotify Playing via YouTube.
  2. James Arthur, Soundtrack: Tu cara me suena. James Arthur was born as James Andrew Arthur.

The X Factor winner James Arthur released a cover version of the song after winning the ninth series of the talent competition in December 2012. It was released shortly after his win and reached number one in the UK and Ireland, as well as charting in the top ten in 20 other countries. As of 2017, it has sold over 1,310,000 copies in the UK.

  • 2Reception
  • 7Charts and certifications
  • 8Radio and release history
  • 9James Arthur version
    • 9.4Charts and certifications

Inspiration and composition[edit]

'Impossible' is a midtempo R&Bballad[1] written by Arnthor Birgisson and Ina Wroldsen, in the musical key of A♭ major with a time signature in common time and a tempo of 92 beats per minute. The melody is to be played in a moderate tone and tempo. The song's backing track consists of a simple chord progression of Fm7—A♭—E♭—D♭.[2] It was conceived after Shontelle stated that she felt that radio was currently missing a 'heartbreak ballad'. In an interview with J-14 magazine she said 'I knew that there was no song out there for heartbroken people. I just wanted to put a song out that gave people hope - things may not work out the way you want them to, but you can move past it and everything is gonna be okay.. [I want to help listeners] draw the strength to carry on past a break up where you're the one in the embarrassing position.'[3] Shontelle uses a vocal range from E♭3 to D♭5 in the song.[2]Billboard's Michael Menachem described her vocal precision as similar to that of Beyoncé's in 'Irreplaceable'.[4] Meanwhile, the production, helmed by Birgisson, was compared to Norwegian production team, StarGate[5] who are, coincidentally, the team responsible for producing 'Irreplaceable'.[6]

Reception[edit]

Critic response[edit]

Michael Menachem of Billboard loved the song. He said 'Shontelle shines on 'Impossible', giving one of the year's standout female vocal performances and recalling the poignancy and technical precision of Beyoncé's 'Irreplaceable'. The 24-year-old's vulnerable delivery demands attention .. releasing the pain of a broken heart.. Nothing is impossible when a vocal sounds as effortless and anthemic as this.'[4] Ryan Love of Digital Spy gave the song five out of five stars, writing: 'Arnthor Birgisson's StarGate-style production is appealingly restrained, Ina Wroldsen's lyrics are blunt and utterly relatable, and Shontelle gives her strongest vocal performance yet without ever overdoing it. The result? A treat for everyone except the peeps at Greenpeace, who might not approve of a song that requires at least two Kleenex mansize every time you play it.'[5] Financial website MarketWatch branded the song a 'passionate ballad' and Shontelle's vocals 'soulful'.[7]

Carmen Castro of The Canadian Press said 'Shontelle hits the right notes on 'Impossible', the album's only standout track.'[8] A reviewer from Entertainment Focus said 'Impossible' showcases undeniably strong vocals from the 24-year-old. .. It's easily a contender for breakup song of 2010 and Shontelle sings with such passion that you can't help but hold back the tears. Things are about to turn around for Shontelle. 'Impossible' is the strongest release we've had from the young singer yet and it's a sign of bigger things to come.'[9] Meanwhile Bill Lamb of about.com said 'Shontelle delivers a strong, emotional R&B ballad. This smooth soul sound provides a valuable counterpart to the dominant uptempodance music on current pop radio.'[1]

Chart performance[edit]

'Impossible' made its US Mainstream Top 40 chart debut at number 40 on 1 May 2010, two months after the song was first released.[10] The following week it debuted on the Billboard Hot 100, at number 88.[11] It continued to rise up both charts, before eventually peaking at number nine on the US Pop Songs chart, number eleven on the Hot Digital Songs chart and number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100. Consequently, it is Shontelle's most successful single in the United States.[12] On 27 August 2010, 'Impossible' was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for selling one million copies.[13]

'Impossible' equalled its US success in the United Kingdom, peaking at number three on the UK R&B Chart[14] and number nine on the UK Singles Chart.[15] It became Shontelle's second top-ten hit and her best chart peak since her 2009 debut single 'T-Shirt' which reached number six.[16] It was also the only newly released track to reach the top-twenty that week,[17] selling 22,292 copies according to Music Week.[18] Additionally it achieved some success in Europe too, reaching number five in Denmark,[19] fifteen on the Slovakia Airplay chart[20] and number twenty in Norway.[21] It also peaked in Canada at number 33.[12] It was certified gold by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) in Denmark, for selling 15,000 copies.[22]

On 16 December 2012, 'Impossible' re-entered the UK Singles Chart at number 22 after James Arthur won The X Factor and released the song as his winner's single.[23]

Music video[edit]

The official video was directed by Taj Stansberry, Represented by Leah Harmony and Ciarra Pardo.[24] It premiered on 14 April 2010 and according to 92.3 Now FM's Ed Easton, the video is 'a great visualization of her struggles, professionally and personally.'[25] In the video, singer Steph Jones plays Shontelle's love interest. The video opens with Shontelle entering an apartment at 12:14 p.m. The video is a reflection of the past. During the first chorus, Shontelle is talking to her boyfriend and they start caressing. In the second chorus, Shontelle and her boyfriend are arguing while Shontelle is also shown writing a song and scribbling off words. Later, her boyfriend is having a beer at a party. He is celebrating his platinum success. Afterwards, Shontelle receives a letter from a recording studio, and realizes her own dreams are coming second to her boyfriends. Later, she is putting away glasses and bottles. At the end, a reflection is shown in black and white. The final scene is kissing her boyfriend on the head, taking the demo CD he made for her and leaving him. It then goes back to the present, where Shontelle is getting into a taxi while her boyfriend sleeps on the sofa.

Live performances[edit]

Shontelle performed the song at the NewNowNext Awards televised on digital cable television channel Logo.[7] The event marked her first live performance on television.[7]

Track listing[edit]

  • Digital download[26][27]
  1. 'Impossible' – 3:46
  2. 'Impossible' (Jonas Jeberg Remix) – 3:11
  3. 'Impossible' (Smasher Remix) – 4:36
  4. 'Impossible' (Superdef & Jecto Remix) – 7:18

Credits[edit]

'Impossible' was recorded at Chalice Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California and The Vault in Stockholm, Sweden.[28]Obd auto doctor keygen 3.4.2.

  • Songwriting – Arnthor Birgisson, Ina Wroldsen
  • Record producer and programmer – Arnthor Birgisson
  • Recording engineer – Chris Kesychs
  • Mixing – Phil Tan, Damien Lewis (assistant)
  • Guitars – Esbjórn Ôhrwall
  • Lead vocals – Shontelle Layne
  • Background vocals – Ina Wroldsen

Charts and certifications[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart (2010–12)Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[29]66
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[30]20
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[31]42
Brazil Hot 100 Airplay (Billboard)[32]23
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[33]33
Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[34]46
Denmark (Tracklisten)[19]5
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[35]28
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[36]27
Ireland (IRMA)[37]28
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[38]24
Norway (VG-lista)[21]16
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[39]11
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[20]15
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[15]9
UK R&B (Official Charts Company)[14]3
US Billboard Hot 100[40]13
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[41]9

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (2010)Position
Denmark (Tracklisten)[42]50
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[43]145
US Billboard Hot 100[44]70

Certifications[edit]

RegionCertificationCertified units/Sales
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[45]Gold15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[46]Silver200,000^
United States (RIAA)[47]Platinum1,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Radio and release history[edit]

Radio adds[edit]

RegionDateFormat
United States[48]2 February 2010Top 40/Mainstream
18 May 2010Rhythmic/Crossover

Release history[edit]

RegionDateFormatLabel
Canada[49]9 February 2010Digital downloadUniversal
Denmark[50]
Ireland[51]
United States[52]SRC
Belgium[53]15 February 2010Universal
Netherlands[54]
Norway[55]
Sweden[56]
Switzerland[57]
United Kingdom[26][27]9 September 2010Digital downloadIsland

James Arthur version[edit]

'Impossible'
Single by James Arthur
from the album James Arthur
Released9 December 2012
Format
Recorded2012
Genre
  • R&B[58]
Length3:29
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
James Arthur singles chronology
'Impossible'
(2012)		'You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You'
(2013)

James Arthur, the winner of the ninth series of The X Factor, released a cover version of 'Impossible' digitally on 9 December 2012, immediately after winning the show.[59] The CD single was released on 12 December 2012.[60] Profits from each download were expected to be at least £0.25 and all profits from CD and download sales were to be donated to the charity Together for Short Lives.[59][61] The charity works with 'children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions.'[62] Speaking on the decision to support Together for Short Lives, Simon Cowell creator and executive producer of The X Factor said, '[it] is such an inspiring and important charity for so many kids and their families who really need help and support. I'm delighted that The X Factor's winner single sales will go directly to helping them.'[62]

In its first week, the single sold 489,560 copies, making it the UK's fastest-selling single of 2012.[63] The song also peaked at number one in Ireland,[64][65] number two in both Australia and Switzerland, and number one in Slovakia.[66]

Critical reception[edit]

Robert Copsey of Digital Spy gave the song a positive review stating, 'of course, making such a decision based on his victory single – a cover of Shontelle's 2010 hit 'Impossible' – is a futile exercise. The track, which was once sidelined for former finalist Cher Lloyd, has been drained of its R&B sassiness and re-worked into a swooping ballad, saved only by Arthur's quivering and gutsy vocal. Fortunately for him, at this stage that's the only bit that matters.' He gave the song three out of five stars.[67] The song was nominated for 'British Single of the Year' at the 2013 BRIT Awards, but lost out to 'Skyfall' by Adele.

Chart performance and sales[edit]

In the United Kingdom, 'Impossible' sold over 187,000 downloads during its first 24 hours on sale; making Arthur the fastest-selling winner in X Factor history.[68] By the end of the week, the track had sold over 490,000 copies, enough to debut at number-one on the UK Singles Chart; achieving the largest first week sales of the year.[69] After eleven days, 'Impossible' had become the seventh biggest-selling debut single from any X Factor contestant, with sales of over 622,000; enough to overtake the lifetime sales of the debut singles of series 8 winners Little Mix ('Cannonball'), series 5 runners-up JLS ('Beat Again') and series 4 winner Leon Jackson ('When You Believe').[70] In its second charting week, sales of 'Impossible' fell to 233,770 copies as it dropped to number two behind 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' from The Justice Collective, the Christmas number one single of 2012.[71] In its third charting week, 'Impossible' reclaimed the number-one position; with sales of 183,660 copies.[72] As of 29 December, 'Impossible' had sold 896,990 copies, enough to overtake series 3 winner Leona Lewis ('A Moment Like This') and make it the fourth highest-selling single of the nine The X Factor winners; behind series 7 winner Matt Cardle ('When We Collide'), series 2 winner Shayne Ward ('That's My Goal') and series 5 winner Alexandra Burke ('Hallelujah').[72] On 31 December, it was announced that the track had finished 2012 as the fifth highest-selling single.[72] By February 2013, it had become the second best selling The X Factor winner's single with 1.25 million copies sold.[73] To date, it has sold over 1.4 million copies in the UK, overtaking Alexandra Burke's 'Hallelujah' to become the best-selling winners single ever.[74]

Arthur's version of 'Impossible' was also the best-selling single of 2012 in the Republic of Ireland, where it became the 2012 Christmas number one, with 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' peaking at number four. The track also became a huge success worldwide, topping the charts in the Czech Republic, Greece, Luxembourg and Slovakia. It also reached number two in Australia, New Zealand, Spain and Switzerland, number three in Belgium, number four in Austria, number five in Germany and number six in France and Hungary.[75]

Track listing[edit]

Digital download[59]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1.'Impossible'3:29
UK and Irish CD single[62]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1.'Impossible'3:29
2.'Sexy and I Know It' (The X Factor performance)
  • Stefan Kendal Gordy
  • Erin Beck
  • George M. Robertson
  • Kenneth Oliver
  • Paul Barrett
3:19
3.'Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)' (The X Factor performance)3:35
4.'Hometown Glory' (The X Factor performance)Adele Adkins4:31
European CD single[76]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1.'Impossible'
  • Birgisson
  • Wroldsen
3:27
2.'Hometown Glory'Adkins2:21

Charts and certifications[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart (2012–14)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[77]2
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[78]4
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[79]3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[80]7
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[81]87
Czech Republic (Rádio Top 100)[82]1
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[83]28
Europe (Euro Digital Songs)[84]1
France (SNEP)[85]6
Germany (Official German Charts)[86]5
Greece (IFPI Greece)[87]1
Hungary (Single Top 40)[88]3
Ireland (IRMA)[37]1
Italy (FIMI)[89]45
Luxembourg Digital Songs (Billboard)[90]1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[91]61
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[92]2
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[93]4
Portugal Digital Songs (Billboard)[94]5
Romania (Airplay 100)[95]14
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[96]1
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100)[97]1
Slovenia (SloTop50)[98]10
South Korea International Singles (Gaon)[99]60
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[100]2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[101]39
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[102]2
Ukraine (FDR)20
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[23]1

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (2012)Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[103]5
Chart (2013)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[104]10
Germany (Media Control AG)[105]11
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[106]5
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[107]10
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[108]42

Certifications[edit]

RegionCertificationCertified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[109]5× Platinum350,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[110]Gold15,000*
Belgium (BEA)[111]Platinum30,000*
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[112]Gold45,000^
France (SNEP)[113]Gold75,000*
Germany (BVMI)[114]3× Gold450,000^
Italy (FIMI)[115]Platinum30,000
New Zealand (RMNZ)[116]3× Platinum45,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[117]Gold20,000^
Sweden (GLF)[118]Platinum40,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[119]2× Platinum60,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[121]2× Platinum1,310,169[120]
Streaming
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[122]Gold4,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history[edit]

RegionDateFormatLabel
United Kingdom9 December 2012[59]Digital download
12 December 2012[60]CD single
Germany[76]24 May 2013CD singleSony

Samples and cover versions[edit]

  • In 2013, rapper and record producer ImPOSSible Beats sampled the song for his song 'I'm Possible' off of his mixtape Starting Over.
  • In 2017, international symphonic metal supergroup Exit Eden covered 'Impossible' as the 4th track[123] of their debut album entitled Rhapsodies in Black.

References[edit]

  1. ^ ab'Top 40 Essential Pop Songs - The top 40 songs that define pop music today'. Top40.about.com. 24 December 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  2. ^ ab'Shontelle - Impossible sheet music'. Musicnotes.com. Alfred Publishing.
  3. ^'Exclusive Q&A with Shontelle'. J-14. (Bauer Media Group). 9 July 2010. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  4. ^ abMenachem, Michael (18 June 2010). 'Shontelle, 'Impossible''. Billboard. (Nielsen Business Media, Inc). Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  5. ^ abLove, Ryan (3 September 2010). 'Singles Review - Shontelle: 'Impossible''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  6. ^Kaufman, Gil (5 February 2008). 'Beyoncé's 'Irreplaceable' Could Have Gone Country: Behind The Grammys'. MTV News. MTV Networks (Viacom). Retrieved 2 January 2011.
  7. ^ abc'Logo's 'NewNowNext Awards' Fired up the Fierce in Los Angeles'. MarketWatch. (Dow Jones). 9 June 2010. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  8. ^Castro, Carmen (14 September 2010). 'Music Review: Shontelle delivers bland sound, weak lyrics on new album, 'No Gravity''. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on 15 September 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  9. ^Ellwood, Pip (13 September 2010). 'Shontelle - Impossible'. Entertainment Focus.
  10. ^'Pop Music: Top Pop Songs Chart - Billboard'. Billboard.
  11. ^'Music: Top 100 Songs - Billboard Hot 100 Chart'. Billboard.
  12. ^ ab'Shontelle - Billboard Singles'. Allmusic (Rovicorp/Macrovision). Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  13. ^'RIAA - Gold & Platinum'. Recording Industry Association of America. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  14. ^ ab'Official R&B Singles Chart Top 40'. Official Charts Company.
  15. ^ ab'Official Singles Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company.
  16. ^'Artist History: Shontelle'. theofficialcharts.com. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
  17. ^'Alexandra Burke at top of UK charts for 2nd week'. Reuters. 19 September 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
  18. ^'Burke and The Script are top of charts'. 20 September 2010. Archived from the original on 20 September 2010.
  19. ^ ab'Danishcharts.com – Shontelle – Impossible'. Tracklisten.
  20. ^ ab'ČNS IFPI' (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201049 into search.
  21. ^ ab'Norwegiancharts.com – Shontelle – Impossible'. VG-lista.
  22. ^'Tracklisten Week 43 - 2010'. IFPI & Hitlisten. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  23. ^ ab'Official Singles Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company.
  24. ^'Shontelle Shows A Deeper Side In Her 'Impossible' Video'. Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on Idolator.com.
  25. ^'Protected Blog'. radio.com.
  26. ^ ab'Impossible: Shontelle: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 Downloads:'. Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  27. ^ ab'Impossible - EP by Shontelle - Download Impossible - EP on iTunes'. Itunes.apple.com. 9 September 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  28. ^No Gravity (Booklet). Shontelle. SRC, Universal Motown Records (Cat no. 602527462707). 2010.CS1 maint: others (link)
  29. ^'Austriancharts.at – Shontelle – Impossible' (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  30. ^'Ultratop.be – Shontelle – Impossible' (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  31. ^'Ultratop.be – Shontelle – Impossible' (in French). Ultratip.
  32. ^'Brazil Hot 100 Airplay' (in Portuguese). Billboard Brasil (Brazil: bpp) (2): 100. 18 October 2010.
  33. ^'Shontelle Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)'. Billboard.
  34. ^'ČNS IFPI' (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 201044 into search.
  35. ^'Shontelle – Chart history'European Hot 100 for Shontelle.
  36. ^'Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ' (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  37. ^ ab'Chart Track: Week 50, 2012'. Irish Singles Chart.
  38. ^'Charts.nz – Shontelle – Impossible'. Top 40 Singles.
  39. ^'Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company.
  40. ^'Shontelle Chart History (Hot 100)'. Billboard.
  41. ^'Shontelle Chart History (Pop Songs)'. Billboard.
  42. ^'Track 2010 Top-50'. Tracklisten (in Danish). Nielsen Music Control. 2010. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011.
  43. ^'End Of Year Charts: 2010'(PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  44. ^' Top 100 Music Hits, Top 100 Music Charts, Top 100 Songs & The Hot 100: Best of 2010 (61–70)'. Billboard.com. Retrieved 2010-12-22.
  45. ^'Danish single certifications – Shontelle – Impossible'. IFPI Denmark. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
  46. ^'British single certifications – Shontelle – Impossible'. British Phonographic Industry.Select singles in the Format field.Select Silver in the Certification field.Type Impossible in the 'Search BPI Awards' field and then press Enter.
  47. ^'American single certifications – Shontelle – Impossible'. Recording Industry Association of America.If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH.
  48. ^'FMQB: Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Nielsen Ratings, Music News and more!'. fmqb.com. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009.
  49. ^'iTunes CA - Impossible - Single'. iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  50. ^'iTunes DK - Impossible - Single'. iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  51. ^'iTunes IRE - Impossible - Single'. iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  52. ^'iTunes US - Impossible - Single'. iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
  53. ^'iTunes BEL - Impossible - Single'. iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  54. ^'iTunes NED - Impossible - Single'. iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  55. ^'iTunes NO - Impossible - Single'. iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  56. ^'iTunes SWE - Impossible - Single'. iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  57. ^'iTunes CHE - Impossible - Single'. iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  58. ^'Digital Spy - James Arthur review'. 11 January 2015.
  59. ^ abcd'Impossible'. amazon.co.uk.
  60. ^ ab'Impossible by James Arthur: Amazon.co.uk: Music'. amazon.co.uk.
  61. ^iTunes - Music - Impossible by James Arthur
  62. ^ abc''X Factor' James Arthur winner's single 'Impossible' details revealed'. Digital Spy.
  63. ^'James Arthur heading towards half a million sales of debut single'. officialcharts.com.
  64. ^'James Arthur - Irish Charts'. irish-charts.com Hung Medien.
  65. ^'IFPI SR: Hitparáda: Radio Top 100 Oficiálna: Týždeň: 201306'. IFPI. Archived from the original on 10 January 2007. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  66. ^Darvill, Josh (15 February 2013). 'XFactor champ James Arthur a hit in Australia.. and Switzerland'. tellymix. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  67. ^Robert Copsey. 'James Arthur: 'Impossible' - Single review'. Digital Spy. digitalspy.co.uk.
  68. ^Corner, Lewis (11 December 2012). 'James Arthur beats Little Mix, Leona Lewis to become fastest seller'. Digital Spy. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  69. ^'James Arthur scores fastest selling single of the year'. The Guardian. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  70. ^'Hillsborough tribute extends lead over James Arthur in Christmas number 1 race'. Official Charts Company. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  71. ^'Hillsborough charity single beats James Arthur to Christmas number one'. NME. 23 December 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  72. ^ abc'James Arthur is back at number 1 with Impossible'. NME. 29 December 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  73. ^Darvill, Josh (6 February 2013). 'X Factor winner James Arthur's Impossible is biggest selling X Factor debut ever'. Tellymix.
  74. ^Smiles, Mieka (22 June 2015). 'James Arthur makes top-selling singles list of the DECADE - beating Ed Sheeran and Katy Perry'. Gazette Live. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  75. ^Corner, Lewis (18 June 2013). 'James Arthur's 'X Factor' single 'Impossible' continues global success'. Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  76. ^ abJames Arthur - Impossible - Sony Music Entertainment Germany GmbH
  77. ^'Australian-charts.com – James Arthur – Impossible'. ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  78. ^'Austriancharts.at – James Arthur – Impossible' (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  79. ^'Ultratop.be – James Arthur – Impossible' (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  80. ^'Ultratop.be – James Arthur – Impossible' (in French). Ultratop 50.
  81. ^'James Arthur Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)'. Billboard.
  82. ^'ČNS IFPI' (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 201323 into search.
  83. ^'ČNS IFPI' (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201418 into search. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  84. ^'James Arthur – Chart history'Billboard Euro Digital Songs for James Arthur. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  85. ^'Lescharts.com – James Arthur – Impossible' (in French). Les classement single.
  86. ^'Offiziellecharts.de – James Arthur – Impossible'. GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  87. ^'Greek Singles Chart Top 40 - 19th January 2013'. IFPI Greece. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  88. ^'Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ' (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  89. ^'FIMI'. FIMI.
  90. ^'Luxembourg Digital Songs - April 13, 2013'. Billboard. Archived from the original on 6 April 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  91. ^'Dutchcharts.nl – James Arthur – Impossible' (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  92. ^'Charts.nz – James Arthur – Impossible'. Top 40 Singles.
  93. ^'Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video'. Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  94. ^'Portugal Digital Songs – Peak'. Billboard. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  95. ^'Airplay 100 – Cristi Nitzu Kiss FM – December 2, 2013'. Kiss FM. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.Note: User may scroll down the 'Podcasturi' menu to play or download the respective podcast.
  96. ^'Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100'. Official Charts Company.
  97. ^'ČNS IFPI' (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201313 into search.
  98. ^'SloTop50: Slovenian official singles weekly chart' (in Slovenian). SloTop50. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  99. ^'South Korea Gaon International Chart (Week: January 6, 2013)'. Gaon Chart.
  100. ^'Spanishcharts.com – James Arthur – Impossible'Canciones Top 50.
  101. ^'Swedishcharts.com – James Arthur – Impossible'. Singles Top 100.
  102. ^'Swisscharts.com – James Arthur – Impossible'. Swiss Singles Chart.
  103. ^Lane, Dan (2 January 2013). 'The Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Singles of 2012 revealed!'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  104. ^'ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2013'. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  105. ^'Top 100 Singles Jahrescharts 2013' (in German). VIVA. Viacom International Media Networks. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  106. ^'Top Selling Singles of 2013'. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  107. ^'Top 50 Canciones Anual 2013'. Promuiscae.es. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  108. ^'End of Year Charts: 2013'(PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  109. ^'ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Singles'. Australian Recording Industry Association.
  110. ^'Austrian single certifications – James Arthur – Impossible' (in German). IFPI Austria.Enter James Arthur in the field Interpret. Enter Impossible in the field Titel. Select single in the field Format. Click Suchen.
  111. ^'Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2014'. Ultratop. Hung Medien.
  112. ^'James Arthur 'Say You Won't Let Go''. IFPI Denmark. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  113. ^'Single Certifications - Year 2013'(PDF) (PDF) (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  114. ^'GOLD/PLATIN/DIAMOND- Auszeichnungen in Deutschland'(PDF). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. 18 October 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  115. ^'Italian single certifications – James Arthur – Impossible' (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select '2017' in the 'Anno' drop-down menu. Select 'Impossible' in the 'Filtra' field. Select 'Singoli online' under 'Sezione'.
  116. ^'New Zealand single certifications – James Arthur – Impossible'. Recorded Music NZ.
  117. ^'Top 50 Canciones - Semana 33: del 12.08.2013 al 18.08.2013'(PDF) (in Spanish). PROMUSICAE. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  118. ^'James Arthur - Impossible' (in Swedish). Grammofon Leverantörernas Förening. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  119. ^'The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (James Arthur; 'Impossible')'. IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  120. ^Copsey, Rob (19 September 2017). 'The UK's Official Chart 'millionaires' revealed'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  121. ^'British single certifications – James Arthur – Impossible'. British Phonographic Industry.Select singles in the Format field.Select Platinum in the Certification field.Type Impossible in the 'Search BPI Awards' field and then press Enter.
  122. ^'Top 100 Streaming - Semana 46: del 11.11.2013 al 17.11.2013'(PDF) (in Spanish). PROMUSICAE. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
  123. ^https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSKX0YwiZ-U

External links[edit]

  • Official music video on YouTube
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Impossible_(Shontelle_song)&oldid=892113529#James_Arthur_version'
Birth nameJames Andrew Arthur
Born2 March 1988 (age 31)
Middlesbrough, England
Genres
Occupation(s)
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active2011–present
Labels

James Andrew Arthur (born 2 March 1988) is an English singer and songwriter. He rose to fame after winning the ninth series of The X Factor in 2012. His debut single, 'Impossible', was released by Syco Music after the final, and debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart. Since then, it has gone on to sell over 1.4 million copies in the UK, making it the most successful winner's single in the show's history[1][2] and has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide.[3]

The follow-up single, 'You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You', reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. He released his self-titled debut studio album in November 2013. The album debuted and peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart. After the release of his debut studio album James Arthur, he was involved in a series of controversies which led iTunes to offer refunds for the album.[4]

Arthur parted ways with Simon Cowell's record label Syco in 2014. In 2015, he signed a new deal with Columbia Records to release his second studio album in 2016, titled Back from the Edge. Arthur was later re-signed to Syco in 2016.

  • 2Career
  • 4Personal life

Early years[edit]

James Arthur started writing and recording songs when he was 15 as an unsigned artist both solo and in many bands[5][6] including:

Moonlight Drive

A Cleveland-based progressive, experimental, rock five-piece band with Arthur in lead vocals. The band was active between 2005 and 2008. It had recordings such as 'Said You'd Be There', 'Hole in My Heart' and 'Tear Me Apart'.[7]

Cue the Drama

An alternative rock band based in Marske-by-the-Sea and active between 2005 and 2008. Recordings included 'On the Radio 98KUPD', 'It's Killing Me', 'I'll Reach You' and 'It Hurts'.[8]

Save Arcade

A Middlesbrough alternative rock band made up of Arthur (vocals, guitar), Josh Brown (keyboards, vocals), Matthew Green (guitar), Alex Beer (bass, vocals), Travis Shaw (guitar, percussions, vocals) and Karl Dowson (drums). In 2009, the band released a three-track EP called Truth, carrying the title track 'The Truth', as well as 'Echoes' and 'I Un-Proudly Present'. In June 2010, the band released a five-track EP, Tonight We Dine in Hades, which in addition to the title track 'Tonight We Dine in Hades' included 'Superhero', 'You Always Want a Fight', 'Juliet Is Not Dead' and 'She Aims to Please'. Both releases were on the independent label 57 Records UK.[9]

Emerald Skye

A four-piece indie pop and rock band formed in March 2011 based in Redcar / Saltburn-by-the-Sea and made up of Arthur (guitar, vocals), Dean Harrison (piano, violin), Paul Gill (bass) and Save Arcade bandmate Green (drums).[10]

Career[edit]

2011–2012: Sins by the Sea and The X Factor[edit]

In 2011, Arthur uploaded many of his own songs to SoundCloud and YouTube, as well as an album entitled Sins by the Sea.[5][11][12] The independent album included 16 tracks.[13] Arthur formed his own musical projects. The James Arthur Project resulted in recorded and releasing two EPs, firstly a soulful pop EP named Hold On as The James Arthur Project in August 2012 in collaboration with John McGough.[14][15][16] The tracks were written and arranged by McGough, and mixed by Matt Wanstall with all vocals by Arthur.

Arthur also released an EP as The James Arthur Band.[17][18][19] The band consisted of Arthur (vocals and guitar), Jez Taylor (guitar), Chris Smalls (keyboards), Jordan Swain (drums) and Rich Doney (bass). In 2012, the band released The EP Collection CD with nine tracks with R&B, soul and hip hop influences, a compilation of tracks on both EPs.

In 2012, he auditioned in Newcastle for the ninth series of The X Factor, performing an acoustic rendition of judge Tulisa's 'Young', before explaining his past, including a short spell in respite foster care and time spent in flats and bedsits after break-ups within his family. He also revealed his father and mother had hardly spoken to each other for over 20 years, and this was a reunion of sorts for them to attend his audition. He sang 'A Million Love Songs' at bootcamp and was chosen as one of six contestants in the 'Boys' category to advance to judges' houses. From this point onward, Arthur was mentored by Nicole Scherzinger. After his judges' houses performance of 'I Can't Make You Love Me', he was picked as one of 12 contestants to advance to the live shows, and one of three in the 'Boys' category.

After his second live performance, Arthur suffered from an anxiety attack backstage. Sumita arora c pdf. While being treated at the studio, paramedics determined he did not need to go to hospital, and he was ordered back to his hotel to rest. He later returned for the results show the following night.[20]

After his performance of LMFAO's 'Sexy and I Know It' on the third live show on 20 October, Arthur was accused of plagiarism. His version was very similar to the rendition by YouTube star only1Noah,[21][22] which was uploaded on 9 May 2012 and had over 13 million views at the time.[23] However, Arthur later tweeted: 'Btw doesn't everyone know I was putting a spin on Noah's version? It had 13.something million hits! Was I supposed to state the obvious?'[24][25] In week 7, after performing 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You', Arthur was controversially in the final showdown. He sang 'Fallin' for survival against fellow favourite Ella Henderson, and the result went to deadlock. Scherzinger and Gary Barlow voted to send Arthur through to the quarter-final, while Tulisa and Louis Walsh voted to send Henderson through to the quarter-final. Resulting from the public vote, Arthur advanced to the quarter-final, receiving 13.7% of the vote whereas Henderson received 12.1%.

Arthur won The X Factor on 9 December 2012, with 53.7% of the final vote, against Jahméne Douglas who received 38.9%.[26][27][28] This made him the first-ever winner of the show to have previously been in the bottom two.[29]

The X Factor performances and results
EpisodeThemeSongResult
First auditionFree choice'Young'Through to bootcamp
Bootcamp – stage 1Group performance'How to Save a Life'
with Curtis Golden and James Vickery		Through to stage 2
Bootcamp – stage 2Solo performance'A Million Love Songs'Through to judges' houses
Judges' housesFree choice'I Can't Make You Love Me'Through to live shows
'Sexy and I Know It'
Live show 1Heroes'Stronger'Safe (6th)
Live show 2Love and heartbreak'No More Drama'Safe (6th)
Live show 3Club classics'Sexy and I Know It'Safe (6th)
Live show 4Halloween'Sweet Dreams'Safe (3rd)
Live show 5Number-ones'Don't Speak'Safe (6th)
Live show 6Best of British'Hometown Glory'Safe (3rd)
Live show 7Guilty pleasures'Can't Take My Eyes Off You'Bottom two (5th)
Final showdown'Fallin'Safe (Deadlock)
Quarter-FinalSongs by ABBA'SOS'Safe (1st)
Motown songs'Let's Get It On'
Semi-FinalSongs for someone special'One'Safe (1st)
The song to get you to the final'The Power of Love'
FinalFree choice'Feeling Good'Safe (1st)
Mentor duets'Make You Feel My Love'
with Nicole Scherzinger
Songs of the series'Let's Get It On'Winner
Winner's single'Impossible'

2013–2015: James Arthur, controversies and leaving Syco[edit]

James Arthur at a book-signing session at WHSmith in Middlesbrough on 9 January 2013

Following his victory, Arthur's winner's song, a cover of Shontelle's 'Impossible', was released as a charity single for Together for Short Lives.[30] It became the fastest-selling The X Factor winner's single so far, reaching 255,000 downloads within 48 hours and over 490,000 by the end of the week.[31] The single topped the UK Singles Chart in its first week of release.[32][33][34] After 11 days, it was the seventh biggest-selling debut single from any contestant from The X Factor, with sales of 622,000.[35] In its second week, the single dropped to number two,[36] but reclaimed the number one spot in its third week, and stayed at the top for a further week.[37] After three weeks, it was the fifth best-selling single of 2012 with 897,000 copies sold.[38] After four weeks, it had sold 971,000 copies.[39] As of 11 January 2013, the single has sold more than one million copies.[40] The song also peaked at number one in Ireland, two in Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland, and eight in Slovakia.[41][42][43][44] As of August 2013, the single has sold 1.2 million copies, 30,000 fewer than Alexandra Burke's version of 'Hallelujah'.[45] To date, it has sold over 1.3 million copies in the UK, overtaking Alexandra Burke's 'Hallelujah' to become the best-selling winners single ever.[46] In May 2013, Arthur released an EP Undiscovered Acoustic of six acoustic songs written and recorded by John McGough with all tracks sang by Arthur.

On 7 August 2013, Arthur announced via Twitter that his next single would be called 'You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You',[47] which was released to UK radio stations on 9 September 2013. The song was officially released worldwide on 20 October 2013 and debuted at number two in the UK, falling just behind Lorde's 'Royals'. Arthur's self-titled debut studio album, James Arthur, was released on 4 November 2013. The album charted in the UK at number two, behind Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP 2.[48]

Arthur at the NRJ Music Awards 2014

James Arthur released the eponymously titled debut studio album James Arthur by Syco Music on 1 November 2013.[49] The album included the singles 'Impossible', his X Factor winner's single, and 'You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You', as well as collaborations with Emeli Sandé and Chasing Grace. The album debuted at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart, kept off the top spot by Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP 2. It became the 30th best-selling album of the year in the UK.

'Recovery' was released as the album's third single on 15 December 2013[50] and debuted at number 19 on the UK Singles Chart. On 14 January 2014, Arthur confirmed on Twitter that 'Get Down' will be the fourth single released from his debut studio album.[51] On 5 January 2014, Arthur began embarking on his debut headlining tour, the James Arthur Tour, a 37-date tour around Europe.

In November 2013, Arthur generated much controversy over the use of homophobic lyrics in a song. Micky Worthless, a Croydon battle rapper, had issued 'Stay In Your Lane' a track mocking Arthur, because Worthless didn't feel it was right that Arthur was presenting himself as a battle rapper on national radio. Arthur responded to Worthless with his vitriolic diss track 'Hey Mickey' issuing string of slurs directed at Worthless, rapping 'Hilarious, precarious you Talibani confused, imbellic mimic of a gimmick' adding the slur 'You fucking queer'.[52][53] This sparked outrage among the LGBT community and led to Twitter spats with comedians Frankie Boyle and Matt Lucas, and singer Lucy Spraggan.[54] Arthur immediately apologised for his comments and claimed that he was not homophobic. Following this he announced that he would not be posting on Twitter anymore, with his management taking up control of his page.[55] The backlash continued, however, with a Facebook campaign to see his upcoming appearance on The X Factor be cancelled. iTunes offered refunds for his album due to complaints from customers.[56]

After Arthur switched on the Christmas lights in Manchester on 8 November 2013, Manchester City Council said that he would have been replaced if the controversy had happened earlier.[57]

On 22 November 2013, Arthur's management announced that the singer would be cancelling all public engagements for the next seven days due to exhaustion.[58] Singer Olly Murs came to Arthur's defence,[59] but said later that he was not defending the choice of lyrics.[55]

Further controversies arose after the reviews to his projected rap mixtape All The World's a Stage, particularly regarding the track 'Follow The Leader' where he rapped 'I'm gonna blow up your family like I'm a terrorist'. This led to further accusations of Arthur glorifying violence. This infuriated Simon Cowell who said 'I think James, unfortunately, has had so many issues with what he has done publicly – which is a real issue with me.. Somebody should have told him to shut up and just put the records out'. On 5 April 2014, several media outlets began to report that Arthur had been dropped from Syco, following the dispute over 'Follow the Leader'.[60][61] He took to Twitter to deny the claims;[62] however, on 11 June 2014, Arthur announced via Twitter that he and Syco had parted ways by mutual agreement.

Impossible By James Arthur Meaning

Arthur independently released his mixtape All the World's a Stage on 16 May 2014.[63]

Impossible By James Arthur Guitar Chords

During the summer of 2014, Arthur stated that he was working on his second studio album and was close to signing a new record deal. He performed at V Festival in August, 2014.[64] On 19 October 2014, Arthur released a collaboration with British record producer Rymez entitled 'Kryptonite'; the song entered the iTunes top 150 on pre-orders alone.[65] On 22 April 2015, Arthur unveiled a demo track titled 'Promise' on YouTube.[66] He embarked on 'The Story So Far Tour' in May 2015.[67] On 6 September 2015, he announced that he had signed with Columbia Records and that a new album was on the way.[68]

2016–2017: Back from the Edge[edit]

On 8 January 2016, Arthur released a new song called 'The Truth' on iTunes in the United States.[69][unreliable source?] Following the song's release, he took to Twitter and clarified that the song would feature on Family Therapy with Dr. Jenn,[70][unreliable source?] and that it was not the lead single.[71][unreliable source?]

Arthur released 'Say You Won't Let Go' on 9 September 2016 as the lead single from his second studio album Back from the Edge, which was released on 28 October 2016. Arthur also re-signed with Syco. On 30 September 2016, the single reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming his second chart topper and making him the first male winner to date to have two UK number one singles.[72] The song remained on the top spot for three consecutive weeks.[73] In January 2017, the single became his first chart entry on the Billboard charts in the US.[74] By the second week of January 2017, it had surpassed the 1 million sales mark in the UK, making James the first-ever 'X Factor' act to have two singles sell over a million copies in his homeland as well as the 21st act in UK chart history to have two or more million sellers.[75] As of February 2017, it had sold two million copies worldwide.[76] It was later confirmed that he will be appearing at the V Festival in August, having previously performed there in 2013.[77] The same month OneRepublic lead singer Ryan Tedder also confirmed that he would be joining the band and Fitz and the Tantrums as a support act on their Honda Civic Tour in the US and Canada during the summer.[78]

Arthur's follow up single 'Safe Inside' peaked at #31 on the UK charts and his third single 'Can I Be Him' peaked inside the Top 75 at #69.[79][80] In early April, it was announced that he would be embarking on his first arena tour across the UK and Ireland with fellow X Factor finalist Ella Henderson as his support act.[81] The following month, Arthur collaborated with Machine Gun Kelly on the song 'Go for Broke' from Kelly's new album bloom, which will also serve as the official theme song for WWE's SummerSlam pay per view event in August .[82] The same month it was announced that James would be one of the vocalists featured on a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's 'Bridge over Troubled Water', which was recorded to raise funds for those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.[83] The single was released on 21 June and went on to enter the UK charts at #1 two days later.[84] On 20 June James confirmed on Twitter that he would be a guest vocalist on drum n bass act Rudimental's single 'Sun Comes Up', set for release on 30 June.[85] He performed the song at V Festival with the group in August and it became another UK Top 10 single for him. Throughout the summer he toured the US and Canada with OneRepublic and Fitz and the Tantrums with the tour ending on 12 September in Texas.[86] Two nights later he performed alongside Julia Michaels and Kelly Clarkson at Fresh 102.7's Fall Fest at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York.[87] On 5 October, his book Back to the Boy was released and he did a series of book signings throughout the UK. A week later, it was announced that he had been nominated for an American Music Award in the 'New Artist of the Year' category.[88]

2018–present: Upcoming third studio album[edit]

James Arthur released the song 'Naked' as the lead single from his upcoming third studio album on 24 November 2017.

James Arthur released singles in early 2018, without mentioning the name or release date for an album.[89] On June 1, James Arthur released a single, 'You Deserve Better'.[90] On 12 June he released another single, titled 'At My Weakest'.[91] The video for 'You Deserve Better' came out on July 12.[92] His third single of 2018, 'Empty Space', was released on October 19.[93]

In November 2018, Arthur was also featured on The Greatest Showman: Reimagined, alongside Anne-Marie, for the song 'Rewrite the Stars'.[94] In October 2018, James Arthur appeared on the Brazilian soap opera O Tempo não Para, singing the song 'Naked' from his 2016 album.[95]

In December 2018, Arthur was featured in 'The Power of Love', the UK The X Factor winning song by the season 15 winner Dalton Harris. The duet was a cover of an original by Frankie Goes to Hollywood from 1984.

On 10 May 2019, Arthur released a single called 'Falling like the Stars';[96] later, on 24 May 2019, he released a music video for it.[97]

Influences[edit]

Music

He has cited Nirvana lead singer and songwriter Kurt Cobain as the reason he became interested in music and also draws from many different genres from Hip Hop, to Soul, to R&B, to Rock, and artists like Prince, Miguel and Michael Jackson.[98] Further influences include Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Boyz II Men, Black Sabbath, AC/DC and Bryan Adams.[99] He has also stated that he would love to collaborate with American rapper Eminem.[100]

Personal life[edit]

Arthur was born in Middlesbrough to an English mother, Shirley Ashworth, and a Scottish father, Neil Arthur.[101] Neil was a delivery driver, but also used to be a DJ and drummer for many years, whilst Shirley was a fashion model and later a sales and marketing professional.[citation needed] He has four sisters (Sian, Jasmin, Neve and Charlotte) and a brother (Neil).[102]

Arthur's dad and mother split up when he was two years old,[103] and they each settled with new partners: When Arthur was three, Shirley got together with Ronnie Rafferty,[104] a computer engineer,[105] and Neil later married a woman named Jackie and had Arthur's halfsister, Charlotte.[106] Neil and Shirley hardly spoke with one another for 22 years, but they agreed to attend Arthur's audition together in a family reunion to support him.[103]

Arthur supports his local football team Middlesbrough F.C. as well as Rangers F.C.[107][108][109]

Education, moving to Bahrain and back again[edit]

Arthur first went to Ings Farm Primary School in Redcar, North Yorkshire.[110] In 1997, when he was nine,[111] he moved with his mother, Shirley; his stepfather, Ronnie; and his sisters Sian and Jasmin[112] to Bahrain after his stepfather got a job as regional manager of Rockwell Automation,[111] where they lived in a villa in a gated compound called Miami Park.[113] In Bahrain, he studied at the local British School of Bahrain.[113] In April 2001, when he was 13,[114] they moved back to their old house in Winchester Road,[115] having lived in Bahrain for a total of four years.[114] Upon his return, he continued his studies at Rye Hills School in Redcar.[115]

A few months after they moved back to Winchester Road they moved into a bigger house on the Coast Road. About a year later, when he was 14, Ronnie left Arthur, his mother and his three sisters.[116]

Foster care[edit]

At the age of 14, Arthur entered part-time voluntary foster care: he lived with his father, Neil, for three days of the week and was in foster care in Brotton, about ten miles from Redcar, for the other four days.[117]

Opening ceremonies[edit]

After winning The X Factor, he was invited to return to Bahrain to formally open the British School of Bahrain's music and drama rehearsal studios and the school's 400-seat auditorium, both part of the expansion of the facilities in the school in which he studied. The new studios were completed in 2014.[118]

In September 2016, after opening up about his struggles with drugs, anxiety and depression, it was announced that he had become an ambassador for UK mental health charity SANE.[119]

Discography[edit]

  • Sins by the Sea (2011)
  • James Arthur (2013)
  • Back from the Edge (2016)

Concert tours[edit]

  • The X Factor Live Tour (2013)
  • James Arthur Tour (2014)
  • The Story So Far Tour (2015)
  • Back from the Edge Tour (2017)
  • 16th Annual Honda Civic Tour (2017) (supporting OneRepublic)[120]
  • The Twenty Tour (2019) (supporting Westlife on their Irish concert tour dates)
  • You: Up Close and Personal Tour (2019)

Awards and nominations[edit]

YearOrganisationAwardWorkResult
2013BRIT AwardsBritish Single of the Year[121]'Impossible'Nominated[122]
Los Premios 40 PrincipalesBest International SongWon
NRJ Music AwardsInternational Breakthrough of the YearWon[123]
2014Radio Regenbogen AwardsPop InternationalHimselfWon
2017BRIT AwardsBritish Artist Video of the Year'Say You Won't Let Go'Nominated
British Single of the YearNominated
Teen Choice AwardsChoice Breakout ArtistHimselfNominated
American Music AwardsNew Artist of the YearNominated
2019iHeartRadio Music AwardsBest Cover Song'Rewrite the Stars' (with Anne-Marie)Nominated

References[edit]

  1. ^Pink, Stuart (9 September 2016). 'FAME NEARLY KILLED ME - X Factor winner James Arthur reveals how close drug binges and paranoia almost led to taking his own life'. The Sun. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  2. ^Smiles, Mikea (22 June 2015). 'James Arthur makes top-selling singles list of the DECADE - beating Ed Sheeran and Katy Perry'. Gazette Live. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  3. ^Odams, Katherine (19 September 2013). 'James Arthur Premieres 'You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Love You' Music Video (WATCH)'. Entertainmentwise. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  4. ^'James Arthur counts cost of offensive lyrics as iTunes offers refunds on album'. The Guardian. 22 November 2013.
  5. ^ ab'James Arthur Music – Tumblr'. Archived from the original on 22 April 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  6. ^'James Arthur Music – Myspace'. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  7. ^'Moonlight Drive Music – Myspace'. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  8. ^'Cue The Drama – Myspace'. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  9. ^'Save Arcade – Myspace'. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  10. ^'The Emerald Skye – Facebook'. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  11. ^'JamesArthurMusic's channel – Youtube'. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  12. ^'James Arthur Music – Soundcloud'. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  13. ^Spotify: Sins by the Sea - James Arthur
  14. ^'Hold On: The James Arthur Project: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 Downloads'. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  15. ^'The James Arthur Project – Facebook'. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  16. ^'John Mc Gough – Youtube'. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  17. ^'The James Arthur Band – Facebook'. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  18. ^'The James Arthur Band – Official Website'. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  19. ^'The James Arthur Band – Bandcamp'. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  20. ^Jack Seale and Tom Cole. 'The X Factor 2012: James Arthur'. RadioTimes.
  21. ^YouTube: 'Sexy and I Know It' by only1Noah
  22. ^Darvill, Josh (24 October 2012). 'X Factor 2012: James Arthur accused of copying Sexy And I Know It cover'. Tellymix. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  23. ^Noah Cover of 'Sexy and I Know It' by LMFAO. YouTube. 9 May 2012.
  24. ^'James Arthur on Twitter'. Twitter.
  25. ^'X Factor's James Arthur Accused of Plagiarism Over 'Sexy And I Know It' Cover – By fans who allege that James copied YouTube star only1Noah'. Entertainmentwise. 23 October 2012. Archived from the original on 22 July 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  26. ^'The X Factor voting numbers revealed HERE!'. The X Factor. itv.com. 9 December 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  27. ^Fitzmaurice, Sarah (10 December 2012). 'He's achieved the Impossible! James Arthur is crowned winner of the X Factor 2012'. Daily Mail. London. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  28. ^'James Arthur wins X Factor..but Christopher Maloney vanishes from line-up'. Daily Telegraph. London. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  29. ^'James Arthur wins 'The X Factor' 2012'. Digital Spy. 9 December 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  30. ^'James Arthur hits the No 1 slot again'. Together for Short Lives. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  31. ^Wyatt, Daisy (11 December 2012). 'James Arthur's 'Impossible' becomes fastest-selling X Factor single'. The Independent. London. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  32. ^Bueno, Emily (17 October 2012). 'X Factor winner James Arthur tops the charts'. Daily Telegraph UK. London. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  33. ^'X Factor winner James Arthur reaches Number One'. Irish Independent. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  34. ^'James Arthur scores fastest-selling single of the year'. Guardian UK. London. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  35. ^Lane, Dan (20 December 2012). 'Hillsborough tribute extends lead over James Arthur in Christmas race'. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
  36. ^'Hillsborough Justice Collective beat James Arthur to Christmas No. 1'. Digital Spy.
  37. ^Lane, Dan (30 December 2012). 'James Arthur is back at Number 1 with Impossible'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  38. ^Dan Lane (2 January 2013). 'The Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Singles of 2012 revealed!'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  39. ^Lane, Dan (6 January 2013). 'James Arthur's Impossible unmoved from top of Official Singles Chart'. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
  40. ^Lane, Dan (11 January 2013). 'James Arthur's Impossible is the UK's latest million selling single'. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  41. ^Darvill, Josh (15 February 2013). 'XFactor champ James Arthur a hit in Australia.. and Switzerland'. tellymix. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  42. ^Hung, Steffen. 'Discography James Arthur'. Irish Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung).
  43. ^'IFPI SR: Hitparáda: Radio Top 100 Oficiálna: Týždeň: 201306'. IFPI. Archived from the original on 10 January 2007. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  44. ^Hung, Steffen. 'Discography James Arthur'. New Zealand Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung).
  45. ^Corner, Lewis. 'Leona Lewis named biggest-selling 'X Factor' star in UK'. Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  46. ^Smiles, Mieka (22 June 2015). 'James Arthur makes top-selling singles list of the DECADE - beating Ed Sheeran and Katy Perry'. Gazette Live. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  47. ^'James Arthur's New Song 'You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You' Has First Play On Capital'. Capital. 9 September 2013.
  48. ^Strang, Fay (4 November 2013). ''I wish I was the s**g I'm made out to be': James Arthur opens up about his ladies' man tag, smoking weed and why he says what he thinks'. Daily Mail. London. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  49. ^'James Arthur'. Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  50. ^Copsey, Robert (15 November 2013). 'James Arthur reveals new single title, release date'. Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  51. ^'James Arthur on Twitter: 'Its official my next single is 'Get Down'!! Who loves this track? #JARMY #LOVE''. Twitter. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  52. ^Adam Bychawski (18 November 2013). 'Rapper who started beef with 'X Factors James Arthur says 'I feel no remorse at all''. NME. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  53. ^Tonks, Owen. 'James Arthur and Lucy Spraggan 'queer' row: Disgusted fans demand album refund after bitter text exchange'. mirror. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  54. ^'Independent. 'James Arthur and Lucy Spraggan in 'homophobic' Twitter spat', 26 November 2013'. The Independent. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  55. ^ ab'Entertainment 'Olly Murs Denies Defending James Arthur's Homophobic Slur', 26 November 2013'. Yahoo Celebrity UK. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  56. ^'Pink News 'Apple deems offence caused by homophobia an 'appropriate' reason to refund James Arthur track''. PinkNews.co.uk. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  57. ^Roberts, Edward (23 November 2013). 'MancunianMatters. 'James Arthur's homophobic rant would have seen him kicked off Christmas switch-on', says Manchester council'. Mancunian Matters. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  58. ^''The X Factor': James Arthur, Rebecca Ferguson to perform next week'. Digital Spy. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  59. ^'Olly Murs defends James Arthur'. RTE.ie. 26 November 2013.
  60. ^Wooten, Dan (5 April 2014). 'Terror error - James Arthur fired over 'I'll blow you up' song'. The Sun. London. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  61. ^Drewett, Meg (6 April 2014). 'James Arthur 'dropped by record label Syco after mixtape controversy''. Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  62. ^Rigby, Sam (6 April 2014). 'James Arthur denies being dropped by Syco, criticises 'media circus''. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  63. ^'James Arthur confirms rap EP 'All the World's a Stage''. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  64. ^'V Festival Lineup, 2014'. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  65. ^Mieka Smiles (17 October 2014). 'Listen: James Arthur's new direction as he teams up with Rymez for latest single'. gazettelive.
  66. ^James Arthur - Promise (Teaser Demo). YouTube. 22 April 2015.
  67. ^'James Arthur announces live dates for 'The Story So Far' UK tour'. Digital Spy.
  68. ^Myers, Justin (7 September 2015). 'James Arthur signs record deal, announces new music on the way'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  69. ^'The Truth - Single by James Arthur on iTunes'. iTunes. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  70. ^'Dina and Michael Lohan Come to Blows Over Lindsay Lohan in 'Family Therapy' Trailer'. YouTube, Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  71. ^Arthur, James (14 January 2016). 'Just to be clear this is not the official 1st single from my the album it's only available on US iTunes for now'. Twitter. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  72. ^'James Arthur is fiiiiinally No. 1 with his comeback single 'Say You Won't Let Go''. Digital Spy. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  73. ^'James Arthur keeps hold of singles' Number 1 for a third week'. Official Charts Company. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  74. ^'The Hot 100'. Billboard Hot 100. 28 January 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  75. ^YTD T40 Singles/Albums (with estimated sales), Week 2 : 19/1/17. Buzzjack.co.uk
  76. ^@SundayBrunchC4 (26 February 2017). 'Congratulations to @JamesArthur23 for 2 million sales worldwide for 'Say You Won't Let Go' #SundayBrunch' (Tweet). Retrieved 26 February 2017 – via Twitter.
  77. ^Trendell, Andrew (27 February 2017). 'V Festival 2017 line-up announced'. NME.com. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  78. ^'OneRepublic News'. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  79. ^'Safe Inside'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  80. ^'Can I Be Him'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  81. ^'James Arthur on Twitter'. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  82. ^'Top 40/M Future Releases'. Archived from the original on 13 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  83. ^'Simon Cowell announces 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' charity record'. RTÉ Entertainment. 16 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  84. ^'Grenfell Tower single Bridge Over Troubled Water enters at Number 1 less than 48 hours after release'. Official Charts Company. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  85. ^'James Arthur on Twitter'. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  86. ^Kaufman, Gil (2 February 2017). 'OneRepublic Headlining 2017 Honda Civic Tour: See the Dates'. Billboard.com. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  87. ^'Fresh Fall Fest '17 feat. Kelly Clarkson, James Arthur, Julia Michaels'. Live Nation. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  88. ^'Here Is the Full List of 2017 AMAs Nominations'. Billboard.com. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  89. ^'James Arthur New Album 2018: Everything You Need To Know Including Release Date And Singles'. Capital. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  90. ^JamesAVEVO (1 June 2018). 'James Arthur - You Deserve Better (Lyric Video)'. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  91. ^JamesAVEVO (12 June 2018). 'James Arthur - At My Weakest (Lyric Video)'. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  92. ^JamesAVEVO (12 July 2018). 'James Arthur - You Deserve Better'. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  93. ^JamesAVEVO (1 November 2018). 'James Arthur - Empty Space (Official Video)'. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  94. ^'James Arthur Debuts Video For Nostalgic Single 'Empty Space': Watch'. Billboard. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  95. ^'James Arthur makes his acting debut in major international soap'. Hits Radio. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  96. ^'James Arthur's 'Falling Like The Stars' Is A Tender Love Song'. Idolator. 10 May 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  97. ^RJ Frometa (24 May 2019). 'James Arthur Releases New Video For 'Falling Like The Stars''. Vents Magazine. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  98. ^Mastrogiannis, Nicole (24 January 2017). 'INTERVIEW: Who Is James Arthur? Everything You Need To Know'. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  99. ^Papadatos, Markos (3 August 2017). 'James Arthur talks 'Can I Be Him,' fans, inspirations and success'. Digital Journal. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  100. ^'The musical life of.. James Arthur'. Urban Soul. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  101. ^'Daily Record: James Arthur's tartan treat for Scots female fans'. Daily Record. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  102. ^Arthur 2007, p. 278.
    Note that 'Jazz' is used as a nickname for her real name, Jasmin (Arthur 2017, p. 27).
  103. ^ ab'Daily Record: Scots father of X Factor star James Arthur admits he has no idea where singer gets his charm from'. dailyrecord. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  104. ^Arthur 2017, p. 26.
  105. ^Arthur 2017, p. 41.
  106. ^Arthur 2017, p. 27.
  107. ^'Middlesbrough FC manager Tony Mowbray has given his backing to X Factor finalist'. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  108. ^'Boro's Surprise For James'. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  109. ^'X-Factor star James Arthur lives the dream as he trains with his Rangers heroes. but he won't be giving up his day job just yet'. Daily Record. 11 January 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  110. ^'Family of James Arthur so proud of X-Factor hopeful'. GazetteLive.co.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  111. ^ abAl Omari, Ahmed. 'How Bahrain shaped 'X Factor' star's life'. Gulf Daily News. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  112. ^Arthur 2017, p. 61.
    Note that 'Jazz' is used as a nickname for her real name, Jasmin (Arthur 2017, p. 27).
  113. ^ abArthur 2017, p. 61.
  114. ^ abArthur 2017, p. 97.
  115. ^ abArthur 2017, p. 99.
  116. ^Arthur 2017, p. 103.
  117. ^Arthur 2017, p. 165.
  118. ^'Emotional victory for former Bahrain student'. Gulf Weekly. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  119. ^'James Arthur becomes Ambassador for SANE'. 28 September 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  120. ^Kaufman, Gil (16 February 2017). 'OneRepublic Headlining 2017 Honda Civic Tour: See the Dates'. Billboard.
  121. ^'BRIT Awards 2013: Best British Single'. Capital FM. 10 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  122. ^Robson, Dave (21 February 2013). 'Saltburn singer James Arthur misses out on Brit award'. Gazette Live. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  123. ^Saunders, Louise (14 December 2013). 'Going for gold! Katy Perry lights up the red carpet at the 15th NRJ Music Awards in a striking satin mullet-hem minidress'. Daily Mail. London: DMG Media. Retrieved 25 February 2014.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Arthur, James (2017). Back to the Boy. Great Britain: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN9781473665866.

External links[edit]

Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Little Mix		Winner of The X Factor
2012		Succeeded by
Sam Bailey
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Arthur&oldid=899357247'
Copyright © 2019 evheavy