Thursday, June 12, 2014 3:59am ET by  
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Ella Henderson speaks to Pressparty about 'Ghost': "I absolutely love the song"

When Ella Henderson crashed out of the X Factor in sixth place back in 2012, it's hard to think the then 16-year-old would have envisaged her current success.

The Brit is on top of the world after her debut single 'Ghost' hit No.1 the UK midweek chart update on Wednesday (June 11) - so what better time to catch up with Henderson to find out more.

Did you ever expect 'Ghost' to become so big?

You know what, I don't know. Going back to when I was writing it in the studio, I definitely had a special moment with Ryan [Tedder] when I knew this was going to be my first single, and I just loved it so much. I had so much belief in it and everyone believed in it, my team around me, and we lived with it for a while. To see the support that's being given right now - it's amazing. I'm surrounded by so much positivity, I'm buzzing.

Can you reveal the secret as to why it's gotten so big?

I honestly can't - I have no idea how. I absolutely love this song though, and it's something to me that I really feel represents my album as a whole. It's also the last record that I wrote. I think when something feels right and you write a song quick, there's so much time and care that goes into it, maybe that's the reason why people believe in it.

Ryan Tedder co-wrote and produced the song  - how did that come about?

It was kind of going back and forth with the label and eventually he heard a Drake cover that I uploaded online, and it was from there that he sent an email saying 'I want to meet her', so when he came to the UK we ended up going to a studio. It was just a few hours to see if he did want to write with me or to see how we worked together, but within the first hour we were sat around the piano writing the chorus to 'Ghost'. It happened very quickly, but I think he just really got me from the get-go and Ryan has this energy that he brings into the studio which you just bounce off.

Label boss Simon Cowell recently said you'll be a big star - does that make you feel pressurised or conversely does it give you a boost?

It's the biggest compliment in the world. Simon's been so supportive of me from day one and he's the guy who sat me down and said 'I want you to take your time and really enjoy it - let's make a long-term thing out of this'. And you know what, I'm just enjoying every second of this. I kind of live in the moment, because you never know what's going to happen, but right now, I'm loving every minute of it.

Were you worried that some people might have forgotten about you in the time between the X Factor and now?

I think when you come away from it, you do feel a sense of a risk, I guess. You're coming back into it and people might forget about you, but at the same time, when I came off the X Factor I was only 16 and I felt like that was too young of an age to face the music industry. The most important thing to me was my music and I had to figure out what do I wanted it to sound like and what kind of artist I wanted to be because if I'm going to do it, I want to do it right. You have to feel ready for it, and now after two years I feel like I've really grown as a person - not just my music, but as a girl into a young woman. Musically and mentally I really feel capable to take on the music industry.

Has the industry lived up to your expectations?

It's such a crazy world to be in and being a part of it now, it's actually a very small world as well. I'm loving everything right now, it's great.

 

 

 

Going back to the X Factor, in hindsight are you almost pleased that you didn't win it?

I think the way you come off a talent show, you just have to take it in the most positive way that you can. When I came off half way through, I think it gave me the extra time to go into this. There was no pressure with me and no timeframe - if this takes three months or three years, it doesn't matter, it's just got to be right, it's got to be ready and I've got to be feeling confident with it all. I guess that's where I'm at now.

Speaking about your upcoming debut album 'Chapter One', what can fans expect from it?

From what people have heard from my X Factor days, I definitely think there will be a few surprises on the album. I feel like I've really developed my sound and I've had the chance to really experiment and figure out what I wanted. I've always known that I wanted to do this and eventually be a writer, a singer and a performer, but I never knew how I was going to get there - and I never knew it was going to happen at such a young age - but I also never knew what kind of sound I'd be. I don't want to copy anyone else, I want to do my own thing.

What kind of influences have gone into it? I can almost hear a bit of soul in 'Ghost'…

'Ghost' is very soulful and it's anthemic, but it has these dark elements, which I tend to always bring into my music. Altogether I just wanted it to be very real, raw and for it to almost sound like you're in the room with me. A lot of the recordings are very stripped back and everything was done quite organically and kind of freestyled in the booth. Nothing was done robotically, so I guess that's how I want it to feel. I think the music I love and listen to and the music I was brought up on is just great songs that are believable and for some reason you become attached to them. That's what I want my music to be - believable and honest.

Are there any collaborations on the album?

I wrote with some amazing producers. I got to work with Babyface, who's written with Whitney [Houston] and Mariah [Carey], and I got to write with some incredible people on the way. But there isn't any other artists who feature on this one - it's just me. I wanted to set the tone of what my sound is and set myself up. But yeah, I'm open to things in the future.

What kind of artists would you like to work with in the future if something did come up?

Oh my gosh, that's a hard question. I'd love to have a session with Sia. She's incredible and she's grown into being the artist herself, but she's been around for years writing songs. I'd love to go into studio with her and write some stuff.

There were murmurs that you worked with Emeli Sandé on the album - is that true?

No, I didn't. She's been so busy with her own career and it has taken off in the US.

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Watch the video for Ella Henderson's 'Ghost' below: