GivePopAChance's Top 20 songs of 2013!

GivePopAChance is proud to present our Top 20 Pop and Pop-adjacent songs of 2013! Thanks for reading! We'll see you in 2014 with a whole load of new music for you to get your turkey-stained teeth into.

- Joe

20 
"ADORE YOU"
MILEY CYRUS

After all the twerking, drug-references, nudity and post-Disney rebelliousness that made up Bangerz' marketing scheme, it's best song was the opening number, a relatively freestyle and surprisingly emotionally raw power ballad, softened with the country edge that Miley will never quite be able to shrug off. The cheap thrills of Bangerz as a whole wear off after one or two listens, but "Adore You" becomes more affecting with each repeat.

19

"WALKING ON AIR"

KATY PERRY

Camp as christmas and Cher-er than Cher, Katy Perry's Prism standout "Walking On Air" fits the term 'guilty pleasure' perfectly. Because there is so much pleasure to be had in the Black Box-esque vocal samples, the shameless 1990 Vogue dance beats and piano hooks, the melodramatic falsetto hook... in fact, who's feeling guilty?

18
"MOVE"
MAUSI

Italo-Londoners Mausi gave us other mini indie-dance joys with "Sol" and "Body Language" over the last year, but the advert-friendly "Move" is their crowning earworm glory. Somehow the band get away with a flailing, slightly hysterical synth hook and a so-play-it's-safe-it's-not-safe chorus to create the underdog party song of the year.

17

"IMAGINE IT WAS US"

JESSIE WARE

Is it genius? No. Is it particularly creative? No. Is it gorgeous? GOD yes. Jessie Ware was sick of moping about men who keep her running even during their wildest moments over mid-tempo 80s soul beats, and decided to pick up the tempo and have some let-your-hair-down fun with cheeky one-off "Imagine it Was Us", and gives us pouty hook upon pouty hook over a gloriously retro Madonna-friendly Julio Bashmore beat. And somehow it ends up more hypnotic than anything on her still incredibly impressive debut album.

16
"HEART ATTACK"
DEMI LOVATO

It's hard not to be impressed with "Heart Attack". It's got it's American #1 ambitions written all over its sleeve (of course it does, it's Demi Lovato), but boy, you've gotta appreciate the effort here. Demi piles on the melodrama as she gradually makes her way up to a chorus the size of China, and her "I put up this facade, but really I'm incredibly insecure" act bizarrely manages to fly... do you know what, it's just really fucking catchy ok? Brings out the ambitious karaoke-r in all of us.

15

"GIRLS"

THE 1975

From the minute The 1975 dropped their debut album, mid album track (now current single) "Girls" pretty much overshadowed everything bar "Chocolate" by being the most ridiculously syrupy and addictive indie song since about 1996. There's something Britpop about these guys, which they would most definitely hate to hear, but they've got the attitude and sneery vocal is down to a T. Those adorable little guitar licks that inundate the song don't hurt either.

14
"NEED U (100%)"
DUKE DUMONT FT. A*M*E

The track that really kicked off mainstream house awareness this year (a #1 single I might add), "Need U" is MNEK-penned club perfection and an unexpected mainstream breakthrough for Duke Dumont. This would be hooky enough to command dancefloors as an instrumental, but A*M*E's Janet Jackson-esque plucky vocal and MNEK's own hypnotic vocal hook (uncredited for most of the year) brings things to an irresistible rave boil.

13

"SAME LOVE"

MACKLEMORE FT. MARY LAMBERT

There's no doubt that Macklemore is awesome - one of the biggest stars of mainstream hip hop and STILL unsigned - but his explicitly gay-marriage support anthem "Same Love" just catapulted him into a new stratosphere of modern day role model. Macklemore doesn't hide behind metaphors, favouring blunt honesty and personal admissions over the subtle hints that other artists would bottle out to, boldly stating "if I was gay, I would think hip hop hates me". There's also no ego involved, no need for approval (see Lady Gaga), and as a result, when Mary Lambert's simple, undramatic chorus comes around, it's a  sudden tearjerker each and every time for those whom the subject matter affects.

12

"GET LUCKY"

DAFT PUNK

It feels like a cliche to even feature the year's biggest song, but "Get Lucky" is just too damn good to leave off. When a song as simple and instantly memorable as the chilled and funky "Get Lucky" is overplayed as much as it undoubtedly was this year, you know it's a winner when you just don't get sick of it. And you just sing, deliriously happy, over and over...

"we're up all night to get lucky, we're up all night to get lucky, we're up all night to get lucky, we're up all night to get lucky, we're up all night to get lucky...."

11

"WAKE ME UP"

AVICII

In 2013 Avicii recognized a fusion that had not yet been attempted by the commercial dance elite, or the underground for that matter. On paper a Country-EDM hybrid sets off alarm bells of post-"Cotton Eye Joe" novelty music distress, and sadly a lot of Avicii's True record is an unwelcome rally to line dance at a rave. However, he got it right just once, and judging on how huge "Wake Me Up" was this summer, once was enough. The fact is, however he managed it, Avicii's summer smash hit manages to capture the most joyful elements of both Country and Progressive House and combine them to create a track that is warm and friendly one minute and euphoric and exhilarating the next. 

10
"HEY NOW"
LONDON GRAMMAR

London Grammar's 2013 journey reminds me very much of Hurts' 2010 one. Beginning with a single spectacular song (in Hurts' case "Wonderful Life" and for London Grammar - "Hey Now") and swiftly getting swept up in the hype with some equally impressive follow up songs and a debut album before you know it. But much like Hurts' before them, although London Grammar might be consistently strong and lived up to the hype as much as anyone could've hoped, nothing quite matches the magic of hearing Hannah Reid's earthshatteringly stunning voice uttering the words "Hey Now" for the first time. It's still their sparsest, most cryptic and most heartbreaking song.

9

"YOU AND ME"

DISCLOSURE FT. ELIZA DOOLITTLE

On paper, the most bizarre feature spot of the year turned out to be one of the biggest revelations (although Ms Doolittle's solo output continues to be sorely dull), with Eliza penning what essentially has become modern house's "We Found Love". Although Disclosure's beats are reliably funky, Eliza's the star here, with her unusual phrases (particularly the memorably odd opening line) riding a gorgeous, silky melody that steals the show.

8

"FALLING"

HAIM

"The new Fleetwood Mac" wouldn't even be an understatement with Haim, who bring the funk, the soul, the class, the hooks, and the whole damn package to the table, the most deserving BBC Sound of... winners in a long time. "Falling" just pips the rest of the output for sheer unashamed hookiness, complete with Michael Jackson yelps and speedy melismatic verses that get into your bloodstream and get you thoroughly addicted.

7

"TREASURE"

BRUNO MARS

It would so EASY to hate Bruno Mars, with his cheesy grin and even cheesier music, but taking off your muso-hat (and you should, it's Christmas), you'll find it's just as easy to love him. Every hook in the 70s funk of "Treasure" is a killer, laced with an unadulterated joy and a level of catchiness that knows no bounds. Bruno, there's not a thing that we would change - we think you're amazing. Just the way you are.

6

"HIGH SOCIETY"

BETTY WHO

If you don't know Betty Who by now, get to know. The Aussie synthpop hipster-princess is cut from the same genius-pop cloth as Robyn, and that's not a comparison we make lightly. On "High Society", the 21 year old Betty Who celebrates living life as if you're rich, when you really aren't, and manages to sound so much more endearing and likeable than a lot of her young synthpop peers (naming no names Chloe Howl). Effortlessly and infectiously happy and kinda beautiful. 

5

"DO WHAT U WANT"

LADY GAGA FT. R KELLY

ARTPOP is, on the whole, not a particularly surprising record. If Zedd had produced Born This Way, ARTPOP would've probably been the result. However, as far back as I can remember in modern pop, there has never been a song so TOTALLY GOBSMACKINGLY HEADS AND SHOULDERS BETTER than everything else on an album than "Do What U Want" is when compared to the rest of ARTPOP. 

The track's opening bassline itself smacks you in the fact in a way that every other track on the album tries to, but only "DWUW" actually succeeds in doing, and Gaga's 80s soul vocal is surprisingly convincing, deliriously over the top, but at the same time perfectly pitched. R Kelly's feature spot is ridiculous, and his climactic "we don't give a FUCK" is absurd. It's a track that makes you say, out loud, "...I'm sorry, WHAT?" after you hear it for the first time, and pretty much every subsequent time too. And it's probably the best track she's ever done, and will ever do.

4

"CHOCOLATE"

THE 1975

"Chocolate" represents the heart of what The 1975 stand for - i.e. mild hedonism and aggravation towards authority. Oh and their love of weed. And much like the drug itself, and indeed chocolate (a fun little metaphor), the band's breakthrough single is instantly satisfying and moreish indie pop, worryingly addictive even. The band come may come across as disinterested and trendy hipsters to pop fans, and eager to please crossovers to indie rock fans, but I have a different theory. Watch the video for "Girls" a few positions back - the band want to be taken seriously, but they simply cannot avoid their pop appeal. Poor dears. 

3

"HOLD ON WE'RE GOING HOME"

DRAKE FT. MAJID JORDAN

It's often hard to associate the dreamy-R&B Drake with the rap scene he associates with. "Hold On We're Going Home", a straight up, commercial pop song with a sung vocal from Drake himself, sounds like a signal of intent, a distinct step forward from the tongue in cheek, slightly flat lullabies of "Marvin's Room" into a realm where Drake takes himself seriously as a singer. 

In the past I've been one of those detractors who think of Drake as the worst thing about his own tracks, but on "Hold On", he rises to the challenge and provides something close to a heartfelt vocal. Lyrically it's the most straight forward love song of his career, and the simplicity and vulnerability is endearing, something I thought I'd never call Drake, and the track sounds like the beginning of a new musical journey. I'm sure it won't last long, but for 3 minutes and 47 seconds, Drake becomes someone you could actually trust with your daughter, and your future iTunes library.

2
"ROAR"
KATY PERRY

Katy Perry, the Californian sweetheart who was the most popular pop star on the planet 3 years ago, took a bit of a popularity beating this year, with a string of below par live vocals and a general lack of interest in her message of spiritual progression, which was compromised by a perceived general lack of musical progression. However, most of her critics that I have spoken to simply claim to have not taken an interest in her this time round.

It's understandable, on first listen "Roar" is a dull mid tempo "Teenage Dream" knockoff with absolutely nothing new to say. But as with so many great, great pop songs, it grows and grows on you - Much like the magnificent middle section of the song that builds to a heart stopping final chorus, one that displays a confidence and a genuine unadulterated joy that Katy Perry has never sung with before. 

And that's the point of "Roar" - it's not some now-outdated Russell Brand break up song - it's a statement about Katy Perry as an artist. She's a notoriously dodgy live singer, makes questionable fashion choices and sings songs about drinking and partying like an embarrassing older sister trying to stay hip, but nothing deters her. Katy Perry might seem like a has-been to many of you, but as she says in the bridge: you hold her down, she's gonna get up.

1

"SOMEBODY LOVES YOU"

BETTY WHO

Spencer's home depot gay marriage proposal has been seen currently 11 million people on YouTube. What makes the video extra special is that out of all the famous love songs in  the world he could've chosen, he chose an unknown Australian singer called Betty Who to soundtrack one of the happiest moments of his life. However, once you've heard "Somebody Loves You", you'll realize that this was not some sort of statement of unsigned music support - the track is genuinely that powerful.

Lyrically and musically the song has love at its core, running through every vein, whilst managing to avoid any kind of unwelcome sentiment or insincerity. The song occupies the same 80s synthpop space as Robyn, but where Robyn would favour a smart and street wise approach, Betty Who's honest and uncomplicated approach is impossible to misinterpret, and the joy is dangerous infectious. If any pop song this year, or in recent memory, has expressed love in a purer and more convincing way, then I have not heard it.

- Joe Copplestone, 27.12.13

#Popdar - Dornik, Syron

DORNIK - REBOUND

After Dornik floored us with his slow burning but instantly memorable debut track "Something About You" 5 months ago, the emotive R&B singer, surprisingly from London (his lush Michael Jackson pastiche has LA written all over it), returns with a track at the other end of the emotional spectrum. Whilst "Something About You" wallowed in its own loved-up bliss and infectious joy, "Rebound" is comparatively intense and even neurotic. Dornik's vocal is jittery and breathy, as drums pound and a low bass and simmering pads fill the atmosphere with doubt and dread. But make no bones about it - it's just as gorgeous and instantly loveable as "Something About You". 

If Dornik keeps up this quality, he could well see a rise to fame not dissimilar to that of once fellow bedroom producer The Weeknd. The Weeknd's doing stadium headline shows now, and there's no question that Dornik's music belongs there too.

"Rebound" is forthcoming on PMR Records.

FOR FANS OF: Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, Michael Jackson

SYRON - COLOUR ME IN

Yet to make a truly flooring impact with any of her output, Syron has until now opted to ride with vibes at the expense of really making an impression as a solo artist. I say "until now" because new single "Colour Me In" is the first track where the young London singer really sounds like she's putting in the overtime. Having already proved her credentials as a potential dance diva on Tensnake's guilty pleasure 90s-throwback "Mainline" last year, "Colour Me In" lies somewhere between that track and Chris Malinchak's "So Good To Me". It sounds a lot like Katy B, but there's a vulnerability and breathlessness to Syron's vocal on "Colour Me In" that Katy B has never quite managed to exude (quite frankly because we all know you don't fuck with Katy B).

No release date as of yet, but you can follow Syron on SoundCloud below.

FOR FANS OF: Katy B, Bondax, Jessie Ware

- Joe Copplestone, 4/12/13

@GivePopAChance

#EatSleepRaveBlog - Drop Lamond, Eli & Fur x Davidian

DROP LAMOND - FEELING HIGH (FEAT. RUBY WOOD)

Despite the deep house side of the UK dance underground gradually becoming a little stale and over-saturated, it has nevertheless made way for the more joyous pastiche genre of 90s UK garage to make a full-on comeback. The debut EP of London's Drop Lamond, Breaking The Walls, is unashamadly sunny and seductive in a way that brings to mind Artful Dodger and Shanks & Bigfoot, whilst still sporting a future bass sheen. "Feeling High" is the sexiest track of the three, and it's Ruby Wood's blissful vocal that just about trips it into first place.

For a truly blissed out moment, skip to 3.33. Thank you Ruby.

Drop Lamond's Breaking The Walls EP is available to download now on iTunes.

ELI & FUR x DAVIDIAN - LET IT GO

London girl-girl DJ duo Eli & Fur created a minor blog stir with their phenomenal indie rave track "Sea of Stars" last year, and 21 year old Nottingham producer Davidian has been making some minor stirs of his own this year, especially with a deep and dirty house mix of "No Scrubs". The collaboration is slightly unexpected but entirely successful, with Davidian's feisty piano house riffs swimming in the reverb from Eli & Fur's ethereal vocals. A sudden drop into sparse garage bass territory is particularly delicious. Thank you Davidian.

You can download the track for free from Eli & Fur's SoundCloud below.

- Joe Copplestone, 29/11/13

@GivePopAChance

#Popdar - Sid Batham, Yasmin Green

SID BATHAM - ALL LIES
At the close of a year where soulful male vocalists finally got the UK's attention through some high profile, and at-the-time ambitious dance collaborations from Disclosure & Sam Smith, and Rudimental & John Newman, there is an inundation of impressive male vocal talent emerging, and about time. London's Sid Batham needs no feature spot to ease him in, as "All Lies" is a magnificent and melodramatic balls-to-the-wall debut effort, that has 90s Soul/R&B searing through it's veins.

"All Lies" is out now on iTunes.

FOR FANS OF: Maverick Sabre, John Newman, Sam Smith



YASMIN GREEN - INTO THE NIGHT
Whilst male vocalists are becoming more histronic and melodramatic in their quest for chart success, it seems that a subtle female vocal has more pull than a belty one as 2013 closes. London's husky voiced Yasmin Green's debut track "Into The Night" has the primitive drum machine and synth bass of Sade's "No Ordinary Love", but with the sexy, calming delivery that Jessie Ware brought to the style. The track passes by in a daze, and unlike Ware, Yasmin Green seems unaware of her own brilliance, and the vocal is delivered with refreshingly little pretense or melodrama. In an era where vocalists use melismatics rather than tone to express emotion, Yasmin's vocal style is simple, honest and effective. And rather fearless as a result.

You can download "Into The Night" for free from HERE.

FOR FANS OF: Jessie Ware, Sade

#EatSleepRaveBlog - Lostchild, Kove, DJ Fresh

LOSTCHILD - DO WHAT U WANT

Lostchild might well be clinging onto the bright pink pigtails of Artpop-mania with his debut solo track, a misty-eyed deep house number based around Lady Gaga's latest single, but this is no mere remix. The UK producer heavily drugs Lady Gaga's gigantic "Do What U Want", whisks it away through woodblock-bassed tribal house TEED-itory, before setting it free amidst a whirlwind of whoosing synth pads and woozy stoner-vocals.

Follow Lostchild and download "Do What U Want" for free from SoundCloud below.

BASTILLE - OF THE NIGHT (KOVE REMIX)

With last month's spectacular Measures EP, 22-year old London producer Kove proved himself almost overnight as a frontrunner in both up and coming UK Garage ("Love For You", "Lose You") and Drum & Bass ("Night Thought", "Searching"). His mix of Bastille's "Rhythm of the Night" tribute makes the club classic's revival complete, with a sledgehammer piano hook and throbbing bass drop so hard it flips your stomach. Truly, the rhythm of the night.

Bastille Of The Night EP, featuring Kove's remix, is out November 17.

DJ FRESH VS JAY FAY FEAT. MS DYNAMITE - DIBBY DIBBY SOUND

For anyone who thought that the surprising Diplo collaboration "Earthquake" was just an experimentation for the commercial D&B juggernaut, "Dibby Dibby Sound" proves that DJ Fresh may be on a more long-term underground trip. "Dibby Dibby" was a track by Moombahton producer Jay Fay released earlier this year, and much as he did with Diplo and "Earthquake", DJ Fresh has once again slapped his big name and a credible feature artist on the top with the hope of getting a lesser known genre into the mainstream.

On the one hand you could call this *new* DJ Fresh a David Guetta of the underground (little than a big brand to take the glory from other's work), BUT on the other, it's exciting that Moombahton, long assumed dead, might get a chance at the big time that it never did first time round. 

If you have three hands you could use the third to argue that this is merely Moombahton-adjacent (and you'd be right), but we'd probably just be distracted by your three hands. 

It's out February 7, so let's hope we're not all sick of it by then.

- Joe Copplestone, 15/11/13

@GivePopAChance

#POPDAR - Skin Town, Ulla Nova, Disclosure

SKIN TOWN - THE ZONE

For fans of the more emotional and melancholic strands of US R&B, Skin Town's sound, particularly on album highlight "The Zone", pushes sexuality and melancholia together in a way that results in a dramatic but touching clash of conflicting emotions. Whilst The Weeknd (the solo male prototype for this sound) sounds confident and seductive in his creamy melismatics, Skin Town singer Grace Hall's voice sounds fragile, borderline desperate. She sings lines like "get my body on the floor", but you can hear her lip quiver.

Their debut record The Room, is out now.

FOR FANS OF: The Weeknd, Kelly Rowland, JoJo



ULLA NOVA - KID FROM LONDON

What sets Ulla Nova aside from the hordes of European female indielectro singers lies in her fearlessness. Taking the droll hipster edge of Charli XCX, the unusual melodic flair of Purity Ring and the fuzzbox production histronics of Sleigh Bells, Ulla Nova's "Kid From London" is a arrestingly melodramatic and instantly memorable debut, reminiscent of fellow Londoner YADi's rocky debut single "The Blow" out earlier in the year.
No release info as of yet, but you can follow Ulla Nova on SoundCloud below.

FOR FANS OF: YADi, Charli XCX, Sleigh Bells



DISCLOSURE x SAM SMITH x NILE RODGERS x JIMMY NAPES - TOGETHER

The genius in this collaboration is its simplicity. Essentially a 2 minute 22 second exercise in restraint, Disclosure's jittery yet tasteful nu funk beats, Sam Smith's silky, gorgeous falsetto and Nile Rodgers' irresistible guitar licks come together to make something perfectly pitched and funky as hell. Don't expect this to go away in a hurry. 

Hello Summer Festivals 2014? You better keep those headline slots open for Disclosure... looks like they've had a second wave.

FOR FANS OF: Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams, Daft Punk

- Joe Copplestone, 15/11/13

@GivePopAChance

#EatSleepRaveBlog - MDNGHT, Fire The Mob, H.O.T. Box

MDNGHT - INTO THE NIGHT
Finding the perfect middle ground between deep house and atmospheric R&B, two of the biggest sounds of the year, Manchester based act MDNGHT's "Into The Night" has enough passion and groove to appeal to fans of multiple trends and genres. And what a vocal. Weeknd eat your broken heart out.

The equally impressive debut EP, Into The Night, is out now on MUK Records.



FIRE THE MOB - CALM ME DOWN
Breathing a little life into the second of Katy B's disappointingly average 2013 singles, London's Fire The Mob, signed to Downing Street Records, take the vocal of "5AM" and drags it further down into a more realistic 5am post-clubbing state, with eerie samples fluttering around a menacing deep house bassline.

The single is available as a free download from Fire The Mob's Soundcloud below.



H.O.T.BOX - TIL I GET MY WAY
Something a bit less 5am and more 11pm here, Downing Street Records' H.O.T.BOX's funky future garage anthem "Til I Get My Way" has a touch of Zinc and Rinse fm about it, and has "summer of 2014" written all over it. Make it happen.

There's no release information yet, but you can follow H.O.T.BOX on Twitter @IAmHotBOX and Soundcloud below.

#POPDAR - YOUTH, Lulu James, LIZ

YOUTH - LOW

Camouflage Records

In the wake of Lorde's inexplicable but pleasing worldwide success, twee indie acts with a taste for Hip Hop beats is a market suddenly wide open for newcomers. Mysterious London duo YOUTH match a glitchy Trap beat with a powerful vocal that twangs like Paloma Faith's on their debut release "Low", and there's no reason they can't take this market by storm.

YOUTH's sleek collaboration with dreamy garage producer Kilter, "Hold Me", is out on November 8, and their debut EP is forthcoming on Camouflage Records.

FOR FANS OF: Lorde, Elli Ingram, Purity Ring



LIZ - STOP ME COLD

LIZ's logo

90s R&B and Garage is more popular now than it was in the actual 90s, and Mad Decent's unexpected but brilliant signing LIZ is gradually paving her way to the top of the pastiche heap, even if only for unashamed authenticity. The Californian singer's new single "Stop Me Cold" could be a 1999 Destiny's Child or Janet Jackson single, boasting a click and pop garage beat and breathlessly choppy vocal oozing pure sugar.

"Stop Me Cold" is available for free download from LIZ's Facebook page.

FOR FANS OF: TLC, Destiny's Child, Janet Jackson



LULU JAMES - SWEETEST THING

Lulu James

Though it was squelchy house number "Closer" that first broke London singer Lulu James through to radio, Lulu sounds most at home amidst the sultry electro R&B vibes of new single "Sweetest Thing". With the track essentially built around quirky vocal hooks, gorgeously slight underwater pads and a sparse Bondax-esque beat, Lulu vibes out, letting her thick jazzy voice merge subtly with the liquid sounds around it.

The Sweetest Thing EP is out now on iTunes.

FOR FANS OF: Charli XCX, MØ, MS MR

- Joe Copplestone, 7/11/13

@GivePopAChance

#JoeCopplestoneMeets... Laura White! The RE-Introduction.

Laura White, the spectacularly voiced, crazy-haired Manc lass from the 2008 run of X Factor, has emerged triumphant after 4 years out of the spotlight with her debut EP What My Mother Taught Me. The EP has received an unprecedented amount of acclaim from critics and fans, with its raw soul edge and emotional but catchy song-writing allowing Laura’s spectacular powerhouse voice to shine beyond anyone’s expectations. And that voice is effortless, breathtaking and characterful, even better than we remember it.

I met up with Laura to chat about her new EP, how her X Factor experience shaped her, and to find out why it's been a whopping 4 years since her debut single “You Should Have Known” in an industry that waits for no man. What exactly took her this long to return?

“The last 4 or 5 years I've really been focusing as a writer”, Laura tells me with a beaming pink lipped smile that makes you fall in love with her instantly, “I've been crafting what I wanted to eventually release myself, as well as writing for other artists. The debut EP that’s out now was only written over the last year, but as a writer you have to write for years before you know what you want to release yourself. I traveled to Denmark and America and really studied the art of songwriting.”

After Laura was unceremoniously booted out of X Factor 2008 in its fifth week (a week notorious for shocking exits on the show), she returned in 2009 with a disappointingly mediocre single “You Should Have Known” and then dropped off the radar.

The infectiously positive Laura sees it all as a learning curve. “I'll be honest, my fans, who are so beautiful, were begging me to release something. At that point I had a writing team around me, and they were the ones who wrote “You Should Have Known”, so I'm not as passionate about it anymore. I write everything myself now, and I feel like these days I'm being much more true to myself. But I AM proud of the song - it reached #14 on iTunes!” For someone with such breathtaking talent, she's endearingly down to earth.

Being true to yourself is something most X Factor alumni don’t really get to indulge in. Yet the emotionally powerful and raw What My Mother Taught Me EP sounds like an introduction to Laura White as an artist with a vision, as opposed to just a singer.

“I've been really lucky in that I've been a writer for years", explains Laura, "Along the way I've met with so many different writers and producers including some amazing names; I've been to Denmark to work with Cutfather, and worked with Steve Booker who wrote "Mercy" for Duffy. The producer on What My Mother Taught Me was a guy called Guy Robin, and he's a very new and modern producer, and that was really important to me - getting someone to create a fresh and new sound that I'd never had before."

“Because my sound is so specific, some producers couldn't really capture this sound, but Guy completely ‘got’ my sound immediately, and the very first song we wrote together was "Rush Hour", which made the EP. He's got a very American sound which I love.”

This “American” sound is one that runs noticeably through the veins of explosive Motown throwbacks “Come On Josephine” and “Rush Hour”, the steamy soul of “Jimi Hendrix”, right down to the classic soul vibes of heartbreaking “To Be Loved” (a timeless ballad in the making), so Laura’s main influences come as no surprise.

“Aretha Franklin has been my idol since I was tiny", Laura gushes enthusiastically, "and I love a lot of Jazz singers such as Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. I also remember hearing "Heatwave" by Martha Reeves in a coffee shop whilst I was making the EP, and the day after I went and said "I want to create a pop sound, but keep it soulful and Aretha-ish", and that was the day we wrote "Rush Hour."

It’s clear that Laura has infinitely more creative control over her music than she did when her X Factor run was fresh. Although I am not keen to dwell too much on her X Factor days, Laura seems surprisingly grateful for the experience.

“Before I did the show, I was doing so much music, and a lot of people say I didn't need to do X Factor, that I could've got out there and done it anyway. But before X Factor, I'd spent six years just gigging and travelling, desperate to get heard, and when I went on the show it gave me a really big platform and a massive fan base  I was really lucky on the show because they trusted what I was doing musically and allowed me to pick the songs I wanted to perform, and I look back and I'm proud of every performance.”

Laura was especially fond of her old mentor Cheryl Cole: “Cheryl was a down to earth girl, and musically she understood that I knew what I wanted to do. She'd say "Laura, what do you feel this week?" She really looked after me, and understood how shy I was and how I'd gone from singing to about five people in Jazz bars to about 18 million on live television! She was really helpful. I think it would have been harder with someone like Simon who's so busy!”

Despite her positive account, it’s safe to still say Laura was very lucky. As a fully formed artist, all she really needed from the X Factor was the exposure. It’s no secret that those who go into the X Factor for more than just exposure as musicians are destined to fail, and no one knows that better than the industry-savvy Laura.

“I'd say you really need to know yourself before you go in; be very strong minded but also remain humble. It's so easy to get carried away with it all, but you've got to remember you're doing it because you want to make music. Music to me is everything, so I think music should always remain the main thing rather than anything else.”

“After the show, for a while I just wanted space, to go away for a bit, a few years to write on my own, to tour, make music. I turned down a lot of TV and celebrity things, because I wanted to establish myself for the music rather than doing all that. I didn't want to sell my soul! If I'd done that I think I would've lost everything I am.”

As far as what’s next for Laura is concerned, jumping into releasing an album isn’t high on her agenda – she’s more concerned about giving something back to the fans that have stuck by her through 4 years of musical soul searching.

“I’m going to probably release another EP first”, she says when quizzed about a debut album, “I want to just release a few things for my fans, as they've so stuck by me. Though when there is an album, we had this idea of a double album – the first album very much like “Come On Josephine” and the other more stripped down, with loads of instruments - just beautiful!”

Laura definitely has the same warmth and glow as she did 5 years ago, but unlike the shy, quiet girl we saw on the X Factor all those years ago, Laura now comes across as chatty, friendly and infectiously positive. There are times when talking about her beginnings that one would expect her to make a negative comment, but she is surprisingly and humbly grateful for her X Factor experience. There's no bad blood here - she hasn't got a single bad word to say about it. Or anything for that matter.

Laura White's debut EP, What My Mother Taught Me, is out on November 10th on iTunes. For those that missed her Ronnie Scott's performance on the 29th October, you've got a chance to catch her at The Social in London on Monday 18th November. Buy tickets here.

Listen to "Come On Josephine" from What My Mother Taught Me below.

- Joe Copplestone, 7/11/13

@GivePopAChance