WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.169 Imagine the scene. It's late 2010. You are standing 00:00:04.169 --> 00:00:06.370 on one of the absolute biggest stages in the 00:00:06.370 --> 00:00:08.890 world. The lights are blinding. The audience 00:00:08.890 --> 00:00:11.390 is screaming. And millions of people are watching 00:00:11.390 --> 00:00:13.330 you from home. Right. Millions of people. You 00:00:13.330 --> 00:00:15.869 are the runner up of the X Factor. You're standing 00:00:15.869 --> 00:00:18.190 right next to the winner, Matt Cardle. And in 00:00:18.190 --> 00:00:20.390 almost every version of this story, this is the 00:00:20.390 --> 00:00:22.429 exact moment where you just you do what you're 00:00:22.429 --> 00:00:24.929 told. You take the fast track. Exactly. You sign 00:00:24.929 --> 00:00:26.850 the deal. You sing the songs they give you. You 00:00:26.850 --> 00:00:29.309 chase the instant fame. And then, you know, you 00:00:29.309 --> 00:00:31.489 probably burn out in 18. months. Because that 00:00:31.489 --> 00:00:34.350 is the standard playbook for reality television. 00:00:34.869 --> 00:00:37.570 I mean, it's an industry designed to manufacture 00:00:37.570 --> 00:00:41.070 pop stars, not necessarily to nurture artists. 00:00:41.549 --> 00:00:45.909 The machine has a formula. And it works. Financially, 00:00:45.990 --> 00:00:48.770 at least. Right. But today, for this deep dive, 00:00:48.810 --> 00:00:50.950 we are talking about someone who looked at that 00:00:50.950 --> 00:00:53.710 exact formula and just said, absolutely not. 00:00:54.189 --> 00:00:56.609 We're getting into Rebecca Ferguson and her 2011 00:00:56.609 --> 00:00:59.710 debut album, Heaven. Which is such a fantastic 00:00:59.710 --> 00:01:03.090 topic. It really is. And honestly, this isn't 00:01:03.090 --> 00:01:05.650 just a deep dive into a pop album. We are looking 00:01:05.650 --> 00:01:08.750 at a battle for artistic integrity in a place 00:01:08.750 --> 00:01:10.810 where you really, really don't expect to find 00:01:10.810 --> 00:01:13.950 it. It's a fascinating case study. When we look 00:01:13.950 --> 00:01:16.129 at Heaven, we aren't just looking at a collection 00:01:16.129 --> 00:01:19.090 of songs. We are looking at the result of a massive 00:01:19.090 --> 00:01:21.870 gamble. It's the difference between being a singer, 00:01:22.310 --> 00:01:25.209 someone who just executes a performance, and 00:01:25.209 --> 00:01:28.670 being an artist, someone who retains agency over 00:01:28.670 --> 00:01:31.420 their own voice. So let's unpack this for you 00:01:31.420 --> 00:01:34.120 because the context here is super crucial. Rebecca 00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:36.719 Ferguson comes in second on Series 7 of The X 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:39.920 Factor. She's got this incredible, unique voice. 00:01:40.459 --> 00:01:42.840 People were already comparing her to Macy Gray 00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:45.500 or Aretha Franklin. Heavy hitters. Huge. But 00:01:45.500 --> 00:01:47.900 she didn't win. And historically not winning 00:01:47.900 --> 00:01:49.939 can actually be a really precarious position. 00:01:50.340 --> 00:01:52.319 You don't have the guaranteed winner single waiting 00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:54.980 for you. You are relying entirely on the label 00:01:54.980 --> 00:01:57.750 seeing potential in you. Ferguson herself actually 00:01:57.750 --> 00:01:59.629 admitted she was really nervous after the finale. 00:02:00.090 --> 00:02:01.769 She knew there was a genuine risk she wouldn't 00:02:01.769 --> 00:02:04.069 get a record deal at all. But she does get the 00:02:04.069 --> 00:02:07.390 offer. She signs with Syco Music and RCA Records. 00:02:07.930 --> 00:02:10.629 Simon Cowell is the boss. And here is where it 00:02:10.629 --> 00:02:13.479 gets really interesting. The label bosses, including 00:02:13.479 --> 00:02:15.699 Cowell, they are ready to go. They have tracks 00:02:15.699 --> 00:02:17.360 ready for her. They have the hitmakers lined 00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:21.340 up. Yep. And Rebecca Ferguson, this quiet, polite 00:02:21.340 --> 00:02:24.759 soul from Liverpool, puts her foot down. She 00:02:24.759 --> 00:02:27.819 absolutely refuses to record them. It is a moment 00:02:27.819 --> 00:02:30.900 that I think defines her entire career. You have 00:02:30.900 --> 00:02:34.319 to understand the power dynamics here. Seco and 00:02:34.319 --> 00:02:37.580 RCA are absolute juggernauts. They had a plan. 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:40.060 They had writers who had... I think the quote 00:02:40.060 --> 00:02:42.780 is pretty much got all of the songs done already. 00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:45.439 Right. And Ferguson told management quite explicitly, 00:02:45.819 --> 00:02:48.120 if you want me to be a credible artist, you have 00:02:48.120 --> 00:02:49.979 to let me write. I just love the audacity of 00:02:49.979 --> 00:02:52.139 that. No, thanks. I'll write my own. But we have 00:02:52.139 --> 00:02:53.500 to remember for a second, this wasn't someone 00:02:53.500 --> 00:02:55.500 who had an easy ride to the top. This wasn't 00:02:55.500 --> 00:02:58.199 her first rodeo at all. Far from it. Yeah. And 00:02:58.199 --> 00:03:00.789 that is exactly what makes the risk she took 00:03:00.789 --> 00:03:03.110 so substantial. If we look at her background, 00:03:03.169 --> 00:03:04.610 she had been trying to break into the industry 00:03:04.610 --> 00:03:06.990 for years. She was rejected from the X Factor 00:03:06.990 --> 00:03:09.370 twice before this, during Series 2 and Series 00:03:09.370 --> 00:03:12.449 3. Oh, wow. Yeah. She tried out for P. Diddy's 00:03:12.449 --> 00:03:17.069 Star Maker in 2007. Rejected. She auditioned 00:03:17.069 --> 00:03:20.610 for Britain's Got Talent in 2009. Rejected again. 00:03:20.849 --> 00:03:23.650 So she's been told no over and over and over 00:03:23.650 --> 00:03:25.330 again. She finally gets the yes. She finally 00:03:25.330 --> 00:03:27.810 gets the huge contract. And then she's the one 00:03:27.810 --> 00:03:30.879 saying no. Precisely. She noted that after the 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:33.000 fourth rejection, she had really begun to doubt 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:35.400 her own talent. She said those rejections were 00:03:35.400 --> 00:03:38.340 the hardest thing ever. So to finally have the 00:03:38.340 --> 00:03:40.479 golden ticket in her hand and potentially throw 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:42.300 it away because she didn't feel connected to 00:03:42.300 --> 00:03:44.699 the pre -written songs, that requires a level 00:03:44.699 --> 00:03:47.599 of conviction that is incredibly rare. So what 00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:49.780 actually happened? Did the label drop her? Did 00:03:49.780 --> 00:03:52.319 they try to force her into the booth? Surprisingly, 00:03:52.539 --> 00:03:54.680 they backed off. Ferguson said that Seiko had 00:03:54.680 --> 00:03:56.620 been really brilliant. And as soon as she put 00:03:56.620 --> 00:03:58.939 her foot down, they backed off completely. Really? 00:03:59.240 --> 00:04:01.560 Just like that? Well, they allowed her to go 00:04:01.560 --> 00:04:04.139 into sessions alone. But she actually noted that 00:04:04.139 --> 00:04:05.919 she didn't think they believed she could do it. 00:04:06.360 --> 00:04:08.099 They let her go into sessions on her own almost 00:04:08.099 --> 00:04:10.500 as a test. It sounds like a total sink or swim 00:04:10.500 --> 00:04:12.580 situation. Like, OK, you want to write, go ahead. 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:15.020 But when you come back with nothing, we'll have 00:04:15.020 --> 00:04:17.620 the auto -tune ready for the pop tracks. Exactly. 00:04:17.699 --> 00:04:20.720 It was a test of her metal. And she passed, but 00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:23.899 it wasn't easy. I think there's this common misconception 00:04:23.899 --> 00:04:27.740 that once you sign the big deal, it's all champagne 00:04:27.740 --> 00:04:30.519 and parties. But the making of heaven sounds 00:04:30.519 --> 00:04:33.379 like a serious, serious grind. Yeah, let's talk 00:04:33.379 --> 00:04:35.519 about the reality of that process. Because when 00:04:35.519 --> 00:04:37.519 you think of a pop star recording their debut, 00:04:37.740 --> 00:04:41.160 you imagine luxury. But the notes we have here 00:04:41.160 --> 00:04:43.199 paint a completely different picture. It was 00:04:43.199 --> 00:04:45.620 grueling. The recording process took about 11 00:04:45.620 --> 00:04:47.939 months, full -time. She was working in London, 00:04:48.139 --> 00:04:50.759 Los Angeles, and Sweden, and she treated it like 00:04:50.759 --> 00:04:54.220 a day job. She actually wrote one song every 00:04:54.220 --> 00:04:57.279 single day for six months. One song a day? That 00:04:57.279 --> 00:04:59.740 is intense. That's an incredibly high output 00:04:59.740 --> 00:05:02.279 for someone who is supposedly new to professional 00:05:02.279 --> 00:05:04.920 songwriting. It is prolific. But here is the 00:05:04.920 --> 00:05:06.860 thing about that artistic integrity we were talking 00:05:06.860 --> 00:05:10.420 about. she scrapped many of those songs. She 00:05:10.420 --> 00:05:12.959 said some of them were brilliant tunes, technically 00:05:12.959 --> 00:05:15.360 sound pop songs, but she didn't feel connected 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:18.339 enough to them. Her criteria was basically, can 00:05:18.339 --> 00:05:20.500 I sing this night after night for a year without 00:05:20.500 --> 00:05:23.079 feeling fake? If the answer was no, the song 00:05:23.079 --> 00:05:26.269 was cut. That is a seriously high bar. And she 00:05:26.269 --> 00:05:28.350 was really open about the emotional toll, too. 00:05:28.470 --> 00:05:30.649 She said she poured her heart out and often cried 00:05:30.649 --> 00:05:33.050 in the studio. She said it wasn't a case of skipping 00:05:33.050 --> 00:05:35.389 to the studio and being happy. She was digging 00:05:35.389 --> 00:05:38.810 deep into some really painful stuff. Vulnerability 00:05:38.810 --> 00:05:42.110 is the core theme of the entire album. But there 00:05:42.110 --> 00:05:44.470 is a funny detail about the glamour of this recording 00:05:44.470 --> 00:05:46.350 process that you might appreciate. Oh, wait, 00:05:46.430 --> 00:05:48.029 is this the airline thing? I saw this in the 00:05:48.029 --> 00:05:51.329 notes and I laughed out loud. Yes. So the label 00:05:51.329 --> 00:05:55.139 promised to fly her British Airways to record 00:05:55.139 --> 00:05:57.120 the album. You know, give her the full pop star 00:05:57.120 --> 00:05:59.759 treatment. Right. Lie flat seats, champagne, 00:06:00.259 --> 00:06:03.660 maybe a hot towel. Exactly. But in reality, she 00:06:03.660 --> 00:06:06.259 ended up flying easy jet. That is hilarious. 00:06:06.439 --> 00:06:08.660 Welcome to the music industry, kid. Put your 00:06:08.660 --> 00:06:11.540 tray table up. It really grounds the story, doesn't 00:06:11.540 --> 00:06:14.480 it? It's blood, sweat, and easy jet. It shows 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:17.120 that until the album is out and actually selling, 00:06:17.720 --> 00:06:19.860 the label is watching every penny of the budget. 00:06:20.060 --> 00:06:22.300 Yeah, but despite the budget travel, the team 00:06:22.300 --> 00:06:25.459 she assembled was undeniably top tier. She worked 00:06:25.459 --> 00:06:28.399 with Egg White, who is a major heavyweight. He 00:06:28.399 --> 00:06:31.259 worked with Adele and Duffy. She worked with 00:06:31.259 --> 00:06:34.600 Fraser T. Smith and Xenomania. These aren't just 00:06:34.600 --> 00:06:37.720 random names thrown together. Egg white is basically 00:06:37.720 --> 00:06:40.670 the architect of that specific British soul sound. 00:06:40.990 --> 00:06:43.430 Absolutely. He was instrumental in Adele's Chasing 00:06:43.430 --> 00:06:46.410 Pavements and Duffy's Warwick Avenue. So Ferguson 00:06:46.410 --> 00:06:49.430 was in the room with the best of the best. But 00:06:49.430 --> 00:06:52.050 crucially, she insisted on co -writing every 00:06:52.050 --> 00:06:54.610 single track on the standard edition. She wasn't 00:06:54.610 --> 00:06:56.649 just sitting there nodding along. She was driving 00:06:56.649 --> 00:06:58.610 the car. Let's talk about what she was actually 00:06:58.610 --> 00:07:00.829 writing about. Because at the time, this is 2011, 00:07:01.470 --> 00:07:03.550 the tabloids were absolutely obsessed with her 00:07:03.550 --> 00:07:06.269 personal life. She had briefly dated Zayn Malik 00:07:06.269 --> 00:07:08.449 from One Direction. Oh, yeah, I remember that. 00:07:08.910 --> 00:07:10.769 everyone naturally assumed the whole album was 00:07:10.769 --> 00:07:12.970 a breakup record about him. Because that is the 00:07:12.970 --> 00:07:15.129 narrative the media always wants. It sells papers 00:07:15.129 --> 00:07:17.990 to have X factor romance drama. And Ferguson 00:07:17.990 --> 00:07:20.290 did admit that the split inspired some parts, 00:07:20.790 --> 00:07:22.629 but she clarified that the bulk of the lyrics 00:07:22.629 --> 00:07:25.430 were actually about a much longer, more significant 00:07:25.430 --> 00:07:27.769 relationship. The one with the father of her 00:07:27.769 --> 00:07:30.100 children, which started when she was 17. Which 00:07:30.100 --> 00:07:32.939 makes perfect sense. That's a much deeper well 00:07:32.939 --> 00:07:35.899 of emotion to draw from. A teenage romance that 00:07:35.899 --> 00:07:38.319 turns into a family and then falls apart. That's 00:07:38.319 --> 00:07:41.250 heavy material. It is. She also drew heavily 00:07:41.250 --> 00:07:44.029 on her upbringing and a foster care family. She 00:07:44.029 --> 00:07:46.050 mentioned that her vulnerability on stage comes 00:07:46.050 --> 00:07:48.629 directly from those experiences. She wanted the 00:07:48.629 --> 00:07:51.629 album to explore betrayal, friendship, love found 00:07:51.629 --> 00:07:54.230 and lost. It's a very mature record for a debut. 00:07:54.629 --> 00:07:56.930 It wasn't bubblegum pop at all. And musically, 00:07:57.029 --> 00:07:58.870 it's not what you'd expect from a typical reality 00:07:58.870 --> 00:08:02.970 TV alum either. It's got soul, blues, R &B. We 00:08:02.970 --> 00:08:04.569 mentioned earlier that critics were comparing 00:08:04.569 --> 00:08:07.740 her to Macy Gray and Aretha Franklin. She actually 00:08:07.740 --> 00:08:09.779 wanted to collaborate with Aretha Franklin on 00:08:09.779 --> 00:08:12.579 the album. She calls her the Queen of Soul. She 00:08:12.579 --> 00:08:14.759 also wanted to work with Kings of Leon, which 00:08:14.759 --> 00:08:17.540 shows the breadth of her influences. But she 00:08:17.540 --> 00:08:20.360 ultimately said, the album is pop with a retry 00:08:20.360 --> 00:08:23.259 soul vibe. So let's get into the tracks themselves. 00:08:23.800 --> 00:08:26.079 Because when you listen to this album, you can 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:28.439 really hear that struggle for authenticity we've 00:08:28.439 --> 00:08:31.680 been talking about. The lead single was Nothing's 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:34.990 Real But Love. A completely fascinating choice 00:08:34.990 --> 00:08:37.649 for a lead single. Ferguson herself described 00:08:37.649 --> 00:08:39.690 it as non -commercial and a bit different from 00:08:39.690 --> 00:08:42.129 the radio hits of the time. If you remember 2011, 00:08:42.269 --> 00:08:44.669 the charts were completely dominated by high 00:08:44.669 --> 00:08:48.289 -energy dance pop, LMFAO, Pitbull, that kind 00:08:48.289 --> 00:08:50.690 of thing. Yeah, the club boom. Exactly. And here 00:08:50.690 --> 00:08:52.950 she comes with a stripped back acoustic -led 00:08:52.950 --> 00:08:55.250 track. I remember this song being everywhere 00:08:55.250 --> 00:08:58.169 though. It was actually used in a Nescafe Goldblend 00:08:58.169 --> 00:09:01.610 ad, which... if you know British pop culture, 00:09:02.149 --> 00:09:04.330 is a pretty significant spot to land. It is. 00:09:04.370 --> 00:09:07.169 It's a massive platform. And it completely worked. 00:09:07.309 --> 00:09:09.809 The song charted in the top 10 in the UK. It 00:09:09.809 --> 00:09:12.090 summed her up perfectly as an artist. It was 00:09:12.090 --> 00:09:16.090 sentimental, honest, not overproduced. It signaled 00:09:16.090 --> 00:09:18.289 to the audience, I am not here to just dance. 00:09:18.690 --> 00:09:20.909 I am here to sing. And then you have Too Good 00:09:20.909 --> 00:09:23.549 to Lose. Ferguson said this was her personal 00:09:23.549 --> 00:09:25.700 favorite on the album. Yes, she noted it's good 00:09:25.700 --> 00:09:28.080 for dancing. They actually filmed the video for 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:29.919 that one on Venice Beach in California, which 00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:32.159 is a very long way from Liverpool. It showed 00:09:32.159 --> 00:09:35.059 a different, lighter side to her artistry. It's 00:09:35.059 --> 00:09:37.960 got this breezy, optimistic feel to it that really 00:09:37.960 --> 00:09:40.360 balances out the heavier ballads. There's also 00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:42.679 Teach Me How to Be Loved, which she described 00:09:42.679 --> 00:09:44.879 as the most meaningful song on the record. That 00:09:44.879 --> 00:09:47.039 track really showcases that vulnerability we 00:09:47.039 --> 00:09:49.340 discussed. It's a plea, really. It's about learning 00:09:49.340 --> 00:09:51.980 to trust again after being deeply hurt. It's 00:09:51.980 --> 00:09:54.200 incredibly relatable. And then you have fighting 00:09:54.200 --> 00:09:56.779 suspicions, which she called the riskiest and 00:09:56.779 --> 00:09:59.399 most unusual song she wrote. Risky in what way 00:09:59.399 --> 00:10:01.600 exactly? Risky in terms of the subject matter, 00:10:01.820 --> 00:10:04.080 it deals with paranoia and trust issues in a 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:06.360 relationship. You know, that nagging feeling 00:10:06.360 --> 00:10:08.840 that something just isn't right. She pointed 00:10:08.840 --> 00:10:10.539 out it was a topic she wouldn't normally write 00:10:10.539 --> 00:10:12.240 about, so it pushed her own boundaries, says 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:14.080 a writer. It wasn't a standard I love you or 00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:16.320 I hate you pop song. And for the collectors out 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:18.220 there, we definitely should mention backtrack. 00:10:18.600 --> 00:10:20.639 That was added to the deluxe edition and the 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:23.250 U .S. release. It's much more upbeat. Backtrack 00:10:23.250 --> 00:10:26.009 is super interesting because it shows she absolutely 00:10:26.009 --> 00:10:28.690 could do that more driving pop soul sound if 00:10:28.690 --> 00:10:31.309 she wanted to. It actually became her third top 00:10:31.309 --> 00:10:34.549 20 hit in the UK. It feels a bit more designed 00:10:34.549 --> 00:10:36.929 for radio, perhaps to help break the U .S. market, 00:10:37.169 --> 00:10:39.769 but it still retains that authentic soulful vocal. 00:10:40.190 --> 00:10:42.529 So let's look at the big picture. She fight for 00:10:42.529 --> 00:10:45.490 her right to write. She flies easy jet. She cries 00:10:45.490 --> 00:10:48.330 in the studio. She puts the album out in December 00:10:48.330 --> 00:10:51.740 2011. What was the final verdict? Did this massive 00:10:51.740 --> 00:10:55.460 gamble actually pay off? Universally. The critical 00:10:55.460 --> 00:10:59.000 reception was frankly completely shocked. The 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:02.039 critics did not expect a reality TV star to produce 00:11:02.039 --> 00:11:05.220 a real album. There is a huge stigma attached 00:11:05.220 --> 00:11:07.379 to coming from a show like The X Factor back 00:11:07.379 --> 00:11:09.820 then. I saw The Daily Telegraph gave it five 00:11:09.820 --> 00:11:12.580 out of five stars. Yeah. That's incredibly rare 00:11:12.580 --> 00:11:15.639 for a pop debut. They did. Their review was glowing. 00:11:15.899 --> 00:11:18.799 They wrote, and I quote, reality television has 00:11:18.799 --> 00:11:21.120 finally turned out someone who not only has the 00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:23.379 hallmarks of a real star, but is also an artist 00:11:23.379 --> 00:11:25.960 in her own right. That distinction artist in 00:11:25.960 --> 00:11:27.799 her own right is exactly what she was fighting 00:11:27.799 --> 00:11:30.740 for that whole time. The Independent. The Independent 00:11:30.740 --> 00:11:33.559 noted that she avoided soul diva cliches and 00:11:33.559 --> 00:11:36.279 showboating. That is key. She wasn't just doing 00:11:36.279 --> 00:11:38.740 endless vocal gymnastics to prove she could sing. 00:11:39.080 --> 00:11:41.559 She was serving the song. That's a huge validation. 00:11:41.740 --> 00:11:43.659 She wasn't just good for a reality star. She 00:11:43.659 --> 00:11:46.320 was just good. Period. Exactly. And the sales 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:48.559 completely backed it up. The album debuted at 00:11:48.559 --> 00:11:51.279 number three in the UK. Number three. I mean, 00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:54.379 that's respectable, but usually these big X Factor 00:11:54.379 --> 00:11:56.700 albums aim straight for the top spot. Who was 00:11:56.700 --> 00:11:58.799 blocking her from number one? Well, this is where 00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:01.039 context is everything. She was released in December, 00:12:01.399 --> 00:12:03.340 literally the busiest time of the year for music. 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:06.179 She was held off the top spot by two absolute 00:12:06.179 --> 00:12:09.559 behemoths. Number one was Amy Winehouse's posthumous 00:12:09.559 --> 00:12:12.919 album, Lioness. Hidden Treasures. Oh, wow. OK, 00:12:13.179 --> 00:12:15.919 you were simply not beating Amy Winehouse immediately 00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:17.940 after her passing. Yeah. The public sentiment 00:12:17.940 --> 00:12:20.519 was just way too strong. Exactly. And number 00:12:20.519 --> 00:12:23.080 two was Michael Bublé's Christmas album. OK, 00:12:23.139 --> 00:12:25.820 yeah. You are definitely not beating Michael 00:12:25.820 --> 00:12:28.600 Bublé at Christmas. That album is basically a 00:12:28.600 --> 00:12:31.080 law of physics in December. None at all. In fact, 00:12:31.220 --> 00:12:35.659 despite being number three, Heaven sold 128 ,458 00:12:35.659 --> 00:12:38.480 copies in its first week. That was the highest 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:40.629 sales figure for a number three album. in the 00:12:40.629 --> 00:12:43.549 entire year of 2011. Wow. So in any other week 00:12:43.549 --> 00:12:45.230 of the year, that's a runaway number one record. 00:12:45.490 --> 00:12:47.549 Easily. It was certified platinum within two 00:12:47.549 --> 00:12:50.669 weeks. Two weeks. Yeah. By November 2012, it 00:12:50.669 --> 00:12:52.789 was double platinum. And by the end of 2012, 00:12:52.950 --> 00:12:56.529 it had sold over 586 ,000 copies in the UK alone. 00:12:56.669 --> 00:12:58.330 And it wasn't just a UK phenomenon, right? It 00:12:58.330 --> 00:13:00.679 managed to cross the Atlantic. It did. which 00:13:00.679 --> 00:13:03.440 is notoriously difficult for British reality 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:06.340 stars to pull off. We've seen huge acts like 00:13:06.340 --> 00:13:09.059 Robbie Williams struggle to break America, but 00:13:09.059 --> 00:13:11.759 Heaven debuted at number 23 on the U .S. Billboard 00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:15.379 200 and number three on the R &B hip hop albums 00:13:15.379 --> 00:13:18.500 chart. For a UK X Factor contestant, that is 00:13:18.500 --> 00:13:21.620 a massive crossover success. It really validates 00:13:21.620 --> 00:13:24.240 her initial decision to say no to those prepackaged 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:26.860 songs. Simon Cowell even admitted later that 00:13:26.860 --> 00:13:29.019 he was blown away when he finally heard it. And 00:13:29.019 --> 00:13:30.889 that brings us right back to the core mission 00:13:30.889 --> 00:13:33.929 of this deep dive. Heaven Stands is a testament 00:13:33.929 --> 00:13:37.129 to trusting your gut. Ferguson risked her brand 00:13:37.129 --> 00:13:39.269 new career to ensure the music was authentic. 00:13:39.830 --> 00:13:41.909 She didn't just want to be famous, she wanted 00:13:41.909 --> 00:13:44.330 to be credible. It's amazing to think that if 00:13:44.330 --> 00:13:46.230 she had just been a little less brave, we would 00:13:46.230 --> 00:13:47.950 have gotten a totally different album. Probably 00:13:47.950 --> 00:13:49.570 something that sounded like everything else on 00:13:49.570 --> 00:13:51.809 the radio in 2011. We almost certainly would 00:13:51.809 --> 00:13:54.070 have. And that raises a really important, provocative 00:13:54.070 --> 00:13:56.149 thought for you to consider as we wrap up today. 00:13:56.649 --> 00:13:58.990 If Rebecca Ferguson had accepted those pre -written 00:13:58.990 --> 00:14:01.610 tracks from Simon Cowell, if she had taken the 00:14:01.610 --> 00:14:04.659 easy route, would we even remember her name today? 00:14:05.139 --> 00:14:07.740 That really is the question. It forces us to 00:14:07.740 --> 00:14:10.139 ask whether perfection and hit -making science, 00:14:10.820 --> 00:14:14.039 the basic algorithms of the music industry, are 00:14:14.039 --> 00:14:16.620 actually the enemies of longevity in art. The 00:14:16.620 --> 00:14:19.259 rough edges, the personal lyrics, the difficult, 00:14:19.320 --> 00:14:21.720 tear -filled sessions, that is often what makes 00:14:21.720 --> 00:14:25.279 a record truly timeless. Absolutely. So if you 00:14:25.279 --> 00:14:27.019 haven't listened to Heaven in a while, or if 00:14:27.019 --> 00:14:28.960 you've never heard it, go back and give it a 00:14:28.960 --> 00:14:31.379 spin. But this time, listen to it knowing that 00:14:31.379 --> 00:14:33.799 every single single word was fought for. Listen 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:36.059 to it knowing she was flying easy jet to make 00:14:36.059 --> 00:14:38.220 it happen. And listen to it as the definitive 00:14:38.220 --> 00:14:40.659 sound of an artist claiming her own voice. Thanks 00:14:40.659 --> 00:14:42.200 for diving in with us. We'll catch you on the 00:14:42.200 --> 00:14:42.519 next one.