A world away from* Swagger Jagger*, Cher Lloyd has a new album out and it's a whole lot more grown up. Plus, she recently set the record straight about what really went on with Simon Cowell.
Speaking to Digital Spy, the singer who first rose to infamy on The X Factor in 2010 has found the transition into a serious artist pretty hard.
"You know, it's been very difficult going out and performing the same songs that I recorded back in 2010 over and over again, knowing that I had so much more experience and much more to give. It was very difficult to go through that time frame of, changing as a person, but not having the music to back it up," she said.
After reportedly falling out with Simon Cowell, it's a surprise that her next album will be released with Syco. And even more of a surpise that the argument apparently never even took place.
"You know, it's really weird, because for people from the outside looking in, it's always great to have the story" - Cher argued with Simon, Simon wouldn't let her take creative direction. "I don't know where you get it from. I didn't leave, I've always been a Syco artist, but I just went away for a little while. Obviously I'm back now to release my album on Syco.'
Having grown up in show business, concentrating on a career in the US before coming back to the UK to conquer us next, she seems like she's got her head screwed on these days.
"Yeah, it's all been very much a bit of a whirlwind for me, but I think I'm just proud to have new music in general. I think I have come to the realisation now that, you've either got to let the barrier down, or things are going to defeat you. So you've kind of got to expect to go through certain situations where you feel uncomfortable. You've just got to get over it."
Her new album includes sessions with Max Martin, the songwriter behind a load of Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys hits who has a brilliant reputation in the industry, so we're not surprised that her latest single Sirens is a proper belter. It looks like Cher Lloyd is finally shaking off that 'brat' image from four years ago.
Check out the vid for Sirens below - Cher describes it as "the first time I've properly, properly sang since I did the Shakespeare Sister's cover on X Factor".