James Arthur

Known for his warm brand of R&B-inflected pop, James Arthur initially rose to fame as the victor of the ninth season of the British version of The X Factor in 2012. Buoyed by his competition-winning rendition of the Shontelle ballad “Impossible,” his self-titled debut reached number two in the U.K. He built upon that success with two more Top Five U.K. albums, 2016′s Back from the Edge and 2019′s YOU. Arthur has also reached the U.K. singles chart with songs like 2018′s “Rewrite the Stars” with Anne-Marie off The Greatest Showman soundtrack, 2020′s “Lasting Lover” with Sigala, 2021′s “Medicine” from his fourth album, It'll All Make Sense in the End, and 2022′s “Lose You.” He continued this streak with the aching 2023 ballad “A Year Ago.”
Born in Middlesbrough, England, Arthur had written and performed in various bands since the age of 15, as well as performing solo in pubs and bars in his hometown. Many of the singer/songwriter’s early recordings illustrate the pop/rock and hip-hop influences that helped shape his unique voice and style. Before he appeared on The X Factor, Arthur made it into the final 200 contestants of the U.K.’s The Voice TV series in 2011, without managing to progress any further. A year later, he auditioned for The X Factor, where he sang judge Tulisa Contostavlos’ song “Young” and subsequently made it through the boot-camp round and into the live shows. From then on, Arthur showcased his considerable talents and slowly improved under the watchful eye of mentor Nicole Sherzinger. He was pitted against Jahméne Douglas and Christopher Maloney in the final round of the contest, where he impressed the audience with performances of Cy Grant’s “Feeling Good,” Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love,” and Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” The final song of the evening — the version of Shontelle’s “Impossible” — was released immediately after Arthur was announced as the winner and made it to number one in the U.K. and Ireland, while also charting across Europe. He then went on tour with the X Factor show, playing across the U.K. in huge, sold-out arenas such as Wembley and the Birmingham LG.
After his X Factor success, Arthur worked alongside singer/songwriter Labrinth and Graham Stack (JLS, Take That, Westlife) in preparation for his debut album. The eponymously titled James Arthur arrived later that year, landing at number two in the U.K. The album featured “Impossible” and “Roses” (with Emeli Sandé), as well as follow-up singles “You’re Nobody ’til Somebody Loves You,” “Recovery,” and “Get Down.” Arthur departed from Syco Music the following year and briefly returned to the scene with an independent release, the rap mixtape All the World’s a Stage.
The singer/songwriter made a return in 2016, signing a record deal with Columbia and issuing his second full-length effort, Back from the Edge. The stripped-down and reflective record was led by the singles “Say You Won’t Let Go” and “Remember Who I Was.” The next year, he was featured on Rudimental’s “Sun Comes Up” and issued his own solo single, “Naked.” Arthur released a string of singles in 2018, including “Rewrite the Stars,” a duet with Anne-Marie that was featured on The Greatest Showman: Reimagined.
2019 brought the solo single “Falling Like the Stars,” along with the Ty Dolla $ign collaboration “Treehouse,” which also featured Shotty Horroh. Both singles paved the way for YOU, the singer/songwriter’s outward-facing third album. Released in October that year, the album peaked at number two in the U.K. and charted on the Billboard 200. A year later, Arthur hit number ten on the U.K. singles chart with the song “Lasting Lover” with Sigala. Another Top 40 U.K. single, “Medicine,” arrived in 2021 in advance of Arthur’s fourth studio album, It'll All Make Sense in the End. His first record for Columbia, it reached number three on the U.K. charts. In early 2022, he teamed up with You Me at Six singer Josh Franceschi for the track “Love My Mind.” “Lose You,” a collaboration with Grammy-winning producer and EDM specialist Afrojack, appeared later that year. Two more singles arrived in 2023 including the Alok collaboration “Work with My Love” and the ballad “A Year Ago” which cracked the Top 100 on the U.K. Singles chart. ~ Scott Kerr