Singer Alexandra Burke has spoken out about her experiences of racism in the music industry, revealing she was asked to bleach her skin "to look whiter". After winning X Factor, Burke said she was told she would "have to work 10 times harder than a white artist, because of the colour of your skin". In a minute Instagram video , she recalls being told: "You can't have braids, you can't have an afro. The year-old star, who won the TV talent show in at the age of 19, described the experiences as "heartbreaking". Burke, who refused to bleach her skin, said she was inspired to tell her story by fellow X Factor contestant Misha B, who recently spoke out about "being devalued" at the hands of the music industry. Misha B claimed the X Factor projected "this angry black girl narrative", using words such as "feisty" and "bully" to describe her after one live performance on the show. The contestant said it left her feeling suicidal. The music star revealed the micro-aggressions she experienced at the hands of record labels, being told regularly that she "comes across aggressive".


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Influenced by classic soul singers and contemporary heroes such as Mariah Carey and Beyonce, the three-time BRIT nominee rose to fame after winning the fifth series of The X Factor in Her debut number one single Hallelujah sold over one million copies in the UK, a first for a British female soloist. Her second album, Heartbreak on Hold, was released in June and sees the release of her third studio album. Alexandra Burke tour dates listed on Ents Official website alexandraburkeofficial. Alexandra Burke Tour Dates. November Fri Nov Mon Nov
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Alexandra Burke , the X Factor winner who went on to achieve three UK No 1 singles and further fame on Strictly Come Dancing, has spoken about the racism she experienced in the entertainment industry. She said industry demands included that she bleach her skin, not wear braided hair and tailor her music to a white audience. Speaking on Instagram, she said she first faced issues when she was 16, after her first attempt on the X Factor, when she lost out in the early rounds.
After winning The X Factor , Burke released the winner's single " Hallelujah ", which became the European record holder for single sales over a period of 24 hours, selling , in one day, [2] and became the top-selling single of in the UK and the UK's Christmas number one. By January , the single had sold over one million copies in the UK alone, a first for a British female soloist. Her third album, The Truth Is , was released on in March She is of Dougla , Afro-Jamaican , and Irish descent. Burke began dance classes at a very early age, and began singing when she was as young as five years old. She went on to sing on stage at the Bahrain when she was only nine years old, where she sang with her mother, who was still in band Soul II Soul. When she was aged twelve, Burke entered the television talent show, Star for a Night and was the youngest person in the competition. She was the runner-up after she was beaten for the winners title by Joss Stone. Her mother, Bell, also asked her to sing to Jean Carne who was said to be so impressed by Burke's vocals that she asked her to perform with her at one of her shows the following night.