[Listen] Alexandra Burke's "Heartbreak On Hold"

Personally, it's unsurprising to me that Alexandra Burke's sophmore album Heartbreak On Hold hasn't done that well, charting at only number 18 on the UK album chart.

Alex's biggest asset is her voice, but the first two singles from the album, Elephant and Let It Go, displayed little of its unique character, or undeniable power. It's a problem that unfortunately runs through the whole album, but is compounded further by the poor/clichéd lyrics, boring melodies and flat production.

Check out the tracks from Heartbreak On Hold below:

Alexandra Burke Performs "Let It Go" On "The Voice"

Out to prove she is a Diva who can sing and dance at the same time, Alexandra Burke took to the stage at the finals of the Irish version of The Voice to perform Let It Go. It's the second single to be lifted from her, as yet unreleased, album Heartbreak On Hold and it follows the UK top three hit single, Elephant.

The voice was there on the night, and she had the steps down, but the overall package was strangely unpolished, and lacklustre. This wasn't helped by the dance crew, who were dressed to look "street" and "hip" but instead gave the performance a feel more akin to that of a rehearsal. It was a vibe propagated by the main vocal, which contained way too much silence and space within it that ultimately messed with the flow of the song.

Review: Alexandra Burke ‘Let It Go’

2008 X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke seems intent on becoming the Rihanna dance diva of the United Kingdom with her second album, HeartBreak On Hold, if its first single Elephant, and, just released, follow-up Let It Go are indicative of what to expect from it. Not a move I'm thrilled with, it has to be said.

Let It Go is giving us more synths, more chanty/shouty choruses, and,of course, a dub-step breakdown- all things that seem to be a prerequisite of getting radio play these days. But its all kept light and breezy with a production that's weighted more towards the treble than the bass, giving Let It Go a sound that is perfectly suited for summer. Emotionally, however, it rings hollow, despite the "inspiring" angle of the lyrics.

Alexandra Burke performs "Elephant" Live.

Alexandra Burke has stepped up the promotion for new single Elephant [review] this past week: hitting That Grape Juice's Youtube channel for an acoustic version of the song, which she then followed with a bigger production on prime time television show, "Lets dance".

Review: Alexandra Burke "Elephant"

Want a guaranteed hit record? Who doesn't! Well, you could try the same tactic as Alexandra Burke has employed with new single Elephant, and take a whole load of popular hits and cram them into one song. Genius, right?

Alexandra Burke - The silence (Alan Titchmarsh performance)

Watching this made me realise that the extras on the stage during the X-Factor performance of The Silence actually did Alexandra Burke a disservice by distracting from that voice.

Alexandra Burke- The Silence X-Factor performance 2010 review

Alexandra Burke performing The
Silence on the X-factor 2010

Alexandra Burke walked out again onto that hallowed X-factor stage where just two years ago her life was transformed by winning the show. Now a successful solo star in her own right she proved she still had the X-factor by  giving a rousing performance of her single The Silence.

Alexandra Burke & Beyoncé duet on "Listen"

Alexandra Burke , Beyonce and Cheryl Cole

Alexandra Burkeduets withBeyoncéon the song "Listen". This performance was ultimately what sealed Alexandra's fate as the winner of the X-factor in 2008 and its not surprising considering she held her own against such a formidable singer.

Alexandra Burke - Vocal Profile/ Range

Alexandra Burke

Vocal Type:  Contralto
Vocal Range: 2.3 and a semitone octaves. E3- Bb5 (approx)
Longest Note:10 seconds - 'The Silence'
Vocal Pluses: Rich, deep, silky texture that permeates the low to midrange. Her chest voice impressively retains a weight even up into the fifth octave and has a raspy quality that adds an interesting texture to the voice. She is able to hold notes easily, with or without applying her quick vibrato.
Vocal Negatives: Her head voice is relatively weak and poorly connected to the rest of the voice.