Taken from this week’s Future Pop mailer. Click here to subscribe.
While The X Factor US wasn’t a huge hit and none of the winners have been successful, it did produce a popular act in Fifth Harmony, and other alumni such as Astro and Hayley Orrantia are forging acting careers. Beatrice “Bea” Miller took part in series two when she was just 13, and was mentored by Britney Spears. She only came ninth, but it was enough for her potential to be spotted by Syco. They signed her in a joint deal with Disney label Hollywood Records – an unexpected collaboration, as Hollywood is distributed by Universal, not Sony. Bea, now 16, is a cool New Jersey girl who grew up with two mums, and was showing sparks of attitude even at 13. With lyrics about not fitting in with the rich kids, I think her label sees her as a new Avril Lavigne. She released her first EP last year, and her debut album will follow on 24th July. It’s been a slow build but she now has a large teen fanbase, and singles Young Blood and Fire N Gold have been small hits. I’m hoping her album will feature some stronger new material to give her that breakthrough moment.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMMNrth246k]