James Arthur - wikipedia James Arthur This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 26 August 2018. For other people named James Arthur, see James Arthur ( disambiguation ). Some of this article 's listed sources may not be reliable. Please help this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. Unreliable citations may be challenged or deleted. ( October 2016 ) James Arthur James Arthur performing at the Shepherd 's Bush Empire in 2017 Background information Birth name James Andrew Arthur ( 1988 - 03 - 02 ) 2 March 1988 ( age 30 ) Middlesbrough Teeside, England Genres Pop R&B soul hip hop rock Occupation ( s ) Singer songwriter Instruments Vocals guitar Years active 2012 -- present Labels Syco Columbia Associated acts Save Arcade Emerald Skye Mihaela Marinova The James Arthur Band Machine Gun Kelly Shotty Horroh James Andrew Arthur ( born 2 March 1988 ) is a British singer and songwriter who won the ninth series of The X Factor in 2012. His debut single, `` Impossible '', was released by Syco Music after the final and debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart in its first week of release. Since then, it has gone on to sell over 1.4 million copies in the UK, making it the most successful winner 's single in the show 's history and has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. The follow - up single `` You 're Nobody ' til Somebody Loves You '' reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. He released his self - titled debut studio album in November 2013. The album debuted and peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart. After the release of his debut studio album James Arthur, he was involved in a series of controversies which led iTunes to offer refunds for the album. The single release `` Recovery '' made to number 19, while the sales for the fourth single `` Get Down '' hardly made the top 100. Arthur parted ways with Simon Cowell 's record label Syco in 2014. In 2015, he signed a new deal with Columbia Records to release his second studio album in 2016, titled Back from the Edge. Arthur was also re-signed to Syco in 2016. Contents 1 Early years 2 Career 2.1 2012 : The X Factor 2.2 2013 : James Arthur 2.3 Controversies and leaving Syco 2.4 2016 -- present : Back from the Edge 3 Influences 4 Personal life 5 Discography 6 Concert tours 7 Awards and nominations 8 References 9 External links Early years Arthur was born in Middlesbrough to an English mother, Shirley Ashworth, and a Scottish father, Neil Arthur. James Arthur started writing and recording songs when he was 15 as an unsigned artist both solo and in many bands including : Moonlight Drive A Cleveland - based progressive, experimental, rock five - piece band with Arthur in lead vocals. The band was active between 2005 and 2008. It had recordings such as `` Said You 'd Be There '', `` Hole in My Heart '' and `` Tear Me Apart ''. Cue the Drama An alternative rock band based in Marske - by - the - Sea and active between 2005 and 2008. Recordings included `` On the Radio 98KUPD '', `` It 's Killing Me '', `` I 'll Reach You '' and `` It Hurts ''. Save Arcade A Middlesbrough alternative rock band made up of Arthur ( vocals, guitar ), Josh Brown ( keyboards, vocals ), Matthew Green ( guitar ), Alex Beer ( bass, vocals ), Travis Shaw ( guitar, percussions, vocals ) and Karl Dowson ( drums ). In 2009, the band released a three - track EP called Truth, carrying the title track `` The Truth '', as well as `` Echoes '' and `` I Un-Proudly Present ''. In June 2010, the band released a five - track EP, Tonight We Dine in Hades, which in addition to the title track `` Tonight We Dine in Hades '' included `` Superhero '', `` You Always Want a Fight '', `` Juliet Is Not Dead '' and `` She Aims to Please ''. Both releases were on the independent label 57 Records UK. Emerald Skye A four - piece indie pop and rock band formed in March 2011 based in Redcar / Saltburn - by - the - Sea and made up of Arthur ( guitar, vocals ), Dean Harrison ( piano, violin ), Paul Gill ( bass ) and Save Arcade bandmate Green ( drums ). The James Arthur Project / The James Arthur Band In early 2012, he recorded songs and released two EPs, firstly a soulful pop EP named Hold On as The James Arthur Project in August 2012 in collaboration with John McGough. The tracks were written and arranged by McGough, and mixed by Matt Wanstall with all vocals by Arthur. Arthur also released an EP as The James Arthur Band. The band consisted of Arthur ( vocals and guitar ), Jez Taylor ( guitar ), Chris Smalls ( keyboards ), Jordan Swain ( drums ) and Rich Doney ( bass ). In 2012, the band released The EP Collection CD with nine tracks with R&B, soul and hip hop influences, a compilation of tracks on both EPs. Various Arthur also uploaded many of his own songs to SoundCloud and YouTube, as well as an album entitled Sins by the Sea. Career 2012 : the X Factor Further information : The X Factor ( UK series 9 ) In 2012 he auditioned in Newcastle for the ninth series of The X Factor, performing an acoustic rendition of judge Tulisa 's `` Young '', before explaining his past, including a short spell in respite foster care and time spent in flats and bedsits after break - ups within his family. He also revealed his father and mother had hardly spoken to each other for over 20 years, and this was a reunion of sorts for them to attend his audition. He sang `` A Million Love Songs '' at bootcamp and was chosen as one of six contestants in the `` Boys '' category to advance to judges ' houses. From this point onward, Arthur was mentored by Nicole Scherzinger. After his judges ' houses performance of `` I Ca n't Make You Love Me '', he was picked as one of 12 contestants to advance to the live shows, and one of three in the `` Boys '' category. After his second live performance, Arthur suffered from an anxiety attack backstage. While being treated at the studio, paramedics determined he did not need to go to hospital, and he was ordered back to his hotel to rest. He later returned for the results show the following night. After his performance of LMFAO 's `` Sexy and I Know It '' on the third live show on 20 October, Arthur was accused of plagiarism. His version was very similar to the rendition by YouTube star only1Noah, which was uploaded on 9 May 2012 and had over 13 million views at the time. However, Arthur later tweeted : `` Btw does n't everyone know I was putting a spin on Noah 's version ? It had 13. something million hits ! Was I supposed to state the obvious ? '' In week 7, after performing `` Ca n't Take My Eyes Off You '', Arthur was controversially in the final showdown. He sang `` Fallin ' '' for survival against fellow favourite Ella Henderson, and the result went to deadlock. Scherzinger and Gary Barlow voted to send Arthur through to the quarter - final, while Tulisa and Louis Walsh voted to send Henderson through to the quarter - final. Resulting from the public vote Arthur was sent through to the quarter - final, receiving 13.7 % of the vote whereas Henderson received 12.1 %. Arthur won The X Factor on 9 December 2012, with 53.7 % of the final vote, against Jahméne Douglas who received 38.9 %. This made him the first - ever winner of the show to have previously been in the bottom two. show The X Factor performances and results Episode Theme Song Result First audition Free choice `` Young '' Through to bootcamp Bootcamp -- stage 1 Group performance `` How to Save a Life '' with Curtis Golden and James Vickery Through to stage 2 Bootcamp -- stage 2 Solo performance `` A Million Love Songs '' Through to judges ' houses Judges ' houses Free choice `` I Ca n't Make You Love Me '' Through to live shows `` Sexy and I Know It '' Live show 1 Heroes `` Stronger '' Safe ( 6th ) Live show 2 Love and heartbreak `` No More Drama '' Safe ( 6th ) Live show 3 Club classics `` Sexy and I Know It '' Safe ( 6th ) Live show 4 Halloween `` Sweet Dreams '' Safe ( 3rd ) Live show 5 Number - ones `` Do n't Speak '' Safe ( 6th ) Live show 6 Best of British `` Hometown Glory '' Safe ( 3rd ) Live show 7 Guilty pleasures `` Ca n't Take My Eyes Off You '' Bottom two ( 5th ) Final showdown `` Fallin ' '' Live show 8 Songs by ABBA `` SOS '' Safe ( 1st ) Motown songs `` Let 's Get It On '' Semi-final Songs for someone special `` One '' Safe ( 1st ) The song to get you to the final `` The Power of Love '' Final Free choice `` Feeling Good '' Safe ( 1st ) Mentor duets `` Make You Feel My Love '' with Nicole Scherzinger Songs of the series `` Let 's Get It On '' Winner Winner 's single `` Impossible '' 2013 : James Arthur James Arthur at a book - signing session at WHSmith in Middlesbrough on 9 January 2013 Following his victory, Arthur 's winner 's song, a cover of Shontelle 's `` Impossible '', was released as a charity single for Together for Short Lives. It became the fastest - selling The X Factor winner 's single so far, reaching 255,000 downloads within 48 hours and over 490,000 by the end of the week. The single topped the UK Singles Chart in its first week of release. After 11 days, it was the seventh biggest - selling debut single from any contestant from The X Factor, with sales of 622,000. In its second week, the single dropped to number two, but reclaimed the number one spot in its third week, and stayed at the top for a further week. After three weeks, it was the fifth best - selling single of 2012 with 897,000 copies sold. After four weeks, it had sold 971,000 copies. As of 11 January 2013, the single has sold more than one million copies. The song also peaked at number one in Ireland, two in Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland, and eight in Slovakia. As of August 2013, the single has sold 1.2 million copies, 30,000 fewer than Alexandra Burke 's version of `` Hallelujah ''. To date, it has sold over 1.3 million copies in the UK, overtaking Alexandra Burke 's `` Hallelujah '' to become the best - selling winners single ever. In May 2013, Arthur released an EP Undiscovered Acoustic of six acoustic songs written and recorded by John McGough with all tracks sang by Arthur. On 7 August 2013, Arthur announced via Twitter that his next single would be called `` You 're Nobody ' til Somebody Loves You '', which was released to UK radio stations on 9 September 2013. The song was officially released worldwide on 20 October 2013 and debuted at number two in the UK, falling just behind Lorde 's `` Royals ''. Arthur 's self - titled debut studio album, James Arthur, was released on 4 November 2013. The album charted in the UK at number two, behind Eminem 's The Marshall Mathers LP 2. Arthur at the NRJ Music Awards 2014 James Arthur released the eponymously titled debut studio album James Arthur by Syco Music on 1 November 2013. The album included the singles `` Impossible '', his X Factor winner 's single, and `` You 're Nobody ' til Somebody Loves You '', as well as collaborations with Emeli Sandé and Chasing Grace. The album debuted at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart, kept off the top spot by Eminem 's The Marshall Mathers LP 2. It became the 30th best - selling album of the year in the UK. `` Recovery '' was released as the album 's third single on 15 December 2013 and debuted at number 19 on the UK Singles Chart. On 14 January 2014, Arthur confirmed on Twitter that `` Get Down '' will be the fourth single released from his debut studio album. On 5 January 2014, Arthur began embarking on his debut headlining tour, the James Arthur Tour, a 37 - date tour around Europe. Controversies and leaving Syco In November 2013, Arthur generated much controversy over the use of homophobic lyrics in a song. Micky Worthless, a Croydon battle rapper, had issued `` Stay In Your Lane '' a track mocking Arthur, because Worthless did n't feel it was right that Arthur was presenting himself as a battle rapper on national radio. Arthur responded to Worthless with his vitriolic diss track `` Hey Mickey '' issuing string of slurs directed at Worthless, rapping `` Hilarious, precarious you Talibani confused, imbellic mimic of a gimmick '' adding the slur `` You fucking queer ''. This sparked outrage among the LGBT community and led to Twitter spats with comedians Frankie Boyle and Matt Lucas, and singer Lucy Spraggan. Arthur immediately apologised for his comments and claimed that he was not homophobic. Following this he announced that he would not be posting on Twitter anymore, with his management taking up control of his page. The backlash continued, however, with a Facebook campaign to see his upcoming appearance on The X Factor be cancelled. iTunes offered refunds for his album due to complaints from customers. After Arthur switched on the Christmas lights in Manchester on 8 November 2013, Manchester City Council said that he would have been replaced if the controversy had happened earlier. On 22 November 2013, Arthur 's management announced that the singer would be cancelling all public engagements for the next seven days due to exhaustion. Singer Olly Murs came to Arthur 's defence, but said later that he was not defending the choice of lyrics. Further controversies arose after the reviews to his projected rap mixtape All The World 's a Stage, particularly regarding the track `` Follow The Leader '' where he rapped `` I 'm gon na blow up your family like I 'm a terrorist ''. This led to further accusations of Arthur glorifying violence. This infuriated Simon Cowell who said `` I think James, unfortunately, has had so many issues with what he has done publicly -- which is a real issue with me... Somebody should have told him to shut up and just put the records out ''. On 5 April 2014, several media outlets began to report that Arthur had been dropped from Syco, following the dispute over `` Follow the Leader ''. He took to Twitter to deny the claims, however on 11 June 2014, Arthur announced via Twitter that he and Syco had parted ways by mutual agreement. Arthur independently released his mixtape All the World 's a Stage on 16 May 2014. During the summer of 2014, Arthur stated that he was working on his second studio album and was close to signing a new record deal. He performed at V Festival in August, 2014. On 19 October 2014, Arthur released a collaboration with British record producer Rymez entitled `` Kryptonite '' ; the song entered the iTunes top 150 on pre-orders alone. On 22 April 2015, Arthur unveiled a demo track titled `` Promise '' on YouTube. He embarked on `` The Story So Far Tour '' in May 2015. On 6 September 2015, he announced that he had signed with Columbia Records and that a new album was on the way. 2016 -- Present : back from the Edge On 8 January 2016, Arthur released a new song called `` The Truth '' on iTunes in the United States. Following the song 's release, he took to Twitter and clarified that the song would feature on Family Therapy with Dr. Jenn, and that it was not the lead single. Arthur released `` Say You Wo n't Let Go '' on 9 September 2016 as the lead single from his second studio album Back from the Edge, which was released on 28 October 2016. Arthur also re-signed with Syco. On 30 September 2016, the single reached number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming his second chart topper and making him the first male winner to date to have two UK number one singles. The song remained on the top spot for three consecutive weeks. In January 2017, the single became his first chart entry on the Billboard charts in the US. By the second week of January 2017, it had surpassed the 1 million sales mark in the UK, making James the first - ever ' X Factor ' act to have two singles sell over a million copies in his homeland as well as the 21st act in UK chart history to have two or more million sellers. As of February 2017, it had sold two million copies worldwide. It was later confirmed that he will be appearing at the V Festival in August, having previously performed there in 2013. The same month OneRepublic lead singer Ryan Tedder also confirmed that he would be joining the band and Fitz and the Tantrums as a support act on their Honda Civic Tour in the US and Canada during the summer. Arthur 's follow up single `` Safe Inside '' peaked at # 31 on the UK charts and his third single `` Can I Be Him '' peaked inside the Top 75 at # 69.. In early April, it was announced that he would be embarking on his first arena tour across the UK and Ireland with fellow X Factor finalist Ella Henderson as his support act. The following month, Arthur collaborated with Machine Gun Kelly on the song `` Go for Broke '' from Kelly 's new album bloom, which will also serve as the official theme song for WWE 's SummerSlam pay per view event in August. The same month it was announced that James would be one of the vocalists featured on a cover of Simon & Garfunkel 's `` Bridge Over Troubled Water '', which was recorded to raise funds for those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire. The single was released on 21 June and went on to enter the UK charts at # 1 two days later. On 20 June James confirmed on Twitter that he would be a guest vocalist on drum n bass act Rudimental 's single `` Sun Comes Up '', set for release on 30 June. He performed the song at V Festival with the group in August and it became another UK Top 10 single for him. Throughout the summer he toured the US and Canada with OneRepublic and Fitz and the Tantrums with the tour ending on 12 September in Texas. Two nights later he performed alongside Julia Michaels and Kelly Clarkson at Fresh 102.7 's Fall Fest at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York. On 5 October his book Back to the Boy was released and he did a series of book signings throughout the UK. A week later, it was announced that he had been nominated for an American Music Award in the ' New Artist of the Year ' category. Influences He has cited Nirvana lead singer and songwriter Kurt Cobain as the reason he became interested in music and also draws from many different genres from Hip Hop, to Soul, to R&B, to Rock, and artists like Prince, Miguel and Michael Jackson. Further influences include Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Boyz II Men, Black Sabbath, AC / DC and Bryan Adams. He has also stated that he would love to collaborate with American rapper Eminem. Personal life Arthur was born in Middlesbrough to an English mother, Shirley Ashworth, and a Scottish father, Neil Arthur. Neil was a delivery driver, but also used to be a DJ and drummer for many years, whilst Shirley was a fashion model and later a sales and marketing professional. Neil and Shirley split up when James was one year old and each settled with new partners a few years after their divorce. They hardly spoke with one another for more than 20 years, but they agreed to attend James 's audition together in a family reunion to support him. He has four sisters and one brother. Arthur first went to Ings Farm Primary School in Redcar, North Yorkshire. When he was nine, he moved with his mother Shirley and his stepfather Ronald Rafferty to Bahrain where he studied at the local British School of Bahrain for four years. When they split, James, then 14, moved back to the UK with his mother Shirley and his three sisters Sian, Jasmin and Neve to live on the Coast Road in Redcar. Upon his return, he continued his studies at Ryehills School in Redcar. Arthur supports his local football team Middlesbrough F.C. as well as Rangers F.C. After winning The X Factor, he was invited to return to Bahrain to formally open the British School of Bahrain 's music and drama rehearsal studios and the school 's 400 - seat auditorium, both part of the expansion of the facilities in the school in which he studied for four years. The new studios were completed in 2014. In September 2016, after opening up about his struggles with drugs, anxiety and depression, it was announced that he had become an ambassador for UK mental health charity SANE. Discography Main article : James Arthur discography James Arthur ( 2013 ) Back from the Edge ( 2016 ) Concert tours The X Factor Live Tour ( 2013 ) James Arthur Tour ( 2014 ) The Story So Far Tour ( 2015 ) Back from the Edge Tour ( 2017 ) 16th Annual Honda Civic Tour ( 2017 ) ( supporting OneRepublic ) Awards and nominations Year Organisation Award Work Result 2013 BRIT Awards British Single of the Year `` Impossible '' Nominated Los Premios 40 Principales Best International Song Won NRJ Music Awards International Breakthrough of the Year Won 2014 Radio Regenbogen Awards Pop International Won 2017 BRIT Awards British Artist Video of the Year `` Say You Wo n't Let Go '' Nominated British Single of the Year Nominated Teen Choice Awards Choice Breakout Artist Nominated Danish Music Awards Best International Hit `` Say You Wo n't Let Go '' Pending American Music Awards New Artist of the Year Nominated References Jump up ^ `` James Arthur -- Facebook ''. Retrieved 9 December 2012. Jump up ^ Pink, Stuart ( 9 September 2016 ). `` FAME NEARLY KILLED ME - X Factor winner James Arthur reveals how close drug binges and paranoia almost led to taking his own life ''. The Sun. Retrieved 1 December 2016. Jump up ^ Smiles, Mikea ( 22 June 2015 ). `` James Arthur makes top - selling singles list of the DECADE - beating Ed Sheeran and Katy Perry ''. Gazette Live. Retrieved 10 December 2016. Jump up ^ Odams, Katherine ( 19 September 2013 ). `` James Arthur Premieres ' You 're Nobody ' Til Somebody Love You ' Music Video ( WATCH ) ''. Entertainmentwise. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur counts cost of offensive lyrics as iTunes offers refunds on album ''. The Guardian. 22 November 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` James Arthur Music -- Tumblr ''. Archived from the original on 22 April 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur Music -- Myspace ''. Retrieved 13 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` Moonlight Drive Music -- Myspace ''. Retrieved 13 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` Cue The Drama -- Myspace ''. Retrieved 13 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` Save Arcade -- Myspace ''. Retrieved 13 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` The Emerald Skye -- Facebook ''. Retrieved 13 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` Hold On : The James Arthur Project : Amazon.co.uk : MP3 Downloads ''. Retrieved 9 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` The James Arthur Project -- Facebook ''. Retrieved 9 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` John Mc Gough -- Youtube ''. Retrieved 9 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` The James Arthur Band -- Facebook ''. Retrieved 9 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` The James Arthur Band -- Official Website ''. Retrieved 9 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` The James Arthur Band -- Bandcamp ''. Retrieved 9 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` JamesArthurMusic 's channel -- Youtube ''. Retrieved 9 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur Music -- Soundcloud ''. Retrieved 9 December 2012. Jump up ^ Jack Seale and Tom Cole. `` The X Factor 2012 : James Arthur ''. RadioTimes. Jump up ^ YouTube : `` Sexy and I Know It '' by only1Noah Jump up ^ Darvill, Josh ( 24 October 2012 ). `` X Factor 2012 : James Arthur accused of copying Sexy And I Know It cover ''. Tellymix. Retrieved 8 December 2012. Jump up ^ Noah Cover of `` Sexy and I Know It '' by LMFAO. YouTube. 9 May 2012. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur on Twitter ''. Twitter. Jump up ^ `` X Factor 's James Arthur Accused of Plagiarism Over ' Sexy And I Know It ' Cover -- By fans who allege that James copied YouTube star only1Noah ''. Entertainmentwise. 23 October 2012. Archived from the original on 22 July 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` The X Factor voting numbers revealed HERE ! ''. The X Factor. itv.com. 9 December 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2012. Jump up ^ Fitzmaurice, Sarah ( 10 December 2012 ). `` He 's achieved the Impossible ! James Arthur is crowned winner of the X Factor 2012 ''. Daily Mail. London. Retrieved 10 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur wins X Factor... but Christopher Maloney vanishes from line - up ''. Daily Telegraph. London. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 10 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur wins ' The X Factor ' 2012 ''. Digital Spy. 9 December 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2016. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur hits the No 1 slot again ''. Together for Short Lives. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 7 January 2013. Jump up ^ Wyatt, Daisy ( 11 December 2012 ). `` James Arthur 's ' Impossible ' becomes fastest - selling X Factor single ''. The Independent. London. Retrieved 11 December 2012. Jump up ^ Bueno, Emily ( 17 October 2012 ). `` X Factor winner James Arthur tops the charts ''. Daily Telegraph UK. London. Retrieved 18 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` X Factor winner James Arthur reaches Number One ''. Irish Independent. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur scores fastest - selling single of the year ''. Guardian UK. London. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2012. Jump up ^ Lane, Dan ( 20 December 2012 ). `` Hillsborough tribute extends lead over James Arthur in Christmas race ''. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` Hillsborough Justice Collective beat James Arthur to Christmas No. 1 ''. Digital Spy. Jump up ^ Lane, Dan ( 30 December 2012 ). `` James Arthur is back at Number 1 with Impossible ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 December 2012. Jump up ^ Dan Lane ( 2 January 2013 ). `` The Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Singles of 2012 revealed ! ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 January 2013. Jump up ^ Lane, Dan ( 6 January 2013 ). `` James Arthur 's Impossible unmoved from top of Official Singles Chart ''. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 January 2013. Jump up ^ Lane, Dan ( 11 January 2013 ). `` James Arthur 's Impossible is the UK 's latest million selling single ''. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 January 2013. Jump up ^ Darvill, Josh ( 15 February 2013 ). `` XFactor champ James Arthur a hit in Australia... and Switzerland ''. tellymix. Retrieved 16 February 2013. Jump up ^ Hung, Steffen. `` Discography James Arthur ''. Irish Charts Portal. Hung Medien ( Steffen Hung ). Jump up ^ `` IFPI SR : Hitparáda : Radio Top 100 Oficiálna : Týždeň : 201306 ''. IFPI. Archived from the original on 10 January 2007. Retrieved 16 February 2013. Jump up ^ Hung, Steffen. `` Discography James Arthur ''. New Zealand Charts Portal. Hung Medien ( Steffen Hung ). Jump up ^ Corner, Lewis. `` Leona Lewis named biggest - selling ' X Factor ' star in UK ''. Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 25 August 2013. Jump up ^ Smiles, Mieka ( 22 June 2015 ). `` James Arthur makes top - selling singles list of the DECADE - beating Ed Sheeran and Katy Perry ''. Gazette Live. Retrieved 3 October 2016. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur 's New Song ' You 're Nobody ' Til Somebody Loves You ' Has First Play On Capital ''. Capital. 9 September 2013. Jump up ^ Strang, Fay ( 4 November 2013 ). `` ' I wish I was the s * * g I 'm made out to be ' : James Arthur opens up about his ladies ' man tag, smoking weed and why he says what he thinks ''. Daily Mail. London. Retrieved 5 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur ''. Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 12 October 2012. Jump up ^ Copsey, Robert ( 15 November 2013 ). `` James Arthur reveals new single title, release date ''. Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 16 November 2013. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur on Twitter : `` Its official my next single is ' Get Down ' ! ! Who loves this track ? # JARMY # LOVE '' ``. Twitter. Retrieved 6 October 2014. Jump up ^ Adam Bychawski ( 18 November 2013 ). `` Rapper who started beef with ' X Factors James Arthur says ' I feel no remorse at all ' ''. NME. Retrieved 23 September 2016. Jump up ^ Tonks, Owen. `` James Arthur and Lucy Spraggan ' queer ' row : Disgusted fans demand album refund after bitter text exchange ''. mirror. Retrieved 16 April 2016. Jump up ^ `` Independent. `` James Arthur and Lucy Spraggan in ' homophobic ' Twitter spat '', 26 November 2013 ``. The Independent. Retrieved 6 October 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Entertainment `` Olly Murs Denies Defending James Arthur 's Homophobic Slur '', 26 November 2013 ``. Yahoo Celebrity UK. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` Pink News `` Apple deems offence caused by homophobia an ' appropriate ' reason to refund James Arthur track '' ``. PinkNews.co.uk. Retrieved 6 October 2014. Jump up ^ Roberts, Edward ( 23 November 2013 ). `` MancunianMatters. `` James Arthur 's homophobic rant would have seen him kicked off Christmas switch - on '', says Manchester council ``. Mancunian Matters. Retrieved 6 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` ' The X Factor ' : James Arthur, Rebecca Ferguson to perform next week ''. Digital Spy. Retrieved 6 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` Olly Murs defends James Arthur ''. RTE.ie. 26 November 2013. Jump up ^ Wooten, Dan ( 5 April 2014 ). `` Terror error - James Arthur fired over ' I 'll blow you up ' song ''. The Sun. London. Retrieved 5 April 2014. Jump up ^ Drewett, Meg ( 6 April 2014 ). `` James Arthur ' dropped by record label Syco after mixtape controversy ' ''. Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 6 April 2014. Jump up ^ Rigby, Sam ( 6 April 2014 ). `` James Arthur denies being dropped by Syco, criticises ' media circus ' ''. Retrieved 6 April 2014. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur confirms rap EP ' All the World 's a Stage ' ''. Retrieved 6 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` V Festival Lineup, 2014 ''. Retrieved 29 November 2016. Jump up ^ Mieka Smiles ( 17 October 2014 ). `` Listen : James Arthur 's new direction as he teams up with Rymez for latest single ''. gazettelive. Jump up ^ James Arthur - Promise ( Teaser Demo ). YouTube. 22 April 2015. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur announces live dates for ' The Story So Far ' UK tour ''. Digital Spy. Jump up ^ Myers, Justin ( 7 September 2015 ). `` James Arthur signs record deal, announces new music on the way ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 September 2015. Jump up ^ `` The Truth - Single by James Arthur on iTunes ''. iTunes. Retrieved 24 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Dina and Michael Lohan Come to Blows Over Lindsay Lohan in ' Family Therapy ' Trailer ''. YouTube, Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved 6 February 2016. Jump up ^ Arthur, James ( 14 January 2016 ). `` Just to be clear this is not the official 1st single from my the album it 's only available on US iTunes for now ''. Twitter. Retrieved 24 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur is fiiiiinally No. 1 with his comeback single ' Say You Wo n't Let Go ' ''. Digital Spy. 30 September 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur keeps hold of singles ' Number 1 for a third week ''. Official Charts Company. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Hot 100 ''. Billboard Hot 100. 28 January 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2017. Jump up ^ YTD T40 Singles / Albums ( with estimated sales ), Week 2 : 19 / 1 / 17. Buzzjack.co.uk Jump up ^ Sunday Brunch on Twitter. 26 February 2017 https://twitter.com/SundayBrunchC4/status/835813188792901632. Retrieved 26 February 2017. Missing or empty title = ( help ) Jump up ^ Trendell, Andrew ( 27 February 2017 ). `` V Festival 2017 line - up announced ''. NME.com. Retrieved 27 February 2017. Jump up ^ `` OneRepublic News ''. Retrieved 29 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` Safe Inside ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` Can I Be Him ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur on Twitter ''. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` Top 40 / M Future Releases ''. Archived from the original on 13 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` Simon Cowell announces ' Bridge Over Troubled Water ' charity record ''. RTÉ Entertainment. 16 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` Grenfell Tower single Bridge Over Troubled Water enters at Number 1 less than 48 hours after release ''. Official Charts Company. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur on Twitter ''. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017. Jump up ^ Kaufman, Gil ( 2 February 2017 ). `` OneRepublic Headlining 2017 Honda Civic Tour : See the Dates ''. Billboard.com. Retrieved 16 September 2017. Jump up ^ `` Fresh Fall Fest ' 17 feat. Kelly Clarkson, James Arthur, Julia Michaels ''. Live Nation. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017. Jump up ^ `` Here Is the Full List of 2017 AMAs Nominations ''. Billboard.com. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017. Jump up ^ Mastrogiannis, Nicole ( 24 January 2017 ). `` INTERVIEW : Who Is James Arthur ? Everything You Need To Know ''. Retrieved 7 February 2017. Jump up ^ Papadatos, Markos ( 3 August 2017 ). `` James Arthur talks ' Can I Be Him, ' fans, inspirations and success ''. Digital Journal. Retrieved 5 August 2017. Jump up ^ `` The musical life of... James Arthur ''. Urban Soul. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2017. Jump up ^ `` Daily Record : James Arthur 's tartan treat for Scots female fans ''. dailyrecord. Retrieved 6 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` Daily Record : Scots father of X Factor star James Arthur admits he has no idea where singer gets his charm from ''. dailyrecord. Retrieved 6 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` You ca n't call me a womaniser for taking three girls back to my hotel ''. The Sun. London. Retrieved 9 December 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` Family of James Arthur so proud of X-Factor hopeful ''. GazetteLive.co.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2012. Jump up ^ Nathan, Sara ( 27 August 2012 ). `` X Factor 2012 : How James Arthur slept on park bench and stole food to survive ''. Daily Mail. London : Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 9 December 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` Emotional victory for former Bahrain student ''. Gulf Weekly. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` Saltburn X Factor singer James Arthur makes full recovery after scare ''. Northern Echo. Retrieved 15 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` Middlesbrough FC manager Tony Mowbray has given his backing to X Factor finalist ''. Retrieved 15 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` Boro 's Surprise For James ''. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2012. Jump up ^ `` X-Factor star James Arthur lives the dream as he trains with his Rangers heroes... but he wo n't be giving up his day job just yet ''. Daily Record. 11 January 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2014. Jump up ^ `` James Arthur becomes Ambassador for SANE ''. 28 September 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016. Jump up ^ Kaufman, Gil ( February 16, 2017 ). `` OneRepublic Headlining 2017 Honda Civic Tour : See the Dates ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` BRIT Awards 2013 : Best British Single ''. Capital FM. 10 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013. Jump up ^ Robson, Dave ( 21 February 2013 ). `` Saltburn singer James Arthur misses out on Brit award ''. Gazette Live. Retrieved 25 February 2014. Jump up ^ Saunders, Louise ( 14 December 2013 ). `` Going for gold ! Katy Perry lights up the red carpet at the 15th NRJ Music Awards in a striking satin mullet - hem minidress ''. Daily Mail. London : DMG Media. Retrieved 25 February 2014. External links Official website Twitter Awards and achievements Preceded by Little Mix Winner of The X Factor 2012 Succeeded by Sam Bailey James Arthur Discography Studio albums James Arthur Back from the Edge Singles `` Impossible '' `` You 're Nobody ' til Somebody Loves You '' `` Recovery '' `` Get Down '' `` Say You Wo n't Let Go '' `` Safe Inside '' `` Can I Be Him '' `` Naked '' `` You Deserve Better '' Featured singles `` Sun Comes Up '' `` You Can Cry '' Tours James Arthur Tour The Story So Far Tour Back from the Edge Tour The X Factor ( UK ) Discography Controversy and criticism Series Main 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Celebrity Battle of the Stars Finalists Series 1 Steve Brookstein G4 Tabby Callaghan Rowetta Satchell Roberta Howett Series 2 Shayne Ward Andy Abraham Journey South Brenda Edwards Chico Slimani The Conway Sisters Maria Lawson Series 3 Leona Lewis Ray Quinn Ben Mills The MacDonald Brothers Kerry McGregor Series 4 Leon Jackson Rhydian Roberts Same Difference Niki Evans Hope Matthew Protheroe Daniel de Bourg Series 5 Alexandra Burke JLS Eoghan Quigg Diana Vickers Ruth Lorenzo Laura White Series 6 Joe McElderry Olly Murs Stacey Solomon Jedward Lucie Jones Series 7 Matt Cardle Rebecca Ferguson One Direction Cher Lloyd Mary Byrne Katie Waissel Aiden Grimshaw Belle Amie John Adeleye Series 8 Little Mix Marcus Collins Amelia Lily Misha B Janet Devlin Kitty Brucknell Frankie Cocozza Series 9 James Arthur Jahméne Douglas Christopher Maloney Union J Rylan Clark Ella Henderson Lucy Spraggan Carolynne Poole Series 10 Sam Bailey Nicholas McDonald Luke Friend Rough Copy Kingsland Road Series 11 Ben Haenow Fleur East Andrea Faustini Lauren Platt Stereo Kicks Stevi Ritchie Only the Young Jake Quickenden Chloe Jasmine Blonde Electra Series 12 Louisa Johnson Reggie ' n ' Bollie 4th Impact Series 13 Matt Terry Saara Aalto 5 After Midnight Honey G Ryan Lawrie Series 14 Rak - Su Alisah Bonaobra Spencer Sutherland Singles Winners singles `` Against All Odds '' `` That 's My Goal '' `` A Moment Like This '' `` When You Believe '' `` Hallelujah '' `` The Climb '' `` When We Collide '' `` Cannonball '' `` Impossible '' `` Skyscraper '' `` Something I Need '' `` Forever Young '' `` When Christmas Comes Around '' `` Dimelo '' Charity singles `` Hero '' `` You Are Not Alone '' `` Heroes '' `` Wishing on a Star '' Related articles The X Factor franchise The Xtra Factor I Ca n't Sing ! The X Factor Musical X Factor Around the World BNF : cb16750455m ( data ) GND : 1045259713 ISNI : 0000 0004 3074 4705 LCCN : no2014050944 MusicBrainz : 56f62fe8 - d3a0 - 46e0 - b5df - a64a8b4b4274 VIAF : 305855557 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Arthur&oldid=856599589 '' Categories : James Arthur 1988 births English people of Scottish descent English male singers English pop singers English songwriters The X Factor ( UK TV series ) winners 21st - century English singers Anglo - Scots People from Middlesbrough People from Saltburn - by - the - Sea Syco Music artists Living people British contemporary R&B singers Hidden categories : Pages with citations lacking titles Pages with citations having bare URLs Wikipedia pending changes protected pages Articles lacking reliable references from October 2016 All articles lacking reliable references EngvarB from October 2013 Use dmy dates from October 2013 Articles with hCards Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Azərbaycanca Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Español فارسی Français Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Latviešu Lietuvių Македонски Nederlands Occitan Polski Português Русский Slovenčina Svenska Türkçe Українська 中文 20 more Edit links This page was last edited on 26 August 2018, at 10 : 35 ( UTC ). 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Question: in 2012 what song did james arthur secure his first number one
Answer: "Impossible"