Rebecca Ferguson review: Stardom's still elusive as singer seeks that X factor again

The show's 2010 runner-up sings the blues in Canary Wharf
Lady-in-waiting: The X Factor runner-up Rebecca Ferguson at Canary Wharf
Steve Gillett/Livepix
Jane Cornwell11 January 2018

Rebecca Ferguson was nearly a megastar.

Probably the best voice to emerge from a British TV talent show, the former teenage mum from Liverpool went from shy runner-up of 2010’s The X Factor to an accomplished recording artist with four UK Top 10 albums.

Big enough, perhaps, but an uncertain musical style and management wrangles scuppered A-list status, and the nervous woman who glided past candle-lit tables on her way to the stage drew polite applause instead of cheers. Dressed in flowing black, backed by seasoned players on horns, piano, drums and guitars, Ferguson proceeded to command attention by doing what she shines at: singing the blues.

This was the second night of a two-week residency; a fresh repertoire of classics sung by the likes of Nina, Aretha and Etta brought much shuffling of lyric sheets and, for I Can’t Stand The Rain, a false start.

But if Ferguson’s guileless likeability helped plaster over any cracks — “This song is like a warm hug,” she said of Bridge Over Troubled Waters — her vocals were assured, world class. Many of the songs told of heartbreak and struggle, conveyed with a sort of husky purity; Sam Cooke’s civil rights anthem A Change Is Gonna Come, with which she previously wowed X-Factor voters, had new depth.

Ferguson didn’t do Strange Fruit, the Billie Holiday protest song she had stipulated she would sing at Trump’s inauguration ceremony (her invitation was withdrawn), choosing to belt out an especially raucous take on Nina Simone’s Sinnerman instead.

There was sweetness, too, in I Say A Little Prayer, and upbeat tomfoolery from the band on a swinging Hit the Road, Jack. Then with a little wave, Ferguson was gone — not so much the queen of the blues as an exceptional lady-in-waiting.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in