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Alexandra Burke wins 'The X Factor'

Singer will release cover of Leonard Cohen classic in time for Christmas

Alexandra Burke has won this year's final of 'The X Factor' tonight (December 13).

She beat boyband JLS into second place and Irish singer Eoghan Quigg into third.

The winner will now release a cover of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah', in time for Christmas and pick up a £1m record deal.

She was presented with a copy of her debut single, and the song became available for download after the programme, with the physical release set to hit the shelves early next week.

As part of the final, all three contenders had to perform a duet with an established chart act.

Burke got to perform with Beyonce and she covered 'Hallelujah'.

JLS sang with Westlife and Quigg teamed up with Boyzone.

Burke is set to perform with Elton John at London's O2 Arena on New Year's Eve (December 31).

Find out more about the history of the song 'Hallelujah' at NME.COM/PHOTOS. You can also watch different versions of the song, and debate whose 'Hallelujah' is the best, on the NME Office Blog.
 

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Comments (20)

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robporter 

Dec 14, 2008

What a shocker. Can't believe they are defacing such a classic. Please join the 'Jeff Buckley for chrismas no. 1' group on facebook and more importantly buy the jeff Buckley version tomorrow!even if you've already got it, its only 70p and it for a good cause! cheers.

EddieG 

Dec 14, 2008

Lucky us.

johnshep 

Dec 14, 2008

What a great day for music lovers everywhere...

ehpoppy 

Dec 14, 2008

Jeff Buckley for xmas no.1 indeed, a total legend.

dominique_205 

Dec 15, 2008

i completely agree jeff buckley is the rightfull owner of what will probably end up being another crap x factor number 1...Definitely the best cover version of any song... Jeff Buckley for NO.1...

fishwho 

Dec 15, 2008

Yea, i agree with the jeff buckey for no.1i cant believe he'll be ruining a classic

IndieWriter 

Dec 15, 2008

i wonder why she won? the other two were singing with washed-up irish boybands while she was with the biggest solo female singer in the world! I can't believe she's releasing Hallelujah - the worst thing about it is half our moronic population is now gonna believe she wrote it! and ask, who is that old man/young man covering that Alexandra Burke song?

lipgloss 

Dec 15, 2008

as much as i can't stand the x factor, you've got to understand Jeff Buckley also didn't write Hallelujah... (although he has recorded the best version)

ed2005 

Dec 15, 2008

OK, i am buying the Jeff Buckley mp3. Bought Grace over a decade ago, even saw Buckley live in 1995. the only good thing about this is that Jeff Buckley's version has already made the top 30 and Leonard Cohen will get the royalties. Buy as many different versions as you can. We have until Saturday evening!

sinsybinsy 

Dec 15, 2008

Sorry to be a complete nerdazoid guys, but the song actually belongs to neither of them. It was originally written and recorded by Leonar Cohen.Although Buckley's version is a far superior rendition, and justifiably made the song what it is today.As for X-factor and all it's about, I hope it ends before they ruin music for the future generations. Poisonous.

ArcticMonkey 

Dec 15, 2008

She's performing with Elton John? Is this the same Elton John that slagged X Factor off on Saturday at his O2 gig & said something along the lines of "he'd rather cut off his bollock than watch a pile of crap liek X Factor"??? Clearly he's up for her performing with him!! As for Hallelujah, no one on that show would've done it any justice. And we all know Leonard Cohen wrote & performed it originally, but the Jeff Buckley version is the most, beautiful, well recognised one by far!

ChrissyH 

Dec 15, 2008

I would absolutly LOVE Jeff Buckley to be the Christmas no1 - his version is waaaaaayyy better than Alex's!!! I will get as many people as I can to buy his version.

This-charming-man26 

Dec 15, 2008

X factor & Elton John, they deserve eachother. Dont let the kareoke singers win! Buy Jeff's mp3 and dont let the X factor be no1 again for the sake of music as we once knew it.

Decemboy 

Dec 15, 2008

Elton John would namecheck and/or perform with Same Difference if he thought it would make him seem still relevant.

Ordinarygrl 

Dec 15, 2008

naah lenards version will always be the best

carrot cruncher 

Dec 16, 2008

slag off x factor all you like but i thought alex did an amazing job performing hallelujah and good luck too her

ed2005 

Dec 16, 2008

Right bought the Jeff Buckley version. While (predictably) Alexandra Burke's version is no.1 on the iTunes chart, Jeff Buckley is at both no.s 4 and 61 (it's on So Real, as well as Grace) and Leonard Cohen's version is at no.46. Wonder if there are going to be a record number of versions of the song in next week's chart...?

theStarry 

Dec 16, 2008

WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS GIRL WINNING? as if Simon Cowell Enterprises are gonna divert a single penny from the Leona Lewis fund. She is destined for Steve Brookstein-esque obscurity (where they all belong, Cowell most definately included). And JLS can return their name to whatever chartered accountants they swiped their name from.

Kookmother 

Dec 16, 2008

I'm a bit partial to the Rufus Wainwright version myself

nsbland0488 

Dec 18, 2008

"I heard there was a secret chord, that David played and it pleased the lord," sang this years 'winner' of x-factor. Ironically, she then continued to sing, "but you don't really care for music do ya?" It's almost as if that line was written for the x-factor long before Simon Cowell even thought it'd be a good idea to unleash Louis Walsh on the nation

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Pic: PA Photos

Pic: PA Photos

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