Having stopped watching the X Factor quite some time ago, I wasn’t really aware of who Ella Henderson was really until recently. She came to my attention when I went to see Take That on their latest tour and I was immediately blown away by her extremely powerful voice filling the O2 Arena easily.

So while it has taken a while for me to buy her début album, I really feel that it was money worth spending after listening to it for the first time.

Opening with the first single that she released ‘Ghost’, the tone of the album is set. Filled with catchy and memorable lyrics that were written by Henderson along with Ryan Tedder and Noel Zancanella, it sung with maturity that will astonish considering her young age. But even at this early stage of the album, it perfectly showcases the wide variety of her vocals.

There are moments that do make me think of of Beyonce and the way that she able to control her voice, particularly on ‘Empire’ and ‘Give Your Heart Away’ but it still is refreshing to listen to. But there seems to also be plenty of drama, which feels just occasionally self-indulgent such as on ‘The First Time’, which means the album can sometimes lose meaning.

However, despite this there are still plenty of songs that give the album its heart and really make it feel believable. ‘Yours’ is a simple but effective track with more than a hint of emotion in it that is a lovely contrast to ‘Mirror Man’ which is filled with attitude that really demands for your attention.

But it is clear that the album has been really well thought out and put together and it is great to see that Henderson took part in much of the writing for the songs, which sound confident when performed.

Overall, I was really pleased that I purchased this album (eventually) because that is a lot of talent in one person and it is great to see a female singer in this country who has definitely got a lot more to offer her fans. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!