James Arthur for 3Arena

In December 2012, James Arthur’s debut single 'Impossible' became the biggest X Factor winner’s song of all time, achieving over three million downloads and staying at No.1 for three weeks.

However, months after his debut single and album was finally usurped from the top spot, the struggles of the limelight became too much for the singer and in his own words, he “cracked”. The people’s and musicians’ winner seemed to have had lost support thanks to a well documented and self-admitted public breakdown.

Fast Forward 2 years, James was able to meet the challenges of the spotlight with a good slice of know-how: “Those two years have benefitted me a lot. I’ve used the time well and actively participated in my new album a lot more than I did on the first one.” That way, James’ reboot draws on the creative collaboration on Back from the Edge.

“There’s a lot of my personality in the album. It’s about love, hope, and the challenge of having your own back. However, this time, I wasn’t only songwriter but co-producer as well, working up to eight hours in the studio every day. I put my own ideas into effect and got involved in great detail.”

The album blends different influences: “I grew up with my mother’s soul music, but my father loves hardrock like AC/DC and Thin Lizzy. You get a little bit of everything on this album – but in essence, it’s very consciously a pop album.”

Special guest Ella Henderson will join him on this tour.

James Arthur will perform on November 21 at the 3Arena.

Tickets go on sale this Friday at 9am.