Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewan Burke (born 25 August 1988 in Islington, Lond… Read Full Bio ↴Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewan Burke (born 25 August 1988 in Islington, London) is an English singer and winner of the fifth series of The X Factor in 2008.

As the winner of The X Factor, Burke released her debut single, "Hallelujah", originally a Leonard Cohen song, that became the current European record holder for single sales over a period of 24 hours: selling 105,000 copies in one day; but also, the top-selling song of the year in the UK as well as becoming the 2008 Christmas number one single in the UK. By January 2009, sales of Burke's version of "Hallelujah" had passed one million copies which made her the first British female soloist to sell that amount of copies in the UK.

Her debut album, Overcome, was released in October 2009 and entered the UK Albums Chart at number one. The album's lead single "Bad Boys" was released a week in advance to the album and debuted at number one in the UK: becoming her second consecutive number-one single and first Brit-nominated single. She has sinced followed "Bad Boys" with singles that have consecutively stole top ten places in the UK Singles Chart. To date, Alexandra has achieved 4 Number one singles across the UK and Ireland: "Hallelujah", "Bad Boys", "All Night Long" and "Start Without You".

Burke has been nominated twice for Brit Awards and has achieved four solo number one singles: her most recent single "Start Without You" became her third solo UK number one hit; as well as two number one singles as a featured artist in charity singles "Hero" and "Everybody Hurts". As of December 2010, Burke has sold over 4 million records in the U.K alone with combined sales of her singles and her debut album Overcome.

Burke auditioned for the second series of The X Factor in 2005 (which was eventually won by Shayne Ward). She made it through to the final seven in Louis Walsh's 16–24 category, effectively the top 21 of the competition; however, Walsh did not choose her for his final four as he felt that she was too young for the competition. Burke however did not give up and went on to seek professional singing lessons over the next three years, proving her dedication and commitment to becoming a pop star. Burke's second bid to win The X Factor came in 2009. Falling into the "Girls" category, she was mentored by Girls Aloud's Cheryl Cole who selected her for the finals—a series of ten weekly live shows in which contestants are progressively eliminated by public vote. On the first live show, Burke performed Whitney Houston's classic "I Wanna Dance with Somebody". For the second live show she covered "I'll Be There" by The Jackson 5. In week three, big band week, Burke performed Christina Aguilera's "Candyman" and received her first standing ovation. For the disco-themed fourth live show, Burke performed Donna Summer's "On the Radio". During Mariah Carey week on 8 November, Burke and the other finalists met Carey for individual masterclasses, with Carey complimenting Burke on her voice. Burke performed "Without You" and received a standing ovation from the judges who all gave her positive comments. Cowell commented that "by any standard, that was just outstanding". Following the show Burke's performance was also praised by Carey who called her rendition of the song "absolutely amazing".

On 13 February 2009 it was reported that Burke signed a £3.5 million, five-album US record deal with Epic Records. Burke's first album was originally scheduled for March 2009, however, Simon Cowell confirmed that her album was scheduled for release later in the year to allow Burke to polish her skills and find the right songs for the album, so that it would not be rushed. The album was released on 19 October 2009 in the UK, titled Overcome.

"Elephant", the lead single off Alexandra Burke's second album finds the Londoner singing of a relationship breaking down and not discussing the "elephant standing in the room." Burke performed the song live for the very first time during her set for Asda's Tickled Pink charity concert on January 12, 2012. It will bereleased on March 11, 2012. (Elephant Songfacts).

Alexandra revealed that her next album will get "down and dirty", promising the record that will take risks. "It’s got to be sexy. So I’m going to get a lot fiercer and sexier. We’re just getting down and dirty with the next album. I’m going to take a lot more risks and it’s going to be insane." She also hinted at any collaborations on the LP, "I can’t say too much because my management will kill me if I let loose. But I have a special duet planned. I have the ideas, the collaborations in my mind - it’s all locked up in my head." The album is confirmed to be "half-way" finished, and revealed that she is planning to go to New York to record some new tracks. Recording is expected to stop from January to March, and then resuming after. Alex confirmed that she has worked with RedOne for a lot of the album, but hopes to work with David Guetta, Bruno Mars, Stargate and Ne-Yo, among others.

They Don't Know
Alexandra Burke Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I went to the doctor to open up my heart
Got my symptoms all mixed up
He didn't know where to start
Ain't no doctor in this world
That can keep a broken heart from falling apart

'Cause they don't know
Oh, they don't know

I went to my mother to show me how to cry
She said "Baby let me shed your tears, I'll make the sacrifice"
But ain't no crying in this world's gonna take the place of mine

'Cause they don't know
They don't know

Some questions have answers
And others just lead you on
Some answers don't answer enough
But I know
The answer is love

But they don't know
Oh, they don't know

I went to my brother to help me understand
Asked him why they're walking by
Don't seem to give a damn
Don't they see the love they pair's walking by empty-handed

'Cause they don't know
They don't know

I went to my father to get some prayer for me
He said I hold my head up high 'cause there's something there for me
Crying but I'm smiling through
'cause suddenly I see

What they don't know
They don't know that

Sometimes,

Some questions have answers
And others just lead you on
Some answers don't answer enough
But I know
The answer is love

But they don't know
Oh, they don't know...

Overall Meaning

The song "They Don't Know" by Alexandra Burke highlights the struggle of dealing with a broken heart and the inability of others to truly understand one's pain. The lyrics in the first verse illustrate the main character's inability to get the proper help to fix her broken heart, as even medical professionals are incapable of healing an emotionally wounded person. The chorus "they don't know" is a recurring line throughout the song that stresses the lack of understanding and empathy from others. The second verse features the character's mother, who tries to comfort her daughter by crying on her behalf, but this still doesn't fix the heartache. The song stresses that everyone has their own pain and suffering to deal with and it can be challenging for others to comprehend.

In the bridge, the songwriter suggests that love is the answer, but that doesn't mean it is always easy to find. The final verse incorporates the character's brother and father, who provide some advice on how to handle the pain, but ultimately it is the individual who must find the strength to carry on despite the heartbreak. The song expresses the emotions of heartache in a unique way and encourages listeners to understand their own pain and take the necessary steps towards healing.

Line by Line Meaning

I went to the doctor to open up my heart
I sought medical attention to mend my broken heart

Got my symptoms all mixed up
I couldn't adequately express my emotional distress

He didn't know where to start
The physician was unable to help me effectively

Ain't no doctor in this world That can keep a broken heart from falling apart
Medical intervention is insufficient to heal an emotionally wounded heart

'Cause they don't know Oh, they don't know
Medical professionals may not fully understand the depths of emotional pain

I went to my mother to show me how to cry She said "Baby let me shed your tears, I'll make the sacrifice" But ain't no crying in this world's gonna take the place of mine
I sought emotional guidance from my mother, but ultimately, no one else's tears can substitute for my own healing process

Some questions have answers And others just lead you on Some answers don't answer enough But I know The answer is love
Not all questions have clear answers, but love is the solution to emotional wounds

I went to my brother to help me understand Asked him why they're walking by Don't seem to give a damn Don't they see the love they pair's walking by empty-handed
I sought perspective from my brother regarding why some people seem indifferent to love

I went to my father to get some prayer for me He said I hold my head up high 'cause there's something there for me Crying but I'm smiling through 'cause suddenly I see
I sought spiritual guidance from my father, who encouraged me to maintain hope, find strength in myself, and discover clarity

What they don't know They don't know that Sometimes,
Others may not fully understand what it's like to endure emotional pain

But they don't know Oh, they don't know...
Despite others' inability to fully comprehend, it's important to find personal healing through love

Contributed by Lila Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS