He was in the Boys group, mentored by Cheryl Cole.
His vocals appear on the X Factor Finalists 2009 Charity single (a cover of Michael Jackson's You Are Not Alone) which reached number 1 status in the UK Charts on the 21st of November 2009. It remained there for one week, before being knocked off by Peter Kay's charity single for Children In Need.
Joe won X Factor on December 13th 2009. His debut single, The Climb (A cover of the Miley Cyrus song) was released on December 14th 2009, and charted at number 2 - beaten by a anti-X Factor campaign backed Rage Against The Machine song, Killing In The Name. He was then number one on December 28th.
The single had the fifth highest sales of all UK singles released in 2009 staying one week at #1. It was also the top selling Irish single of 2009 where it remained at the top spot for four consecutive weeks. "The Climb" was nominated in the British Single category at the 2010 BRIT Awards.
In January 2010, he participated in the Helping Haiti charity single, a cover of "Everybody Hurts" arranged by Simon Cowell in order to raise money for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
He was also crowned the winner of the second series of Popstar to Operastar in 2011 and the first series of The Jump in 2014. In 2015, McElderry played the lead role of Joseph in the touring production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.
To date he has released four top 20 albums – two of them reaching the UK top three. He was the first X Factor contestant to release a fourth album. As of 2014, McElderry has sold over 2 million records worldwide
Fahrenheit
Joe McElderry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can feel it deep inside of me
Something primal the beginnings of a scream (ooo-ooo)
About to let go
I can hear it bouncing in my head
Keeps repeating every thought I've ever had (ooo-ooo)
If you feel, like I feel
And need to come in from the cold
Someone cares if it's real
Just pretend it's sand between your toes
Just a little bit of Fahrenheit
Just a little bit of heat tonight
As the mercury is rising, temperature is climbing
I know what's on your mind
Just a little bit of Fahrenheit
Just a breath away from paradise
But it's not too hot for dancing, or for taking chances
So don't apologise
Can you see the lightning in the air?
All the phasers and electric atmosphere (ooo-ooo)
They wanna let go (let go)
Cos they feel (cos they feel) like I feel (like I feel)
And they need to come in from the cold
And so who cares if it's real?
Just pretend it's sand between your toes!
Just a little bit of Fahrenheit
Just a little bit of heat tonight
As the mercury is rising, temperature is climbing
I know what's on your mind
Just a little bit of Fahrenheit
Just a breath away from paradise
But it's not too hot for dancing, or for taking chances
So don't apologise
For the urge, for the search of the power inside
Being blinded sometimes by the lights it's all right
It's somewhere to go where your heart wants to be
Something you need when you've got to be free... (Ow!)
Just a little bit of Fahrenheit
Just a little bit of heat tonight
As the mercury is rising, temperature is climbing
I know what's on your mind
Just a little bit of Fahrenheit (ooo-ooo)
Just a breath away from paradise (ooo-ooo)
But it's not too hot for dancing, or for taking chances
So don't apologise!
The lyrics of Joe McElderry's song Fahrenheit encapsulate a sense of primal energy and anticipation for something exciting. The opening lines portray a rising feeling of energy, building up inside the singer like a scream about to be unleashed. There is an echoing quality to the lyrics, repeating the message that this energy is present and growing stronger. The chorus refers to a desire for heat, and the metaphorical idea of Fahrenheit is used to represent a threshold that needs to be crossed, a level of intensity that must be reached in order to achieve pleasure and excitement. The idea that this level is "just a breath away from paradise" suggests that it is a state of being that is within reach, and not too difficult to attain. The song speaks to a need for intensity, for letting go and succumbing to the impulses within us all.
The reference to lightning and electric energy in the lyrics reinforces this idea of a need for excitement and intensity, while the lines "For the urge, for the search of the power inside / Being blinded sometimes by the lights it's all right" suggest that there is a quest for something deeper and more meaningful within the quest for pleasure and excitement. The song's message seems to be that these impulses and desires are not shameful or wrong, but rather a necessary part of the human experience. It encourages listeners to embrace their desires, without apology or hesitation.
Line by Line Meaning
I can feel it deep inside of me
Something primal the beginnings of a scream (ooo-ooo)
About to let go
I can sense an intense emotion brewing deep within me, something primitive and powerful that feels like it's about to erupt into a scream.
I can hear it bouncing in my head
Keeps repeating every thought I've ever had (ooo-ooo)
Like an echo
I can hear a repetitive voice inside my mind, echoing every thought I've ever had in a relentless rhythm.
If you feel, like I feel
And need to come in from the cold
Someone cares if it's real
Just pretend it's sand between your toes
If you're feeling the same way I am, and crave warmth and connection, know that someone cares about your feelings. Even if it's not real, just imagine yourself on a warm beach with sand between your toes.
Just a little bit of Fahrenheit
Just a little bit of heat tonight
As the mercury is rising, temperature is climbing
I know what's on your mind
Just a little bit of Fahrenheit
Just a breath away from paradise
But it's not too hot for dancing, or for taking chances
So don't apologise
All we need is a little bit of warmth and passion tonight. The temperature is rising, and I understand what you're thinking. We're almost in paradise, and there's nothing wrong with letting loose, dancing, and taking risks. So, don't be sorry for being yourself.
Can you see the lightning in the air?
All the phasers and electric atmosphere (ooo-ooo)
They wanna let go (let go)
Can you feel the electric energy in the air? You can see the lightning and the charged atmosphere, and people want to let go and release themselves from their inhibitions.
Cos they feel (cos they feel) like I feel (like I feel)
And they need to come in from the cold
And so who cares if it's real?
Just pretend it's sand between your toes!
Because others feel the same way I do, and feel the need to connect and warm up from the cold. And frankly, who cares if it's not real; just imagine yourself on that warm beach with sand between your toes.
For the urge, for the search of the power inside
Being blinded sometimes by the lights it's all right
It's somewhere to go where your heart wants to be
Something you need when you've got to be free... (Ow!)
We all have this innate urge to find and harness our inner power. And if you're blinded by the bright lights occasionally, that's okay. We all just want to be where our hearts feel at home, and have the freedom to be ourselves.
Contributed by Parker H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.