Before applying to The X Factor, he was the frontman, lead vocalist and acoustic guitar player of the band Seven Summers and also Darwyn. Seven Summers released a self-titled debut rock album Seven Summers on 22 January 2010. The band performed live on Sue Merchant's BBC radio program on 8 December 2009. Darwyn released two albums entitled When You Wake, and Little Sunlight between 2005 and 2009 as well as playing Sue Marchants BBC radio programme. He also still plays the occasional acoustic gig with former Darwyn band mate Ali McMillan.
He auditioned for The X Factor with "You Know I'm No Good". After Cardle made it through the bootcamp stages, he was sent to Australia and was put into Dannii Minogue's group (in the Boys category). There he began to form a bromance with fellow contestant Aiden Grimshaw. Minogue mentored Cardle throughout the whole show until he won the final on December 12, 2010. After coming second in week one (Final 16 round) of public voting, Matt Cardle consistently came first from week 2 onwards until week 10, the competition final held on 11-12 December 2010.
On week 1 he sang When Love Takes Over by David Guetta & Kelly Rowland, on week 2 he sang Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars, on week 3 he sang ...Baby One More Time by Britney Spears, on week 4 he sang Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis, on week 5 he sang The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack, on week 6 he sang Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John, on week 7 he sang Come Together by The Beatles, on week 8 he sang I Love Rock N' Roll by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts & Nights in White Satin by The Moody Blues, on week 9 he sang You've Got The Love by Florence + The Machine & She's Always a Woman by Billy Joel and on week 10 (the final) he sang Here With Me by Dido, Unfaithful (duet with Rihanna) by Rihanna, Firework by Katy Perry & When We Collide by Biffy Clyro.
Cardle is a former painter and decorator living in Little Maplestead in Essex. Born to parents David and Jennifer Cardle, he was diagnosed with Wilms' tumour, a form of cancer when he was a toddler. He recovered after one of his kidneys was removed at age 2. He is now in a serious bromance with Aiden Grimshaw and together they have a massive fanbase supporting them every step of the way.
Empire
Matt Cardle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The only thing she left me were all of my mistakes
The hardest time, the darkest place
Through a crack in the window I see your face
Shining, golden
And on my love you lift me up
On my love you come along
With a blinding light from a perfect place
And with all the love, all the love
All the love, there's more than enough
To build an empire
Build an empire
Heal these eyes, they've seen too much
I'm burned down and broken, come and lift me up
Get me out of here, take me away
All that I have left is a heart that needs to be saved
Shining, golden
And on my love you lift me up
On my love you come along
You filled my heart, replaced my faith
With a blinding light from a perfect place
And with all the love, all the love
All the love, there's more than enough
To build an empire
Build an empire
Losing my heart, losing my faith
Losing myself, now I'm not afraid
Cause in your light I find myself again
And on my love you lift me up
On my love you come along
You filled my heart, replaced my faith
With a blinding light from a perfect place
And with all the love, all the love
All the love, there's more than enough
To build an empire
Build an empire
The lyrics of "Empire" by Matt Cardle seem to be about the healing power of love. The song begins with the singer expressing feelings of loss and despair, having lost love and faith. He feels that he has made many mistakes, which are the only things he has left. However, there is a glimmer of hope when he sees the face of someone he loves through a crack in the window. This person's love is like a shining, golden light that lifts him up and gives him strength. He believes that with all the love they share, there is more than enough to build an empire.
The chorus repeats the idea that the singer's love can lift him up and replace his faith. He feels that this love is like a blinding light from a perfect place that has filled his heart. It is powerful enough to heal him and replace all that he has lost. The second verse begins with an appeal to be lifted out of a difficult situation. The singer feels broken and burned down but believes that his heart can still be saved if he is rescued. He sees the same shining, golden light in his lover's love, which gives him hope once again.
The bridge of the song brings the themes of the song together. The singer has lost his heart, his faith, and himself, but he is no longer afraid because he has found himself in the light of his lover's love. This love has replaced what he has lost and empowered him to build an empire. The song ends with a final, triumphant chorus that suggests that with love, everything is possible.
Line by Line Meaning
Losing love, losing my faith
The singer lost love and faith.
The only thing she left me were all of my mistakes
The singer's lover left him with only the memory of the mistakes he made in the relationship.
The hardest time, the darkest place
The singer is in a difficult and dark emotional place.
Through a crack in the window I see your face
The singer sees their lover's face through a small opening.
Shining, golden
The singer sees their lover's face as shining and golden, possibly representing hope or positivity.
And on my love you lift me up
The singer's love helps them feel lifted and supported.
On my love you come along
The singer feels that their love is accompanying them through difficult times.
You filled my heart, replaced my faith
The singer's lover has filled the void in their heart and restored their faith in life/love.
With a blinding light from a perfect place
The singer describes the feeling of being overwhelmed with love and positivity.
And with all the love, all the love
The singer feels they have an abundance of love.
All the love, there's more than enough
The singer feels that they have more love than they need.
To build an empire
The singer feels that they have the power to create something great and significant out of their love.
Heal these eyes, they've seen too much
The singer has been through a lot and needs healing.
I'm burned down and broken, come and lift me up
The singer feels emotionally exhausted and needs support.
Get me out of here, take me away
The singer craves escape and a change of scenery.
All that I have left is a heart that needs to be saved
The singer feels they have no other resources left besides their heart, which needs to be rescued.
Losing my heart, losing my faith
The singer reiterates that they have lost love and faith.
Losing myself, now I'm not afraid
The singer no longer feels afraid of losing themselves.
Cause in your light I find myself again
The singer feels that their lover's light helps them find themselves again.
To build an empire
The singer repeats their confidence in their ability to create something great out of love.
Build an empire
The singer concludes with a call to action to build something great.
Contributed by Grace C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.