Alexa Goddard
Encyclopedia
Alexa Goddard is an English pop
and R&B singer from Blackwater, Hampshire
. Born in Camberley
, Surrey
, Goddard attended Yateley School
before being spotted singing at a talent contest at the age of 14. From 2007 she featured on three consecutive winter tours of the United States
and Canada
with American band Trans-Siberian Orchestra
and performed a solo on "Child of the Night", a track from the band's 2009 album Night Castle
.
In March 2010, Goddard created a YouTube
channel with the username "AlexaMusicTV". She uploaded to this channel various videos of her own covers of R&B hits. She released four cover versions as singles, using social media
such as Twitter
to promote them. The biggest-selling of these was her version of "Turn My Swag On", which charted at Number 20 on the UK Singles Chart
and Number One on the UK Indie Chart
.
, Hampshire
. She attended Yateley School from the age of 11 and was spotted singing at a talent contest when she was 14. As a result of her performance at this talent show, she began singing professionally and made regular recording sessions at a Sony subsidiary in Berlin
.
In 2007, at the age of 18, Goddard was invited to join the American progressive rock
band Trans-Siberian Orchestra
on their winter tour of the United States and Canada. On 29 June 2008, she featured as one of approximately 400 performers at the UEFA Euro 2008 Final
, where she sang "Off the Rails" and her first single, a cover of "Speechless" by The Veronicas
. "Speechless" was released through the iTunes Store
on 8 August, and was used to soundtrack a German advert for Ferrero Raffaello. Goddard was again invited back to perform on Trans-Siberian Orchestra's 2008 and 2009 winter tours, and featured on their 2009 multi-platinum selling album Night Castle
, where she had a solo on "Child of the Night" as well as providing backing vocals for other tracks.
On 13 March 2010, Goddard registered a YouTube
channel under the username "AlexaMusicTV" with her manager and producer Stewart "Stew Mac" McLean. She uploaded to this channel videos of her own versions of well-known R&B songs—her first uploads included her version of "Speechless", as well as covers of "Make You Feel My Love" by Bob Dylan
, "Cry Me a River
" by Justin Timberlake
and "Sweet Dreams
" by Beyoncé Knowles
. Within a month, Goddard's videos had received over 1.5 million views and "AlexaMusicTV" had garnered over 7,000 subscribers. By April 2011, the channel had over 11 million views and 56,000 subscribers, being one of the most subscribed music channels in British YouTube history.
Goddard's second single was a cover of "Dynamite
" by Taio Cruz
, which was released through the iTunes Store
by McLean's label IdleIDOL Records on 18 October 2010—this was then followed on 12 November by a release of her cover of "Whip My Hair
" by Willow Smith
. Just over two weeks later, on 29 November, Goddard released her fourth single through iTunes, a cover of Keri Hilson
's remix of "Turn My Swag On" by Soulja Boy
. The track was mainly promoted through word of mouth
and use of social media
, such as Twitter
and Facebook
. After being downloaded nearly 14,000 times in the UK, Goddard's single charted at Number 26 on the UK Singles Chart
. The following week, the single climbed to Number 20 on the UK Singles Chart, and topped the UK Indie Chart
. In December 2010, Goddard provided the female vocals on Brett Domino
's cover of "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues
. The single peaked at Number 32 on the UK Indie Chart.
In March 2011, British rapper Wiley
's single "Seduction", which features Goddard, premiered on radio; a video was shot two weeks later. The single was released on 2 May 2011.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and R&B singer from Blackwater, Hampshire
Blackwater, Hampshire
Blackwater is a small town in the north-eastern corner of the English county of Hampshire, lying in the Hart District.-Location:It is situated on the borders of both Berkshire and Surrey about north of Farnborough, west of Camberley and east of Basingstoke on the A30 road. Blackwater is situated...
. Born in Camberley
Camberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, Goddard attended Yateley School
Yateley School
Yateley School is the largest secondary school in North East Hampshire. The school teaches over 1500 students aged 11 – 16, and the attached sixth form college caters for ages 16–18. The school has Arts College status. The school had its latest Ofsted Report in 2010.Yateley School contains three ...
before being spotted singing at a talent contest at the age of 14. From 2007 she featured on three consecutive winter tours of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
with American band Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an American progressive metal band founded in 1993 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. Since then, TSO sold nearly 8...
and performed a solo on "Child of the Night", a track from the band's 2009 album Night Castle
Night Castle
- Disc two :- Personnel :* Paul O'Neill - Producer* Robert Kinkel - Producer* Dave Wittman - Recording & Mix Engineer- Vocals :Solo:* Jay Pierce - "Childhood Dreams", "The Safest Way Into Tomorrow"* Tim Hockenberry - "Sparks", "Believe"...
.
In March 2010, Goddard created a YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel with the username "AlexaMusicTV". She uploaded to this channel various videos of her own covers of R&B hits. She released four cover versions as singles, using social media
Social media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
such as Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
to promote them. The biggest-selling of these was her version of "Turn My Swag On", which charted at Number 20 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and Number One on the UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
.
Life and music career
Alexa Goddard was born on 21 December 1988 in Camberley, Surrey, and was raised in BlackwaterBlackwater, Hampshire
Blackwater is a small town in the north-eastern corner of the English county of Hampshire, lying in the Hart District.-Location:It is situated on the borders of both Berkshire and Surrey about north of Farnborough, west of Camberley and east of Basingstoke on the A30 road. Blackwater is situated...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. She attended Yateley School from the age of 11 and was spotted singing at a talent contest when she was 14. As a result of her performance at this talent show, she began singing professionally and made regular recording sessions at a Sony subsidiary in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
In 2007, at the age of 18, Goddard was invited to join the American progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an American progressive metal band founded in 1993 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. Since then, TSO sold nearly 8...
on their winter tour of the United States and Canada. On 29 June 2008, she featured as one of approximately 400 performers at the UEFA Euro 2008 Final
UEFA Euro 2008 Final
The UEFA Euro 2008 Final was a football match that took place on 29 June 2008 at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna, Austria, to determine the winner of the UEFA Euro 2008. Spain defeated Germany 1–0 with a goal from Fernando Torres...
, where she sang "Off the Rails" and her first single, a cover of "Speechless" by The Veronicas
The Veronicas
The Veronicas are an Australian electrorock, pop-punk and rock band. Twin sisters Jessica and Lisa Origliasso formed the band in 1999 in Brisbane. They have their own line of clothing which was released in 2007....
. "Speechless" was released through the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on 8 August, and was used to soundtrack a German advert for Ferrero Raffaello. Goddard was again invited back to perform on Trans-Siberian Orchestra's 2008 and 2009 winter tours, and featured on their 2009 multi-platinum selling album Night Castle
Night Castle
- Disc two :- Personnel :* Paul O'Neill - Producer* Robert Kinkel - Producer* Dave Wittman - Recording & Mix Engineer- Vocals :Solo:* Jay Pierce - "Childhood Dreams", "The Safest Way Into Tomorrow"* Tim Hockenberry - "Sparks", "Believe"...
, where she had a solo on "Child of the Night" as well as providing backing vocals for other tracks.
On 13 March 2010, Goddard registered a YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel under the username "AlexaMusicTV" with her manager and producer Stewart "Stew Mac" McLean. She uploaded to this channel videos of her own versions of well-known R&B songs—her first uploads included her version of "Speechless", as well as covers of "Make You Feel My Love" by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, "Cry Me a River
Cry Me a River (Justin Timberlake song)
"Cry Me a River" is the second single from Justin Timberlake's solo debut album Justified. Released on December 17, 2002, the single, which features guest vocals and production by Timbaland & Scott Storch, won Timberlake a Grammy Award for "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance" in 2004.-Background...
" by Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
and "Sweet Dreams
Sweet Dreams (Beyoncé Knowles song)
"Sweet Dreams" is a song by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles from her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce . Originally titled "Beautiful Nightmare", the song leaked in March 2008, eight months prior to the album's release. Written and produced by Knowles, James Scheffer, Wayne Wilkins, and...
" by Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
. Within a month, Goddard's videos had received over 1.5 million views and "AlexaMusicTV" had garnered over 7,000 subscribers. By April 2011, the channel had over 11 million views and 56,000 subscribers, being one of the most subscribed music channels in British YouTube history.
Goddard's second single was a cover of "Dynamite
Dynamite (Taio Cruz song)
"Dynamite" is the fourth single from English recording artist Taio Cruz's second album Rokstarr. It was written by Cruz, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, and Dr. Luke, and produced by Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco for the international version of Rokstarr. In the UK, the song was released as the first single...
" by Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz
Taio Cruz is a British singer-songwriter, record producer, occasional rapper, and entrepreneur. In 2008, he released his debut album Departure, which Cruz wrote, arranged and produced himself. It achieved initial success in the UK and earned him a MOBO Award nomination...
, which was released through the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
by McLean's label IdleIDOL Records on 18 October 2010—this was then followed on 12 November by a release of her cover of "Whip My Hair
Whip My Hair
"Whip My Hair" is a song sung by American recording artist Willow Smith. The song is the debut single from her eponymous debut album, Willow. The song was written by Janae Rockwell and Ronald "Jukebox" Jackson, with the latter producing the track...
" by Willow Smith
Willow Smith
Willow Camille Reign Smith , often known simply as Willow, is an American child actress and singer. She is the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, and the younger sister of Jaden Smith. Smith made her acting debut in 2007 in the film I Am Legend and later appeared in Kit Kittredge: An...
. Just over two weeks later, on 29 November, Goddard released her fourth single through iTunes, a cover of Keri Hilson
Keri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson began her music career as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production and songwriting team, The Clutch...
's remix of "Turn My Swag On" by Soulja Boy
Soulja Boy
DeAndre Cortez Way , better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, entrepreneur, and internet personality....
. The track was mainly promoted through word of mouth
Word of mouth
Word of mouth, or viva voce, is the passing of information from person to person by oral communication. Storytelling is the oldest form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others of something, whether a real event or something made up. Oral tradition is cultural material and...
and use of social media
Social media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
, such as Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
and Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
. After being downloaded nearly 14,000 times in the UK, Goddard's single charted at Number 26 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The following week, the single climbed to Number 20 on the UK Singles Chart, and topped the UK Indie Chart
UK Indie Chart
The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered...
. In December 2010, Goddard provided the female vocals on Brett Domino
Brett Domino
Brett Domino is the alter-ego of Youtube musician Rob J. Madin. As Brett Domino, he is a musician, internet celebrity and TV presenter from Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. He is best known for his YouTube videos, in which he plays mostly covers and medleys of popular songs on the Stylophone and...
's cover of "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues
The Pogues
The Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
. The single peaked at Number 32 on the UK Indie Chart.
In March 2011, British rapper Wiley
Wiley (rapper)
Richard Kylea Cowie , better known by his stage name Wiley is a prolific British music producer, MC and recording artist, and rapper with roots from Trinidad...
's single "Seduction", which features Goddard, premiered on radio; a video was shot two weeks later. The single was released on 2 May 2011.
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart peak positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
UK indie UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... |
|||
| 2008 | "Speechless" | — | — | Non-album release |
| 2010 | "Dynamite Dynamite (Taio Cruz song) "Dynamite" is the fourth single from English recording artist Taio Cruz's second album Rokstarr. It was written by Cruz, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, and Dr. Luke, and produced by Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco for the international version of Rokstarr. In the UK, the song was released as the first single... " |
— | — | |
| "Turn My Swag On" | 20 | 1 | ||
| "Fairytale of New York" (with Brett Domino Brett Domino Brett Domino is the alter-ego of Youtube musician Rob J. Madin. As Brett Domino, he is a musician, internet celebrity and TV presenter from Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. He is best known for his YouTube videos, in which he plays mostly covers and medleys of popular songs on the Stylophone and... ) |
— | 32 | ||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | ||||
Other appearances
The following songs have been officially released, but do not feature on an album by Goddard.| Year | Song | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "Child of the Night" | Night Castle Night Castle - Disc two :- Personnel :* Paul O'Neill - Producer* Robert Kinkel - Producer* Dave Wittman - Recording & Mix Engineer- Vocals :Solo:* Jay Pierce - "Childhood Dreams", "The Safest Way Into Tomorrow"* Tim Hockenberry - "Sparks", "Believe"... |
Collaboration with Trans-Siberian Orchestra Trans-Siberian Orchestra Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an American progressive metal band founded in 1993 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. Since then, TSO sold nearly 8... |