Alesha

Alesha (born Alesha Grafton on March 14, 1984) is an English singer-songwriter, record producer, fashion icon and businesswoman. She achieved popularity by pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music and imagery in her music videos. Born in Manchester, England, Alesha performed in the music group Soho Kills before signing a record deal with breathemusic and released her debut single in 2003. Alesha was named Best Newcomer at the 7th Urapopstar Awards, although her early career would be defined by bipolar levels of success. A series of hit singles from Buried Underneath (2005) transitioned Alesha into global recognition.

Alesha's popularity was further enhanced by a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sometimes provocative records, including the Urapopstar Award for Best Album winners Alesha Is the Queen (2007) and Bigger Than God (2009). Alesha worked with more experimental styles into the new decade, particularly with The Martyr (2011), before taking a three year hiatus from the entertainment industry. Alesha released her eponymous ninth studio album in 2014, which became one of the best selling albums of all time and Alesha's third Best Album win. Throughout her career, Alesha has written and produced most of her songs, with many of them having reached number one on the charts, including "Apocalypse City", "Delusions of Grandeur", "The Last Temptation", "Number One", "In Love Today" and "Petroleum".

Alongside recurring collaborator Shell Ruin, Alesha became famed for her songwriting both individually and as one-half of production team "Shellesha". Alesha, with and without Ruin, has written number one songs for Candi, Emily Henning and Jack Stevens among others. In 2011, Alesha garnered a Golden Globe nomination for her role in the motion picture Prime Cut, starring opposite Putanovska; the pair won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Alesha starred in the Gus van Sant film Exile in Nashville (2016). Alesha has been acclaimed as a businesswoman, most notably after she founded Grandeur by Alesha, a fashion line of women's apparel, accessories and fragrances. Alesha's other ventures include miscellaneous television work, including three seasons as a judge on URAPS Idol.

Considered to be one of the most influential women in contemporary music, Alesha is known for continuously reinventing both her music and image, and for retaining a standard of autonomy within the recording industry. Alesha has sold more than 200 million records worldwide, including 20 million in the United Kingdom alone. She was the best selling female artist (and third best selling overall artist) in 2007 and 2008. She has achieved 20 number one singles in the United Kingdom, less than only Jack Stevens. Forbes magazine ranked Alesha as the most powerful celebrity in the world for three consecutive years (2007-2009) and the second most powerful in 2014. With 28 Urapopstar Award wins to her name, Alesha was honoured with the prestigious Artist of the Decade award at Urapopstar Awards 18 in August 2010.

1984–2003: Early life and career
Alesha Grafton was born in Trafford, England, on 14 March, 1984. She is the youngest daughter of Dennis Grafton and Louise Grafton (née Veronica). Her mother abandoned the family while Alesha was still an infant. Alesha has one sibling, Maria Grafton (born 1983). Their father married Patricia Hearst when Alesha was seven. Her stepsister, Phoebe Hearst, rose to prominence on her own accord as a member of the all-female band Innocent. The Grafton family was lower-middle class and frequently attended church as devout Anglicans.

According to an official biography, Alesha first became interested in singing after she saw a Karlie Minogway music video on TV at the age of three. She started attending lessons with a vocal coach, as well as taking part in ballet, jazz, and modern dance classes. At the private Christian school Alesha attended, she began developing a rebellious attitude and achieved notoriety for her unconventional behaviour. Over the next few years, Alesha had already begun to involve herself in the Manchester club scene. Alesha has revealed that she first started doing drugs when she was only thirteen. In 2001, at the age of seventeen, Alesha moved to a bedsit in downtown Manchester and became the singer and face of underground dance-rock act Soho Kills. The band was approached by multiple independent record labels in 2002. Unhappy with the musical direction and stylistic choices of Soho Kills, Alesha left the band to pursue a solo music career. She toured a number of Manchester clubs, singing her own compositions as well as Sophie Ellis-Beckham and Hailey Klass covers.

2003–2005: First hits and motherhood
Alesha was approached by a breathemusic representative after being sighted performing at open mic nights and smaller venues across Manchester. Alesha signed a two-album record deal with the label in the summer of 2003. Alesha released her debut album Look Out Below (as Alesha Grafton) in October 2003. She wrote all of the album's lyrics herself, enlisting breathemusic's in-house producers and Mars/Venus member MC Labels for production. The lead single "Predictable" was a surprise success, peaking at number six and receiving a silver certification; however, the album failed to enter the top ten. Alesha released two more singles from the album, as well as duets with 4tune and Larynx Trasher. Her collaboration with the latter, "I Know Your Secret," became Alesha's first top five single. Alesha was named Best Newcomer at the 7th Urapopstar Awards. As the public became more aware of Alesha, her private life began to receive media attention. In January 2004, Alesha and Ben Parker announced their engagement and confirmed Alesha's pregnancy. In June 2004, Alesha, then 20, gave birth to her first child Ana-Marie Roxanne Parker. Alesha wed Parker and assumed his surname.

In August 2004, Alesha released her second studio album Hungry for More (as Alesha Parker) and its electro-pop lead single "Let Me Take You There" with a more sexualized image. Hailey Klass, Ivy, MC Labels and Tasha contributed their penmanship to the album. The album was an initial success, nearly outselling Alesha's debut record in half of the time. However, the album was suddenly shelved following the disappointing reaction to second single "It Sucks to Be Me" (later famously covered by Gingers+Jesus). Alesha starred in the low–budget film Let Me Tell You How I Died, a teen thriller based on the novel of the same. She released a second duet with 4tune as well as the risqué "Midweek Sex" with Kandi and CeCe Winston. Alesha began writing and recording material for her new album, signing with Ensemble Entertainment.

Exploring a more guitar-oriented, singer-songwriter style, Alesha's third studio album Buried Underneath (2005) marked a clear change in direction for Alesha. The singles "Infernal Superstar" and the Neyssa duet "Close the Door"/"He's Done It Again" became Alesha's first number one singles, helping the album to peak at number one. It was eventually certified triple platinum, outselling Alesha's first two albums combined. Following months of taboid coverage constanty hinting at affairs and marital problems, Ben Parker filed for divorce in July 2005. It was speculated and later confirmed that Alesha and Neyssa were a gay couple. The pair co-hosted the 12th Urapopstar Awards, a controversial choice by producers.

In May 2006, Alesha and Neyssa had their first child, Maribba Nikia Kurdadze, conceived via sperm donor (Neyssa's biological brother). Alesha released her first greatest hits collection, Chic/Freak: The Highs & Lows, promoted with the Sarah Summers duet "Happy Slappers" and "Gone". In addition to Alesha's first fifteen singles, the collection featured new songs written by Amy Marshall, girlASKboy and Naomi. The album charted at number four. Later that year, Alesha signed up to take part in the first Tango Challenge. She was initially paired with Kantar who pulled out; he was replaced by Alesha's ex–husband Ben Parker of all people. They channeled their hatred into the song "Go Fuck Yourself", becoming another top ten for Alesha.

2007–2008: Alesha Is the Queen and The Second Coming
Alesha released her fourth studio album Alesha Is the Queen in 2007, representing a departure from her earlier work. As executive producer, Alesha wrote and produced a large portion of the album autonomously, while enlisting songwriting from mentor Buffi and peer Kati as well as guest vocals from Josie Matthews and Neyssa. These efforts resulted in a primarily pop record that also displayed electroclash, hip hop and indie rock influences. The album explores lyrical themes of fame, fashion, partying, and wealth, as well as heartbreak and love. The recording of the album and its launch was chronicled by MTV in a documentary of the same name. The album debuted at number one and was eventually certified diamond, selling 1.75 million copies. Alesha Is the Queen was awarded Best Album at the 14th Urapopstar Awards.

The album's lead single "Fashion Kills", inspired by Giorgio Moroder, became Alesha's third number one single after an extensive promotional campaign. It has been said that it "heralded a new era of success" for Alesha by The Guardian. Alesha cultivated an increasingly provocative image while promoting the record, marked by a brief stint in rehab, a banned music video for "London Brat" and the controversial single "Power Power" with Buffi, Shell Ruin and Taylor Brookes. Despite initial hype, the release of "Power Power" suffered extreme setbacks as all four artists received criticism for controversial behavior, such as emulating the appearance of Myra Hindley. The song failed to even enter the top ten. Alesha targeted a new audience with the fifth single from Alesha Is the Queen. "The OH in Ohio", inspired by crunk music, and "Candy Cigarettes", a darker electro-ballad, were chosen. Alesha performed "The OH in Ohio" at the 14th Urapopstar Awards and created a clothing line for high street chain River Island.

While recording her fifth studio album, Alesha released The Good That Won't Come Out, a collection of demos, outtakes and rarities to celebrate Alesha's five years in the industry. The album was accompanied by "Diamonds & Dollar Bills", a collaboration with Putanovska. Both the single and the album entered the charts at number one. Alesha also performed a live acoustic Unplugged concert for MTV to accompany The Good That Won't Come Out. Furthermore, Alesha and Neyssa finally married on June 22, 2008 in Los Angeles, after same-sex marriage was (briefly) legalised in California. They held a much larger and high-profile ceremony in London shortly afterwards. Alesha assumed Neyssa's surname, Kurdadze, although continued releasing music under the mononym Alesha.

Alesha released her fifth studio album The Second Coming in 2008, taking aspects of religious iconography and fashioning them into secular, often sacrilegious pop songs such as "Jesus Christ Supermodel", "Original Sin" and "Crucify". Alesha was condemned by the Vatican, particularly for referring to herself as the Second Coming of Christ. Written and produced in collaboration with Shell Ruin, Rolling Stone hailed the album as being "as close to art as pop music gets". Ryan Dawson, Jon Farley (uncredited) and Jack Stevens each feature on a track. The Second Coming became Alesha's third consecutive number one album and second album to be certified diamond. It was nominated for Best Album at the 16th Urapopstar Awards but dd not win. The Ruin-penned lead single "Tsunami of the Soul" was nominated for Best Single and Best Video at the awards. Alesha and Ruin headlined Glastonbury with a twenty-six song set that spanned three hours, a precursor to Alesha's 2009 worldwide arena tour, the Jesus Christ Supertour. Alesha earned three more number one singles with the Dawson duet "Original Sin", "Disciplinary"/"Guerrilla" and Indigo Peak collaboration "Filthy Preacher"/"Shoot to Kill". The Crucify EP, featuring four album tracks and two previously unreleased songs, was also released.

2009: Bigger Than God and personal troubles
Alesha began working on a sixth studio album with Shell Ruin in the final months of 2008, readied for release by spring. Bigger Than God received universal acclaim from contemporary critics, who noted that it was her most alternative and introspective release to date. Pitchfork Media suggested that "it feels like one of the landmark pop albums of the century so far." Bigger Than God and its number one lead single "Apocalypse City" earned Best Album and Best Single at the 17th Urapopstar Awards respectively. Alesha's third pregnancy coincided with the launch of her first stadium tour, Apocalypse City Live. In June 2009, Alesha refused to relinquish custody of her daughter Ana-Marie to ex-husband Ben Parker. Allegedly intoxicated, Mr. Parker's assistant called the police. Alesha was taken to the hospital where she had her stomach pumped, having either accidentally or purposefully overdosed on pills. Alesha was placed under suicide watch and later miscarried. Media outlets noted that Alesha had been photographed smoking and drinking in addition to the prescription drug abuse.

"Bear Dance" was released as the third single from Bigger Than God on August 17. The single was a commercial disappointment for Alesha, entering the chart at number six – Alesha's first single to miss the top two since 2007. In a live television interview called Being Alesha (as part of ITV's Tonight series), Alesha broke down and exhibited strange behavior, such as being interviewed in her bikini. She was also involved in a hit-and-run incident as she crashed her car into a house and casually left the scene of the crime while on her way to a Los Angeles airport. "Bear Dance" miraculously rose to number one the following week. Alesha also released Wanderlust, a collection of covers of artists who had inspired Alesha's more recent work. The album, which includes duets with Ruin and Putanovska, charted at number one. "The Pretty Ones", named a Bigger Than God highlight by critics, was released on 21 September and reached number two. The song features guest vocals from Romo, China, and Emily Henning.

Following her miscarriage and career troubles, Alesha was portrayed as a "victim" by the tabloids, cementing her comeback. Her public persona was held to an even higher esteem when she spearheaded the revival of Romo's SAVE URAPS organization. Working closely with Ruin, the pair wrote and produced "Hold Fire" and organized the foundation's second telethon. Alesha and Ruin also collaborated on their first "proper" duet, "Delusions of Grandeur". Self-hyped as one of their best singles yet, the song received universal acclaim from music critics. The song's video was filmed at Chile's Cape Horn and portrays Alesha and Ruin as immortal warriors. "Delusions of Grandeur" topped the singles chart upon its release. Alesha and Shell Ruin hosted the 17th Urapopstar Awards. After the awards ceremony, Ruin was involved in a serious car accident outside of London's Earls Court. It was thought that Ruin had died, but later revealed she had faked her own death. "Good Mourning", released as a tribute to Ruin, became Alesha's first single to sell at least 400,000 copies. "Delusions of Grandeur" won Best Collaboration at the 18th Urapopstar Awards, while "Good Mourning" was nominated for Best Single and Best Video.

2010–2013: Initial retirement and hiatus
In spring 2010, Alesha announced that she was pregnant once more and intended to retire from the music industry. She released her second greatest hits collection Last Judgment. The album's first disc chronicled the last three years of Alesha's career, while the second disc served as her final studio album. The release was met with critical acclaim, with Rolling Stone declaring Alesha "the finest single artist Britain has produced this decade". Last Judgment became Alesha's seventh number one album; the lead single, "Heavens Above Me", also reached the pole position. Alesha embarked on The Reckoning, a brief, worldwide stadium tour with Putanovska. The tour reached a number of venues across the globe, causing a media frenzy and a worldwide phenomenon. Alesha soon announced the release of "The Last Temptation", marketed as her final single. Backed by an intense promotional campaign and an acclaimed music video, the single spent two weeks at number one and ultimately received a double platinum certification. Both the song and video received multiple accolades and awards nominations, including the gong for Best Single at the 19th Urapopstar Awards. A box set edition of Last Judgment was released alongside the video collection Theology. Alesha also released an autobiography Líf and the incredibly lucrative documentary film Ragnarök.

On June 12, Alesha performed a sold-out gig at London's Wembley Stadium, joined by a number of close friends and fellow musicians. The show, Judgment Day, was billed as Alesha's final concert. She gave a show-stopping performance at the 18th Urapopstar Awards on 7 August, where she paid tribute to Shell Ruin with "Good Mourning", recreated her iconic awards performances, and closed with "The Last Temptation". Alesha was honoured with reputable awards such as Best Overall Artist and Best Songwriter, but most notably she was given the prestigious title of Artist of the Decade. On 24 October 2010, Alesha and Neyssa welcomed twin sons into the world, their first male children. The babies were conceived through in vitro fertilisation. The sons were bizarrely named Rafiki and Zazu Kurdadze after characters from The Lion King.

Despite having announced her retirement half a year earlier, Alesha announced the release of a new studio album The Martyr in December 2010, which led to minor backlash. Alesha claimed that Putanovska convinced her to return to the music industry; it was also revealed that Ruin had faked her own death as she returned with her own new album. The Martyr contains themes of anger towards Ruin, as well as pondering themes of fame and its effects on lifestyle, privacy and relationships. The Martyr peaked at number one, earning Alesha her highest first week sales frame for an album at the time; however, it became her first studio album since 2005 to fall short of a diamond certification. The album was promoted with the singles "Silent Holocaust", "The Hunted" and "Sister" and a worldwide stadium tour, the Heathen Tour. Following tabloid reports of martial problems, Alesha and Neyssa separated in the New Year. Alesha officially filed for divorce weeks later as she began seeing Just Ginger. Alesha hosted the 19th Urapopstar Awards alongside Putanovska and Ginger in February.

In July 2011, Alesha made another foray into film with the motion picture Prime Cut, which stars Alesha as a prostitute and Putanovska as her matron. The soundtrack, released alongside the film, featured songs from the movie as well as songs inspired by the movie. It was promoted with "Alpha & Omega"/"Who Do You Think You Are", a collaboration with co-star Putanovska. In August, Alesha released God Save the Queen: The Best of Alesha, a collection of Alesha's greatest hits and favourite songs from throughout her career. Alesha took an unofficial musical sabbatical beginning in August 2011, seldom making public appearances. She attended the 84th Academy Awards in February 2012 where she and Putanovska performed Best Original Song winner "Who Do You Think You Are". Alesha later revealed that she had suffered from severe depression directly before, during and after the promotion of The Martyr. In 2013, while on a "spiritual journey" in Bali, Alesha met and married American publishing mogul Austin Roosevelt.

2014–2015: Return from hiatus
In February 2014, Alesha announced that she would be returning to the music industry with her eighth studio album. The promotional single "Renaissance" and budget greatest hits compilation Essential Alesha were released in April. Alesha starred in an eponymous two-part documentary series for MTV that followed her as she re-established her career. She also appeared on the covers of Elle UK, i-D and Rolling Stone. In May, Alesha released her eighth studio album Alesha and its lead single "Witch", featuring guest vocals from The Uraps Factor winner and breakout success Malaya. In May, Alesha took part in the charity single "What It Feels Like for a Girl", arranged by Nicola. "Japan" was released as the second single from Alesha in July, preceding the launch of Alesha: Renaissance Live (with support from Nicola and Amy-Jayne). The single returned Alesha to the top two, while the headlining world tour created immense success at the box office and many venues were instantly sold out.

Following a show-stopping 2014 MTV Video Music Awards performance, Alesha and Paulo Araujo announced the single release of "Opulence" and "Unbeknownst", duets taken from Alesha and Araujo's Profanities respectively. The popularity of the single earned Alesha her 15th number one hit – and her first since returning to the charts in 2014. The follow-up single, "Number One", aptly became Alesha's 16th number one, tying Emily Henning's record of most number one singles for a female solo artist. It sold over 800,000 copies during its first ten weeks on the chart. Alesha also appeared on Jean-Luc's number one single "Black Hole Supernova". Alesha released the Gianni EP in February 2015. Following the EP's release, Alesha finally peaked at number one on the albums chart, 43 weeks into its chart run. The album sold over 3 million copies, making it Alesha's first album to be certified diamond two times over and one of the best-selling albums of all-time. Alesha notched up a massive 16 nominations at the 26th Urapopstar Awards, winning Album of the Year, Collaboration of the Year ("Opulence"), Best Live and Best Songwriter. She also performed a medley of "Japan", "Mermaids" (released as a promotional single) and "Number One". On March 2, Alesha fainted midway through a concert in Bogota, Colombia. The singer was hospitalized for exhaustion and canceled the remainder of her world tour.

Just weeks after being forced to cancel the remainder of her tour, Alesha announced a series of festival gigs across the world, beginning with Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City on June 5. Dubbed the Black Leather Festival Tour, Alesha and concert organizers announced appearances at Bonnaroo, Glastonbury, Eurockéennes and Lollapalooza among others. On April 13, 2015, it was announced that Alesha had signed to Syd Wolfe owned record label and media empire Fusion Records in "an unprecedented deal." On May 23, 2015, Alesha premiered "In Love Today", the lead single from her ninth studio album, with lyrics that are an "ode to the freedom to love." The single was released on June 22, days before the United States Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples had the constitutional right to marry. "In Love Today" spent two weeks at number one, ultimately selling over 1 million copies to become Alesha's first diamond single. Alesha formally announced her ninth studio album afterhours on July 20 with the premiere of second single "M4M". afterhours is a synthpop album drawing sonic inspiration from varying 1980s and 1990s pop trends. Lyrically, Alesha explores themes of acceptance, equality, sexuality and social stigma and alludes to historical occurrences, placing herself in the queer counterculture of the time. It received widespread acclaim from contemporary music critics. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian says the album "is a lovingly done reboot of the kind of early 90s dance-pop sung by the Pet Shop Boys, New Order and Madonna." The album was released alongside "M4M" on August 31, 2015. For the first time in her extensive career, Alesha held the top spot of the albums, singles, digital singles and airplay charts simultaneously.

In September 2015, Alesha's close friend and frequent writing partner Shell Ruin staged a pop comeback with "Feel Alive", penned by Alesha, and the new album Play. Alesha and Ruin co-wrote and co-produced the album. Alesha provided guest vocals for tracks appearing on new albums by Ruin, Paul and Syd Wolfe respectively. On October 25, 2015, Alesha hosted the 27th Urapopstar Awards – her fourth time hosting the Urapopstar Awards – alongside Aurora Reed. As well as winning Best Female and Best Single, Alesha unveiled "Rogue Smoke" as the third single from afterhours in a performance with Aurora Reed. The single remix of the song features new verses performed by Reed, who wrote the song, and a trap-influenced beat. Both artists co-starred in the music video for Fusion labelmate Ashley!'s "See The World", as did Lady Lou and Syd Wolfe. "New York Cab" and "Cruising" followed as the fourth and fifth singles from afterhours, with the latter topping the charts following the release of its controversial music video. afterhours ultimately became Alesha's second album to sell over 3 million copies.

2016: Exile in Nashville and The White Album
Alesha starred in the film Exile in Nashville, directed by Gus van Sant with a screenplay written by Alan Ball. Filmed in between touring duties and promotional commitments in 2015, Exile in Nashville was released to theaters in July 2016. It was accompanied by an original soundtrack, for which Alesha released the Shell Ruin-penned number one single "How to Disappear" and contributed four other songs. Alesha's experiences while filming Exile in Nashville would influence the recording of her tenth studio album. Frequent smoke breaks with her driver led Alesha to develop an appreciation for the country genre. During a stint in Las Vegas, Alesha became infatuated with the Southwest.

The White Album was released in October 2016. After living between Britain and the United States for years, Alesha and her family permanently relocated to the U.S. In a presidential election year, Alesha became more aware of U.S. politics, denouncing the Republican nominee, President Donald Trump. The White Album has been perceived simultaneously as Alesha's most personal and most political work to date. Alesha aimed to create her "most textural" record by incorporating a wide variety of influences and fashioning cohesive, textured soundscapes. Recorded in California, New York and Tennessee, the album explores genres (or sub-genres) as varied as dream pop, folk rock, neo-psychedelia, outlaw country and soul. "Petroleum", the lead single from the LP, spent two non-consecutive weeks at the top of the singles chart.

Unlike with previous releases, Alesha did not make any television or radio appearances to promote The White Album. An exclusive photoshoot appeared in Billboard magazine alongside interviews with musicians who worked on the album and Alesha's manager, as well as quotes from Ruin and Fusion CEO Syd Wolfe.

Musical themes and genres
Throughout her career, Alesha has been involved in writing and producing most of her own music. Rolling Stone has named her "an exemplary songwriter with a gift for hooks and indelible lyrics." In the later 2000s, Alesha became famous for the "Shellesha" sound forged by her and collaborator Shell Ruin, noted for its unique, wordy lyrical style and indie- and electronic-inspired pop productions. In 2009, Alesha and Ruin wrote and produced Emily Henning's third studio album Only Human in its entirety. Alesha's songwriting is often autobiographical over the years, dealing with various themes from love and relationships to self-respect and female empowerment. Alesha questioned religion with the agnostic and existential themes of Bigger Than God (2009). Alesha was inducted into the 2010 Songwriters Hall of Fame.

When first emerging as a popstar, Alesha employed a radio-friendly R&B-inspired pop sound similar to much of the music dominating the charts. After experiencing glimpses of success but mostly commercial failure, Alesha opted for guitar-driven approach to her third album Buried Underneath (2005), combining pop, rock and soul. In 2007, Alesha released her breakthrough album Alesha Is the Queen, which blended dance, electropop and hip-hop. "Fashion Kills" is a disco song, while "The OH in Ohio" has crunk inspirations. Alesha expanded on these leanings with The Second Coming (2008), which included uptempo electronic "bangers", indie ballads and combinations of the two. Alesha continued to compose ballads and uptempo electronic songs for Bigger Than God. The album also explored New Wave music of the '80s. New songs written for Alesha's seventh studio album, disc two of the greatest hits collection Last Judgment (2010), were inspired by baroque pop and industrial music. Alesha explored more alternative and experimental sounds with The Martyr (2011), incorporating influences from avant garde and minimalist music.

In 2014, after a three-year hiatus, Alesha released her self-titled eighth studio album, a return to her pop roots. With an overarching dance-pop sound, the album explores electronic dance music and alternative R&B. 2015's Gianni EP incorporated early '90s dance influences with its house stylings. Her ninth studio album, released the same year, draws further influence from the '80s and '90s. afterhours is a synthpop album with strong New Wave and house influences. The White Album (2016) explores modern, electronic styles, drawing inspiration from such subgenres as dream pop and neo-psychedelia. Inspired by Alesha's experiences filming Exile in Nashville (2016), the record also incorporates folk rock, soul and even country influences.

Influences
In 2003, Alesha commented that the first song to ever make a strong impression on her was "Express Yourself" by Madonna; she said it summed up her own "take-charge attitude". During her childhood, Alesha was inspired by '90s actresses, such as Drew Barrymore, Julia Roberts and Winona Ryder. An Ace*Teens show was the first conert Alesha ever attended. Alesha has cited Madonna, David Bowie and Kylie Minogue as her largest influences, crediting their knack for reinvention with sustaining her own career. Alesha's third studio album Buried Underneath (2005) drew from pop-rock singer-songwriters like Alanis Morissette and Natalie Imbruglia. Alesha was heavily influenced by the work of electronic hip-hop artist M.I.A. during the recording of Alesha Is the Queen (2007) and The Second Coming (2008). Alesha also incorporated religious motifs into her music with The Second Coming, making "sacrilegous" allusions to Jesus Christ, Judas, the crucifixion and original sin in lighthearted pop songs. Alesha had previously come under fire from the Vatican in 2007 with her and Neyssa's B-side "Banned in the Vatican", which critiqued the Catholic Church's stance on homosexuality. Alesha's lyrics have cited poetry from Robert Louis Stevenson and W.B Yeats.

Canadan singer-songwriter Emily Haines became a major source of inspiration for Alesha during the recording of Bigger Than God (2009). Alesha sampled Bowie, Thom Yorke and New Wave band Siouxsie and the Banshees on Bigger Than God as she diversified her range of influences. Lyrics contained themes of agnosticism and existentialism, while Alesha also drew from dystopian literature, most notably George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. The lead single "Apocalypse City" samples David Bowie's "We Are the Dead" from his own glam-tinged, post-apocalyptic eighth studio album Diamond Dogs (1974), which was also inspired by Orwell's classic novel. The likes of Björk, Kate Bush and Grace Jones became heavy influencers as Alesha continued experimenting with alternative, sometimes experimental sounds.

2014's Alesha samples Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx and The Weeknd, while "Ghosts" draws its bassline from New Order's "Blue Monday". Another song, "Opulence", features dialogue from the 1990 documentary film Paris Is Burning, a landmark LGBTQ film that showcases New York's ball culture at its zenith. Alesha also references drag or ball culture with the songs "White Naomi", "Read the House Down" and "Kiss of Death" from the Gianni EP (2015). '80s synthpop and queer counterculture continued to inspire Alesha with her ninth studio album, drawing inspiration from musicians like Depeche Mode, New Order and the Pet Shop Boys whilst discussing equality, love, sexuality and stigma.

Legacy
According to Rolling Stone, Alesha "remains one of the greatest pop acts of all time." Alesha has been "the world's highest earning female singer" and was the best selling female singer of 2007 and 2008. Apocalypse City Live (2009) became the highest grossing concert tour by a solo artist at the time. Alesha has amassed 21 number one singles in the United Kingdom, tied withJack Stevens as the artist with most number one singles. She holds the record for the most top forty releases, with all but ten of her singles charting within the top five. Alesha was inducted onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009. Alesha was also an inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010. She has won 24 Urapopstar Awards throughout her career and has also broken multiple Guinness World Records. Alesha has been named in the Top 5 Most Searched Celebrities by search engine Google yearly since 2004 except 2012 and 2013. She is considered a gay icon, due to her sexual fluidity, LGBT rights activism, and popularity within the gay community.

Alesha's work is universally acclaimed and she is considered to be one of the most influential artists in music. Pop singer Romo commented that The Second Coming (2008) and its lyrics heavily inspired her self-titled fourth album, while Dakota Prescott immortalized Alesha in the song "Like Alesha". In 2008, TIME magazine placed Alesha in their list of the world's most influential people for having "influence across many genres." The same year, Billboard described Alesha as "the hottest single phenomenon since Lucreacia". It was argued by a 2010 piece in Vanity Fair that Alesha "transformed the art of modern pop music". She was characterized as "an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the tools to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, stunning musical versatility and loads of sheer star power." Daily Telegraph writer Tom Utley called her an "extremely important figure in the history of popular culture" and a "genius". Her total lifetime earnings from royalties on her solo recordings and music videos, revenue from concerts and endorsements, and work for other artists have been estimated at $600 million. As one of the world's most famous figures, Alesha's highly publicized personal life, coupled with her successful career, have made her a staple of popular culture.

In 2010, Alesha was named Artist of the Decade at the 18th Urapopstar Awards. She was ranked the 3rd Artist of the 2000–10 decade by Billboard, behind Lucreacia and Jack Stevens. Alesha was invited to perform at 2011's URAPS Legends concert, which celebrated the website's tenth anniversary.

Other ventures
Alesha has become known as a business woman in addition to being a renowned musician. Alesha was named a boss at breathemusic in 2004, later merging the label with Andrea Twain's Baa.Music. Following disputes with Britney Aguilera, Alesha and Twain set up Visionary (which would later become Alias Records). Alesha left when Twain decided to override a decision of hers (Alesha wanted to drop Ellen Fitzpatrick). Alesha signed with Ensemble, staying there from 2005 until its closure in 2010. Alongside Putanovska and Shell Ruin, Alesha set up Holy Trinity Music Group. In 2011, Alesha purchased Saturdays Records, leading to the creation of Holy Trinity/Saturdays. However, as label bosses Alesha, Emily Henning and Just Ginger all disappeared from the spotlight, the record label quickly hemorrhaged money and was dissolved. Alesha continued to release with Holy Trinity after making her musical comeback in 2014, until signing with Fusion Records in 2015. As well as lending her face and name to many major brands and products over the years, Alesha has made forays into fashion, film, television, and even the literary world. Alesha has released two books – the coffee-table book Memoirs of a Queen (2007) and the autobiography Líf (2010).

Fashion
Alesha has become recognized as an international style icon. She has been closely linked with the fashion industry since the release of her 2007 number one single "Fashion Kills". Alesha has appeared in numerous fashion editorials for magazines across the world, such as Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, and W magazines. Media coverage of her appearance on British Vogue ' s February 2008 cover boosted the magazine's circulation to 240,000 – its best ever February figure. She has also modeled for Chloé, H&M, and Just Cavalli. In 2011, she appeared in advertisements for Calvin Klein alongside Indigo Peak. In a poll by the Style Network, Alesha was voted best dressed woman of the year and style icon of the decade. She was also included in both British and U.S. Vogue ' s end-of-decade best dressed lists. The Guardian called Alesha "a couturier's dream."

Alesha designed a limited-edition street style collection for British high street chain River Island in 2007. The range, entitled "SHUT UP HO!", consisted mostly of basics. Bernard Lewis, the founder of River Island, commented that Alesha "not only understands fashion and trends but has been a trend-setter and fashion icon for years." In 2010, Alesha launched her own upscale fashion line, Grandeur by Alesha. The women's clothing brand is sold exclusively at Barneys New York and Saks Fifth Avenue in the United States and at Selfridge's in the United Kingdom. It broke sales records by becoming the fastest-selling celebrity fashion line in history. Alesha has routinely been releasing new collections for the line with each season. In January 2011, Alesha added both handbag and footwear ranges to the brand. Alesha added a new fragrance to the line, titled Velvet Aura, in 2014, followed by the offshoot Velvet Aura: Earth. Grandeur by Alesha announced its second fragrance, Royal Mistress, in April 2016.

Films
Alesha made her first film appearance in the horror film Let Me Tell You How I Died in 2004. The movie was a box office failure and received minimal media attention, although its soundtrack featured a number of relatively high-profile artists. She made a cameo appearance in a sequel to The Devil Wears Prada starring Sandi Cohen, which was also poorly-received in general. Alesha was attached to star as Anne in an adaptation of the 1966 novel (and 1967 film) Valley of the Dolls, also in 2007. The project was stuck in development hell and eventually abandoned. Alesha references the character Neely O'Hara on "The Angels in This City" from her 2008 album The Second Coming. In 2010, a documentary film following Alesha and directed by Jonas Akerlund was released, becoming one of the highest-grossing documentaries of all-time.

In 2011, Alesha starred in Prime Cut opposite Putanovska, the first major film role for both singers. The film was commercially successful, as was its soundtrack which featured songs from and inspired by the film. In 2014, after returning from a three-year hiatus, Alesha confirmed at the Seattle International Film Festival that she would be starring in a remake of Martin Scorcese's 1974 film Alice Don't Live Here Anymore, which earned Ellen Burstyn an Academy Award for Best Actress and was adapted into the popular television series Alice. James Mangold was later attached as director; after feuding with Mangold, Alesha pulled out of the project. She was attached to provide voice-over work for the animated film The Book of Life, as well as a science fiction thriller entitled Breathing Underwater. Alesha later pulled out of the latter project due to scheduling conflicts. In 2016, Alesha starred in Exile in Nashville, directed by Gus Van Sant with an original screenplay by Alan Ball.

Discography
For a detailed list of releases, see: Alesha discography and Alesha writing and production discography

Number one studio albums

 * Buried Underneath (2005)
 * Alesha Is the Queen (2007)
 * The Second Coming (2008)
 * Bigger Than God (2009)
 * Last Judgment (2010)
 * The Martyr (2011)
 * Alesha (2014)
 * afterhours (2015)
 * The White Album (2016)

Number one singles

 * "Infernal Superstar" (2005)
 * "Close the Door"/"He's Done It Again" (with Neyssa) (2005)
 * "Fashion Kills" (2007)
 * "Diamonds & Dollar Bills" (with Putanovska) (2008)
 * "Original Sin" (with Ryan Dawson) (2008)
 * "Disciplinary"/"Guerrilla" (2008)
 * "Filthy Preacher"/"Shoot to Kill" (with Indigo Peak) (2009)
 * "Apocalypse City" (2009)
 * "Bear Dance" (2009)
 * "Delusions of Grandeur" (with Shell Ruin) (2009)
 * "Good Mourning" (2010)
 * "Heavens Above Me" (2010)
 * "The Last Temptation" (2010)
 * "The Hunted" (2011)
 * "Opulence"/"Unbeknownst" (with Paulo Araujo) (2014)
 * "Number One" (2014)
 * "In Love Today" (2015)
 * "M4M" (2015)
 * "Cruising" (2016)
 * "How to Disappear" (2016)
 * "Petroleum" (2016)

Tours and concerts

 * Headlining tours
 * Riot Girls Tour (with Innocent) (2004)
 * Chic/Freak Tour (2006)
 * The Queen Tour (2007)
 * Jesus Christ Supertour (2008)
 * Apocalypse City Live (2009)
 * The Reckoning (with Putanovska) (2010)
 * Heathen Tour (2011)
 * Alesha: Renaissance Live (2014)
 * Cruising World Tour (2016)


 * Notable performances
 * Alesha Unplugged (2008)
 * All That Glitters: A Tribute to Shell Ruin (2009)
 * Judgment Day (2010)
 * URAPS Legends (2011)
 * A Night At Royal Albert Hall (2014)
 * Black Leather Festival Tour (2015)