Joe McElderry to appear on new Narnia soundtrack
It’s been a difficult year in the spotlight for young Joe McElderry. Since his triumph on the 2009 series of the X Factor, Joe has had to endure a Facebook campaign to deny him a number one single, and vicious internet rumours about his sexuality – not a pleasant introduction to the world of celebrity. However, despite going through twelve months that could have seen him run for the hills, McElderry has refused to give up on his dream, and is now hitting back with both a new album and an appearance on the soundtrack for the latest Chronicles of Narnia movie.
After his X Factor victory last year, Joe immediately found himself in the midst of controversy. Ever since 2005, the show’s winner had managed to claim the Christmas number one spot with their debut single, but in 2009 a backlash was brewing. A campaign began gathering steam on Facebook, which sought to install Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Killing in the Name’ as Christmas number one instead of McElderry’s cover of Miley Cyrus hit ‘The Climb’. Although his single eventually made number one on the 27th December, the campaign was successful, and the Christmas number one went to Rage Against the Machine. Despite just being a kid from Tyneside with a voice that had won over a nation, McElderry became the unwitting face of a vanquished media Goliath, slain by a horde of plucky Facebook Davids.
After appearing in the X Factor live tour in early 2010, McElderry began work on his debut album. However, his troubles were far from over – in July 2010, a message regarding his sexuality was posted on his Twitter account by a malevolent hacker, and once again McElderry found himself the target of keyboard warriors across the internet. In a bold move, McElderry quickly made an announcement on his website confirming that he is gay, leading to universal backing from both the press and numerous gay charities.
Despite going through a difficult twelve months, McElderry is now looking to put his past troubles behind him. Debut album ‘Wide Awake’ was released in late October, peaking at number three in the UK album charts, and receiving positive reviews from the majority of media critics. Keen to follow up on this success, Joe recently announced that he will appear on the soundtrack to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which is due for release in cinemas on 10th December.
Talking to the BBC about his work on the movie, for which he recorded song ‘There’s a Place For Us’, McElderry revealed that he was bowled over to be included on the soundtrack. “I got approached by Fox to do it and asked if I would sing this song, and I was absolutely honoured,” he said. After seeing an early cut of the film, McElderry is clearly impressed. “I got a screening of it the other week and it’s really good,” he revealed. “I would urge everyone to go and see it. It’s a good one.”
