Rebecca Ferguson quits music to fight for artists' better treatment
British singer and songwriter Rebecca Ferguson has announced her retirement from music and her upcoming album, due out next year, will be her last. The singer took to Twitter and confirmed her plans on retiring from performing and will instead dedicate her career to helping nurture young artists.
'My final album will drop next year and will be a combination of songs I have written over the past 10 years.' said Ferguson speaking to DailyStar UK.
'After my retirement, I will dedicate my time and energy into helping and nurturing emerging artists and fighting for better treatment.
On Twitter, she wrote: '10 years today I released my first album Heaven... A young woman telling her story through songs, this album took me around the world and changed my life! I am grateful to all of the people involved! We created a classic album that is still listened to today.
'I look forward to concluding my career with my next album a follow on from this album (Heaven pt 2)'.
'I am grateful for the career I have had in music, I've achieved all that I ever wanted to achieve in music I'm now excited for my next chapter.'
Rebecca also said that the unfair streaming revenue for artists is damaging the industry and contributed to her decision to leave.
She said: 'Nobody is more important than the creator, without the creators of music there are no independent or major labels! If songwriters are struggling to pay their rent the industry will naturally fail or evolve into something else as the current model is not sustainable.'
The singer found fame as a contestant on The X Factor in 2010 where she finished as runner-up to winner Matt Cardle.
The announcement comes after Rebecca lent her support to a protest in Parliament Square late last month. She joined crowds demanding support for a Bill that ensures artists are 'fairly paid' for streams of their music.
The singer was joined by Sex Pistols founding bassist Glen Matlock and 30 MPs outside Westminster as they highlighted the importance of the Bill, which was presented in parliament on December 3.
The Bill is backed by the Musicians' Union and The Ivors Academy for songwriters and composers.
It would introduce a right to equitable remuneration for streaming income - where performers have a right to receive a share without reference to their label contracts.
The Bill's central aim, according to its supporters, is to 'ensure performers and composers are properly remunerated, by placing the treatment of revenue gained from music streaming services on to a common footing with the treatment of revenue gained from other sources'.
However, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the UK independent and major record labels association, said the Bill 'completely misunderstands today's music business' and would bind the sector in 'red tape'.
Officially titled the Copyright (Rights And Remuneration Of Musicians) Private Member's Bill, it comes amid increased awareness of streaming royalties due to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee inquiry in the economics of streaming.
The committee's report previously warned that 'pitiful returns' from the current system are impacting the 'entire creative ecosystem' and ministers subsequently referred the case of the market dominance of major record labels to the Competition and Markets Authority.
Rebecca recently told how she was warned that she could be murdered after telling police she was sexually harassed by a senior figure in the music industry. The star said it was recently suggested to her by a friend in the industry that she should fear for her life after speaking out earlier this year.
Rebecca, whose meetings with the then Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden in May resulted in the creative industries agreeing to the need for a regulatory body to ensure better safety, claims she was targeted while working to build her career after coming runner-up on the X Factor in 2010.
Rebecca previously revealed she suffered a miscarriage earlier in her music career, additionally claiming she was 'forced to work through' the ordeal, despite 'pleading to them' to let her recover.
She wrote on Twitter: 'You will see more in my documentary... but these people forced me to work through a miscarriage despite me pleading to them that I was too ill to work and needed to rest!