Alexandra Burke

Soul singer Alexandra Burke emerged victorious as the winner of the fifth season of the U.K. reality show "The X-Factor", three years after being rejected by the same program. Thanks to a stunning duet with Beyoncé and a soulful rendition of the Leonard Cohen classic "Hallelujah," Burke beat fellow finalists JLS and Eoghan Quigg to become the show's second female winner. "Hallelujah," her debut single, became the Christmas number one single just one week later, selling 576,000 copies in its first seven days and setting a record as the fastest-selling single by a solo female artist. Overcome, her debut album, was released in the U.K. the following October.

• pop