Alesha Dixon has made her long-awaited return to music with the release of single Ransom and an accompanying music video.
The single samples Jamaican reggae artist Ini Kamoze’s track Here Comes The Hotstepper, and comes nine years after the release of her last album.
Produced by Supa Dups, the music video was shot in cities Port Antonio and Kingston in Jamaica, where Alesha’s father Melvin hails from.
The Britain’s Got Talent judge said: ‘I wanted a sample that was super familiar. Known and loved by all races, I wanted to fuse my commercial persona with my roots, the music I grew up on and still love that is such a big part of who I am.
‘Being in Jamaica feels like home and it has both a spiritual calm as well as a bass line thumping around every corner!’
Alesha Dixon has made her long-awaited return to music with the release of single Ransom, nine years after her last album (pictured in the music video)
The single samples Jamaican reggae artist Ini Kamoze’s track Here Comes The Hotstepper, with the star sharing the challenges she’s faced recording music as an independant artist
Alesha is no longer signed to a music label and spoke about the difficulties that brings.
She told The Sun: ‘It’s expensive putting out music. I’m an independent artist so it’s a lot, energetically, for me to put myself back out there. At this point in my life and career, it’s just about what makes me feel good.’
Alesha will perform Ransom at the last BGT semi-final on Friday.
Her last-released song was 2021’s non-album single War and her last album was Do It For Love in 2015.
Do It For Love spawned inside the top 20 of the UK Independent Albums chart and also charted on the UK Albums and UK Album Downloads charts.
Since bursting onto the music scene in the early 2000s with ground-breaking girl group Mis-Teeq, Alesha has released a string of hits such as Breathe Slow and The Boy Does Nothing.
In addition to music and BGT, Alesha is an esteemed children’s author.
Her latest book, Luna Wolf 2: Code Danger, continues to inspire young readers across the UK.
Alesha said: ‘I want my girls to see their mummy on stage, to experience the joy and passion I have for music. I don’t want to live with any regrets. This new project is all about authenticity and pushing myself beyond my comfort zone.
On Friday, Alesha will follow days of semi-final performances by the cast of musicals The Lion King, & Juliet, and Frozen, and Calum Scott.
Celebrating 25 years in London, the West End cast of feel-good musical MAMMA MIA! will be closing this year’s series of Britain’s Got Talent in style on Sunday at the grand finale.
Alesha, whose father hails from Jamaica, flew to the Caribbean country to film a stunning music video, which she dropped with the single
The Britain’s Got talent judge is no longer signed to a music label and spoke on the difficulties that brings
She told The Sun: ‘It’s expensive putting out music. I’m an independent artist so it’s a lot, energetically, for me to put myself back out there’
Alesha will perform Ransom at the last BGT semi-final on Friday. Her last-released song was 2021’s non-album single War and her last album was Do It For Love in 2015
The West End cast is led by Mazz Murray, Kate Graham, Nicola Dawn-Brook and MAMMA MIA! I Have a Dream winners, Stevie Doc and Tobias Turley.
In each live semi-final, the most popular act, as voted for by the public, will head straight to the final, with a second act chosen by the judges from the second and third most popular public vote.
Each act will give the performance of their lives in a bid to win the £250,000 prize money and a slot in the Royal Variety Show.
Britain’s Got Talent’s last live semi-finals airs Friday at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. The grand finale will take place on Sunday 2nd June at 7:30pm.
