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She loves Bad Boys and dancing in Broken Heels, and now she's staying Up All Night Long. Since winning the X-Factor, Alexandra Burke has been riding high in the charts and has no plans to stop. We find out why she calls herself The Beast and her plans for her first headline tour. 

All Night Long is your fourth single off your album. Why did you choose to release that track? 

My mind was going back forth and about releasing a ballad or an up-tempo track. No-one has really heard me sing a ballad since Halleluyah. I thought, as a listener, what do I want to hear as the sun's coming out and I'm driving in my car with the roof down? I wanna hear something that makes me smile and gets me grooving! All Night Long has to do it. For me, its a fun track. When I heard Pitbull on it, I screamed that it had to be a single! Pitbull brings it alive for me.

 It looks like you had a lot of fun making the video. 

This was my first real UK video so we heard a competition for fans to get involved. I invited down my family and my friends and the video took place 15 minutes from where I live. We had a big pool house party and its really cool. There are some wacky people in there! Its nuts, its awesome and its really cool!

 You released your album Overcome last year. Are you pleased with how its been received? 

I've been really surprised and over the moon with the reaction. Its been incredible. More than what I really expected, for a first time album and getting to collaborate with people like Ne-Yo and Pitbull is incredible. I'm really lucky. The fact that fans have loved it is great and I'm just recording more to give them music that will hopefully make them smile.

 Have you started thinking about the next album yet?

 Oh yeah! I started thinking about that months ago! The recording process is an ongoing process. It never stops.

 Are you leaning towards any particular sound? 

I really just feel like my music is going with my personality, so its very fun, bright, young, sexy, sassy, in your face, bold and beastly! I call myself The Beast on stage! Its really just loud and quite bonkers!

 Are you planning on releasing another single from the album? 

Why not? I love this album! If I could keep this album for the next years, I would! There are definitely more tracks coming off this album, for sure. I can't say what but I think you guys will be pleasantly surprised... 

Do you feel you've come into your own now and you can be yourself as an artist, rather than as an X-Factor winner?

 Yeah definitely. As time goes, I grow as an artist and as a young lady. I'm like this human-form Spongebob Square Pants and I'm just soaking it all in! I learn from other artists and I like to take risks. Its fun to do things that aren't normal. 

Your X-Factor competitor Diana Vickers has recently scored a no.1 single and album. Were you surprised by the type of music she's released?

 No, I thought it suited her perfectly. I'm just really pleased that she took the time to work out what her sound is. I think that's so important. At the end of the day, you're the one promoting that music for the next year and if you don't like what you're doing, then you're in trouble! You have to really love what you're doing. 

You're announcing tour dates soon. What can we expect from your first big tour?

 This year is full-on promo and then it's all go-go-go-go! And then I'm doing a tour. We're talking about out the box! I want to give everyone a big surprise! I think its fun to keep it fresh.

 Finally, Bad Boys was your first major single as an artist. Do you still enjoy performing that song? 

I performed it yesterday in Paris and the energy on stage was outrageous. Its one song that will never go sour! When I'm on stage I feel like a beast!

The single All Night Long and album Overcome are both out now.