Alex Burke exclusive interview

As Alexandra Burke continues her rise from X Factor winner to fully-fledged diva-in-waiting, she spoke exclusively to iVillage.co.uk's Kyla Manenti about her new single, the artists who inspire her and why she won't be just another manufactured pop puppet

Sassy, bouncy and utterly fetching, Broken Heels is the second single from Alexandra Burke's debut album Overcome. After tunefully testifying on women's dangerous delicacy for bad boys she continues the battle of the sexes theme with a call to war.

Her latest catchy pop number goes down the anything-you-can-do route, exploring women's ability to do the same as men (or better) even in broken heels.

It's a song with backbone, it suggests this is a woman in control. But just how much control can the 21-year-old winner of 2008's X Factor really have? Simon Cowell seems to run a tight ship, and his popular singing contest is hardly a platform for self-expression (Calvin Harris' pineapple-on-head routine notwithstanding.)

'It's quite shocking,' admits Alexandra. 'Usually new artists that come off a show like that would be told "we want you to go in this direction..." But I think, even on the show, they saw I was strong minded. Start as you mean to go on: that's my motto.'

She's excitable and illustrates her words with wild gesticulation. 'Even with this process of making the album I really did have a lot of say because I didn't want to be a toy, I didn't want to be a robot.'