Rebecca Ferguson’s musical foundations were laid early, despite a restrictive upbringing. At age five or six, while her mother only permitted gospel music, a family friend gifted her a cassette featuring Whitney Houston and Cher. Hearing I Will Always Love You proved to be a transformative moment that convinced Ferguson she wanted to pursue music herself. Later, she made her first personal purchase—So Young by the Corrs—from a local supermarket in Liverpool, treating the record as a significant treasure. My ears couldn’t believe what they were hearing. From Sainsbury’s in Walton Village in Liverpool, the first single I bought So Young by the Corrs. So buying a record was a big deal, i couldn’t really afford music as a kid. Liked their voices and thought: I’m buying this, i’d heard the Corrs on the radio. Me and my best friend would watch it over and over and I’d pretend I was CC Bloom.
The singer-songwriter’s relationship with music spans various emotions and life stages. She credits Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come as the song that changed her life; she performed it during her first X Factor audition after Simon Cowell dismissed her initial song choices. The track allowed her to channel her personal and familial struggles into a raw, emotional performance. Conversely, she found comfort during her teenage years in REM’s Everybody Hurts, which she describes as a lifeline that helped her navigate low periods.
Ferguson’s current playlist ranges from the practical to the nostalgic. To start her mornings, she plays U2’s Beautiful Day, finding it essential after late nights caring for her children. For karaoke, she humorously confesses to performing Oasis’s Wonderwall, acknowledging her rendition is intentionally terrible and off-key yet deeply impassioned. She also remains a fan of the film Beaches, noting she knows every lyric to Bette Midler’s Wind Beneath My Wings and The Glory of Love. But impassioned, it’s like a party trick: I drunkenly sing it completely off-key and awful. I’m getting nostalgic just thinking about it. The song that gets me up in the morning Blasting a bit of Beautiful Day by U2 always helps when you’re feeling a bit crappy or tired after a late night with the kids.
When it comes to social gatherings, Ferguson enjoys DJing once the drinks start flowing.
She recommends saving Panjabi MC’s Mundian to Bach Ke for later in the evening to ensure the crowd is ready.
Her tastes also include a touch of guilty pleasure: while she would not play Eiffel 65’s Blue (Da Ba Dee) at a party, she admits to enjoying the track while washing dishes. Regarding other artists, she suggests Beyoncé’s Drunk in Love as a potential choice for intimate moments, and she highlights Hope There’s Someone by Antony and the Johnsons as a track that consistently brings her to tears. But tell everyone I hate I wouldn’t put Blue (Da Ba Dee) by Eiffel 65 on at one of my parties, but I might play it while I’m doing the dishes, the song I secretly like.
Looking ahead, Ferguson has firm ideas for her eventual farewell, opting for something upbeat like Movin’ to the Sun by Hugel, Imael Angel, and Ultra Naté to remind loved ones of joyful times. Fans can catch the artist performing live during her upcoming tour, The Hits at Christmas, which runs from December 2 to December 12.
