'There are many "icons", "Queens" and "legends" alive and kicking in the music industry today but most of the titles that artists hold are extremely questionable nowadays. It's not so much the genre-defining, risk-taking, hit-making musicians with an endless flow of creativity that are being put upon a pedestal. The number of followers one has on Twitter, the amount of views on their VEVO channel and outrageous outbursts all appear to be what defines a "Queen" and if you're not in the public eye twenty-four hours a day then you might as well go and join the other "flops". In among this harsh, ever-changing world of music stands Michelle Alexa Hamilton. While many focus on the chaos going on elsewhere, this nineteen year old star has weathered every storm and still remains grounded with an impressive list of achievements to brag about too. However, the English Rose is still somewhat overlooked and it almost echoes the lyrics to her hit debut single "Fifteen" which was released four years ago. From Indie Pop Princess to Dance Diva, Michelle has reinvented herself time and time again and has always emerged triumphant after ever transformation. Now, approaching her twenties and with a family of her own, Michelle is about to unleash a brand new record upon us and show yet another side to her charismatic character. She may not be a name on everyone's lips, breaking the record for the most watched video on VEVO within 24 hours or be the most followed female artist on Twitter but the music speaks for itself. This is one true icon that I've always wished to be graced with the pleasure of meeting.'



It has just gone 8am on this overly warm and irritatingly bright Wednesday morning in London. The roads are packed as usual with many people on their way to work and I appear to have found myself stuck in the middle of a jam. Any other day would be fine but when the sun is beating down and my shirt is now sticking to my skin while I'm en route to meet Michelle Alexa Hamilton (née Green) or as she's now simply known as, Michelle, all the hustle and bustle irks me on an entirely new level. After several beeping horns and a few coarse words later, I was back on track and on schedule again. I am not all that familiar with London so throughout my car journey I was just as much of a tourist as I was a journalist. The culture and iconic scenery mixed with the thought of meeting one of the finest singers the city and country has produced was almost too much for me to take. I only hope that my freakishly large smile subsides and the scent of vanilla car air freshener fades away by the time it comes to meeting the pop star. I know that Michelle would never say anything to offend me and will be as sweet as pie but sitting directly across from a glamorous, attractive woman and knowing that your presence is unnerving them is not a very nice feeling.

After a quick coffee stop and being held up in the traffic lights yet again, I finally made it to the location which I was directed too. Most stars either take part in interviews in a hired venue, in a hotel and even over the phone but today I found myself walking up the pathway towards Michelle's home. I knew beforehand that she is a very approachable, open girl but I still couldn't quite believe that she was willing to let me into her home for the interview. For a heart to heart interview which delves into her past and future with a few exclusives thrown in, the personal touch of being sat in her own home is just perfect. The recently constructed luxury apartment complex is situated in a calm, quiet street which is home to no more than three other buildings and even those are spaced far apart. The road comes to a dead end and is surrounded by beautiful greenery. It seems like my dream place to live, not too flashy and pretentious but has a lot of class and more importantly, peace and quiet. I press the intercom before introducing myself to the award winning singer through the device. She directed me to the first floor and sure enough, I find myself being greeted by a very sophisticated looking Michelle who is dressed in attire with a heavy influence from the 1960's - a look which she has been sporting since the beginning of the year after ditching the cropped hair and the black leather leotards she donned during the promotion of her third album, "Live To Tell".

She greets me with a small hug in the doorway and smiles sweetly, "Hi, thank you so much for coming out here. I hope it wasn't too much hassle for you." There are clearly no stroppy diva vibes or any hostility in this household that is for sure. "Come on in, I've got everything set up in the living room. It's the last door on the left." She closes the door behind me and I immediately feel at ease. There is something rather familiar and comforting about her home that I just can't quite put my finger on. Walking down the long hallway and passing a staircase, I am in awe of the size of the place. What surprises me the most though is that for a celebrity home it isn't very extravagant. No overpriced artwork, no golden fountains or butlers waiting in the wings. Michelle heads on through into her kitchen to "flick the kettle on" while I make my way into the living room. After feeling rather relaxed, I am startled by what I see through the corner of my eye. I am taken aback by this strange man who is wondering around shirtless, in his bare feet and wearing grey jogging bottoms, looking rather at home. Then it hits me that this is also his sanctuary. I had been so focused on meeting Michelle that I completely forgot about her husband, Riley Hamilton. I know of Weekend, I neither like nor dislike them but I had been informed that they are not the friendliest bunch. I suddenly feel uneasy as I stand in this shirtless man's living room, feeling the need to explain myself. He then flashes a warm smile before greeting me and referring to me as "mate" before offering something to eat. Although I am starving, I have already agreed to let Michelle make a cup of tea for me so to have a member of Weekend prepare a late breakfast for me would just be taking liberties. I simply could not. While the guy seems lovely, his 6'2, muscular and broad figure is still very intimidating and his deep, gruff voice which makes every word sound like a threat doesn't help matters either. He sits down in one of the chairs, making it clear that he will be joining us for the interview. The boy band member starts to ask me how my day has been so far and if I have been following the World Cup before Michelle returns to the living room with two piping hot cups of tea. I can already tell that this interview is going to be more like a casual conversation in a cafe rather than an interrogation.

While she carefully sips her tea I just have to complete her lovely home and the welcoming atmosphere. "Thank you so much but I can't really take much of the credit. It was Riley's place to start with. I just moved in, bought some sparkly cushions and new curtains and turned it into something a little bit fabulous. It's a great place to live and when I first started dating Riley, I saw this house and was like 'OK, he needs to put a ring on it. I'm not moving from here'. The house is the only reason I'm with him." Michelle laughs and a confused looking Riley turns in his chair to face us. His comical expression already tells me that the pair have a very playful relationship and do not just serve the purpose of being accessories to each others arms for the cameras. "I'm kidding, of course! He's also very good at giving massages so that's two thumbs up. You can't ask for more than that! She grins, looking over at her husband and sipping some more tea while the pair exchange fake displeased looks.

I decide to just dive straight into the interview and bring up her forthcoming studio album. The two free downloads that she shared with the world earlier on in the year definitely raised a few eyebrows and got tongues wagging. The once demure pop starlet is now singing rather explicit songs about a man who can only get pleasure by stimulating himself with his hand as no girls will go near him. Pure poetry. I just have to ask her what the inspiration behind the new album is. There is absolutely now way she woke up one morning and thought to herself. "I'm going to write a song about a man masturbating". With someone like Michelle, who writes very personal lyrics, there is always a story behind the music. "Well I had just moved in with Riley and when I was unpacking, I found this old scrapbook that I had started in school and around the time when I was just signed so I was like thirteen or fourteen years old. It contained pictures of me and my friends at school and ones of my working away in the studio. Underneath a lot of the pictures were little entries that I had written, sort of like a caption slash diary entry. You know I was really young so it was filled with stuff about boys that I liked, a lot of problems that I had and things that were so important to me at the time. But being signed to a major label, I was sort of moulded into what they wanted me to be and for a long time I felt like I couldn't be myself. I was just a song making machine that was worked like a dog and my teenage years were cut short. This new album is sort of me being the teenager that I wasn't allowed to be. Some of the songs might seem a little immature but that's because they were based on the rants of a thirteen year old girl. I couldn't express myself properly back then so this is me letting it all out and having fun at the same time." She blows air onto her cup in an attempt to cool down the boiling beverage.

After I burn my tongue without saying a word as I do not wish to startle her, I take a leap of faith and ask her if she can tell me the title of her album. In recent interviews she has been asked this countless times and has always refused to spill the beans. I still have to ask though as maybe, just maybe, she is willing to reveal all today. "Yes! A lot of people have been asking me and I've been dying to spill it all. I really hate referring to the project as "album number four" but I thought it would be best to hold the title reveal off for a bit just to keep people guessing. I really don't like keeping secrets when it comes to my work but I know that it keeps people excited. The title for the album is a really simple one, the reasoning behind it is self-explanatory. I have decided to name my new album "Songs From The Scrapbook" and I know that it's not the fanciest of names but I think it's cute." Being an avid fan of Mrs Hamilton myself, I can't help but smile after hearing her reveal the title. Also, being one of the first people to know it is an absolute honour.

With the lead single on the way and the album being all wrapped up for months now, I ask her if all of the artwork and photo shoots have been done. This isn't really something I'm usually interested in, the wife is more interested in the fashion side of things but I am intrigued by this new style she has as it's very elegant and classy, compared to the revealing outfits she donned during the last album. "Yes, the photo shoots are all done. I've got the cover sorted, the booklet in the album and everything. There's a very 1960's inspired style incorporated throughout. It's an era which I love for many reasons. The fashion was incredible...just adorable. I've even gone for that look today for our little chat. Well you've got to make an effort haven't you?" I joke around with her, asking if the skimpy leather leotards will be making a return any time soon. Michelle holds her head in her hand and laughs. "No. No more that. That was just for fun, I wouldn't kick about the shops wearing half of that stuff. The looks I'd be getting. Can you imagine?" The sight of seeing the leggy beauty walking past me in the street wearing one of those outfits is not something I would object to though.

With every new album era, you have got to make sure that the lead single is right if you wish to entice people into buying your record. Michelle's lead singles "Fifteen", "Exiled" and "Break The Dawn" have all been ones which have sat up and made us pay attention for different reasons. If she is willing to give us gems like "Aggro" and "Your Hand Is Your Friend" away for free then this new single must be out of this world. "OK well I decided on "Collecting Dust" as the lead single because I think it's one of the catchiest songs on the record and you want that for a lead single. It's also straight up indie-pop which is a dominant sound on the new album. The song is also more radio friendly than the likes of "Aggro" and "Your Hand Is Your Friend" so it'll actually get airplay. It also shows a more fun, upbeat side to the new music and you can expect a lot more of that uplifting sound on "Songs From The Scrapbook". The free downloads were more left field and rather bold." Hearing Michelle talk about the upcoming single only whets my appetite for even more. The fan in me wants to get down on my knees and beg and plead for her to let me hear it. I have to remain professional though because if I let go, I probably would end up causing a scene which I do not wish to do as I'd only embarrass myself in front of a musical icon plus that Riley guy looks like he could take me down with one punch. Better not risk anything.

Before I even get on to asking the next question, Michelle continues and answers if for me anyway. "The song is based on a young couple who used to be very happy in their relationship. It was young love, they couldn't keep their hands off of each other, you know? It then starts to turn a little stale as the guy thinks that just because he's managed to get his feet under the table, he doesn't need to try any more. The girl is the only one really willing to fight but she's running out of energy and is starting to realise that it might not be worth saving." She clears her throat and places a hand above her chest as she continues. "Oh and I promise that this new record is not an excuse to have a dig at guys, it's not like that at all. I don't want to come off sounding like....well you know the type of artist. It just so happens that the first three songs you've heard are just about lousy men."

This new era in her career was kick started earlier this year when a rather controversial yet clever song was posted online anonymously. The song, titled "Aggro", featured the voice of an English female delivering the lines in a half spoken/half sung manner. Within hours, it was being shared all over the web and thousands began speculating who it could be. It wasn't until a week afterwards when Michelle shocked the world and revealed it was her track. I always wondered why she decided to post it without giving her identity away. "Well I decided to release "Aggro" anonymously because I didn't want people to go in with any preconceived ideas. Fans of mine might have been expecting something else and the people that don't like or listen to my music, they would've skipped right over it if they knew it was a song from me. If I just post it with nothing else attached to it, no release date, no fancy artwork and no face to go with the voice, people will only focus on the song and because it has an air of mystery surrounding it a lot more people will be tempted to listen to it." The song itself is outstanding but what caught most people's attention was the coarse language - something never associated with Michelle. "It wasn't really a conscious decision. I didn't sit down and say "right, let's write a song with a few swear words and hope that it shocks a few people." The lyrics just came to me quite naturally. Like I said earlier, these new tracks are based on my findings from within my old scrapbook and I'm really just reflecting how I felt back then onto the song."

Michelle is known for reinventing herself time and time again and is one of those rare artists that can pull off any genre she delves into. Her first record was indie-rock influenced, the second had a more rock/pop vibe and the third one saw get down to some seriously dirty beats. The fourth album looks set to be another mixed bag after hearing the indie-pop vibe on "Aggro" followed by the hip-hop influenced, Deneil produced "Your Hand Is Your Friend". I ask her about what we can expect to hear on her fourth offering. "It's definitely...overall it's definitely indie-pop, that's how I would sum it up and I'd say that it's the easiest way to describe the fusion of different sounds that have been incorporated. There's a track on there which is inspired by my love of music from the 1960's, you've heard the hip-hop influence on "Your Hand Is Your Friend". There's also a handful of bubblegum pop-esque styled songs too. There's quite a bulk of tracks on "Songs From The Scrapbook" that are easier on the ears than people may have imagined based on hearing the two free downloads. There's also that edgier, bolder side to the album as well so there's a bit of a mix but it oddly works when all the songs are put together. Well at least I hope so!" She giggles, covering her mouth and showing off perfectly manicured nails.

I have already managed to get the album title out of her, what to expect from the record and the visuals to go along with it. Asking for some song titles may be pushing it but I am on a roll here and I can't turn down the chance of hearing even more exclusives. "Um, I can name some of them. I wish I could just tell you all of them, believe me! I know it's best to keep a few things under wraps for the time being though. There's obviously "Collecting Dust" and "Your Hand Is Your Friend", they'll be on there. "Aggro" wasn't going to be on the record initially, it was just a leftover track from the recording sessions but because the response was really positive I decided to include that one as well. Um, there's a song on there which I love and it's called "Bike Shed"...you might be able to guess what that one is about. There's a track called "I'm Not Her" which was one of the first ones I recorded for the record and there's also a song on there that I love dearly and it's called "Paper Bag"."

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