Astro Added to New Cher Lloyd Single “Want U Back”

Two successful X Factor contestants are helping each other out. Astro, the young rapper from the first season of the U.S. X Factor, is appearing in the latest single for Cher Lloyd, the fourth-place finisher from the last season of the U.K. version. In her home country, Lloyd found post-X Factor success with single “Swagger Jagger” and her debut LP Sticks + Stones and is looking to break into the U.S. Having Astro appear on “Want U Back” is part of that strategy.

The other, and perhaps more significant, part is signing to L.A. Reid’s label Epic Records. When the news was announced earlier in December, Lloyd told the press: "He finds me quite funny. He said I am very outgoing and I say what I want and he likes that. He told me that I'm really fresh and he's very excited. With the USA, I'm not going to run before I can walk. It's quite a big thing to try and achieve but you never know what's going to happen."

One of the U.S. X Factor judges, Reid thinks Lloyd has potential to be a big star. During the U.S. X Factor’s run, Reid said pre-show: "Listen, you need to know that [Cher Lloyd] will be a massive star in America. Watch out. Cher Lloyd, watch it."

At the time, the “Swagger Jagger” singer said: "It's a bit crazy because I don't expect anyone to know who I am because I live in the UK. I'm from ‘The X Factor’ and I came fourth. It's crazy and it gives me a lot of hope."

Perhaps the U.S. will become familiar with Lloyd fairly soon. Since signing to Epic, Lloyd’s team has explained that Sticks + Stones will debut in North America next year but that they are still looking for more songs to record. Hopefully, Lloyd’s debut will make it to the other side of the Atlantic without going through a drastic transformation and delay, à la Nicole Scherzinger’s U.S. debut. “Swagger Jagger,” however, may or may not be the first U.S. single.