Karen Harding
{{Short description|British musical artist}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Karen Harding
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1991|11|18}}
| birth_place = Consett, Durham, England
| genre = {{hlist|House|R&B|pop|2-step garage}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter}}
| instrument = Vocals
| years_active = 2010–present
| label = {{hlist|Method|Capitol|Ultra}}
| associated_acts = MNEK, Gorgon City
}}
Karen Harding (born 18 November 1991) is an English singer and songwriter from Consett, County Durham. Her first single, "Say Something", released in February 2015, entered the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart.
Early life
Born to an English father and Filipino mother, Harding grew up in Consett and attended Moorside Community Technology College.{{cite web|url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/2227595.music_provides_life_and_a_recording_contract_for_karen/|title=Music provides life – and a recording contract for Karen|author=Barry Nelson|work=The Northern Echo}} She used to work at her parents' oriental food store and, in 2008, won a regional music competition called Music Means Life.{{cite web| url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/2227595.music_provides_life_and_a_recording_contract_for_karen/ | title=Music provides life – and a recording contract for Karen|author=Barry Nelson|work=The Northern Echo}} One of her first recordings was a cover version of the anti-racism song "Strange Fruit", made famous by Billie Holiday.{{cite web|url = http://www.sunderlandecho.com/what-s-on/gigs-music/serving-up-a-top-10-former-sunderland-takeaway-worker-karen-harding-reaches-number-seven-in-the-charts-1-7094665|title = Serving up a top 10: Former Sunderland takeaway worker Karen Harding reaches number seven in the charts|work = Sunderland Echo|access-date = 25 February 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224439/http://www.sunderlandecho.com/what-s-on/gigs-music/serving-up-a-top-10-former-sunderland-takeaway-worker-karen-harding-reaches-number-seven-in-the-charts-1-7094665|archive-date = 3 March 2016|url-status = dead}}
She is a supporter of Newcastle United.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}
Music career
In 2010, she competed on the television programme Eurovision: Your Country Needs You, the national final deciding who would represent the United Kingdom in that year's Eurovision Song Contest.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/wear/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8557000/8557898.stm|title=Karen from Consett will sing on Your Country Needs You|website=BBC News|access-date=10 August 2016}}
- {{cite web|url=http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/singer-karen-harding-aiming-eurovision-1411642|title=Singer Karen Harding aiming for Eurovision|author=Katie Davies|date=6 March 2010|work=N E Chronicle}}
- {{cite web|url=http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/124925/Eurovision-hopeful-has-previously-beaten-Joe-McElderry-in-a-singing-contest|title=Eurovision hopeful has previously beaten Joe McElderry in a singing contest|work=Daily Star|date=5 March 2010}} She was eliminated in the penultimate round after singing Kylie Minogue's "What Do I Have to Do".{{cite web|url=http://www.eurovision.tv/page/news?id=10273&_t=Josh+flying+the+flag+for+United+Kingdom+in+Oslo|title=Josh flying the flag for United Kingdom in Oslo|work=Eurovision.tv}} Harding was a contestant on the tenth series of the television singing competition The X Factor, but was eliminated at the boot camp stage during the controversial six-chair challenge.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/sep/30/x-factor-viewers-complain-cruel-bootcamp-twist|title=X Factor viewers complain over 'cruel' bootcamp twist|author=John Plunkett|work=The Guardian|date=30 September 2013}}
Following The X Factor, Harding was approached by the producer MNEK, who had seen a video she uploaded onto the Internet of her covering Disclosure's "Latch". She was subsequently signed by Disclosure's record label, Method Records.{{cite web|url=http://www.thefourohfive.com/news/article/karen-harding-interviewed-141|title=The 405 meets Karen Harding|work=The 405|access-date=1 December 2014|archive-date=4 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204210029/http://www.thefourohfive.com/news/article/karen-harding-interviewed-141|url-status=dead}} Her first single, the MNEK-produced "Say Something", was released in January 2015 by Method and Capitol Records{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/say-something-single/909395507|title=iTunes Music – Say Something – Single by Karen Harding|website=iTunes Store|date=January 2014}} and attracted notice from Fact magazine, MuuMuse, Noisey and The Singles Jukebox.{{cite web|url=http://www.muumuse.com/2014/10/say-something-video-karen-harding-takes-over-the-dance-floor.html/|title="Say Something" Video: Karen Harding Takes Over The Dance Floor|author=Bradley Stern|work=MuuMuse|date=3 October 2014}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.thesinglesjukebox.com/?p=13809|title=The Singles Jukebox » Karen Harding – Say Something|website=Thesinglesjukebox.com|accessdate=16 February 2021}}{{cite web|url=http://noisey.vice.com/en_uk/blog/premiere-karen-harding-say-something|title=PREMIERE: Karen Harding – "Say Something"|work=Noisey}}{{cite news|url=http://www.factmag.com/2014/09/04/stream-wookies-remix-of-newcomer-karen-hardings-say-something/|title=Stream Wookie's remix of newcomer Karen Harding's 'Say Something'|newspaper=Fact Magazine|date=4 September 2014|access-date=10 August 2016}} "Say Something" entered the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number seven, with frequent airplay on BBC Radio 1 and its sister station, 1Xtra.{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/mark-ronsons-uptown-funk-scores-seventh-week-at-number-1-3456/|title=Uptown Funk scores 7th week at Number 1|publisher=Official Charts}}
- {{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/playlist|title=BBC – Radio 1Xtra – Playlist|work=Radio 1Xtra}}
- {{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/playlist|title=BBC – Radio 1 – Playlist|work=Radio 1}} It spent 26 weeks on the official charts and achieved platinum status.
Harding has worked with producers and songwriters such as Tom Aspaul, CocknBullKid, Mark J. Feist, Rodney Jerkins, Jimmy Napes and Richard Stannard. She is featured on the house duo Arches' single "New Love", released in April 2015,{{cite web|url=http://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/2015/04/premiere-arches-new-love-ft-karen-harding/|title=Premiere: Arches "New Love" ft Karen Harding |work=Wonderland|date=10 April 2015 }} and on Blonde's single "Feel Good (It's Alright)", released in August 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.dropoutuk.com/music/14128/video-blonde-feat-karen-harding-feel-good-it-s-alright.html|title=VIDEO: Blonde Feat Karen Harding 'Feel Good (It's Alright)'|work=Dropout UK|access-date=29 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923220622/http://www.dropoutuk.com/music/14128/video-blonde-feat-karen-harding-feel-good-it-s-alright.html|archive-date=23 September 2015|url-status=dead}} Harding played at several festivals during mid-2015, including Birmingham Pride, Ibiza Rocks, Lovebox, Manchester Pride and Parklife.{{cite web|url=http://loveboxfestival.com/programme/karen-harding/|title=Karen Harding|publisher=Love Box Festival|access-date=3 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603210410/http://loveboxfestival.com/programme/karen-harding/|archive-date=3 June 2015|url-status=dead}}
Harding's influences include female solo artists such as Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson and Lisa Stansfield, as well as dance and garage acts Artful Dodger, Craig David and Madison Avenue.{{cite web|url=http://www.hungertv.com/feature/get-know-karen-harding/|title=Get To Know: Karen Harding|website=Hunger TV|access-date=18 January 2015|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304192214/http://www.hungertv.com/feature/get-know-karen-harding/|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/2015/01/karen-harding-talks-getting-booted-off-the-x-factor-and-mnek-produced-debut-say-something|title=Karen Harding X Factor MNEK Debut Single 'Say Something' – |work=Grazia Live|date=16 January 2015 }} She has also cited house music of the 1990s as an influence.{{cite web|url=http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/consett-singer-karen-harding-heading-8527752|title=Consett singer Karen Harding heading for the top 10 with Say Something|author=Duke|date=27 January 2015|work=N E Chronicle}}
In May 2016, Harding was selected to perform the English national anthem at the 2016 FA Cup Final. However, she missed her cue, and only managed to join in with the crowd for the last few lines.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36350092 |title=FA Cup final 2016: Singer Karen Harding misses cue to sing national anthem |website=BBC Sport |date=21 May 2016 |access-date=10 August 2016}}
"Need Your Love", a 2023 single she recorded with Felix Cartal, was the winner of the Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2024.[https://www.cbc.ca/music/junos/juno-awards-2024-full-list-winners-1.7149545 "Junos 2024: full list of winners"]. CBC Music, March 23, 2024.
Discography
=Studio albums=
class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
Title
! Details |
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scope="row"| Take Me Somewhere
|
|
=Extended plays=
class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
Title
! Details |
---|
scope="row"| Sweet Vibrations
|
|
=Singles=
== As lead artist ==
==As featured artist==
class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:1em"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Certifications ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album |
---|
scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| UK ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:85%;"| IRE |
scope="row"| "New Love" (Arches featuring Karen Harding) | rowspan="2"| 2015 | — || — | | rowspan="2" {{N/A|Non-album singles}} |
scope="row"| "Feel Good (It's Alright)" (Blonde featuring Karen Harding) | 76 || — | |
scope="row"| "Sweet Lies" (Wilkinson featuring Karen Harding) | rowspan="2"| 2016 | — || — | | Hypnotic |
scope="row"| "Good for Me" (Giorgio Moroder featuring Karen Harding) | — || — | | {{N/A|Non-album single}} |
scope="row"| "Gun Shy" (ImanoS featuring Pusha T & Karen Harding) | rowspan="4"| 2017 | — || — | | xXx: Return of Xander Cage |
scope="row"| "Down" (FooR featuring Karen Harding) | — || — | | rowspan="6" {{N/A|Non-album singles}} |
scope="row"| "The Weekend" (This Diamond Life featuring Karen Harding) | — || — | |
scope="row"| "More & More" (Tom Zanetti featuring Karen Harding) | 73 || — | |
scope="row"| "With U" (Official Untold Festival Anthem 2018){{Cite web |title=WITH U (feat. Karen Harding) Official Untold Festival Anthem 2018 – Single by Tujamo |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/with-u-feat-karen-harding-official-untold-festival/1413807245 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240930230403/https://music.apple.com/us/album/with-u-feat-karen-harding-official-untold-festival/1413807245 |archive-date=30 September 2024 |access-date=1 October 2024 |website=Apple Music}} (Tujamo featuring Karen Harding) | rowspan="2"| 2018 | — || — | |
scope="row"| "Stay" (Le Youth featuring Karen Harding) | — || — | |
scope="row"| "All for You" (Wilkinson featuring Karen Harding) | 2019 | — || — | |
scope="row"| "Unity" (Röyksopp featuring Karen Harding) | rowspan="2"| 2022 | — || — | |
scope="row"| "Free to Love" (Louie Vega featuring Karen Harding) | — || — | | |
scope="row"| "Bring Me Joy" (Rudimental featuring Karen Harding){{cite web|url=https://readdork.com/news/rudimental-bring-me-joy-karen-harding/|title=Rudimental have released their new single 'Bring Me Joy' featuring Karen Harding.|website=Read Dork|date=21 June 2024|accessdate=22 June 2024}} | 2024 | 63 || — | | {{tba}} |
colspan="20" style="font-size:85%"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released. |
=Guest appearances=
class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" |
scope="col" style="width:18em"| Title
! scope="col" style="width:1em"| Year ! scope="col"| Artist ! scope="col"| Album |
---|
scope="row"| "All U Need"{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/bangers-ballads/1408651178|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820142604/https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/bangers-ballads/1408651178|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 August 2018|title=Bangers & Ballads by Example|website=iTunes (UK)|date=17 August 2018}}
| 2018 | Example |
=Songwriting credits=
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harding, Karen}}
Category:Capitol Records artists
Category:English dance musicians
Category:English house musicians
Category:English people of Filipino descent
Category:British contemporary R&B singers
Category:Musicians from County Durham
Category:The X Factor (British TV series) contestants
Category:Filipino British musicians
Category:21st-century English women singers