A FORMER X-Factor winner and best-selling music artist has launched his latest single from his upcoming album.

Matt Cardle, who grew up near Halstead, launched his latest track Purple Crayon on Friday.

The West End star won the popular talent show The X-Factor back in 2010. More than 19 million viewers tuned in to see Matt’s triumph.

Since, the talented musician has gone in to release four albums with his fifth set to come out the near future.

He said: “Purple Crayon is song about my struggles with addiction to Valium and the escape I found through using it.

“The song’s emotions are intertwined with imagery from my favourite children’s book Harold and the Purple Crayon”.

The song was written, recorded and produced entirely by Matt in his own studio during lockdown with the single said to mark a new approach to songwriting and a new musical direction for the former X Factor winner.

He added: “My previous albums have been about love and relationships, I’ve written enough about that! This time I wanted to write music that was raw and honest."

The single's artwork, which is an abstract painting by artist and Matt's neighbour Aurelie Freoua, is a departure from the standard headshot portraits used for Matt Cardle’s previous covers.

He said: “The idea behind it comes from my hatred for having my photos taken.

"For every album I’ve released there was always a big photoshoot around the cover.

"I thought to avoid that by working with an incredible artist that happens to live upstairs to me, we chose one of her paintings and took sections for each of the singles.”