TV sensation Megan Mckenna rose to fame with her appearances on Ex On The Beach, Celebrity Big Brother, and The Only Way Is Essex, and then, in 2018, she launched her music career, releasing her debut album Story Of Me which peaked at number four on the UK country chart and debuted at number one on iTunes, as well as the singles High Heeled Shoes, History, and Everything But You.

For fans of Mckenna, this didn’t come as a shock. The 2017 documentary There’s Something About Megan profiled her journey to Nashville to experience the country music scene that she’d always loved and introduced her talents as a musician for the first time. It offered viewers a chance to really explore the person behind Mckenna’s public persona, and revealed her passion for music.

Mckenna accepts that music wasn’t always her prime passion though, and that TV has played a huge part in her success. So when the opportunity came to combine both interests by appearing on The X Factor: Celebrity in 2019, she naturally jumped at the chance.

When it came to the final of the competition, and McKenna’s performance of her original track This, she admits to being lost for words. Victory followed and after months and months of fans clamouring for a release of the track, McKenna has now dropped a single version of This. It’s every bit as rousing as the performance we remember from the show, a big, impassioned ballad that frames McKenna’s rich vocals. 

“I’ve had so many knock backs which have made me who I am today,” Megan says. “Some people might have given up, but it gave me more fire inside and more determination. It’s been a struggle, but I’ve come out stronger and that’s what This is about.

“What I love about the song is that it can have so many different meanings. For some people it might be about love, happiness, family or friendships. It can be about overcoming any of life’s struggles.”

Next up for McKenna is a slot on the main stage at the Isle of Wight festival this summer, and she is also scheduled to support Lionel Richie on his upcoming UK tour.

Watch the official lyrics video for This here.

Author: Joe Sharratt

Joe Sharratt is a writer and journalist based in the UK covering music, literature, sport, and travel.