Saara Aalto has revealed she has cut ties with Sony Music a year after finishing as a runner-up on ‘The X Factor’.
The Finnish singer has ended her deal with the label – who is also the UK and US distributor of Simon Cowell’s Syco Records – and admitted it didn’t feel like they were the right time to push her career in the right direction.
Announcing a move to label rivals Warner Music, the 30-year-old star told The Sun newspaper: "I was honoured I was signed to Sony. But later I felt like they weren’t the right team. When I met the people at Warner they were very excited about my style and making me into this big theatrical artist."
Saara is currently working on her new album, and a collaboration with Matt Terry, who beat her to the ‘X Factor’ crown in 2016.
Her ties to the show – and music mogul Simon – aren’t totally severed, with the star revealing she is still part of the talent show "family".
Adding that there are no hard feeling over the move, she explained: "He knows. I’m doing X Factor Finland, so I’m still part of the Sony family."
Saara thoroughly enjoyed taking part in ‘The X Factor’ because she was able to move to London but has admitted it was one of the hardest things she’s experienced in her life thus far.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz at Magic At The Musicals in May earlier this year, she said: "It was the best experience and the most exhausting experience of my life. It was really tough. Fortunately I got to be there for the whole time. Of course it was really tiring.
"So many months in the ‘X Factor’ house and sharing my room with five other girls was tough. But my whole life changed because of the show. I am seeing all these things we don’t have in Finland."