Cher Lloyd makes rare public appearance as she unveils new music

Cher Lloyd has made a rare public appearance for the first time since releasing new music, stepping out near her Midlands home on Tuesday. The X Factor alum, now 32, has issued her first material in years, with the single Green Light released in April after she premiered Head Down in January.

She was photographed heading to a retail park near her Midlands home, dressed casually in an Adidas jumper and loose-fitting jeans, paired with black Adidas trainers and her hair pulled back into a low ponytail.

From her breakthrough on The X Factor in 2010, the Swagger Jagger singer rose to fame on the ITV talent show, finishing fourth and signing with Simon Cowell's Syco Music. She left the label three years later after a public disagreement over career direction and creative control. In January she released Head Down, a track in which she appears to address her experience with the industry, including the line "You sold me the dream, I was just seventeen, chewed me up, spit me out."

The same year she parted ways with Cowell’s label, Lloyd signaled a pivot toward new music, a move that has culminated in a fresh release cycle that includes Green Light and material tied to an upcoming third studio album. Social posts and previews have framed the return as a long-gestating comeback for an artist who has largely kept a lower profile in recent years.

In a TikTok clip promoting the new single, Lloyd described the track as part of a broader narrative about resilience, saying: "I wrote this song about when it feels like you're the only one when it feels like you've hit a brick wall. The music industry can be dark at times. Some of the stories may never be told but mine is yours to hear." The post also hints at a broader project she has been building for more than a decade.

Lloyd's personal life has also evolved in recent years. She married her partner Craig Monk in 2018 after less than two years of dating, and the couple welcomed daughter Delilah-Rae that May. A second daughter, Eliza Violet, followed in 2023. The singer has largely kept out of the spotlight in the years since, focusing on her family while building toward new music.

Fans welcomed the return this year when Lloyd revealed on Instagram that new music was on the way, posting a selfie with the caption "Happy new year! I think it's time for some new music... this is not a drill!!" The ongoing rollout suggests Green Light is part of a broader third studio album she described earlier as forthcoming, signaling a new chapter after more than a decade since her debut.