X Factor: Saara Aalto talks working with Girls Aloud hitmaker on new song ‘It's different'

Aalto came second on the ITV talent show in 2016, and went on to represent her homeland Finland in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

She also signed to Warner’s Finnish arm, toured with Steps, and reached No2 on her country’s album charts with Wild Wild Wonderland.

One song that quickly became a fan favourite was My Touch; co-written and produced by Brian Higgins.

The Xenomania legend is responsible for the overwhelming majority of Girls Aloud’s songs; including The Promise, Love Machine, Something Kinda Ooooh and Call The Shots.

His other successes include work with Alesha Dixon, Sugababes, The Saturdays, Amelia Lily, Kylie Minogue, Rachel Stevens and Gabriella Cilmi.

My Touch is an energetic pop belter that showcases Aalto’s ability to deliver a powerful vocal over an uptempo beat.

“Brian… he’s so interesting,” she told Express.co.uk. “I have never met anybody like him. The way he works is completely different.

“It’s not a typical way of making music – like, ‘let’s find lyrics, find melody, play the piano’… it’s not like that.

“We have the idea of a track and we improvise on it and choose some bits here and there. I was really excited about the way he works because it’s something different.”

She added: “I would really love to work with him again because he does the best songs! I love My Touch, it’s going to be one of the craziest moments on tour – I’m so happy.”

Aalto’s collaborators also included original Fame Academy winner David Sneddon, but she said the pair didn’t trade stories on how they survived the TV talent show machine.

“He is so nice, so musical,” she beamed.

“He’s one of the people I would really like to work with again. We didn’t really talk about his life, actually, that much. We were so into the music.

“I love that song [Dance Like Nobody’s Watching, a piano ballad] – I think it’s one of the best on the album.”

Aalto is currently touring the UK – she’s already played Glasgow and Manchester, and will be at London’s Borderline on Sunday, October 7.

After that she heads to Belfast and Dublin; plus multiple shows in Finland.

Tickets for Saara Aalto’s UK tour are available at LiveNation.co.uk.