James Arthur was born in Saltburn-by-the-Sea near Middlesbrough, to Shirley Ashworth and Neil Arthur. His parents split up when he was young and Arthur spent time as a child living in Bahrain before moving back to the UK with his mother as a teenager. Watch the video for Impossible from James Arthur's Impossible for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists.
The CD single was released on 12 December 2012. Profits from each download are expected to be at least £0.25 and all profits from CD and download sales will be donated to the charity Together for Short Lives. The charity works with 'children with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions.' Speaking on the decision to support Together for Short Lives, Simon Cowell creator and executive producer of The X Factor said, 'It is such an inspiring and important charity for so many kids and their families who really need help and support. I'm delighted that The X Factor's winner single sales will go directly to helping them.' In its first week, the single sold 490,000 copies, making it the UK's fastest-selling single of 2012.
The song also peaked at number one in Ireland, number two in both Australia and Switzerland, and number one in Slovakia. Arthur's version of ' Impossible' was the best selling single of 2012 in the Republic of Ireland, where it became the 2012 Christmas number one, with 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' peaking at number four. The track also became a huge success worldwide, topping the charts in the Czech Republic, Greece, Luxembourg and Slovakia. It also reached number two in Australia, New Zealand, Spain and Switzerland, number three in Belgium, number four in Austria, number five in Germany and number six in France and Hungary.