Exclusive: Charlie Simpson: 'X Factor is not part of the music industry'

Charlie Simpson has claimed that The X Factor does not affect the music industry as a whole.

The singer, who is gearing up to release his debut solo album next month, said that the talent show is separate from the rest of the industry.

Simpson told Digital Spy: "It's irrelevant. It is its own monster, so I don't think it affects the music industry really.

"There is always a song that comes out at Christmas; some of the artists last, some don't, and it goes on - it's a machine."

Simpson, who co-founded boyband Busted ten years ago before joining rock group Fightstar, also admitted that pop music is "in a weird place" compared to when he started out.

"I came into the music industry at the last moment before all the major changes," he said. "It had been pretty much the same for 50 years until downloads were introduced.

"Pop music is in a weird place at the moment, and no-one knows which way it is going. I think we're in a transition period - in ten years there will be a system that works."

Simpson releases his new single 'Parachutes' on August 7. The album, Young Pilgrim, follows on August 15.

> Read Digital Spy's interview with Charlie Simpson here

Watch Charlie Simpson's 'Parachutes' music video below: