Locals Only: Cassie Henderson on her new single and X Factor NZ

Cassie Henderson became a household name in 2013 when she competed on X Factor NZ - and seven years later she is back with new music.

She was just 14 years old when she competed in the first season of the singing competition show and finished in 5th place.

"I was very excited to get into [music] but I just found I was a bit too young and had a bit to accomplish. After finishing high school and growing up as a person I really tried to figure out why I wanted to do music and why I was passionate about it," she tells Hauraki presenter Angelina Grey for NZME's Locals Only series.

Now 22, Henderson says she feels confident in her songwriting ability and was glad she took the time to hone her skills.

She knew it was the right time to release new music when she wrote Tainted one night in 2019 when she was home from a uni break.

"I finished it late at night and I was like 'this cool, I like this, if I wake up tomorrow and [don't] hate it, it will be progress in my songwriting," Henderson says.

The next morning, she was still proud of the song and decided to post it on her social media accounts.

The singer's latest single Burns Brighter represents how the artist has grown too. It's a song about self-love and being the best version of yourself.

"There's always room to grow, and there's always room to be a better version of yourself," she says.

•Watch the full interview with Angelina Grey above, and listen to the series of Locals Only podcasts on iHeart Radio below, thanks to NZ On Air.