[1] After winning the seventh series of TV talent competition The X Factor, it was announced on 15 March 2011 that Cardle had signed a record deal with Simon Cowell's Syco Music, in a joint venture with Columbia Records, becoming the first X Factor winner not to be exclusively signed to Cowell's label.

Cardle soon began work on his debut studio album, which just days after his X Factor win, was slated for release on 24 October 2011.

During an interview given on the day of the announcement, Cardle revealed the name of several album tracks, and the process behind writing them: "Starlight is a depressing, yet happy song about the insignificance of everything.

"[8] The BBC gave an unfavourable review, calling Letters "over-produced" and "a barrage of formulaically chugging soft-rock structures and overwhelming strings.

"[9] The Daily Telegraph claimed that Cardle's vocals sound "off-key"[10] while Digital Spy rated it two out of five stars, faulting the album for "mushy, MOR soft-rock production.

"[13] The Observer rated it three out of five, calling the album "widescreen guitar pop based around overwrought choruses that demand gurning as they're belted.

"[20] In its review, Female First, an online "celebrity gossip and lifestyle magazine," concluded that "'Letters', in all honesty, isn't a particularly adventurous record," but predicted it "will go some way to help [Cardle] establish himself as a serious musician and song-writer.

"[22] Orange UK gave the album a very favorable review, choosing "Letters" and "Beat of a Breaking Heart" as stand-out tracks, while praising Cardle's "excellent", "stunning", and "heartfelt" vocals[23] Despite the mixed reviews, in December 2011, "Letters" and "Starlight" were voted album and song of the year by readers of The Guardian.