Annie Lennox quits label after 30 years to target No1

Annie Lennox has quit her record label after 30 years to launch an assault on the charts for the Christmas number one.

The 55-year-old Scottish singer will release her next album, a collection of "dark" covers of Christmas carols, through Island Records in the UK.

Lennox, who has sold over 80 million albums worldwide with the Eurythmics and as a solo artist, has left music giant Sony. She has signed with the Universal Music Group, whose artists include Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

Its labels include Island, which will release Lennox's album in the UK, and Decca Records, which will put out A Christmas Cornucopia elsewhere.

Lennox said she had wanted to make the album "for many years", adding: "I've never been part of a 'mould' and Island are really supportive and appreciative of where I'm coming from."