Leona's back. Yay!
Adrian the Complex Lonely | USA | 09/19/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"September 19th, 2009
I'm gonna start out by saying I'm not a huge fan of Ryan Tedder's production work because a lot of it is starting to sound the same. Compare Beyoncé's "Halo" to Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" to this track, Leona's "Happy" and you see similarities to the beat.
However, although I thought this song was sadly a bust when I initially heard it on Diva's live 2 nights ago, hearing it now it's quite an improvement. It's listenable.
It starts off quiet with just Leona and the piano but once the chorus bursts onto the scene, you hear bass and Leona sporting a louder vocal.
There's also a gradual high note towards the end that will make you smile. She has great range.
I also like the cover. It's a lot different from the stuff she used to do but that's alright. She's growing.
The rating is closer to a 3.25.
3 stars
end note: I actually like the cover art too. However, I hope the album looks more toned-down (can't post the picture I wanted to).
"
Leona 2.0
Michael Kerner | Brooklyn, New York U.S.A. | 09/17/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"There honestly has been no question about the rise that Leona Lewis has brought into the mainstream, and the soulfulness of her voice as a strong siren. After last year, with her strong debut Spirit, and a dynamic performance at the 2008 Summer Olympics, she is definitely one of the very few acts out there of the young starlets that actually has the feeling of a strong voice. That also was said very well with her latest single, Happy, the first single from her upcoming album Echo. As she sung on the Season Finale of America's Got Talent, the song is definitely a strong ballad, and handles very well with the body of Leona's voice that matches well from her pervious hits like I Will Be and Bleeding Love. I really was drawn into the song very nicely, and it just really handles better than a lot of the songs the wannabe divas like Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna and Jordin Sparks haven't been able to shine as vividly on. If you can't wait for Echo to come out, than Happy would be a great addition for your MP3 library.
Song: B 1/2+"
Track Listings (2) - Disc #1