Search - Leona Lewis :: Spirit

Leona Lewis
Spirit
Genres: Pop, R&B, Broadway & Vocalists

Track Listings (13) - Disc #1
1. Bleeding Love
2. Better In Time
3. I Will Be
4. I'm You
5. Forgive Me
6. Misses Glass
7. Angel
8. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
9. Yesterday
10. Whatever It Takes
11. Take A Bow
12. Footprints In The Sand (UK bonus cut)
13. Here I Am (UK bonus cut)

UK singer and songwriter Leona Lewis will release her debut album, Spirit, in America on April 8, 2008. For the first time, Clive Davis and Simon Cowell teamed up to sign Lewis to J Records/SyCo Music (Cowell's joint vent... more »ure with Sony BMG), and are both actively involved in the recording process for Spirit. Lewis, a 22-year-old London native and winner of the hit TV show the X Factor, a British talent show, has broken all-time sales records there with Spirit entering the album chart at Number One and becoming Britain's fastest-selling debut ever. Spirit has scanned more than two million copies worldwide since its release in November. In addition, Spirit's lead-off single "Bleeding Love" -- co-written and produced by OneRepublic frontman Ryan "Alias" Tedder -- was the U.K.'s best-selling single of 2007, claiming the Number One spot for seven weeks. Ushering in 2008, Leona received four prestigious Brit Award nominations, the UK equivalent of the Grammy Awards. Leona is currently in the studio recording two brand new tracks for the U.S. release of Spirit - "Forgive Me" by singer/songwriter superstar Akon and "Misses Glass" from the cutting edge producer/writers Madd Scientist and Rock City. Spirit is a mix of fresh pop and R&B, filled with "songs with a contemporary edge," as Lewis puts it, ranging from soulful up-tempo numbers ("I'm You," "The Best You Never Had," and "Whatever It Takes," which Lewis co-wrote) to ballads ("Better in Time," "I Will Be," and "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" -- a song that Roberta Flack made famous). Tracks were written and produced by an array of top-notch hit-makers, including Tedder, singer/songwriters Akon and Ne-Yo, songwriters Josh Alexander and Billy Steinberg, and songwriter/producers Dallas Austin, Stargate, J.R. Rotem, and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald -- all of whom have worked with some of the biggest names in pop. In addition to gracing the covers of UK fashion publications like Harper's Bazaar, US media are touting Leona as the artist to watch in 2008: People Magazine labels her "the UK's hottest star in an "Introducing" piece," Vogue presents her in their "People Are Talking About - The Vogue 25 Cultural Highlights of 2008" and Entertainment Weekly declares her one of "8 To Watch in 2008."

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CD Details

All Artists: Leona Lewis
Title: Spirit
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 2
Label: J-Records
Original Release Date: 4/8/2008
Release Date: 4/8/2008
Genres: Pop, R&B, Broadway & Vocalists
Styles: Adult Contemporary, Vocal Pop, Adult Alternative, Contemporary R&B
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
Other Editions: Spirit (Deluxe Edition) (Incl. Bonus Tracks and Bonus DVD) (PAL Version)
UPC: 886970255424

Synopsis

Album Description

UK singer and songwriter Leona Lewis will release her debut album, Spirit, in America on April 8, 2008. For the first time, Clive Davis and Simon Cowell teamed up to sign Lewis to J Records/SyCo Music (Cowell's joint venture with Sony BMG), and are both actively involved in the recording process for Spirit. Lewis, a 22-year-old London native and winner of the hit TV show the X Factor, a British talent show, has broken all-time sales records there with Spirit entering the album chart at Number One and becoming Britain's fastest-selling debut ever. Spirit has scanned more than two million copies worldwide since its release in November. In addition, Spirit's lead-off single "Bleeding Love" -- co-written and produced by OneRepublic frontman Ryan "Alias" Tedder -- was the U.K.'s best-selling single of 2007, claiming the Number One spot for seven weeks. Ushering in 2008, Leona received four prestigious Brit Award nominations, the UK equivalent of the Grammy Awards. Leona is currently in the studio recording two brand new tracks for the U.S. release of Spirit - "Forgive Me" by singer/songwriter superstar Akon and "Misses Glass" from the cutting edge producer/writers Madd Scientist and Rock City. Spirit is a mix of fresh pop and R&B, filled with "songs with a contemporary edge," as Lewis puts it, ranging from soulful up-tempo numbers ("I'm You," "The Best You Never Had," and "Whatever It Takes," which Lewis co-wrote) to ballads ("Better in Time," "I Will Be," and "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" -- a song that Roberta Flack made famous). Tracks were written and produced by an array of top-notch hit-makers, including Tedder, singer/songwriters Akon and Ne-Yo, songwriters Josh Alexander and Billy Steinberg, and songwriter/producers Dallas Austin, Stargate, J.R. Rotem, and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald -- all of whom have worked with some of the biggest names in pop. In addition to gracing the covers of UK fashion publications like Harper's Bazaar, US media are touting Leona as the artist to watch in 2008: People Magazine labels her "the UK's hottest star in an "Introducing" piece," Vogue presents her in their "People Are Talking About - The Vogue 25 Cultural Highlights of 2008" and Entertainment Weekly declares her one of "8 To Watch in 2008."

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Member CD Reviews

Lisa V. from DENHAM SPGS, LA
Reviewed on 9/1/2012...

Love it!!

1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

CD Reviews

She's got the pipes with elegant tone.

Pedder | New York, NY | 04/08/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Leona Lewis has become the first British female solo artist to top single and album US pop chart in 21 years.

The 22-year-old singer from Hackney has landed the Billboard Hot 100 chart Number One with her ballad "Bleeding Love".

The Americans have gone mad for this Mariah Carey-inspired ballad fest. All she needs to do is smile sweetly while she rakes in the dollars.

The last British female solo artist to do the same was Kim Wilde in 1987, with her cover of the Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On".

It's also the first time in 27 years that a British female artist has debuted at Number One in the US Top 100 Single Chart.

That feat was last achieved in 1981 by Sheena Easton with "Morning Train "(Nine To Five).

The last British woman to top the US album chart was Sade with "Promise" in 1986.

Leona Lewis is the quiet girl with a big voice who conquered the 2006 British "X Factor" ( equivalent of Amerivcan Idol), singing her way to glory with a spectacular set of lungs and endearing herself to the voting public with her sweet personality.

She stormed to number one British chart last Christmas with the winning X Factor single handed to her by the show's producers.

Lewis sings her heart out through stories of loves lost and conquered, with allusions to already established octave-vaulting female divas - Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson and Christina Aguilera - audible in every warble.

She has the technical chops to pull off the imitation.

Tills ringing in their ears, Simon Cowell and Clive Davis have duly stuffed her debut album with songs which sound like offcuts from those other divas' repertoires - rent-a-gospel-choir here, the pretence of some tough R&B attitude there; "inspirational" lyrics and key changes preferred.

The result is an album of almost clockwork perfection - containing enough hits to keep her on the radio till next Christmas ("Better in Time" and "Whatever it Takes" are both as classy as the majestic "Bleeding Love"). But in the end they were able to craft only a bland, glossy pop album, strong on mid-tempo balladry and spiralling vocal gyrations, but short on hooks, innovation and personality.

"Bleeding Love" is the highlight of the album, a superb single that could almost be a sequel to Houston's 1987 classic "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)".

.."Spirit pays quivering lip service to ideas of beauty and talent and 'specialness', but is ultimately too manufactured even to be great manufactured pop. If Lewis is looking for the greatest love of all - public adoration - she will have to do better than this".Times.

Hard to love, hard to hate - but the whole world will buy it.

It's a testament, this, to Simon Cowell's business nous that he resisted a rushed covers album and instead enlisted powerful US music mogul Clive Davis to attract a bevy of America's most successful songwriters to pen a tune for the attractive British young lady.

Leona's success is assured and her talent plain to see, but her musical credibility is still hanging in the balance. Hopefully her second and third albums, which will surely follow, will not be an imitation of former success stories but an example of 21st century pop finery.

You Keep Me Hangin' on

The Very Best of Kim Wilde

Sheena Easton - Greatest Hits

The Ultimate Petula Clark

Promise

Whitney"

Leona has arrived

Roberta Hotard | Somewhere here, Florida | 04/08/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Leona Lewis has arrived, her cd Spirit has made it to the US for all to hear. She has a voice ,between Mariah and Toni Braxton all in one. What a gem to own. Tracks: Bleeding Love, Better In time, I Will Be, I'm You, Forgive Me, Misses Glass, Angel, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Yesterday, Whatever It Takes, Take A Bow, UK bonus : Footprints In The Sand and Here I am .

Im dedicating the songs Bleeding Love, I Will Be to my husband, To my special friend for life the songs Better In Time, Yesterday. To my lord and savior above Footprints In the Sand for guiding me through the good and bad times, thank you for always being there for me. Thanks Leona for the magic and sincere faith in your music. You are a star already for the world."

Decent effort, incredible vocalist, but somewhat bland

C. Eberlein | Boston, MA | 04/25/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not bashing this girl at all, but Spirit - in my opinion - could've been better had it been chock full of better material as a whole rather than a handful of good tunes and tepid, by-the-numbers Hip Hop-inspired pop filling up the remainder. That's not detracting from Leona Lewis herself, who is undoubtedly a great and extremely talented singer (albeit devoid of much personality, but that's part of her appeal and marketability). I do think "Bleeding Love" is a decent song, and one of the album's highlights, however I think it could do with a better, catchier chorus besides simply "Keep bleeding, keep keep bleeding love"; repetition is good, and few lyrics during can be acceptable, especially during a chorus (Britney Spears' "Gimme More" became an international smash hit simply using the words "Gimme gimme more" over and over again), but although Lewis delivers a marvelous, lightly-sung vocal, there seems to be something missing here that would give it a magical finish. Other standouts include "I Will Be," which is somewhat cheesy but one of the best moments here, both production-wise as well as performance, and even the few upbeat tracks (the synth-driven "Whatever It Take" and "Take a Bow"), despite sounding somewhat bland in terms of originality (Lewis sells better as an amazing vocalist on ballads, not by-the-numbers Hip Hop beats). Despite its flaws, Spirit does showcase its artist's brilliant vocals, which seems to be the main selling point here; with a few better songs, I think Spirit could've lived up to Lewis herself."

Beautiful voice and decent debut album

T. Thompson | Maryland | 04/15/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I previewed the album and I've seen her on the various talk shows: GMA, Oprah and Jimmy Kimmel. She has a good live performance. Leona has a beautiful voice, but "SHE REMINDS ME OF MARIAH". Leona's music doesn't include the rap lyrics yet, but down the road she'll succumb like all the other top female artist. When I think of a debut artist who took your breath away, Toni Braxton, Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera come to mind. Her vocal sound does not stand out. I think over time she'll develop her style. It's a good debut album, all of the hot producers and songwriters they could find have put their thumbprint on it. As for her being labeled an R&B artist-not so much! This album is pure pop-sicle."