Leona Lewis
Spirit
Released by J Records/SyCo Music/Sony BMG
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Review - Leona Lewis
Reviewer: Charise Payne
Rating:
Simon Cowell, “American Idol’s” and the “X-Factor’s” king-of-mean, recently announced that he had found the most talent singer he has heard in a decade, causing music fans everywhere to sit up and pay attention.
This talented and amazing singer is Leona Lewis, the third season winner of the UK’s music reality show the “X-Factor”. Lewis is Simon Cowell’s and Clive Davis’ newest discovery, and together, they executive produced Lewis’s debut album “Spirit”.
Listening to Lewis's album, out now, makes you understand what Cowell, Davis and millions of Brits saw in this former receptionist: her voice his huge and is being compared to the likes of Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and the diva herself, Whitney Houston.
Recently, Lewis performed her smash hit, “Bleeding Love,” on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. The British R&B singer was asked by Oprah, “Obviously everybody compares you to, you know, all the greats: Mariah, Celine, Whitney. What does that feel like for you?”
Lewis blushed and said, “It’s a big compliment, I mean, they’re incredible, and they’ve had such long, successful careers. I could only hope to one day follow in their footsteps.”
If this record is a reflection of Lewis’s career to come, she certainly will be right there with the greats. "Spirit" is full of dramatic ballads and R&B fun. Some of these were created by some of music world's most notorious hit-makers, including chart kings Akon, Ne-Yo, and J.R. Rotem. The album was obviously designed to showcase Lewis’s incredible talent, and it succeeds.
"Bleeding Love", written by Ryan Tedder and Jesse McCartney, is a No. 1 smash hit on the Billboard Singles charts. Its huge vocal range, emotionally-driven chorus and dramatic lyrics give you a taste of the entire album.
Ne-Yo’s balled (“I’m You”), Stargate’s balled (“Angel”), and Dallas Austin’s (“Whatever It Takes”) upbeat dance vibe are the anchors of the album. There is also a powerfully-performed version of Avril Lavigne’s “I Will Be,” which I loved. And Rotem’s catchy and sentimental “Better in Time” had me singing along in the car.
A few of the songs, “Foot Prints in the Sand” and “Yesterday”, felt too sentiment and slow, and neither did anything to showcase Lewis’s talent. And “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” might have been one of Lewis’s favorite songs, but it bored me.
This is a good attempt at a great album, and I’m sure Lewis will continue to bring us years of soulful, powerful music, which will be devoured by her adoring fans. I look forward to hearing from her and her huge voice for years to come.
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