Leona Lewis "Spirit" review

The wait is finally over. After 11 months since Leona Lewis was crowned X-Factor champion of 2006, she has released her much-anticipated album by the name of 'Spirit'.


Unlike her predecessors who have won the Pop Idol / X-Factor shows, it was decided that she wouldn’t be rushed into releasing an album. Instead she would spend time jetting between the States and the UK collaborating and writing songs with producers who have worked with the top artists from the modern era. Having sampled the songs a few times, it can only be described as a 'fantastic' debut album – easily the best album to have come out from a talent show winner in the UK, and one that has the potential to make an impact world-wide. And working under the wings of Clive Davies and Ne Yo to name a few, she couldn’t really go wrong. Most of the songs have the potential to be hit singles in their own right. The one negative point is that she may have overdone it in quantity of ballads. I personally would have preferred a more up-tempo diva-ish RnB album; one that would challenge the likes of Beyonce and Christina. However, with a voice as good as Leona’s this was enough to make almost anyone like album, even though most of them are sloppy love songs.

Bleeding Love and A Moment Like This are songs which have already proven to be a great success and charted at Number 1 in the UK. One of the few up-tempo tunes on the album – Take A Bow – is personally my favourite track, and should be released as a single. It’s both edgy and catchy.

Homeless, Yesterday and Footprints in the Sand are three further tracks which are amazing ballads – show casing Leona’s undisputed vocal talents and proving why she is being hailed as a potential world-wide superstar. Only time will tell. Move over Mariah and Whitney because Leona Lewis from Hackney in London is about to take the world by storm!

By Simon Chan
p+c Panosmusic

Watch The Video of "Bleeding Love"



Making Of "Bleeding Love"



And Leona at X-Factor Final performing "All By My Self"

Celine Dion 'Taking Chances'

Celine Dion did not intend to reinvent herself with her new album, "Taking Chances".

It's just that she evolved when you weren't looking. "Taking Chances" has some harder-edged songs that sound like Kelly Clarkson could be belting them out.

Dion says she chose the songs for the album without knowing they were that different. She listens to them now and notices they are edgier, but she says, "This is where I am right now." She says she's "not a new Celine" but she's definitely "more mature and more grounded." "Taking Chances" is her first pop album since she spent five years doing her show in Las Vegas.

Watch The Video of "Taking Chances"