Leona Lewis

Leona Lewis - Collide (Audio)

2011-07-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

Leona Lewis and Plan B sign up for Radio 1's Hackney Weekend

2011-05-24T04:31:00.000-07:00

Leona Lewis and Plan B will appear in a free concert at Hackney Marshes, scheduled to coincide with the 2012 Olympic Games in London. BBC Radio 1's Hackney Weekend will take over the last weekend in June, traditionally the Glastonbury festival weekend, as Glasto takes a one-year break.

Lewis and Plan B will join DJ Trevor Nelson and 80 other acts at the east London bash, allegedly the Olympics season's first major event. It is the "biggest show in [Radio 1] history," Lewis said in a statement. "To be part of this event is so important to me." More than 100,000 tickets will be available for the concerts, which span six stages.

Radio 1 controller Andy Parfitt emphasised the scale of this special Big Weekend, which will double the capacity of previous events. "This is the most ambitious event in the station's 44-year history," he said. The majority of tickets will go to people living near Hackney, and Trevor Nelson will also lead a talent search among east London musicians and DJs. "We aim to enhance the overall London 2012 summer with a celebratory event aimed specifically at the thousands of young people who live in the boroughs directly surrounding the Olympic Park," Parfitt said.

This year's Radio 1 Big Weekend took place in Carlisle, 14-15 May. Lady Gaga and Foo Fighters headlined the festival, for which 750,000 people applied for 20,000 tickets.

Leona Lewis - The Labyrinth Tour: Live from the O2 Review

2011-01-19T04:11:00.000-08:00

1. Brave - 5:26
2. Don't Let Me Down - 4:45
3. Better in Time - 4:11
4. Whatever It Takes - 3:33
5. Happy - 4:47
6. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - 4:46
7. Outta My Head - 4:47
8. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - 3:22
9. Run - 6:41
10. Bleeding Love - 6:03

Please note that this review is for the CD version of the show.

Leona Lewis is a solid vocalist. You could say what you will about whatever genre she falls into, but I don't think anyone can deny that this woman sings her ass off. Okay, so she doesn't have the personality of a Gaga, the diva tendencies of a Mariah or a Christina, or whatever the hell Björk has, but it's obvious she loves singing, and her music reflects this. She always seems to stop just short of overpowering a song, with no vocal theatrics coming at the expense of the music itself. Or, to put it another way, her passion comes from singing, not the spotlight.

Of course, that doesn't change the fact that her talent gets lost in formula. Most of the time, her recorded works sound about as tailor-made for the radio as you can get, following a strict pattern: showcase her as a powerhouse, produce some dramatics on a synthesizer, verse-chorus-verse, and wrap it up within three or four minutes for easy consumption. Sometimes she gets her hands on a hook and it works, but listening to her studio albums front to back kind of loses the catchy moments - and her good performances, which don't really have much grit - in the standard template.

Theoretically, taken out of the studios and given a live band to work with, we could get a glimpse of the real Leona. Theoretically. The first track, "Brave," while not radically changed from its Echo counterpart, was a perfect choice for an opener; the kind of song that adds layer upon layer as it progresses, from light guitar to thick strings and group vocals provides a suitably epic feel to get everybody in the right frame of mind. "Don't Let Me Down" provides a nice little one-two punch, but the surprise is with the song "Better In Time." Whoever's idea it was to turn the song into a rock number should be commended, as it has so much extra life to it that it puts it leagues ahead of the version on Spirit.

Things get ugly once "Outta My Head" comes on. Not gonna lie, I never thought this was a good song to begin with, with garish vocal effects and a flat out poor composition, but live.... gahhhhhhhhahhhhh. The instrumentation comes off generic at best and poor at worst, the chorus is uninspired, and that ugly ascending vocal effect they keep using makes me long for something more musical, like, say, Merzbow. (note: low volume advised)

Throughout, the mixing of the record is a little strange, since for someone promoted as a powerful vocalist, Leona isn't as prominent in the mix as you'd think - in fact, her singing is no more prominent than the instruments. Take the grand finale, which is "Bleeding Love" (because what the hell else is it going to be). The song starts off light, with the recognizable organ (and that crunchy beat that's just so awesome), and she's loud and clear, but as the song progresses, she and her backup singers start to get a little swallowed up. It's a good performance, with an inspired and impressive performance from all parties involved, but it's curious that the band gets a little extra emphasis since Leona definitely has nothing to hide. At any rate, though, that extra oomph from the band, an appreciative London crowd and Leona doing what she does best adds up to a nice little diversion at ten tracks.

Wait. Ten tracks?

That's a bit of a brief concert, isn't it? I mean, I know she only has two albums out, but...

What's on the DVD/Blu-Ray?

1. Intro / Brave
2. Don t Let Me Down
3. Better In Time
4. Whatever It Takes
5. Take A Bow
6. Video Interlude: Ride A White Swan
7. I See You
8. Can't Breathe
9. Forgive Me
10. Happy
11. Could It Be Magic
12. I Got You
13. Cry Me A River
14. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
15. Homeless
16. Video Interlude: They Don t Care About Us
17. Outta My Head
18. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
19. Run
20. Bleeding Love

There's twice the amount of content on the DVD/Blu Ray?? I... you... the... I.... the... but... I... abuh?
I mean, I know only so much can fit on a CD, and there's visual stuff to edit out, but that CD clocks in at less than fifty minutes. Look, I'll admit that I haven't watched the full concert - based on teasers, there seems to be a lot of shirtless dudes and sparkly things - but you can't tell me that there's so much visual-oriented material that they had to trim it down within an inch of its life. It's supposed to accompany the video, not be a teaser for it. And besides that, I missed out on a Justin Timberlake cover? Oh, we're through, producers of this album. We are so through.

His 'n' hers: Leona Lewis and boyfriend Dennis Jauch step out in matching boots as he heads home to Germany

2011-01-14T03:27:00.000-08:00

They say a close couple in love start to mimic each other after a while.
And that's certainly true of Leona Lewis and her boyfriend who wore almost identical footwear while out together in Los Angeles yesterday.
The singer and her German dancer boyfriend Dennis Jauch donned chunky lace-up boots as they went for breakfast yesterday.

The couple dined at the Good Neighbour cafe in Toluca Lake but managed to avoid being snapped together.

Leona even stayed on her iPhone - which had a pink cover - as she walked to and from the diner amid a throng of cameras.
It was then on to LAX Airport where Leona, 22, dropped 22-year-old Dennis off as he went to catch a flight back home to Germany.

The couple met in July last year when Dennis, who won the German version of So You Think You Can Dance, performed as a backing dancer on her Labyrinth UK tour earlier last year.
They got together just as Leona had broken up with her childhood sweetheart Lou Al-Chamaa, who she had previously said she intended to marry.

And his presence in Los Angeles is an indication that the couple's relationship is becoming more serious, given the amount of time that the singer spends there.
The former X Factor winner bought a luxury £1.5m villa in the Hollywood Hills last year, and divides her time between living there and living in London.

Dennis recently danced for Leona as she played the New Year’s Jam on the Sand party in Miami beach to see in 2011.

Jessie J and Leona Plan Christmas Duet

2011-01-12T02:58:00.000-08:00

Rising star Jessie J has revealed how she is planning to team up with X Factor winner Leona Lewis for a festive duet.

Jessie J, who has written songs for the likes of Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera, is hoping to bag a Christmas number one with the duet.

She told The Daily Record: 'Leona and I want to do a duet together. I'm planning to write a Whitney-Mariah-style When You Believe kind of song and release it next Christmas.

'I think Leona is incredible. Her range is unreal, but I feel we would complement each other.'

Last week Jessie J, 22, came top of the BBC Sound of 2011 poll in which music industry figures and tastemakers choose the rising stars of year.

Jessie, whose real name is Jessica Cornish, beat electro producer James Blake, who came second, and rockers The Vaccines, who ranked third.

She said: 'The expectation of me at the moment is so high, but I thrive on knowing people have that expectation.'

Leona Lewis And Jessie J Hope To Duet

2011-01-11T02:37:00.000-08:00

Jessie J has revealed she's planning to collaborate with Leona Lewis.

The Do It Like A Dude singer is a big fan of the Bleeding Love star and is looking forward to spending time in the studio together.

"Leona and I want to do a duet together," Jessie J told the Daily Record.

"I think Leona is incredible," she continued. "Her range is unreal but I feel we would complement each other."

As for what their collaboration will sound like, Jessie revealed: "I'm planning to write a Whitney-Mariah-style When You Believe kind of song and release it next Christmas."

Leona Lewis & her fella take a stroll on Miami Beach…

2011-01-03T03:00:00.001-08:00

Back in November, Leona Lewis’s ex boyfriend Lou Al-Chamaa took to his twitter to take digs at both Leona and her new man: “Certain European guys have no style and awful dress sense” he wrote “At least I can say I was faithful… can you?”

The 25-year X Factor alum was spotted out with her new man Dennis Jaunch (her back-up dancer) over the New Year weekend taking a stroll on Miami beach. Although Lou Al-Chamaa was acting like the bitter ex, I can’t say I disagree with him. Dennis is a real scruff pot! The loved up pair have now jetted to the Bahamas for a romantic getaway after spending Christmas apart.

Leona heads of to the Bahamas for a Romantic Holiday

2011-01-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

Leona Lewis sizzles in cerise as she belts out her chart-topping hits at the "Jam on the Sand" New Year's Eve party in Miami Beach, Florida.

After the beach party, loved-up Leona, 25, and her German boyfriend Dennis Jauch, 22, headed for a romantic holiday in the Bahamas. The couple, who have been dating for four months, booked the luxury getaway after they spent Christmas apart.

A friend said: "They're like loved-up teenagers." Dancer Dennis had flown home to Hamburg for the festive period, while Leona stayed in London.

Leona Lewis Busts Some New Moves!

2011-01-02T05:06:00.000-08:00

IT seems 2011 will be a big year for LEONA LEWIS - on the bust front, at least.

Long gone is the conservative post-X Factor attire, replaced by these eye-popping frocks that she donned on New Year's Eve.

First up, she belted out chart-topper Bleeding Love at the Jam On The Sand bash on Miami beach in a low-cut pink gown.

Party-goers must have unanimously agreed she's got a crack pair of lungs after she left the stage.

Far from covering up at USHER'S OMG after-party at Dream nightclub, Leona continued the cleavage-flashing theme in a revealing leopard-print top.

If she continues in this vein, one can only imagine what she'll be wearing this time next year.

Or won't be wearing, more like.