Spirit Reviews

• Album titled Spirit, but lacked Soul...

  
  By A2OODGKOM27XM on 2008-04-17
  Truly gifted artists (singers, painters, writers)have the ability to evoke emotion and reaction (positive and/or negative)from their audience.
  
  Technically, she's pitch perfect and a very gifted singer. But after listening to the album (twice), I was left feeling apathetic - I neither loved it nor hated it, which in my opinion, is the least desirable audience feedback.
  
  I didn't hear any originality, attitude or soul in any of her songs. Vocal ability isn't enough. In order to connect with the audience, you also need depth and substance.
  
  But that's my opinion. I know there are a lot of Leona fans out there who feel differently so let the ad hominem attacks on me begin...
  
  

• Like Brushing Your Teeth With Furniture Polish

  
  By A1OSWSG4YXN8KJ on 2008-04-20
  Mariah Carey, the most curious blowhard of the 90s - who morphed into a wonton wannabe hip-hop diva after her divorce from Svengali ex-husband Tommy Motolla all through the 00s - has nothing to fear from Leona Lewis. Sure, note for note, breath for breath, caterwaul to caterwaul, and coo to coo, Lewis apes early Carey's whole persona, from the lightening-up of her skin tone in every publicity photo, to the frazzled Muppet that lay atop her head, to the skimpy wardrobe to the hilarious hand waterfalls that conclude every melismatic trill she spews.
  
  But unlike Carey's phenomenal rise - then fall - then phoenix-like rise again - Leona's ambition might be short-lived; one would hope that people will see through the slick packaging and the con job they've been handed by Clive Davis (who never met a banshee he didn't love) and especially Simon Cowell, who discovered Lewis via Britain's "X-Factor" karaoke extravaganza.
  
  Love or loathe her, Carey would be nothing more than a dime-a-dozen aspirant without that ex of hers pulling every last string and pouring countless millions and millions of dollars into her promotion. Sony was the house that Mariah saved. Mostly thanks to Motolla's then music industry supremacy.
  
  Lewis should be so lucky. While Cowell has had his hands in global pop acts - from the execrable (Il Divo) to the surreal (Teletubbies) - he ain't no Tommy Motolla. Hell, Motolla isn't even Motolla anymore. But, while it will be an injustice if Lewis' rise were anything more than a laconic lapse of the public's judgment, this is pure corporate pop machination at work; multi-million dollar promotions, hack songwriters, multiple producers, and a voice so emotionless and sterile she makes Sade sound like the Queen Of Soul. Hers is the kind of affected, over-the-top clangor that actually and ironically makes stars out of amateurs. So, we might be stuck for the long haul.
  
  Now, perchance all of this wouldn't matter if we were treated to, at the very least, something remotely catchy or even thought-provoking.
  
  Unfortunately, for all the cosmetic surgery that went into the finished, over baked product, what we are encumbered with is a torture chamber in Muzak hell, which includes an oblivious, over-thought and dismal remake of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" - read by Lewis like a Wal-Mart shopping list - and a musical version of the pompous and gross "Footprints", the head-scratchingly world famous religious monstrosity.
  
  It's like ordering fine Bordeaux but the waiter brings you plutonium-laced Kool-Aid instead. My grade: C-
  
  
  
  
  

• She's got the pipes with elegant tone.

  
  By A3P2K7CJUAVXK8 on 2008-04-08
  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
  
  

• A Spiritless Romp : Leona's Voice Deserved Far Better

  
  By A2ULSA0IRUE09E on 2008-04-08
  Leona Leona Leona. Followers of the UK music scene have had this album for a while now, and its great too see Miss Lewis attain fame so quickly within the United States. As a winner of a pop-music talent show, Leona is often compared to Mariah Carey, but in my opinion she's a very different singer in a very different era. Also, even though I'm no huge Mariah fan these days, Leona's voice probably has around 1/10th the range of Mariah's voice - so if you're into comparisons, that should give you some idea of what she sounds like.
  
  In all probability, you are on this page after having listened to Leona's debut single "Bleeding Love". It's a great song, for what its worth (though many have compared it to Mariah's first single "Vision of Love" next to which this obviously pales in comparison). But I would be lying if I said this album was a `masterpiece' or a `classic' because it is not. Much like Kelly Clarkson's debut album, this is a perfectly adequate R&B-meets-Pop album that is tailor-made to have a few singles succeed on radio. If any of you have watched the show that Leona actually won, I thought her voice on the show was FAR better than what she sounds like on record - most of the tracks here don't let her explore the upper register of her voice, and she is relegated to singing some pretty generic R&B music (which may or may not work for you - it didn't work for me).
  
  Also, the obvious Mariah comparisons cannot be avoided since the producers have pretty much traced lines around old Mariah songs in their attempt to come up with something new. Listen to "Here I Am", which seems like the long-lost twin of "Hero". This could have been a good thing, but here is more like a desperate thing. The same can be said of "Better in Time" and "Yesterday". You have GOT to listen to both these tracks back to back, as BOTH are built around Mariah's "Always be My Baby" - the first samples the beats, and the second is almost a direct lift in patches. This obvious dependence on Mariah's old hits to reconstruct new songs is fine - I'm all for it - but at least make it WORK! Here, they mostly sound tepid and uninspired.
  
  The best track is perhaps "Take a Bow", with its Timbaland-sounding beats and word-flow. Destined to be a single, alongwith the frothy and likeable "Whatever it Takes". On "Homeless", Leona tries out her best Christina Aguilera impersonation, and this sounds like its from the same cutting board as "Beautiful". It's a pity the song isn't more memorable, and instead sounds like one of the other three thousand songs Christina has written about familial abuse and parental neglect. The album closer "A Moment Like This" is exactly the same song you suspect it to be - remember how they used to sing these to bookend those old seasons of American Idol. I have no idea why they thought it was a good idea to include this done-to-death cover of an already used and tired song, but it totally does not work.
  
  I find so many reviews of this album calling it `the greatest thing ever', and everyone wants Leona to be hailed as the next vocal savior of pop music. I don't think so. She is good, not great. Her debut single was excellent, but really, there is nothing else here that measures up to it. Actually the album reminded me of Janet Jacksons' latest "Discipline", where you had one amazing lead single ("Feedback") and the rest of the album turns out to be pure filler. Which is a huge disservice to Leona, because she has the potential and the voice to sing some amazing songs. Note to producers : Please don't give this woman generic Ashanti-sounding R&B songs to sing. She needs to have a whole album of pure jazz standards. Then watch her soar.
  
  Leona is a wonderful singer, but this average album with its by-the-numbers tunes is not very good at all, especially in a season where you have so much good music out there. Try listening to a few samples, and try staying away from the hype. The marketing machine is in full gear when it comes to Leona, but I can't imagine how they can disguise the weak songs on this album, as hard as they might try.
  
  Three Stars.
  
  
  

• A complete bore!

  
  By AXZTYO1AUH5Z4 on 2008-04-10
  I laughed when I read that people actually cried when they listened to the CD. I did too - for the loss of the money wasted on the CD. Thank God that that money did not come from me. From track 1 all the way the end, the CD attempts to portray Lewis as a soul-less artist - the kind of one-dimensional diva who is destined to be manufactured. You do not have to skip any track because all the tracks are one long boring medley with arrangements that are designed to bring out the best in Lewis's de-spirited vocals. A Mariah Carey wannabe? Nah... this is wishful thinking. The only saving grace is perhaps the plastic CD casing which can be recycled - but the songs aren't. One of the worst debut of any artist I have heard.
  
  
• Leona has arrived
  By AQL13WF76ZQQJ on 2008-04-08
  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.
  
  
• More Corporate Music - bleah
  By A2UTDSC8Q90ZVA on 2008-04-17
  Of course Clive and Cowell are championing her - they paid for her, they signed her, they brought in anyone who has sold anything lately to dream up hooks and sounds and pumped up the drum machines. More whining and emoting and warbling and there is nothing new here. Jewel has a better voice and Avril rocks harder and both of them have more sincere, serious or fun lyrics.
  
  This music is homogenized and streamlined for mass appeal. She'll be a model full time before too long selling perfume, and good for her for the success (seriously - she's working the system). But people you are being manipulated by mega corporations and this is their product and their vision (not hers) for mass appeal music that will sell the most.
  
  No Simon it's not hard to crack the US Charts when you have the entire industry from print to news and television and all the top dogs and entertainment outlets promoting and playing the music over and over and over again. It's a formula my young friends and there are a lot more original artists out there that deserve your hard earned dollars. It's a profit driven industry and big corporate media giants have decided this is the safest way to spend their investment dollars. Explore the unknowns and take a pass on whatever the coordinated media conglomerates are pushing on you.
  
  It's all an effort to extract the most amount of money out of the most amount of people and for one product. It has nothing to do with honesty, originality or well played or well written lyrics, songs and music. It has nothing to do with art and artists and everything to do with mass media conglomeration, advertising, and hype.
  
  Find a local college radio station to hear the real music before big business takes over all the airways - or hit the search button on your satellite radio and explore everything. Make it your own not what someone else tells you is cool. If the music speaks to you and is honest, not gimmicky or aimed at the lowest common denominator go for it enjoy it and see them live in a small club. That's the real grass roots music scene. Always has been always will be. Think for yourself. This is just all marketing based on product testing and past unit sales generated by coordinated hype in an effort to separate you from your money as quickly as possible. There's no integrity here the sounds from this disc are about money.
  
  
• Way, Way, Way Overrated
  By AI1VD7QWKM0V1 on 2008-04-24
  My exposure to Leona Lewis so far has been limited to listening to song samples of this album and seeing her live performance on the April 23rd American Idol results show. After being praised to the skies by Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell, Leona sang "Bleeding Love," which was at best mediocre and at worst boring. Shortly thereafter, AI contestants Carly Smithson and Syesha Mercado sang their songs from the previous night. Needless to say, there was no comparison. Both Smithson and Mercado blew Leona Lewis out of the water performance-wise. I would venture to say, then, that Leona Lewis's appeal centers primarily on how she looks. She can sing, but it's nothing that I haven't heard before. It is always interesting to be able to compare singers side by side when they perform together live. You can sound great on your album, but if you can't bring it live, then you can't bring it.
  
  And does anyone else think that Leona Lewis bears an uncanny resemblance to Simon Cowell's girlfriend Terri Seymour, minus a few years? :-)
  
  
• She's off to a great start
  By A70YTUFJY5HXN on 2008-04-18
  I'm really happy to see that this CD has finally been released in the US. This is an exciting time for Leona Lewis. She hit the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 recently - the first UK female artiste to do it in over 20 years and only the fourth to do it ever. She relinquished the spot to Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" last week but to my surprise, I just heard on the news - BBC News 24, no less - that she's taken it back and that this album is #1 on the Billboard Top 200 as well, making her the first UK artiste to debut at the top US album spot ever! I expected her to do well in the US with this product but I honestly never dreamed she'd do THIS well!
  
  I originally reviewed the album back in December last year, when it was released on Amazon on (no longer available) UK import. I definitely feel the review merits a repost here. This is the original (slightly edited) review as it appeared in December 2007:
  
  "The 2006 "X Factor" winner's debut album is barely out of the blocks and it's already a record breaker. ("X Factor" is the UK version of "American Idol"). It sold over 375,000 copies in its first week, beating the record previously set by the Arctic Monkeys by about 12,000. That might not sound much in an American context but in this country, that's huge potatoes. You go, honey.
  
  Her follow-up single "Bleeding Heart" has also now stood at the top of the UK singles charts for an impressive five weeks. The lead single, a cover of Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This" was released last year when she won "X Factor" and that was at the top of the charts for what seemed like ages as well. Simon Cowell and Clive Davis definitely seem to know what they're doing.
  
  Judging by the number of absolute belters on offer here, she's clearly got her eyes on Mariah's fan base (I would've said Mariah and Whitney but I guess we all know why I didn't) and I say good luck to her. I don't usually go for albums put out by talent show winners ("American Idol" 'loser' Chris Daughtry's was the first I ever bought and this is only my second) but I've always thought Leona was a special talent right from the first moment I saw her on the show. Every performance she gave was diamond, in my opinion. Vocally, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston are in a class of their own but it's not totally ridiculous to compare Leona to them, as she demonstrated when she performed some of their hits on the show.
  
  Thankfully, the album isn't the usual collection of dreadful covers. The Clarkson song is (of course) on this UK version of the album but isn't likely to appear on the US version when it finally gets released. Only one other sneaks in and while I would've loved it to be "Summertime" - the version she delivered on "X Factor" still gives me shivers anytime I watch it on YouTube - she's gone for the Roberta Flack classic "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and to give her the credit she's due, she owns the song. Treading the line carefully between r&b and pop, the album is a bit samey in places but if breathless diva is your thing, this one is definitely for you.
  
  There are only four real stand out numbers here (with "Take A Bow" likely to be the track labelled 'best on album') but with people like Walter Afanasieff Dallas Austin, Jam & Lewis, Soulshock & Carlin, Salaam Remi and Ne-Yo involved, Spirit is going to be huge, especially in that lucrative yet elusive American market the album is so obviously aimed at. The sooner it gets a proper (and reasonably priced) release there, the better. Leona is young, she's pretty and she oozes a natural sweetness and charm. As Simon Cowell might say, "I think people will like her."
  
  But most importantly, she has a voice to kill for. As long as she doesn't end up becoming another self-important diva and as long as she eventually ditches the über producers and gets to be herself, this is one lady who is going to go far. She's definitely one to look out for; definitely one worth checking out."
  
  
• Good, but "over-balladed"
  By A37PV5GMP2ILJC on 2008-05-08
  This is a strong debut album from X-Factor winner Leona Lewis, the only potential problems being a surfeit of ballads, and a large dose of overexposure. The British born singer/songwriter is of Guyanese/Welsh parentage, and was no stranger to performing before catching the eye of Simon Cowell, who moved heaven, earth and Clive Davis to ensure that this album had all the backing it needed.
  
  Even before the album was released, she already had a hit single with her version of the Kelly Clarkson song "A Moment Like This", which can be found as a bonus on the UK version of the album. Please note that the track listing for the UK Version is different to the US and Canadian releases. The songs "Forgive Me" (produced by Akon) and "Misses Glass" on this version take the place of "Homeless" (a slow R&B ballad) and "The Best You Never Had" (a slightly faster ballad).
  
  Songs of interest are "Bleeding Love", the first single from the album; "Better in Time", the second single (pop/R&B) which reminds me of Alicia Keys "No One"; "I Will Be", a cover of the Avril Lavigne song; "Yesterday", a pop/R&B track where she sounds like Mariah Carey; "Take A Bow", a radio-friendly R&B track; and "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", a cover of the Roberta Flack hit written by Ewan MacColl. Lewis also co-wrote the songs "Whatever It Takes", a mid-tempo R&B track, and "Here I Am", a pop ballad.
  
  Special mention should be made of the powerful and emotional ballad "Footprints in the Sand" inspired by the famous poem by Mary Stevenson, which ends:
  
  The Lord replied
  "The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
  Is when I carried you."
  
  Undoubtedly talented, strikingly photogenic, and with a lovely voice, it seems a bit early for all the comparisons to Mariah Carey and early Whitney Houston, but I do believe that we'll be hearing a lot more from Leona Lewis.
  
  
  
  Amanda Richards, May 8, 2008
  
  
  
• The most gifted and talented idol EVER!!
  By A2CZBGIJP8TZ1T on 2008-04-08
  I was never into any of the American Idols or X Factor winners for the longest time. I just always felt like artists should work hard and make a demo and send it to the record companies and still feel like this for the most part. The exception is this powerful force, Leona.
  
  Not since 1991 when I discovered Mariah Carey has any female artist moved me or blown me away or amazed me or sent shivers down my spine the way Leona does. Leona far surpasses Kelly Clarkson, Beyonce, Jessica Simpson, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, and any other female artist since Mariah Carey.
  
  Leona sings with so much soul and emotion and passion and it breaks my heart greatly to read that people think Kelly Clarkson is still better than Leona. Anyone who really listens to Leona will realize or should realize that Leona is just a powerhouse that Kelly could only dream of becoming. When I was watching both performances by Leona and Kelly of A Moment Like This, I could hear and see the emotion in Leona's performance and Simon, wow. Simon has never acted so excited for any idol like he has with Leona. I never saw Simon so excited like that with Kelly and it's because Leona is the REAL deal!
  
  I find myself on the verge of tears with pretty much every song on here because Leona's voice is just so breathtaking. I also find myself stop breathing during many times throughout the album due to her incredible power. You just cannot call yourself a true vocalist fan and not fall in love with Leona as a singer. She sings in so many different ways and tones and every song is incredible.
  
  The two songs on this album that just really move me the most and completely make me a true fan of Leona are Take A Bow and Footprints In the Sand. It's as if Leona wrote these songs just for me. I feel like this whole album was made just for me but these two especially are my #1 favorites tied.
  
  Take A Bow is just so epic and I love everything about the song lyrically, musically, melodically and vocally. I really love the whole theme of this song and reminds me of Phantom Of The Opera and my favorite actor Charles Dance and my favorite actress Dame Judi Dench. This is what should be Leona's second single and deserves to get #1. I just cannot get enough of this song and cannot recommend it enough. It has #1 written all over it!
  
  Footprints In The Sand is a beautiful Gospel ballad that is based off the Footprints passage written by Mary Stevenson:
  
  One night a man had a dream. He dreamed
  he was walking along the beach with the LORD.
  
  
  Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
  For each scene he noticed two sets of
  footprints in the sand: one belonging
  To him, and the other to the LORD.
  
  When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
  He looked back at the footprints in the sand.
  
  
  He noticed that many times along the path of
  his life there was only one set of footprints.
  
  He also noticed that it happened at the very
  lowest and saddest times in his life.
  
  
  This really bothered him and he
  questioned the LORD about it:
  
  
  "LORD, you said that once I decided to follow
  you, you'd walk with me all the way.
  But I have noticed that during the most
  troublesome times in my life,
  there is only one set of footprints.
  I don't understand why when
  I needed you most you would leave me."
  
  The LORD replied:
  
  
  "My son, my precious child,
  I love you and I would never leave you.
  During your times of trial and suffering,
  when you see only one set of footprints,
  it was then that I carried you."
  
  
  Again, the melody, lyrics, music and vocals are just simply breathtaking. Leona won me over with this beautiful ballad.
  
  Bleeding Love is my next favorite after Take A Bow and Footprints In The Sand. It definitely deserved #1 and I just LOVE the way she sings on this song.
  
  I also bought the UK version prior to this version which has another amazing ballad called Homeless. It is so emotional and powerful and recommend listening to that track as soon as possible. They removed that masterpiece from this US release which is a shame but the album is flawless regardless.
  
  Leona's version of First Time Ever I Saw Your Face completely blows the other versions out of the water. I've always loved Celine's version and never thought I'd love another version more until I heard Leona's. Leona sings this with such passion and emotion.
  
  Here I Am is an awesome album closer and just one of the greatest ballads ever. Another masterpiece!
  
  Every song on this album is incredible and full of power and soul and emotion and different styles and it really deserves to be #1. If you love the TRUE singing with power, you will not be disappointed with this album. Leona is everything I love about vocalists and she IS music itself. Don't pass this album up just because you may feel it's just a wanna-be singer. Leona is not just a singer. She is a force to be reckoned with who has the potential to be just as successful as Mariah, Whitney and Celine.
  
  
• Music for people who think that Celine Dion's last cd was too "edgy"
  By A35D9X9BN8XWR2 on 2008-04-11
  Wow, this is unspeakably bland. Don't get me wrong, she can sing. And the production is impeccable. And that's really it. This is a throwback to the early 90s when Michael Bolton, Phil Collins, and Gloria Estefan ruled easy listening. That's what this is...really, really, REALLY EAZZZZYYYY Listening. Good Lord, she makes Natasha Bedingfield sound like Janis Joplin by comparison.
  
  I'm sure that in a few years, LL will probably decide that she wants to
  "shake up her image" and will put out an lp with more of a "party vibe".
  But that will come only after she's milked her exotic looks for all the beauty, jeans and automobile endorsement cashs she can get. Heck, I'll buy one for my grandma, who still thinks music went to hell when "hippies like The Carpenters" started ruining things.
  
  
• Good looks and bad art...
  By A3QZH73OQCUGI6 on 2008-05-12
  This album is a perfect example how a gifted vocalist is not enough for a successful album and a flourishing career. Songs are boring and dated (picked up anything and everything from similar artists over the last 20 or so years).
  
  Music and art come from the soul, not the mixing desk and good lungs. She needs a good songwriter not just a professional (and sterile) production. Or switch to another genre where such mediocrity won't matter much (hint: big hats and boots).
  
  
• over rated singer, a simon cowell cheap creation
  By A3JYT84L4HUZAZ on 2008-04-14
  I heard this and though, my god its all been done before, many many times by more effective singers, she sounds all 80s shes tring so hard to sound unique she ends up sounding like a third or forth grade mariah, its sad whats big in europe does not really indicate what is good. Simon Cowell is behind her success and typical its all hype., dont waiste your money on this one just go out and pick out an old Taylor Dayne cd its more real and Dayne so much of a true singer.
  
  
• A Nice start with no finish
  By AQXHIYAC44OPY on 2008-04-22
  Bleeding Love is a great song. The rest of the album lacks any kind of direction. If Simon is going to try and sell Leona as the next Mariah, then this debut should have been better. I didn't hear any notes or songs that a dozen other singers could have done as well, if not better.
  
  This lovely girl has talent. But, for heavens sake, let her out of the box. Those green eyes and one great single will be the height of her career if she doesn't break away from Simon and get a life.
  
  Good luck Leona. We are all rooting for you!
  
  
• Feel the Spirit!!!
  By A27FR2C67JPDRS on 2008-04-13
  Leona Lewis is a breath of fresh air! In a day and age of "off-the- assembly-line, cliched and completely irrelevant hip-hop" chart dominance, this songbird is a welcome addition to the radio airwaves. A talented singer with a beautiful voice--what a novel idea!
  
  Lewis, the winner of The X-Factor, Britain's version of Idol, has stormed the rest of the world, with her lead single becoming # 1 in several countries and the cd becoming the biggest selling debut in Britain's history. Now, she is set to invade the states and, after listening to her first effort, I am thoroughly convinced she will conquer us all!
  
  The first single, "Bleeding Love", is a beautiful song, immediately pleasing to the ear and a song you will find yourself singing along to each time you hear it. The second track, "Better in Time", is probably my favorite song off the new cd. I'm hoping she releases it as a single in the future. Other worthy offerings from this debut effort are "I Will Be" and "I'm You"--both strong ballads giving Lewis the chance to show off her amazing singing range. A couple of more upbeat tunes "Forgive Me" and "Misses Glass" are also great songs that could get lots of air play. Lewis also tackles the Roberta Flack classic "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", with impressive results. "Take a Bow" sings of hurt by an uncaring and untrue lover, much like Rhianna's newest single of the same name but with much less venom-filled lyrics (Rhianna sings of her lover: "you are so dumb" and "you are so ugly when you cry"--lovely lyrics, don't you think?) Also included with this set of songs are two UK bonus tracks, "Footprints in the Sand" and "Here I Am".
  
  Lewis who, because of her vocal range, is being compared to powerhouse vocalist, Mariah Carey. I hope that she, unlike Carey, remains true to her fans and focuses on good songs and singing and doesn't feel the need that Carey does to include the likes of O. B. D. and T-Pain into her singles, interjecting unnecessary rap elements to appease the record companies or appeal to top 40 radio. I also recommend two songs that are not on this version of her cd. The songs called "You Bring Me Down" and "The Best You Never Had" are great tracks that can be downloaded (on pay sites of course!) and will please any Leona Lewis fan! This is a really good pop cd and I highly recommended it!
  
  
  
• Leona Lewis Debut Leaves The Listener Wanting More
  By A3BMRSE8N1858V on 2008-04-17
  Leona Lewis' debut Spirit would be hard to miss for chart climbing or publicity. The 22-year old winner of Britain's The X-Factor is managed by American Idol's Simon Cowell, and both Cowell and legendary record producer Clive Davis are sharing production credits on Spirit.
  
  But at the end of the day, the lady will have to have talent to succeed, and young Ms. Lewis does indeed have talent. Her voice has drawn comparison to Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, which are unfair to all involved. Ms. Lewis is still in the process of proving herself, and Ms. Houston and Ms. Carey have done all of the proving necessary. However, Spirit shows that Ms. Lewis can stand on her own merits regardless of comparison. Her voice is sweet when it needs to be sweet and strong when it needs to be strong.
  
  Spirit, one can hope, marks just the beginning of an illustrious career. Only time and good use of Ms. Lewis' talent will tell the tale
  
  
• 3 and a half stars!
  By A24N1BAS3CU27H on 2008-04-17
  Look out world, Leona Lewis is here to steal some of the thunder from Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. Leona was the winner of the UK show X Factor in 2006 and great things are expected of her.
  
  Stunning model looks; check.
  An assembly of top songwriters and producers; check.
  A BIG voice; double check!
  
  Lead-off single "Bleeding love" is a catchy upbeat song with violins, organ, and soaring vocals which has already topped the US and UK singles chart (and was the UK's biggest selling single of 2007).
  
  As expected, the album is ballad heavy. Other standouts are "Take a bow" (no, not the Madonna hit, but a synth string filled ballad), "I will be" (a stunning cover of an Avril Lavigne song), the R&B ballad "I'm you" (nice Spanish guitars, harps and skittery beats and great harmonies), and a tender rendering of "The first time ever I saw your face".
  
  "Yesterday" sounds like something from Mariah's repertoire, right from the breathy falsetto, down to the beats, while she sounds very much like Whitney on the gospel tinged (thanks to the choir) "Whatever it takes", and on the bouncy pop "Forgive me". In fact, the latter wouldn't go amiss on either of Whitney's first 2 albums.
  
  I caught the episode of X Factor where she sang the Jackson 5's "I'll be there" and she seems a very likeable person. I felt she should win and was glad she did. However, a large chunk of the album sounds like Leona was made to really study Whitney and Mariah's debuts and is really nothing (musically) special.
  
  No doubt Leona is a fantastic singer and this album will sell millions, it's calculated to, (the album just debuted in the US at #1, making her the first British female since Sade in 1986 to achieve that feat), but one has the feeling that a few albums down the line, she'll finally get to release something that really reflects who she is, and she'll be saying then how this album wasn't really her.
  
  
  
• Extremely overrated artist.
  By A2P4NXG7A5XRDB on 2008-04-16
  I find it extremely disappointing that someone needs only great promotion to break records with their music. Everyone out there is saying how great she is, so one expects her to be almost as good as Mariah. Hardly!! Just because everyone out there says how great she is, it doesn't mean it's the truth. People seem to go with the flow ALL THE TIME. I'm not saying she can't sing. But there are people out there who sing WAY better than her, and they are not being crowned the next Mariah or Whitney. I hope she doesn't last cause she doesn't deserve it.
  
  
• LEONA, NOOOOO!!!!
  By A1H4V7O98FINBM on 2008-04-18
  If you have heard Bleeding Heart, download the single and skip the album. I wish I had known better. Leona Lewis is a fantastic singer and having seen clips of her from The X factor, I was very excited to buy her CD. But sadly, it consist of a bunch of lame ballads with little personality or much of anything to set it apart. I look forward to her next CD, hopefully she will have some good writers/producers by then. This one was obviously put together in a hurry. Surely, there is much better to come.
  
  
• More dross from UgK
  By A32WYI4F9E8545 on 2008-04-23
  Anything that Cowell is involved with inevitably sours almost as soon as it ripens. This is yet another uninspiring effort to reach the deepest linings of the U.S music buying public's pockets. Competition winning has become the procedural 1st step to "stardom". But the stars that this process generates are about as real as the ceiling of a planaterium is to the night sky. This is not a unique musical achievement, it is just more of Cowell's perfidious dross, hacked out in the vetements of idolatry.
  
  
• Nice, but missing Spirit!
  By A3JUMMIGJ7B38X on 2008-04-29
  There's really not much to say about this album. Leona Lewis is a very talented singer. Much more so than a lot of the female artists that are out there. Sadly, this album comes up short of her potential. "Bleeding Love" is a great song, but a rarity in the album as it's the only song that evokes any kind of feeling. The rest of the album shows great vocal prowess, but the songs are bland and uninspired. It's like the producers took her voice and built empty, generic songs around it. It's music simply for the sake of making a record. I suppose this is how some great singles are made, but an album needs something more.
  
  I'll keep my eye on Ms. Lewis because she can definitely get very far. This album just doesn't do it for me.
  
  
• Emotional, beautifully sung and crafted songs make this one a stand out!
  By A2V1O9AWS2DLH0 on 2008-04-10
  All hype aside, Spirit comes across as an original and creative album with many catchy tunes, hooks and beats. It is not a cookie-cutter album, not another conventional post-singing reality contest album with a generic "I am a star now" single released. The songwriting is top notch, production is slick but what makes this album special, is that has the Leona spirit. The songs fit her personality, stage presence and the sensitive, beautiful voice that she has.
  
  If you are looking for a "Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me" dance along you won't find it here. The songs are personal and emotional, not meant as a collection of club hits or booty shakers. Leona's vocal range is showcased throughout the album without becoming "vocals for the sake of vocals" that many fall into the trap of doing.
  
  So, what is the album about? It's about things that we all want but the things that never came to be. About things that we made our own only to slip away at the last moment. And things ahead that make it worth for us to keep on living and give us hope.
  
  Individual song review is as follows:
  
  Bleeding Love - Great tune, a quick ballad about breaking up. Only downside is it's really overplayed, they should give more attention to her other great songs.
  Better in Time - One of the best tracks on the album, excellent melody, great lyrics, perfect for Leona. She creates a mood like no one else here.
  I Will Be - Some beautiful high notes here, a solid track
  I'm You - A great track, soulful and sensitive
  Forgive Me - A different kind of tune with a faster beat. Works for me!
  Misses Glass - An unusual verse vocal melody... a worthy effort
  Angel - Awesome track, one of my favorites! Great beat and lyrics! Leona makes it real.
  The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face - Slow, soulful ballad. A definite favorite!
  Yesterday - This is one of the best songs on the album. Beautiful lyrics, surreal melody and Leona's sultry voice make me remember of how many times I felt just like that.
  Whatever It Takes - Love the beginning, great chorus. Nice!
  Take a Bow - Another slower track, good work!
  Footprints in the Sand - Powerful, passionate, emotional it's about hope for better things and a better life.
  Here I am - For me, this is the best song on the album. Sensitive, subtle, beautifully sung, I am glad that the million times I felt before like this I can find a mirror reflection of that in this track. Amazing!
  
  In summary, how can I best describe this album? Beautiful, sensitive, emotional, just like Leona herself. If that's not how you like your music, don't buy it! However, if the words I just mentioned appeal to you than this album is for you.
  
  Leona is a shy, talented, emotional girl (which is why she is so refreshing) that loves to sing. On this album, she shines on every track. Do yourself a favor and get it.
  
  Beautiful, Leona!
  
  
  
• Slightly overrated....
  By AQXCRVQO39X7U on 2008-05-09
  So, I don't know what I was expecting, but this wasn't really it. Lewis can be boring, but, yes, her voice is lovely.
  
  
• Not worth the money
  By A5VO0V4KLFV95 on 2008-05-12
  I must admit that I fell for the hype. This is far from a great cd or performer. She's talented but not worth the money for a cd. I guess that also expresses how I would feel about seeing her in concert.
  
  
• Extraordinary Singer, Ordinary CD
  By A2327GFLSDOTHF on 2008-04-16
  When I first heard of Simon Cowell's great find, I was anxious to hear her sing. My first impression of "Bleeding Love" was that it was a really insipid song that sticks in your head (like a tumor). Still, I was impressed with Leona's voice. Having bought and listened to "Spirit" several times, I've gotta say I'm surprised Simon gave her this material to work with. While it's true Leona Lewis is truly gifted, she deserves much better material. It's not horrible. It's just been done before many times over. The CD is pleasant but doesn't stand out in any way musically. Leona's voice stands out and let's face it, anything she sings will sound great. These songs are well sung -- just not memorable. Best cut (by far): "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" followed by "I Will Be" and "Footprints In The Sand." "Footprints" is a strange song for me. While pretty, it has that carefully crafted feel to it of trying to be a great song rather than just being an organically great song (if that makes sense). Will Leona have the longevity to make it in this business? That's hard to predict. She's definitely talented. Let's hope the next time around her people do better by her and the whole effect winds up feeling fresh (yet timeless) rather than tired and dated.
  
  
• Spir[sh]it
  By ANJEY5UYIN8PJ on 2008-06-19
  First off, if you have to think about buying the CD like I did, then believe me when I say it isn't worth it. I only did so I could play it at my job to push her album sales and bring in money for my department. And believe me when I say Love is the last thing I bleed whenever I hear that annoying single of hers. To top it off, the radio stations play it more now than ever. Reminding me why I lost faith in in Radio in the first place. Anyway. Moving onto the CD. I had always heard so many people comparing her to Mariah Carey, which should have been my first warning right there considering I hate her with a Passion. There's practically no emotion in her voice whatsoever, making me feel like even she didn't give a crap about the songs she was singing. There were some that were OK at best. But even then I wouldn't have any desire to go back and listen to them. There is 1 song that managed to save the CD from getting returned. And that 1 song is also why I gave the album its 1 star rating. That song being "Take A Bow". To me, this was probably the only track that had any kind of feeling behind it. Even then, it was more so the instrumental that propelled it. And since I'm pretty sure it won't be a single, I see Leona not going too far. That is, unless she manages to either A) Put out another damn single so that piece of crap first one can stop being played. Or B) Fire everyone that worked on this CD and somehow manage to come up with a worthy enough follow up. Bottom line. This CD is really better off being avoided. Wont do much for your CD collection itself. If I would have known, I would have just gotten the 1 track and saved myself the money. But since I didn't, I'm hoping you will.
  
  
• Watch Out North American Divas!! Leona's HERE!!!
  By A2K7Q79F3KEPN5 on 2008-04-08
  Leonas cd is amazing. I ordered the UK version 2 months ago but I must admit the bonus tracks that are on the US album are amazing and the placement of the songs makes the album way better. This is a MUST!!! you have to get this CD. its amazing
  
  
• Not BAD...not BAD at all =)
  By A130YN8T37O833 on 2008-04-08
  This is a really great album. I know a lot of people keep comparing this girl to Mariah or Whitney but she is in a class all her own. So nice to see a girl with a strong and refreshing R&B voice bring back some purely innocent POP music. Her 1st single "Bleeding Love" is great and was co-written & produced by one of the best song writers out now and one of my personal faves, the SUPER AWESOME "Ryan Tedder" lead singer of the group OneRepublic. You'll also find production by a few of the folks that made Britney Spears HUGE back during her initial 1st album release. This album also includes production by Max Martin who wrote & produced "Baby One More Time", Oops! I did it again, Lucky, Stronger, and pretty much made the entire 2nd Britney album on here as well. Was a bit surprised to see Avril Lavigne on here also but she co-wrote a great song that blends so well with Leona's voice. You get 13 songs on this album and Leona is definitely a nice change from what is on the radio these days. Stand out tracks are the 1st single, Better In Time, I Will Be, Yesterday, Take a Bow, and Here I Am. My personal faves are Better In Time, Yesterday, Take a Bow, and Here I Am. Leona really does amazing things were her voice in Better In Time & Take a Bow. Her voice just blends into those 2 songs so WELL. I do wish there was some production from Diane Warren as she really is the ballad queen. With 2 Diane Warren tracks would of made this album really COMPLETE. At the rate Leona is going she will definitely become a legendary singer like Mariah. I really don't want 2 say Whitney cause Mariah is really giving Whitney a run for her money. But if this girl stays on course and doesn't derail off tracks the way Christina Aguilera did on her 2nd album Stripped she'll definitely become ICONIC in due time. With a voice like hers you have to be. I can't wait for the 2nd album cause 13 songs just isn't enough to satisfy my music NEEDS! Check this one out =)
  
  
• The best new artist in over a decade-Brilliant!!
  By A2DI1IVICNMBYO on 2008-04-09
  I haven't written a review in quite a long time. In fact, I usually write reviews for movies instead but this CD deserves everyone's attention. I was driving home listening to the radio 3 months back. On the radio came Bleeding Love. I instantly kept the station there because of the amazing voice I was hearing. A voice unlike any other. When I got home, I searched the internet for a song called Bleeding Love & found it was by Leona Lewis. I said to myself, I've heard of her. I knew she was on X-Factor, Britian's equivalent to American Idol but never heard any of her performances so I went on You Tube and starting watching her performances. That's when I knew she was it. She is the most naturally gifted live singer ever. I'm a big fan of Celine Dion & Olivia Newton-John because I feel their voices are pure & they are both such gifted natural singers but Leona even beats them. I'm not a Mariah Carey fan. I do like a few of her songs but I feel she shrieks sometimes & that turns me off. When I watched her performances of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, I Have Nothing, I Will Always Love You, Without You, Summertime, All By Myself, and Without You-I was simply overtaken. I ordered her CD Spirit from the UK & found the best CD in years. I instantly made copies & passed them to my friends, coworkers, everyone I knew to let them enjoy the music as well. Finally this CD is released in the US. If the US misses the boat on this one I will be greatly disappointed. Every song is absolutely melodic on both the UK and US versions so you really need both. First, I will cover the US version.
  
  Bleeding Love - Absolutely wonderful & smart lead single. Already a number one hit here & all over the world. This song is the biggest selling single of 2007 in the UK. Terribly sad song lyrically but beautiful no less. Co written by Jesse McCartney, can't get over that. Even though it's a ballad, still has a great beat.
  
  Better in Time - 2nd single in the UK. Already hit number two there. Very catchy & melodic mid tempo ballad also a fan favorite. Another sad song that's beautiful and has a very internationally understood message. Guessing it will be a single in the US as well.
  
  I Will Be - Another instant classic. Again melodic & beautiful. Again a sad song to tug at the heartstrings that probably everyone can relate to.
  
  I'm You - A very self-examining song that really makes you think about oneself when you follow the lyrics. Another power ballad, another beautiful addition.
  
  Forgive Me - A new track for the US edition. Upbeat ditty produced by Akon is a smart contender for a single. Absolutely excellent, catchy fun tune. More light-hearted that most of the CD will let Leona shine in a different way. One of my faves, though I have many. One of the reasons to buy the US version of Spirit.
  
  Misses Glass - the other new track is also an upbeat dream. Not quite as excellent as Forgive Me but still a contender for a single. I think this CD could have ten singles. This one sounds like a fun, lighthearted ditty but quite a sad song lyrically.
  
  Angel - Another fave. this one is a mid-tempo ballad but not a tearjerker. This one is a positive love song so I believe a smart single choice. She shines quite well on her sad songs but on her happy songs she does as well. Another jem.
  
  The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. Okay my favorite singer of all-time is Sam Harris. I believe he is the best male singer naturally ever. The female equivalent is Leona & now they both have done this fantastic song. I think Leona's version is better than Celine Dion's (though I love hers as well) but it's a tie for her version & Sam Harris' version. Leona's is breathtaking & surpasses the original, but I don't feel it should be a single.
  
  Yesterday - Also this beautiful mid-tempo ballad is a break up song, it has a more positive overtone in Leona's approach. The message states that no one can take away her memories of the relationship. Another excellent song with a universal message. Possible single contender.
  
  Whatever it Takes - mid-tempo upbeat ditty is another excellent track. this one has a great positive overtone & message that appeals to a mass audience. Another possible & smart contender for a single.
  
  Take a Bow - For sure one of my faves. I believe this should be the 2nd or 3rd single. I love this song more that Better in Time but because that's already a UK hit, that might be her next single. I love this one so much. Passionate, intense, and heartwrenching song appeals to a wide audience and has mass appeal. It has been compared to Justin Timberlake Cry Me a River but this song to me is so much more. The music, lyrics, vocal, arrangement, everything comes together so beautifully much like Bleeding Love does. A must for a single.
  
  Footprints in the Sand - This song is also a single with Better in Time in the UK. This beautiful ballad really shows off her chops & should also be a single here in the US. Much like the great 90's ballads of Whitney this song showcases her talent so much & is another fave on the CD. Co-written by Simon Cowell, he does have a heart if he wrote this. Breathtaking.
  
  Here I Am - Another slow ballad that shows off Leona's vocal perfection. Simply beautiful lyrically and vocally. Another possible single later in the game.
  
  OK-now the UK version tracks NOT on the US edition.
  
  Homeless - I can't believe this isn't on the US version. I want this to be a single as much as Take a Bow & Footprints in the Sand. This heartbreaking ballad is absolutely beautiful in all aspects. It's an incredibly sad song that whoever decided on the US tracks missed the boat by not including this masterpiece.
  
  The Best You Never Had - Another fave of mine. I'm also disappointed this wasn't included. There was enough room on the CD for more tracks so I'm confused. Anyway they should have included these 2 before I Will Be & I'm You in my opinion though it's tough to cut any of the tracks.
  
  A Moment Like This - Surpasses Kelly Clarkson by miles. So beautiful. She won X-Factor with this song. This song has the world record for the most downloads in the first 30 minutes. It's also available as a single with 2 live X-Factor songs Summertime & Sorry Seem to Be the Hardest Word so I'd recommend the single as well. This also should be on the US version but can understand why it was cut.
  
  Also available Bleeding Love CD single with Forgiveness. Forgiveness is another excellent ballad worth the purchase. And Better in Time / Footprints in the Sand single has You Bring Me Down an excellent mid-tempo upbeat track that could be a single in it's own right. Absolutely wonderful.
  
  Well that's it. This should be the top selling debut CD of all-time. It's the fastest selling debut CD of all-time in the UK. Hopefully here as well. She's the first UK solo female to hit number one of the singles chart for 21 years. The last one is another one of my favorites Kim Wilde. She deserves international success including the US. She's number 2 with this release on Amazon, let's make her number one everywhere. She should outsell Mariah, Madonna (whom I also love), and everyone else out there.
  
  

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