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Sexy British singing sensation Leona Lewis has the biggest selling album in the country and will be Number One on this week's Billboard Albums chart, released Friday.
With her J Records/SyCo Music debut, 'Spirit,' Lewis continued her record-breaking success. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the Clive Davis-helmed project sold 204,841 during its first week of U.S. sales.
It's the first time in music history that a British female artist debuts at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, and it's the first time ever that a British artist overall has debuted on the chart at #1 with a first album.
It is also the biggest female artist first album debut since 'American Idol' winner Carrie Underwood in 2005, and had the biggest digital album sales week ever for a new artist.
Recently, Lewis broke the Hot 100 Chart record, becoming the first British female solo artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart in over 21 years with her single 'Bleeding Love,' (video below) which to date, has sold over 1 million tracks stateside and returns to the #1 spot this week on the Billboard Digital Songs Chart.
"Leona Lewis will not be an overnight sensation," Davis, who helped craft the careers of Whitney Houston, Deborah Cox and Alicia Keys, said "She is the real deal and this is just the beginning of a long and illustrious career."
Simon Cowell, the infamous 'American Idol' judge who can share in the Lewis's success abroad (she is the winner of 'X-Factor' – the European version of 'Idol,' which he produces) said, "What Leona has achieved is simply incredible. This is the hardest market to crack and for her debut album to go in at number one is unbelievable."
While many may not know her name, her music is inescapable.
The multiracial beauty has graced a flurry of major TV shows, including 'Good Morning America,' 'Live with Regis and Kelly,' 'CBS Early Show,' 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show,' 'Jimmy Kimmel Live,' MTV's 'TRL' and has upcoming appearances on 'The Tyra Banks Show' (April 17) and 'American Idol' (April 23).
CHECK OUT BLACK MUSIC NOTES for news on gospel, soul, R&B and hip-hop artists.
Comments: (60)
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By: AR82 on 4/22/2008 1:16AM
I've been seeing all the hype over Leona Lewis, so I said let me give a listen. She has the marketable look the music industry, the media/tv industry really loves (if you are not white, then you have to be light, bright - half white & blonde...a big plus.) She has talent, a "nice" voice quality, vocal technique (smooth sound), good ear, I hear a style/flavor. Longevity is always possible when there is a major marketing machine, label and capital backing you.
I agree with the majority.....I am not hearing anything out of the ordinary....we have plenty of
"African American Artists.....interracial too here in America who if given the opportunity can blow her out of the water. There's a great deal of undiscovered
"exceptional" talent here in America, artist you won't find on "American Idol". Heck, there's a lot of discovered talent who aren't getting the accolades they should. "The artist "Kem" doesn't get the props he deserves from the "Music Industry".
I am not hating on "British" artists, I like Amy Weinhaus, she may be a recovering drug addict, but she's a true artist, her voice/style are original,
something quite different,one of a kind.
#7 I don't know your age, but when "Whitney Houston's" first album came out....no cds then,
her album was an instant hit, every song was a
hit, pretty much unanimously.....everyone knew
Whitney's voice and artistry was a vocal gift
from God, definitely "a singers singer.....possessed w/ that type of vocal gift to set you a part from the rest". "Leona Lewis is not a young Whitney Houston,
she's a Leona Lewis.... but Whitney - no comparison.
#8 I agree, I truly miss Whitney's voice of old, her
voice has gone through so much abuse....her soprano I am certain will never return like it was...but we will always have her recordings.
#7 I know the "casting couch" exists, but you are
giving some of these singers a bad rap. "I am doubtful if Whitney had to sleep w/ Clive Davis
in the beginning of her career (later...I don't
know, I am sure he wouldn't want to given the road
she's been down). Whitney already had connections through her mother Cissy Houston, Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick when she started, besides she was an "exceptional" talent. "Mariah Carey" early in her career didn't need to sleep w/ anyone....that's another "exceptional voice". I think because of her talent and looks, Tommy Motola went after her so he could control her, much in the same way Ike Turner went after Tina. Now later (after Mariah had some issues???)but I still say "no way". Alica Keyes, another great artist..... the voice is not a great voice, but her musical artistry and songwriting is exceptional....she's an original. Alicia Keyes is already a proven talent, she didn't have to "sleep" w/ Clive Davis for him to sign her. I'd buy it if
you were talking "mediocre to miniscule" talent, but you are naming heavy hitters.
#13 I agree w/ you, now days brown sisters are seemingly being overlooked....you've got to be
overly exceptional to get noticed....and even then
you may not get far. "Fantasia", if she wasn't such a phenominal talent she wouldn't have won "AI", she's not getting the backing she deserves either. Now
Fantasia has a voice that truly has the virtuosity and essence of "Aretha Franklin in her younger days. The "white media" tried to say "Joss Stone" was a
young "Aretha"... please. Aretha Franklin made that clear....Fantasia is her "baby"....and she's right.
The R&B songs Fantasia is doing doesn't allow the full range and beauty of her voice to shine....that's a young "Aretha" right there.
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By: AR82 on 4/22/2008 1:45AM
#31 Slave Master is still in the house....he controls the Media, the record labels, the Movie Production companies, business....as long as White America continues to discriminate....preferring "bi-racial" persons and lighter skinned African Americans to represent "the black race" 75% out of 100% if not higher....this problem will persist....divide and conquer. It's extremely polarizing.....do not blame darker hued African Americans for getting angry....I am at the point I think they should be in a different category, maybe then "darker hued black people" will be hired to represent the truer essence and look of Black people before Slave master white washed the
color line.
#42 If they have a black parent, then they too are
black,they can't be fully white/asian,etc... what they are is bi-racial. Mostly all African Americans have some white in them, as long as Master's in control, we are going to have this issue.....unless another "black is beautiful power movement" is started, like in the 1970s.
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By: blckmoses@sbcglobal.net on 4/22/2008 4:46AM
Blacks love their bi-racial stars. Our talent pool is too watered down now. The more melanin you have the more innate gifts we are blessed with. Mix people are not as creative or original. I hate our stars don't deem it necessary to cultivate their unique talent pool like other races. They don't respect the ingredience which make them special. What a great loss. Further evidence that our race is saturated with anglophiles. Leona Lewis is further evidence that Blacks have cultivated "a culture of self-hatred".
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By: Cheryl on 4/22/2008 5:02AM
What does being bi-racial have to do with it? Either she can sing or she can't. Sounds like Mariah, hair like Beyonce, nice voice but boring. But that's just my opinion. I do wish her well, however. The music industry is heartless.
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By: Telidamaria on 4/22/2008 5:12AM
I think that Leona is beautiful and very talented. I feel that a lot of people want everyone to look a certain way and people miss what true beauty is. So to the people that don't like her get over it Leona is here to stay.
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By: BKShotta9mm on 4/22/2008 6:16AM
Hey #48 & 49, right on. I'm glad somebody set # 42 straight on the whole bi-racial/octaroon issue. But I wanna know who the hell said Joss Stone was like a young Aretha??? They really need a smack 4 that one. I luv Fantasia too, but there's this young girl from Compton named LaToya Williams. She did a song on a Snoop Dogg compilation a few years back called "Fallen Star". This girl is truly Aretha reincarnated, trust me. She can also B heard on Anthony Hamilton's 1st CD, and some colabs w/rappers like Jay-Z & Young Buck. Truly un-taped, overlooked, & waaaay 2 under-rated talent. And what's sad is, that there's hundreds of others just as (or even more) talented who won't get as far as even she has. And YES, the slave master is definitely still in the house. But I thought it was the gays who control the media & entertainment industry?????
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By: Telia B. on 4/23/2008 2:15PM
I'll think she has a nice voice it reminds of a Mariah Carey mixes to Whintiey Huston's voice.
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By: Bobby on 4/26/2008 2:50AM
She is a beautiful young lady and an amazing singer. Theres no denying that. And for all the comments "She sounds like this one" "She needs a nose job" "You can bet she slept with Clive Davis" damn u people are PATHETIC. And whats even worse is you've all seen the cover of the book and judged it before you even started to read it. And thats not my opinion, "Its a Fact"
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By: tylinda on 4/29/2008 8:30PM
LEONA YOU WERE BLESSED WITH A BEAUTIFUL VOICE. LET THEM HATER'S HATE ON. LIFE IS TO SHORTE TO WORRY ABOUT HOW OTHERS FEEL. IT'S YOUR TRUN.
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By: john Doe on 5/17/2008 11:00AM
Leona Lewis Duet..unreal
I am dj in ny for certain radio station I won't say but this duet was posted for a short time on a big industry site. Then taken down its incredible. Anyone know who this j Rice kid is? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zBByYfvXsk
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