Winner of Britain's "The X-Factor," Leona Lewis debuts with a mix of pop and R&B. She is blessed with a vocal range that's so versatile, in songs like "Better In Time," that one may immediately compare her to Mariah Carey or Beyoncé Knowles, especially in "The First Time I Ever Saw You." It's not Lewis's fault that her voice doesn't distinguish her from these stars, but her producer, Simon Cowell (American Idol), plays it safe, and doesn't add anything new to what Tommy Mottola achieved with Mariah decades ago. That's not to say that the album is bad, but let's just hope Leona Lewis's sophomore effort shakes things up a bit more. --Ernesto Sánchez (People en Español )

Ganadora del concurso de talento británico "The X-Factor," Leona Lewis debuta con una mezcla de pop y R&B aderezada de una tesitura de voz que en sus momentos más agudos ("Better In Time") no deja de recordar a Mariah Carey, o que en sus notas graves ("The First Time I Ever Saw You"), pareciera ser Beyoncé Knowles. No es su culpa que su voz no tenga distinción, pero su productor, Simon Cowell (American Idol), juega a lo seguro y no propone nada que Tommy Mottola no haya logrado décadas atrás con Mariah y que decenas de seguidores han intentado hacer sin cambiar el mundo de la música. Eso no quiere decir que el disco de Leona Lewis sea malo, pero por favor, esperemos que en su próximo disco proponga. --Ernesto Sánchez (People en Español )

UK singer and songwriter Leona Lewis will release her debut album, Spirit, in America on April 8, 2008. For the first time, Clive Davis and Simon Cowell teamed up to sign Lewis to J Records/SyCo Music (Cowell's joint venture with Sony BMG), and are both actively involved in the recording process for Spirit. Lewis, a 22-year-old London native and winner of the hit TV show the X Factor, a British talent show, has broken all-time sales records there with Spirit entering the album chart at Number One and becoming Britain's fastest-selling debut ever. Spirit has scanned more than two million copies worldwide since its release in November. In addition, Spirit's lead-off single "Bleeding Love" -- co-written and produced by OneRepublic frontman Ryan "Alias" Tedder -- was the U.K.'s best-selling single of 2007, claiming the Number One spot for seven weeks. Ushering in 2008, Leona received four prestigious Brit Award nominations, the UK equivalent of the Grammy Awards. Leona is currently in the studio recording two brand new tracks for the U.S. release of Spirit - "Forgive Me" by singer/songwriter superstar Akon and "Misses Glass" from the cutting edge producer/writers Madd Scientist and Rock City. Spirit is a mix of fresh pop and R&B, filled with "songs with a contemporary edge," as Lewis puts it, ranging from soulful up-tempo numbers ("I'm You," "The Best You Never Had," and "Whatever It Takes," which Lewis co-wrote) to ballads ("Better in Time," "I Will Be," and "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" -- a song that Roberta Flack made famous). Tracks were written and produced by an array of top-notch hit-makers, including Tedder, singer/songwriters Akon and Ne-Yo, songwriters Josh Alexander and Billy Steinberg, and songwriter/producers Dallas Austin, Stargate, J.R. Rotem, and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald -- all of whom have worked with some of the biggest names in pop. In addition to gracing the covers of UK fashion publications like Harper's Bazaar, US media are touting Leona as the artist to watch in 2008: People Magazine labels her "the UK's hottest star in an "Introducing" piece," Vogue presents her in their "People Are Talking About - The Vogue 25 Cultural Highlights of 2008" and Entertainment Weekly declares her one of "8 To Watch in 2008."

Love this album, Lewis has a great voice and hits the high notes with ease. Her vocals are performed with perfection and I think she'll be around for a long, long time, she's to me another Mariah Carey on the rise!

Leona has a gift and creates incredible music.
I love the CD and would recommend it to anyone who appreciates real passion for music and talent.
You go LEONA!!!

Service was fast but I wasnt aware the product would not be shipped in its original box. In fact it wasnt in any box, just in a sleeve. Disappointed in that. Had I known I would have chosen another seller.

OMG this womans voice is phenominal! Al the songs on this CD are good to great, love to listen to it over and over. Bleeding Love is my favorite and is the reason I got the CD in the first place. Excellent.

Wow! How do I start! When I first heard Leona on the X Factor (singing "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston) I was completely and utterly blown away. She has power, strength, but also subtlety in her voice when she pulls back. She has control that few singers have these days. So I decided the purchase her album when it came out, and I was not dissapointed. Her first single, "Bleeding Love," is a pop sensation, with an engaging drum beat and a nice violin performance at the end. But I cannot get around the voice. Leona's trills and vocal acrobatics are FLAWLESS! Her second single, "Better in Time," astounded me as well. Her voice which fits ballads also fits these pop hits that she releases, and she NEVER dissapoints. Other notable songs, "Angel," (with a Beyonceish beat), "Take a Bow" (which also should be a single) and Yesterday prove to be outstanding. Only a few songs, like I'm You and The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face, are a little dreary for me. In general, this debut album is classic. I seriously recommend it. :)