Hi Guys, I've been out of the country for the past 3 months and missed ALOT. Could someone kindly fill me in on any big news that i may have missed; new single/ album re-release of Echo etc.
I love this part. Rarely do we discover who Leona is working with or what part of the planet gravity keeps a hold on her, but I'm excited knowing she is in the studio (somewhere!).
Some of you hear might be interested in the review of Alexandra Burke's new single on Radio 5, they talk about Leona Lewis, I'm not going to say anything as I get attacked here for attacking the BBC, but I draw you attention to the comments made by Colin Patterson the BBC bloke at
1 hour 48 minutes AND in particular 1 hours 49 minutes 30 seconds and let you make your own minds up about the attitude of the BBC.
The point is made that Leona's shows did not sell well because "who wants to listen to 16 ballads in a row"... Anyone who actually went to the shows could not of course have made that point.
Does anyone know what the actual seat sales were like for the tour? I assume that most, if not all, dates were virtually sold out, but there were comments before the shows started that there were loads of tickets available for sale on the web.
Can DS members who were able to go to the shows tell us whether they remember seeing lots of empty seats, or just a few?
To be fair it sounds like only one of them was actually 'attacking' Leona and he was only really echoing the general concensus about her and Alexandra to some extent...and the blame lays soley on her label/managements shoulders.
I played Echo to a friend the other day and he was totally taken aback he said it was a lot better then expected and that the singles didn't represent the album at all, it was the first time in a while that I really listened to the album with fresh ears and it just depressed me...and it depresses me that if she comes out with another ballad as her next single the same old slurs will be aimed at her and if she comes out with an uptempo number it will look desperate. Most of my friends didn't even know Leona went on tour and after seeing some of the videos they were amazed that she didn't just stand their in the middle of the stage singing ballads, one of my friends even commented that it looked like a fun night. It's sad that the public have totally got the wrong end of the stick with Leona and I really hope it is corrected before its too late.
Some of you hear might be interested in the review of Alexandra Burke's new single on Radio 5, they talk about Leona Lewis, I'm not going to say anything as I get attacked here for attacking the BBC, but I draw you attention to the comments made by Colin Patterson the BBC bloke at
1 hour 48 minutes AND in particular 1 hours 49 minutes 30 seconds and let you make your own minds up about the attitude of the BBC.
Typical arty-farty wannabe music snob types - doesn't surprise me,
Leona will always be pitted against (in my opinion the much inferior) Alexandra - and this will always be the comparison argument - "Alexandra's got more personality, Leona's so boring etc"
It's tiresome.
Different strokes for different folks. I much prefer Leona to Alexandra (who I find cocky and annoying) but I respect the fact that others will disagree.
Anyway, roll on Album 3 (or even re-released Album no. 2!!)
The point is made that Leona's shows did not sell well because "who wants to listen to 16 ballads in a row"... Anyone who actually went to the shows could not of course have made that point.
Does anyone know what the actual seat sales were like for the tour? I assume that most, if not all, dates were virtually sold out, but there were comments before the shows started that there were loads of tickets available for sale on the web.
Can DS members who were able to go to the shows tell us whether they remember seeing lots of empty seats, or just a few?
A lot of them were sold out and the ones that weren't only had a few seats left at the back or scattered around. Not one date was cancelled and the number of dates doubled after the initial 10 due to demand. So it's factually incorrect to claim her tour didn't sell well and is just stated by those desperately clutching at straws.
I was at the 2nd (extra) show at Glasgow and I didn't see any free seats. Scalpers and touts cause shows to sell out quickly. It's when the last of these second-hand tickets come back on the market, that the impression of it not selling out appears.
It would help if the box-office would leak onto the web so we can see for sure.
That Paterson pr**k went to my old school and holds the arrogance of many who went there... all imo, of course.;)
ETA I say "many" because the very antithesis, Ken Bruce the other radio guy who really likes Leona also went there.
A lot of them were sold out and the ones that weren't only had a few seats left at the back or scattered around. Not one date was cancelled and the number of dates doubled after the initial 10 due to demand. So it's factually incorrect to claim her tour didn't sell well and is just stated by those desperately clutching at straws.
I actually can't think of any female solo artist in the UK who could even contemplate doing a 20 date arena tour, especially 4 nights at the O2.
To be fair it sounds like only one of them was actually 'attacking' Leona and he was only really echoing the general concensus about her and Alexandra to some extent...and the blame lays soley on her label/managements shoulders.
I played Echo to a friend the other day and he was totally taken aback he said it was a lot better then expected and that the singles didn't represent the album at all, it was the first time in a while that I really listened to the album with fresh ears and it just depressed me...and it depresses me that if she comes out with another ballad as her next single the same old slurs will be aimed at her and if she comes out with an uptempo number it will look desperate. Most of my friends didn't even know Leona went on tour and after seeing some of the videos they were amazed that she didn't just stand their in the middle of the stage singing ballads, one of my friends even commented that it looked like a fun night. It's sad that the public have totally got the wrong end of the stick with Leona and I really hope it is corrected before its too late.
I really don't think it will. The public are crying out for something new, fresh and uptempo from her. It's not like there is still huge demand for another ballad/midtempo as we know that's not the case. They want something new. Plus, lets not forget she's already had a successful top 5 uptempo single. Ignore the fools on internet forums who try and claim Forgive Me was disastrous because it really wasn't. In a very competitive week she still managed top 5 and it goes down a storm at live shows.
I honestly think if the song is strong enough, if the image is perfect and correlates with the music, and Leona sells it with her performance, the public will have absolutely no problem embracing a different side to her. That's why the tour went down so well despite being so different to what many expected - she sold it and made it not uncomfortable or unbelievable.
Image/sound changes happen all the time in music from album to album. Yeah they don't always work but then they can also be hugely successful. Christina Aguilera's Stripped is a good example. On paper it looked like it would be a failure (when I saw the Dirrty video for the first time I thought that was the end of her career) but it worked because she sold it. Plus she still had great follow-up songs to grab the people that Dirrty didn't. Then you also have Nelly Furtado who completely changed for her Loose album. If someone had told me before that the public would embrace the quirky, hippy I'm Like A Bird girl as a sexy, RnB singer, I never would have believed it. But they did.
Now I'm not saying Leona needs to change to that extent. She really just needs to go up a notch or two. She will never change as a person and nobody wants her to suddenly change into this uptempo/dance singer. You know for a fact there will still be her classic ballads and midtempos. She really just needs strong uptempos or different midtempos that can be released as singles.
I actually can't think of any female solo artist in the UK who could even contemplate doing a 20 date arena tour, especially 4 nights at the O2.
Some people are so full of Sh$% sometimes.
Yup I agree. Lily Allen 'only' did a theatre tour despite having a very successful album era. Same with Pixie Lott, Alexandra Burke, Florence and the Machine. The list goes on.
For the record: nothing wrong with theatre tours at all but it really does show how successful Leona's arena tour was.
What gets me about Patterson is his totally one sided negative attitude to Leona, no mention of her SUCCESS, I don't mind if her music isn't to his taste but his comments are always in the negative, he was the one who said the most interesting thing to happen to her is when she was punched in the face.
I hope whoever reads this from her label makes sure the lanky piece of s**t never gets within a mile or her and boy would I just LOVE to meet him on a dark night
Bah, typical BBC and there typical "your music isn't real unless you wrote it, produced it and played all the instruments" view, I just tend to ignore them. We know that Leona's tour sold well and that it wasn't just 16 ballads in a row, so we can just conclude that this bloke didn't do his reasearch or was just trying to make some spare of the moment pointless dig. DJW13, to answer your question, I did work out at one point that the rough total of amount of tickets on sale for The Labyrinth tour was around 250,000. Obviously that isn't entirely accurate as it was based on the maximum seating capactity of each arena, for example a large chunk of the O2's seating was cut out due to the stage being in the way, but I would safely say that 200,000 people saw her during the tour.
I think some people will always have something against Leona, whether it's because she came from a TV talent show, is technically a 'manufactured artist' or that or that the her personality and majority of her music are not particularly loud or in your face. All we have to remember is that there are many people in the UK and indeed around the world who love and respect Leona for who she is and what she stands for, if other people have a problem with that, sod 'em.:D
it's factually incorrect to claim her tour didn't sell well and is just stated by those desperately clutching at straws.
Yes. Leona's tour is over. Colin Patterson could easily have checked the facts to see how events unfolded in real life. He seems more interested in maligning Simon Cowell related artists and less interested in accuracy therefore I doubt he will correct his false statement in a hurry. It's not something to get upset over when people are this badly mistaken. They just lose credibility.
All this ( personality ) stuff does my head in I ( fell in love ) with what Leona is as a result of listening to her while not even seeing her ! the voice , the ability to transform what is basicaly dots on paper and written words into an emotion filled few minutes ! and strewth can Leona do that ?
Until hearing Leona I was convinced I had become a heartless person incapable anymore of being moved by music ! Thank you Leona !:D what you have given me back is Priceless!
I saw Dame Edna Everidge In leeds some years back and waited back stage to meet this larger than life Personality and was shocked at the relatively demure Oxford English speaking Gent we met back stage !
Many GREAT artists were subdued in thier private lives BUT A Real Professional delivers the goods when needed IE records or Live performances
I have read reports Mr Atkinson ie Mr Bean gets Really Pi**ed off when approached in restaraunts etc and people expect him to still be Mr Bean
I would be satisfied if My fav artist had the personality of a dead Gnat in private life ( not refering to Leona of course !)
My Interest is in what they deliver as an artist ! and for me Leona does it !:D
I think a summer release opens the possibility of trying out a mid to uptempo single. At that point, album sales won't be huge anyway. But whatever they do, she should have a ballad out in Q4 next year - whether that's a second or third single.
But releasing an uptempo isn't going to change Colin Patterson's opinions. He just doesn't like her and nothing is going to change that. I can't even be bothered listening because I know what he'll be saying, it's just what you'd expect from someone in his position. But it doesn't exactly matter. If that was the Head of Music at R1 saying that then it would be an issue.
As for the BBC and Radio 1, I think they're just a bit off the pace. They didn't like I Got You and it didn't do well at all. I think that song simply wasn't the hit we hoped it would be. But since then they've backed Diana Vickers for her second single which hasn't done too well and missed "All Night Long" which went top 5 and now "Start Without You" which is #1 on itunes with no Radio 1 support. They also reacted a week late to Olly Murs getting a #1 with strong sales.
But I don't think there's a particular agenda. They do playlist X Factor acts. Also, it's not a Syco thing either as Labrinth proves (he's getting big support from R1 and R1 Xtra right now).
The point is made that Leona's shows did not sell well because "who wants to listen to 16 ballads in a row"... Anyone who actually went to the shows could not of course have made that point.
Does anyone know what the actual seat sales were like for the tour? I assume that most, if not all, dates were virtually sold out, but there were comments before the shows started that there were loads of tickets available for sale on the web.
Can DS members who were able to go to the shows tell us whether they remember seeing lots of empty seats, or just a few?
My Familly went to 4 shows and there were very few empty seats ! most likely caused by ebay entrepreneurs trying to exploit the market
I think a summer release opens the possibility of trying out a mid to uptempo single. At that point, album sales won't be huge anyway. But whatever they do, she should have a ballad out in Q4 next year - whether that's a second or third single.
Agreed. I would be tempted to hold off the album until after the second single which would be more ballad/midtempo but there is always the danger of the first single performing better and missing out on potential sales.
But releasing an uptempo isn't going to change Colin Patterson's opinions. He just doesn't like her and nothing is going to change that. I can't even be bothered listening because I know what he'll be saying, it's just what you'd expect from someone in his position. But it doesn't exactly matter. If that was the Head of Music at R1 saying that then it would be an issue.
Agreed again. She doesn't need to change her music for critics at all. She will never be adored by some critics simply for where she came from and that will never change. She needs to change things up for the public which is far more important.
It may be worthwhile doing the whole two singles then album aprroach. They could almost trial out an uptempo number to see if 'uptempo Leona' actually catches on, chances are that thiis may not do anything for the public and they will just see it as a blatant attempt to shift styles. The Leona we know and love has been massively successful off the back of midtempos/ballads just as Lady GaGa has enjoyed equal if not more success by only releasing uptempo numbers, don't fix what isn't broken springs to mind. Yes release an uptempo just to shake things up a bit, but it certainly shouldn't be a permanent change.
It may be worthwhile doing the whole two singles then album aprroach. They could almost trial out an uptempo number to see if 'uptempo Leona' actually catches on, chances are that thiis may not do anything for the public and they will just see it as a blatant attempt to shift styles. The Leona we know and love has been massively successful off the back of midtempos/ballads just as Lady GaGa has enjoyed equal if not more success by only releasing uptempo numbers, don't fix what isn't broken springs to mind. Yes release an uptempo just to shake things up a bit, but it certainly shouldn't be a permanent change.
It could always be a Leona-style up-tempo.
'Scene of the Crime' was exactly that. Think of the general sound of Echo but in up-tempo form - the result would be SotC. Commercial, quality and completely Leona.
Comments
Thanks in advance
http://twitter.com/leonalewismusic
yep she's now back in LA
http://leonaweb.net/cpg1.4.16/cpg1416/thumbnails.php?album=992
I see she's brought her parents along for the trip.
Thanks Photo Santa
1 hour 48 minutes AND in particular 1 hours 49 minutes 30 seconds and let you make your own minds up about the attitude of the BBC.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007v5cz
Select todays show and enjoy.
Does anyone know what the actual seat sales were like for the tour? I assume that most, if not all, dates were virtually sold out, but there were comments before the shows started that there were loads of tickets available for sale on the web.
Can DS members who were able to go to the shows tell us whether they remember seeing lots of empty seats, or just a few?
I played Echo to a friend the other day and he was totally taken aback he said it was a lot better then expected and that the singles didn't represent the album at all, it was the first time in a while that I really listened to the album with fresh ears and it just depressed me...and it depresses me that if she comes out with another ballad as her next single the same old slurs will be aimed at her and if she comes out with an uptempo number it will look desperate. Most of my friends didn't even know Leona went on tour and after seeing some of the videos they were amazed that she didn't just stand their in the middle of the stage singing ballads, one of my friends even commented that it looked like a fun night. It's sad that the public have totally got the wrong end of the stick with Leona and I really hope it is corrected before its too late.
Typical arty-farty wannabe music snob types - doesn't surprise me,
Leona will always be pitted against (in my opinion the much inferior) Alexandra - and this will always be the comparison argument - "Alexandra's got more personality, Leona's so boring etc"
It's tiresome.
Different strokes for different folks. I much prefer Leona to Alexandra (who I find cocky and annoying) but I respect the fact that others will disagree.
Anyway, roll on Album 3 (or even re-released Album no. 2!!)
A lot of them were sold out and the ones that weren't only had a few seats left at the back or scattered around. Not one date was cancelled and the number of dates doubled after the initial 10 due to demand. So it's factually incorrect to claim her tour didn't sell well and is just stated by those desperately clutching at straws.
It would help if the box-office would leak onto the web so we can see for sure.
That Paterson pr**k went to my old school and holds the arrogance of many who went there... all imo, of course.;)
ETA I say "many" because the very antithesis, Ken Bruce the other radio guy who really likes Leona also went there.
I actually can't think of any female solo artist in the UK who could even contemplate doing a 20 date arena tour, especially 4 nights at the O2.
Some people are so full of Sh$% sometimes.
I really don't think it will. The public are crying out for something new, fresh and uptempo from her. It's not like there is still huge demand for another ballad/midtempo as we know that's not the case. They want something new. Plus, lets not forget she's already had a successful top 5 uptempo single. Ignore the fools on internet forums who try and claim Forgive Me was disastrous because it really wasn't. In a very competitive week she still managed top 5 and it goes down a storm at live shows.
I honestly think if the song is strong enough, if the image is perfect and correlates with the music, and Leona sells it with her performance, the public will have absolutely no problem embracing a different side to her. That's why the tour went down so well despite being so different to what many expected - she sold it and made it not uncomfortable or unbelievable.
Image/sound changes happen all the time in music from album to album. Yeah they don't always work but then they can also be hugely successful. Christina Aguilera's Stripped is a good example. On paper it looked like it would be a failure (when I saw the Dirrty video for the first time I thought that was the end of her career) but it worked because she sold it. Plus she still had great follow-up songs to grab the people that Dirrty didn't. Then you also have Nelly Furtado who completely changed for her Loose album. If someone had told me before that the public would embrace the quirky, hippy I'm Like A Bird girl as a sexy, RnB singer, I never would have believed it. But they did.
Now I'm not saying Leona needs to change to that extent. She really just needs to go up a notch or two. She will never change as a person and nobody wants her to suddenly change into this uptempo/dance singer. You know for a fact there will still be her classic ballads and midtempos. She really just needs strong uptempos or different midtempos that can be released as singles.
Oops, ranted for longer than I realised there. :D
Yup I agree. Lily Allen 'only' did a theatre tour despite having a very successful album era. Same with Pixie Lott, Alexandra Burke, Florence and the Machine. The list goes on.
For the record: nothing wrong with theatre tours at all but it really does show how successful Leona's arena tour was.
Photo santa brings you some new and cute pix of Leona + Dennis Jauch: http://leonaweb.net/cpg1.4.16/cpg1416/thumbnails.php?album=991
I hope whoever reads this from her label makes sure the lanky piece of s**t never gets within a mile or her and boy would I just LOVE to meet him on a dark night
I think some people will always have something against Leona, whether it's because she came from a TV talent show, is technically a 'manufactured artist' or that or that the her personality and majority of her music are not particularly loud or in your face. All we have to remember is that there are many people in the UK and indeed around the world who love and respect Leona for who she is and what she stands for, if other people have a problem with that, sod 'em.:D
Yes. Leona's tour is over. Colin Patterson could easily have checked the facts to see how events unfolded in real life. He seems more interested in maligning Simon Cowell related artists and less interested in accuracy therefore I doubt he will correct his false statement in a hurry. It's not something to get upset over when people are this badly mistaken. They just lose credibility.
Until hearing Leona I was convinced I had become a heartless person incapable anymore of being moved by music ! Thank you Leona !:D what you have given me back is Priceless!
I saw Dame Edna Everidge In leeds some years back and waited back stage to meet this larger than life Personality and was shocked at the relatively demure Oxford English speaking Gent we met back stage !
Many GREAT artists were subdued in thier private lives BUT A Real Professional delivers the goods when needed IE records or Live performances
I have read reports Mr Atkinson ie Mr Bean gets Really Pi**ed off when approached in restaraunts etc and people expect him to still be Mr Bean
I would be satisfied if My fav artist had the personality of a dead Gnat in private life ( not refering to Leona of course !)
My Interest is in what they deliver as an artist ! and for me Leona does it !:D
But releasing an uptempo isn't going to change Colin Patterson's opinions. He just doesn't like her and nothing is going to change that. I can't even be bothered listening because I know what he'll be saying, it's just what you'd expect from someone in his position. But it doesn't exactly matter. If that was the Head of Music at R1 saying that then it would be an issue.
As for the BBC and Radio 1, I think they're just a bit off the pace. They didn't like I Got You and it didn't do well at all. I think that song simply wasn't the hit we hoped it would be. But since then they've backed Diana Vickers for her second single which hasn't done too well and missed "All Night Long" which went top 5 and now "Start Without You" which is #1 on itunes with no Radio 1 support. They also reacted a week late to Olly Murs getting a #1 with strong sales.
But I don't think there's a particular agenda. They do playlist X Factor acts. Also, it's not a Syco thing either as Labrinth proves (he's getting big support from R1 and R1 Xtra right now).
My Familly went to 4 shows and there were very few empty seats ! most likely caused by ebay entrepreneurs trying to exploit the market
Agreed. I would be tempted to hold off the album until after the second single which would be more ballad/midtempo but there is always the danger of the first single performing better and missing out on potential sales.
Agreed again. She doesn't need to change her music for critics at all. She will never be adored by some critics simply for where she came from and that will never change. She needs to change things up for the public which is far more important.
It could always be a Leona-style up-tempo.
'Scene of the Crime' was exactly that. Think of the general sound of Echo but in up-tempo form - the result would be SotC. Commercial, quality and completely Leona.