4 Time 4 Me, February 2010
celebrity
OOR Leona Lewis. name for Leona’s second album, in that it’sHas fame changed
almost exactly the same as her first. But if itYou’d think as Britain’s biggest pop
ain’tbroke,why trytofix it?Likeitsstar –sorry Cheryl –she could get Leona Lewis? Not very
predecessor, thecollection consists largelyabite to eat when she wants one,P
of huge, emotional ballads, with afewbut no. much, as she explains
upbeat tracks such as IGot You thrown in for“There’s nothing to eat, the only vegetarian
good measure.thing on the menu is acheese sandwich,” to ANDY WELCH
The electro-pop Outta My Head mightshe says between mouthfuls of the apple
startleafew fans, but it’s by far the mostshe’s found and is now virtually inhaling. “I’m ahead of plans for her
interesting song on the album, destinedstarving.”
to take Leona’s music to the dance floorWe’reinasuite at an oddlydownmarket debut tour
for the first time.chain hotel afew milesfrom central London.
This year she hopes to tour,Nothing wrongwith that,ofcourse, but as
somethingshe’s resisted so farhavingthe country’s favourite singer who has
in asinging competition beggars belief – never planned to take her music onshifted more than eight million copies of her
there’s no denying Leona’s voice is world- the road before releasing aseconddebut album since its 2007 release, you
class. After Gary Barlow heard her sing, the album.might expect to find her in more salubrious,
Take That frontman told Simon Cowell he “I wouldn’t have hadenoughcity-centresurroundings.
was duty-bound to give her the material her material forapropertourbeforeand I“I’m still the same girl who went to
voice deserved. Leona knows she could sing wanted to put on abig show. Whatthat first XFactor audition,” she says,
any of the last programme’s batch off the would Ihave done? I’d have to sayperhaps explaining why she’s eschewed a
stage, butthenshe’s gotfar toomuchgrace ‘Do you want Bleeding Love again?lavish setting.
to ever saythat. This is the 12” version’,” she says,“I’ve matured, which justcomes with
Leona says herself she can be quite shy cracking her first joke.gettingolder and growingup, but still I’m
and it takes awhile to get to know her, and She made her UK live debut earliervery much the same. Abit wiser and that’s
maybe her reticence to spill the beans stems thismonth at the HackneyEmpire,about it.
from that. around the corner from where she grew“I still have my family very close to me,
There’s also the events of last year to up. It’s amazing she’s not performed athey’re the people Itrust,” she adds. “It’s not
consider, though. Peter Kowalczyk, 29, gighere before, but Leona believes it’sthat Idon’t accept new people, because Ido
attacked Leona at abook signing, which the start of big things.have alot of new people Ireally think Ican
understandably left her shaken. She’s since “Wehad hologramsonstage thereandrely on, but it’s just natural to have your
saidshe’s okayand has spoken out things,which is quitedifferent to whatfamily around you if you love and trust them.”
sympathetically about her assailant, who was people haveseenbefore.I’m workingwithThe north Londoner, now 24, is the first UK
sectioned under the Mental Health Act creative director WilliamBaker [bestknownsinger to top the US album chart with their
before he couldappearincourt.But surely for his work with Kylie] and we’ve beendebut offering. Her recently released second
an incident like that is going to have alasting rehearsing alot so when Idotour, it will bealbum, Echo, unsurprisingly sits atop the UK
effect on asensitive soulsuchasLeona? really special.chart and is expected to fareequallywell
Understandably it’s not atopic of “I just want to do things that areStateside and in other territories where she’s
conversation that comes up during our chat. different.”now abona fide star.
She opens up marginallymorewhenaskedDespite such success, Leona admits the
about her mentor Cowell.promotionalsideofher career stillfeels alien
“We’re really close, Simon and I,” she says.to her, yet she’s already aware of things she’s
“I’m signed to his label so he’s very involvedgoing to do differently this time around.
in my music. People need to realiseSimon’s“There are things, just with regard to photo
very passionate aboutmusic andrealsongsshoots andstuff like that,” shesays, not
with real melodies,” shecontinues.willing to elaborate further.
“Healwayswants abig vocalpresence,That’s thething with Leona; shedoesn’t
he’s passionate about that. That’s whatseem to want to elaborate much on anything.
makes us work well as ateam, Iknow whereIt’s almost four years since she was
Iwant to be and he supports that.”catapulted into the limelight by XFactor, yet
Repeating the formulathatworked so wellwe’ve learned very little about her. She’s from
for Spirit, Leona went off to America toHackney in east London and has along-term
record Echo.Again CliveDavis,the producerboyfriend, Lou Al-Chamaa, who she’s known
who’s worked with everyone from Whitneysince she was 10. Her dad Joe is of
Houston to Bruce Springsteen, oversaw theGuyanese descent, while her mum Marina My
sessions in LA, with Cowell also acting ashails from Penarth in South Wales.
executive producer.Ask her about XFactor and she’s animated
“I basically went out [to LA] and startedat first, saying how excited and nervous she
writingwithdifferent songwriters,”sayshas been each of the three times she’s gone
Leona. “There were acoupleofsongs thatback on the show to perform, but then won’t
Simon liked and asked me to try, andbe drawn on any of the contestants from the
some were tailored for me. It was allfollowing series –which might suggestthe
quite organic. Iwasn’t toldIhad tosinger doesn’t think much of them.
startatany time or anything,IjustBut thenwhy would she?
went anddid it.”For all the programme’s flaws –the fact
Echo is aboutthe most perfecttuneless twins“Jedward” progressed so far
TIME 4 ME 004 Feb 2010
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