Spirit - Leona Lewis

It's a year since Leona Lewis was taken to the nations bosom, or some such nonsense, as the winner of the 2006's X-Factor. If we're to listen to Simon Cowell it's been time spent making sure that Lewis will be a long-term superstar, globally, rather than cashing in on the one album made whilst her success would be in the minds of the record buying public and then pushing her off into oblivion.

Whatever you choose to believe on that respect the one thing they haven't really done in that twelve months or so is get her some tunes.

First off, irrespective of your feelings on how she was "discovered", there is no denying that she's got a great voice. The problem is that a lot of the time it's surrounded by melodies and tunes that even Des'ree might reject as being a little too bland. Indeed I can't help but think Lewis is missing a trick by not doing a version of Life.

Anyways...Occasionally, such as on the recent single Bleeding Love, we get a glimpse that if she was hooked up with some top notch producers this could have been something reasonably special. As it is, they've pitched her somewhere between Westlife and the worst bits of Whitney Houston. And neither side of that equation is particularly enticing.

Single Releases 22/10/07

Did Leona Lewis, or perhaps more pertinently Simon Cowell, make the right decision by waiting almost a year to follow up her X-Factor winning single? Only time will tell. Having said that, Bleeding Love doesn't sound like the kind of song that's exactly worth waiting all that time for.

In a sense, Amerie shows her how to do it this week with the wonderful Crush. It's even better than the Jennifer Page Crush. Not that there is anything else in common with that song other than the title!

I do like that Kings Of Leon new one. Which makes their credit chart up to two (Molly's Chamber obviously being the other one). Which is a start is it not?

That Freemasons feat Bailey Tzuke track is quite a good one too (I know, what is up with me this week?). Even finding out it was written by Alanis Morissette didn't put me off it. Which is something is it not?

How nice of Amy Winehouse to get arrested just before Mark Ronson's Valerie gets a release. It's better than the Zutons, but then what isn't?

McFly are getting boring. Mutya Buena, meanwhile, just keeps on coming up with new ways of staying boring. Newton Faulkner almost gets a "not bad" for All I Got...but i'm not that crazy.