Leona Lewis is serving up something a little different with her guest spot on Ricky Hil's Fix Me. With it's melancholy backing, its dark, brooding atmosphere and lyrics full of sadness and longing, Fix Me isn't exactly what we've come to expect from the X-Factor winner. However it's a style that totally compliments her voice; successfully illustrating just how beautiful it can be away from the soaring belts it's synonymous with.
Listening to Fix Me shows a versatility to Leona's voice that isn't often apparent in her own material; which is often formulaic and predictable in its approach. It ultimately makes me wish that she would take more risks with her music and the way she uses her voice. However the reality is, as long as she's attached to a big label, she's not going to be afforded such freedoms and will continue to be marketed (unwisely) as a modern-day Mariah Carey.
The best we can hope for is that we'll see more of this independent streak expressed with other guest spots and featured vocals. Perhaps it'll allow for Leona Lewis to have the best of both worlds: an independent edge and commercial viability.
Oh, and a quick question: does Fix Me remind anyone else of Sia's Breath Me?
Thoughts?
So haunting, so sexy. I'll always love her no matter what; and I definitely agree with you on the experimenting part about her voice/music. Darn Syco. The label's too focused on other useless bandwagonning acts like 1D and Little Mix, when I honestly think Leona has much more potential if her music was marketed right.
ReplyDeleteOMG, I was thinking the same thing. It sounds like something Sia would have been a part of. I like it, but something about it just seems like it's been done so many times that it will easily be forgotten...
ReplyDeleteOh my God! Is Leona still trying? Give it up, Girl! You'll NEVER be relevant. Your dream to be Mariah Carey failed long time ago.
ReplyDeleteClearly you didn't bother to either read the post OR listen to the song.Talk about being irrelevant!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree and enjoyed the song. But I remain steadfast in my belief it's the artist who should fix the situation herself.
ReplyDeleteHe does bring up a point though. For someone that has had the kind of success Leona's had in the past, she's inching dangerously close to total irrelevance. I'd give her a few years before she'll totally bow out of the industry like Toni, butthurt she isn't getting sales.
ReplyDeleteneither Avatar's sound track saved her carrer. I guess nothing else will.
ReplyDeleteLet's have dinner tonight?
ReplyDeleteThanks dude but I told you the previous time aready...lesbians aren't interested in boys. They are....irrelevant to us.:-)
ReplyDeleteNo he doesn't have a point. Who cares about ''relevance''. Should only multimilion albums selling music be made? It's in fact demonstrating to me abhorrent values.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea who first came up with this inappropriate use of ''relevance'' but odds are it was a complete nitwit and philistine.
Come to think...if it turns out to have been Simon Cowell, I would not be surprised the tiniest bit. ;-)
Er- but he does. It really doesn't matter who cares about relevance- the point is, she isn't, and as a result her music has no audience, she makes no sales, and she comes that much closer to being dropped. If Mariah can be dropped after just one misstep, well... Leona's on thin ice.
ReplyDeleteEr but he doesn't. Unless you are as I said, a philistine, commercial success doesn't equal relevance in art and/or culture.
ReplyDeletehaha Oh I thought we were vibeing opie, I guess I wont learn to sing and play violin ;)
ReplyDeleteSo we were talking of two completely different things. I assumed that the word 'relevant' was used to mean relevance in terms of commercial success, marketability, and reception by the general populace. You, on the other hand, meant relevance in music. So popular relevance versus musical relevance.
ReplyDeleteLol oh I'd have dinner with you any day of the week William. You are a mature, smart and well rounded young man.
ReplyDeleteBut Henrique is a child. I'd be arrested for pedophilia ;-)
Haha we can make it a double date you and Alison Krauss and me and Kimbra
ReplyDeleteI'd say business relevance versus musical. But yes,we were talking different things. That's because I hold the view that business is on a whole irrelevant. Hence my philistine relevance.
ReplyDeleteI can see how within business sales are all important but I could never subscribe to the view anybody should stop making music just because there salesnumbers don't equal the best selling folks.
Especially not when, like Leona, a singer actually does have an excellent voice.
Hahaha now that's a dinner impossible to say no to.
ReplyDeleteIt's not that she should stop making music, but she'd have to. With poor sales, she'll inevitably be dropped- and unlike Mariah, she probably doesn't have the resources to start her own label, rent her own studios, and create/promote her own albums. She doesn't seem to have the drive to take the reigns of her own career either, if her history is of any indication. Basically, once dropped, she's more or less over.
ReplyDeleteIt's an interesting debate though as X Factor has produced two really good female vocalists, Leona and Alexandra Burke and yet where are they?? Pretty much sidelined in Alexandra's case, she seemed to drop completely off the radar last year.
ReplyDeleteThese days it doesn't need resources like Mariah has. There are several artists I could name who started their own labels on minimum resources and though not rich and famous, nevertheless manage to live quite comfortably. Shelby Lynne and Melissa Ferrick for instance.
ReplyDeleteAlso there are smaller independant labels one could sign up with. If one cares about making a living as a musician rather than a ''star'' that is.
And I know you were not suggesting her stopping. Merely assuming, incorrectly she'd have no choice. But Henrique does keep saying she should everytime DD writes about Leona.
Haha I would melt in my seal
ReplyDeleteLol that should be a lot of fun for Alison and Kimbra...dinner with two melted puddles. Lucky thing Alison already expressed an admiration for Kimbra.
ReplyDeleteI'm not really familiar with the music scene beyond my faves, so I just imagined that it took a lot of resources to start your own label. I stand corrected, I guess.
ReplyDeleteLeona doesn't strike me as someone with the initiative and determination to go to such lengths to keep making music, though. She seems pretty apathetic about her career as it is.
That I wouldn't know. I don't follow Leona much. Never seen an interview even. Just know her from her biggest hits and DD's posts really.
ReplyDeleteHaha I just saw that clip, that is so cool. I couldn't imagine you melting you seem so calm and confident.
ReplyDeleteWoah, Woah, Woah....Kimbra is mine!
ReplyDeleteThat's the case for most talent show participants. Where is Fantasia? Where is Haley? Where is Jordin? LaKisha? Their careers just fizzle out and die.
ReplyDeleteI challenge you to a vocal duel jk :)
ReplyDelete''Seem'' being the operative word. In the presence of Alison I am very likely to become a blustering mess. My only salvation being ...she is utterly dorky herself.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pqg8XSwNsmc&feature=youtube_gdata_player
haha this sounds like an interesting dinner three dorks can we invite @Hyaci:disqus
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely . Was going to suggest that as well.. we'll have to order plenty champagne for her date Mariah though.
ReplyDeleteBtw...Kimbra just won the Record of the year Grammy with Gotye
Alison didn't win this time. Aside from Adele and Kelly, none of my fave picks won. Still keeping my fingers crossed for Jack White winning Album of the year but I fear it won't help.
Joe McElderry? I always thought he had a beautiful voice. Seems to be that anyone boarding the Syco train gets reduced to the absolute lowest common denominator.
ReplyDeleteYeh Alexandra's sophomore album wasn't very well received critically, due to its generic dance-pop fare and no real big hits, I dont think it charted very well either.
ReplyDeleteI think she is one of the most talented winners however (vocally speaking) and is far more pleasurable to listen to than even Leona.
Here is a fab song from the sophomore album "Heartbreak on Hold"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVImxJO2ca0
Get your coat Opie, you've pulled ;)
ReplyDeleteI agree, perhaps she should do a Kelly C and just tell them straight, "this is what I want"...I dont for a second believe that Leona really wants to be doing the whole power ballad thing. I think she needs a new deal, with a better label who will just let her be herself!
ReplyDeleteHaving just managed to listen to this now I have to say I think it and Leona sound excellent! If this was the kind of left field material she went with on Glassheart I have no doubt people would have had their interests sparked where Lewis is concerned again, fantastic!
ReplyDeleteSorry about jack White and Alison but Im glad Kimbra & gotye and Adele won :), Mariah Carey :0 I don't know if I could sustain myself
ReplyDeleteLol I have a more interesting date. Dinner party. Alison and I will be joining William and his date Kimbra, hopefully Reiko and her suspected date Mariah. Hope you and DD and Serendipity will join us as well. Curious...who would your date be? Kelly, Delta, Renee, Ellie or...? You guys are harder to figure. :-)
ReplyDeleteSo was I. But Kelly won. That was good! Though I would have been equally pleased if that Grammy had gone to her fellow nominee Pink.
ReplyDeleteHehe that sounds pretty awesome! I think I would have to play straight for this dinner party and make Kelly my woman, her fiance will have to serve the drinks I am afraid! Failing that I could always bring Justin Timberlake along, he is looking mighty fine these days....
ReplyDeleteThanks. Not as catchy as Bad Boys though. I've always thought Alexandra should have a live band behind her, real music would do her voice justice rather than all that producer led digitized stuff, it ain't really music. Think Ike and Tina Turner, real musicians bashing it out with Tina's raucous vocal carrying the whole thing. Sublime.
ReplyDeleteJustin certainly would be welcome imo :-)
ReplyDeleteHe does look fine and what's more...is a genuinly seriously talented dude.
Absolutely, her voice is easily strong enough to both cut through the band but has the qualities to compliment the live sound also!
ReplyDeleteI think the whole dance thing was pressure from the label wanting a more "chart friendly" sound, the usually really, aiming to milk her talents for quick cash!
Yeah, Kelly seemed humble and funny I missed her tribute though :(
ReplyDeleteYer, you're right there. If she ends up at Butlins I'll be sad.
ReplyDeletehttp://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx27/lexiingram/I%20stole%20gifs%20from%20lauren/Buffy/buffyno.gif
ReplyDeleteButlins? A fate worse than death...
I suspect a review will be posted by DD soon so I don't want to post the link here. But if you click on my name in the sidebar, you see a link to my facebook. I posted both Kelly's and Jack White's awesome set there.:-)
ReplyDeleteI saw Danyl Johnson at Butlins (not intentionally obviously) and it just felt like the end of the road really
ReplyDeleteI loved kelly's performance I haven't looked at Jack White performance but Kelly defiantly has the best so far
ReplyDeleteYou should listen to Jack as well...he rocked the house. Highlight of the event imo. And he had a singer on the first song who I thought was terrific. ( plus my favorite bass player.She was awesome as well)
ReplyDeleteTOTALLY! I think the big label might actually be holding her back
ReplyDeleteLOL
ReplyDeleteLOL .Give her a chance!!
ReplyDeleteI think you can leave that ''might'' out.;-)
ReplyDeletelol, sure. May the best win...lol JJ
ReplyDeleteTotally off topic but I just this past hour or two treated my self to Alexandra's "Heartbreak on Hold" after becoming hooked on a couple of the songs from it...as generic as it is there is something rather addictive about the songs, I dunno if its her impressive voice or just the whole 'get me to the club' feeling but I am totally loving it!
ReplyDeleteIt was great I dont know why but the fact he has both a all girl band and all boy band seems slightly eccentric to me but hey its probably jealously :).
ReplyDeleteHaha I can barely sing
ReplyDeleteKeep practicing, you'll get there.
ReplyDeleteTotally, I think in that position I would just give it up. I mean to go from being known on a national level and being hyped up ect ect to end up the bottom of the entertainment heap at a resort like that (no offence to those that vacate there, I have heard some of them are pretty good) must be soul destroying. In that position I would rather do the bar circuits...
ReplyDeleteI will ask Kimbra to help me over dinner :)
ReplyDeleteHaha it has to do with the material I think. Seeing as the all girl band is acoustic.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't doubt it, the more I think of it I want two bands for any occasion
ReplyDeleteAnd why not. Bryn has stated they are all having a lot of fun.. :-)
ReplyDeleteHaha I don't doubt it I think I prefer the all girl band of his two
ReplyDeleteHere's Jack explaining why the two bands ( from around 3.45)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7UIUhXo43A&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Hey, babe! I know you want it. I'll be waiting for you to make up your mind. Luv yeah! LMAO!
ReplyDeleteI don't know why all the fuss... Neona ALWAYS said she wanted to be a HUGE star, just like Mariah and Whitney, so is obvious that she failed. She wanted a huge part of the pie, but didn't get it at all.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you are so terribly amused by your own comment. Not so sure anybody who noticed it's the same lame ''joke'' each and every reply, is. :-(
ReplyDeleteJack White? I don't know him, but I love love LOVE his collab with Alicia Keys.
ReplyDeleteHe was awesome at the Grammys and imo his album Blunderbuss was one of the best albums of 2012.
ReplyDeleteHere's a link to his performance
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xxfajl_jack-white-love-interruption-freedom-at-21-grammys-2013_music
Yes! Agreed. Kelly C knew what she wanted and if isn't liek that she said, "GOODBYE!". I think Leona's voice is very very versatile and she could do much much more than haunting songs and power ballads. Oh well, just like what Opie said, she should have the initiative to come up with a change herself for her own good.
ReplyDeleteAgain one of my bug bears around the x-factor in particular, its not even about assisting an individual in becoming a credible and talented musician, its all about making money, which people now see right through.
ReplyDeleteI prefer "The Voice" over any reality singing series in that it concentrates wholly on the quality of the voice without any of the puffery of the x-factor. Its a shame there seems to be little follow up support in all of these programmes, thrust people in the limelight and milk the cash cow!
I get his reasoning its official I'm getting two bands
ReplyDeleteof all her children wish micturate memorizing things often worse.
ReplyDeletehold back until you go out on your surround.
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