Check out the video for “Happy”, which is the first single from Leona Lewis’ upcoming second studio album “Echo”. Written by OneRepublic’s vocalist Ryan Tedder.
“Echo” will be released on November 17th in the U.S. and Leona’s visit to Germany and London to promote the effort had been set earlier last week but both of the gigs were canceled because she was attacked by a man identified as Peter Kowalczyk during a book signing on October 14.
Leona looks gorgeous as always. Cant wait for the new album. Definitely gonna cop that.
How U doin?
Not crazy about the song but…
she looks GORGEOUS! :-0
Leona, if you want to be happy, start by getting a black man.
Her voice is sooooooooo beautiful! Now this is real talent right here. She has such an amazing honey tone and powerful vocals. She is definitely one of the top best singers of our geeration. I like the song too, it’s growing on me. The video was pretty good. I like the story line. She comes off as being very classy and real. Usually she looks funny looking to me, but she looks so pretty in the video.
I SWEAR I AM SICK AND TIRED OF ALL THESE LIGHT SKINNED SAME TYPE WOMEN LIGHT EYES LIGHT HAIR BEYONCE CIARA LIL MAMA RIHANNA MYA MARIAH…A DARK SKINNED WOMEN WILL NEVER MAKE IT IN THIS TIME RIGHT? WHAT THEY CANT GET SIGNED?IF THEY DO THEY DON’T GET EXPOSURE LIKE THE REST OF THEM.AND THE DARK SKINNED FEMALES IS ALWAYS LIKE OHH THEY SO GORGEOUS AND BEAUTIFUL.I CAN UNDERSTAND BECAUSE YOU DON’T SEE YOURSELF UP THERE AND A LOT OF US DON’T SEE OURSELVES AS BEAUTIFUL SO WHAT THE FUCK EVER…HALF THE TIME DARK WOMEN HAVE STRONGER VOICES AND ARE TRULY PHYSICALLY BEAUTIFUL… STILL CANT GET A HIGH STATUS.THEN DONT GET ME STARTED ON THE DARK MEN ONLY LIKING ONLY LIGHT AND ONLY HAVING THEM IN THE VIDS THE DARK GIRL GETS PLAYED ALL THE DAMN TIME SICK AND TIRED OF SEEING THIS THE SHIT SUCKS
I don’t normally say stuff like this, but this is a black blog so here it is. I kinda wish she stop singing nuthin’ but white girl music, and mix in a little more subtle R&B. Her music is going in one parallel lane. When Mariah started out, she had a mixture of power pop ballads and R&B, and she did that for a while before she eventually settled into R&B. Leona is a very pretty girl, but her style is too boring. Sorry Leona fans.
WONNAMIL, are you serious? This woman sings her heart out and you have nothing postitve to say, only something negative about her light skin? Dark skinned or not Leona Lewis kills it with the vocals. Mariah Carey as well. These are women who got signed because of their voice alone, not their appearance. Now someone like Rihanna and Ciara (whos medium toned) got signed because of their light or medium toned skin and we all know Beyonce is internationally famous only because of her skin tone and blonde hair weave. I understand what you mean and I find it “ODD” that we only get light skinned females or white females in pop or R&B music, but I don’t thnk it’s fair to call out Leona when she’s all about music, before image unlike many artists of today. That one chick Alexandra Burke, who is very dark and has ethnic features just went number 1 in the UK, so there’s a start for ya.
spell check…
anyways sweetie there are a few “dark” chicks who are or were doing well
i don’t think it has anything to with skin color
=]
Why is there always a race issue with posts about Leona? Who the fuck cares what race she is? I just wanna hear her music. People these days…smh….
The fact that she is of mixed race is not an issue, at least with me. It just seems, and I think other can agree, that her music is leaning MORE towards one of her races, and not the other.
I just would like to see her switch it up a little. Kinda like Alicia Keys, who is also of mixed race, but she knows how to balance out the pop/adult contemporary and R&B equally.
Leona had loads of racism directed to her as a child in school – from the white kids in one school because of her “frizzy hair” and then the black kids in her next school because of her “light-toned skin”.
Let her be who she is, a wonderfully talented singer who in a musical business full of charlatans, falsehood, prode and envy remains as down to earth, friendly and real as when she first appeared.
As for the video, it’s brilliant. Lovely story which works well with the song and Leona looks beautiful. Thanks for posting it CL.
@Ben – don’t forget she’s from the UK. The music scene is hugely different there, and has far less domination by Urban/Rhythmic radio and leans far more towards electronic music and guitar bands.
oh i know her music is leaning towards the white direction, but as long as its good then ill listen. I do kinda wish she did more songs like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCCKMUHS4Vc
what ever i call it like i see it and reality is it is a skin issue thats what sells people arent afraid of it, its the norm. Sure they all can sing, i like her voice for your information even beyonce has a nice voice. But other dark sistas have nice voices too they just dont have the look. Be honest with yourself you know its not accepted and prob never will be. Colorism is occuring in darfur, middle east, and america is no different. Its the un-said thing over here but it definitely happens.
and I am holding my baby so i cant keep using the shift button to capitalize so excuse me. i know some smart ass pressed person will break their neck to point that out
aint this the bitch that got murked at the Barnes n Nobles?
she can get it…
Her song cant get play tho…. at least in my radio.
@John, that is not true. I for one know that the old 60s soul is a crazy influence over there in the UK-Noisettes, Adele, Joss Stone, Duffy. Not only that, I heard Alexandra Burke is currently number one over there with her “Bad Boys” single, which is like a mixture of pop and R&B. I understand that Leona fans won’t agree or see it my way, and that is ok. Then I wish people would stop comparing her to Mariah, cause Mariah didn’t start off singing nothing but pop songs.
I can’t believe we are having a discussion about her music being catered to white people. Are you serious? You may not like it but music is music, and you either like it or you don’t regardless. She is a pop singer, not R&B. Anyway I like the song but I want Ryan Tedder to stop using the same arrangement of music, this is the same arrangement from Beyonce’s “Halo” and Kelly Clarkson “Already Gone”.
Bad Boys is a eurovision song in sheep’s clothing! It hasn’t got an ounce of RnB in its DNA.
Ben, it’s a passing trend at the moment not ingrained in the culture.
I find it incredible in this era of Obama as President people are trying to racially profile the music artist’s should make. Music is a universal gift dictated by ears not skin colour.
CL u guys are late this vid came out at least 2 days ago….anyways…its alright
oh and @ WONNAMIIL just the hell up and calm down….its not that serious, u’ll give urself a nose bleed
can’t the woman just sing whatever she wants to sing? why is she wrong just cuz she’s not up there shaking her ass like beyonce. lol. damn leave her alone. she’s classy and her music is classy. i like when people represent the “other” side of being black. just because you’re black, it doesn’t mean you have to act a certain way or sing a certain type of music. this is 2009 people!!
HOT VID
OH AND HOT SONG AND HOT VOICE
THIS GIRL IS TALENTED.
I’ll watch the rest of the video some other day…not interested at this time. Thanks..good luck though
I agree with Ben. I understand that “the urban scene” is not as prominent in the UK. But why is it that Duffy, Adele, Josh Stone, Shangi from Noisettes, V.V, Estelle, Corrine Bailey Rae, Lisa Stansfield, Annie Lennox, hell Lilly Allen have more soul in thier voices then Leona!! Surely the “urban” music has noticably affected them?
I think Leona is a beautiful girl, with a “technically” nice voice, but there is no conviction, or emotion that evokes from her songs. I know she’s pop, but since when Pop been synonomous with boring? I don’t know if she needs another set of producers and songwriters, but IMO all her songs have been safe, and disposable.
Add Amy Winehouse too- I know she’s a crackhead, but you get the point!
@ 5… what the hell does the complexion of one’s skin have to with the “strength” of their voice?
there’s always someone, that brings the light skin complex up..it’s so played out, people are set in there ways like you said “it’s the norm” COMPLAINING CHANGES NOTHING! TALKING CHANGES NOTHING! this shit has been going on since forever…
anyway, I like the song and the video..she looks beautiful too
like the video, its such a nice song
Look and video aside, i think Leona can sing but im not wowed by her voice, she is nowhere near one of the greatest singers because it wouldn’t have taken a talent show to put her in the lime light (this wasn’t her first attempt at music)
Leona’s problem is she cant sing uptempo! That link that someone put just shows that she’s singing a ballad with a mid tempo beat behind in the vocal style of all her other songs – her vocals seem very limited. Great singers need a personality also, something that makes that makes them, them… she don’t have it.
@27 the complexion issue is getting old? yea try being a dark skinned female who is constantly shunned by everyone including her own damn people. Its all good I am not looking for sympathy CL is no place to find that, but damn when will black people change their own state. And I will speak on it you can hear or not agree or not but thats my change. Fuck burying it under a rug like it don’t exist. you’ll understand if your kids come out dark skin and ask you why the hell they are feeling like they are disregarded regardless of their talents and beauty, disregarded in this world. Anyway carry on with praising this girl……
Leona is not that damn light. She looks brown to me.
First off, Leona looks great and the Cuban scenery is wondrous. Jake Nava did a fine job once again..
As for people who say she has “no soul” or is “boring”, I’d love to know what they mean? Do you mean she doesn’t add lib enough or what? lol
Cause my opinion is that Leona being a classically trained vocalist, she probably have developed a different approach to singing than most other pop divas with a different background; in that she puts technic above “vocal thrills” or runs, and she choses to perform in a comfort zone without blending many technics at once, which some people might think she’s “boring.”
But what they’re not noticing is the quality or richness of her tone, which keeps getting BETTER with each performance, instead of deteriorating as is the case with a lot of singers. – Like, if you compare her performance on X Factor to the first album to this new era you’ll note a difference, she’s just exploring…so its great that she has room to grow and she can only get better from here.
A few links:
2006 “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” on X Factor – her tone sounds high and strikingly beautiful but maybe a bit young.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWmXNy4HEcg
2007 “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” – she sounds richer and deeper than the year previous
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URRgTJszeGI
2008 early “Bleeding Love/Better In Time” in concert – she stays in her middle range the most, and she’s effortless.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6l2785_GQU
2008 year end “Run” – *technical perfection at all parts of her range*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-HVPd8V93E
2009 “Happy” – she’s back full circle to her high tone of X Factor, but she doesn’t use her melissma as much as before.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urYFN_li5Bo
Wow. Nice video.
ahhh i love it!!!!!!
i like the debate y’al are having very interesting, and I agree with most of the replies, Leona is NOT the best out there..Xtina will give her a run for her money and she’s white…..and when she tries to hit the high note, its kinda annoyin, its not the kind that gives you goosebumps, but I think in time she will not nly embrace other forms of music like R&b/soul, but her voice wil mature and she will sing with emotion, for now she’s a selling machine and doin what she’s expected, which is appeal to the white pop-music buyin market because thats how she was discovered, she wasnt singin at BET or MOBOs…she was in a competition that has a predominantly white follwowing, so its understandabale..and also her background might only have pop influences, so she doesnt have references…who knows but i think I’ll give her a chance at least three years…on the other hand, Mariah Carey SHOUDL HAVE STUCK with ballads and pop, coz once she jumped ont he wagon of R&b and the whole “featuring such and such rap artist of the moment thing”..she just lost a whole lot of fans particularly the older fans, coz her pop had SOUL if you know what I’m sayin..
some dumb ass people on here talkin about shit. wat the heck? so what colour is whitney houston one of the greatest singers ever. it’s not about colour its about talent. talent is not just in singing its a performer also. ciara and rihanna aint that great of singers, so what are they just famous coz they light skin? no but because they’re great performers. stop watching peoples colours and watch their talent. too many people have negative things to say. bloody hell
CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHEN CIARA BECAME LIGHT SKIN…..THAT GIRL AINT NO WHERE NEAR LIGHT.
AGREE WITH DEV…LEONA CANT SING UP-TEMPO
@17 I’ll have you know that Mariah rapped on her first album; listen to Prisoner LOL. On the second album she had a Jazz song and straight up RnB and Gospel and by her third she used her first RnB sample in Dreamlover. But I do agree that the comparisons should stop because Leona hasn’t gotten anywhere near that level yet and is much more of a pop/folk singer that a soul singer right now (she yodels alot and sites Eva Cassidy as an influence.)
wow she’s so beautiful!! , but on photo’s she looks a bit weird. she is one of those people who look really good in real life but on pictures they look not so good.
ps sorry for my bad english:)
I’m From The UK And R&B/Hip Hop Is A Biggg Part In Music Over Here Now…I’d Say Over The Last 3/4Yrs It Has Become Less Uncommon Here And Now Takes The Majority Of The Charts Up Down Here…Thanks Too Artists Like Ja Rule, 50 Cent, Jay Z, Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Beyonce, Ciara…Many More I Could Name…Compared too Say 5/6Yrs Ago When I Remember I Was In High School & All Ny Friends Prefered Pop Music Expect Me, Now There Prefered Choice Is R&B/Hip Hop Due Too My Influence But More So Down Too How Big It Has Became Down Here…
As For Leona & Skin Tone I Don’t Think Her Getting Up There Doing Somthing Similar Too Ciara/Beyonce Would Be Her, Leona’s Voice Is Undoubtably Crazy Beautiful & She Suits The Type Of Songs She Sings…Not Every Light Skinned/Dark Skinned Artists Has Too Get Up N Do An R&B Track…
Eminem Is One Of The Biggest Hip Hop Artists No One Say’s He Should Be Doing Country Music Cuz He’s White, JoJo Is Quite R&B Influenced No One Say’s She Should Be Doing Pop Music…Music Has Grown Sooo Much & I Didn’t Some People Was Still This Stereotypical About Genre & Color But Obviously I Was Wrong…
But Loveeeee The Song & The Video Leona Is Beautiful Both Vocaly & In The Video…
xx
Leona is a great singer but i agree with the person that said she’s boring. I don’t need her to tap dance or anything but i would love to see more genuine emotion. I don’t think it’s the type of music as much as it is the way she relays the music. For instance Jordin Sparks sings similar music but she invest more conviction and emotion into delivering the message of the song.
@ WONNAMIL
oh girl you got the ugly dark girl complex, honey, it’s called skin bleaching, but dont spit your hate at people.
Every one is beautiful in their own way
DOES EVERYTHING THINK THIS GIRL IS SIMON COWELL’S VERSION OF A FAKE MARIAH???? LEONA WILL NEVER BE MARIAH.
MIMI WE LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE MEMOIRS, BEAUTIFUL CD
@25 I agree….the song started off nice but then became utterly boring. singers like AMY (whom I heart to death) and Adele and Joss and so forth sing with hella soul and it amazes me still…
@16 smh @ such a triflen comment. I think ur name should be “Ignorant Coon.”
SHE RESEMBLES BEYONCE, EXCEPT HER NOSE IS BIGGER AND HER EYES ARE LIGHT
I don’t understand why she needs to cater toward black people and sing R&B. Not all black people listen to R&B and not all partially – fully black people have to sing it. Do what makes you HAPPY leona.
It’s a shame how we judge people so harshly because they don’t fit in the mold we made for them. We say things like “they’re not being real” or “they’re just trying to be white.” That really gets me. If so many were to do that there would be so many people unhappy with themselves because they aren’t being true to who they are and what they love. I compose music and I cannot tell you how I have tried to write hip-hop because it is more “acceptable” and more popular but in the end, it just isn’t me. I’m expirimental.. . just like Leona, right now in her life, is pop.
HMMM SOUNDS STRANGELY LIKE HALO AND THAT KELLY CLARKSON SONG. SAME WRITER/PRODUCER????
LETS NOT PRETEND FOLKS, LIKE COLORISM DOESNT EXIST IN ENTERTAINMENT. LOOK AT THE “POPULAR” AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE ARTISTS….THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME LOOK PLUS OR MINUS A BLONDE WEAVE. THATS NOT A COINCIDENCE. JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. ITS NOT ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC. CLEARLY, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH POWERHOUSE VOICES WHO AREN’T AS FAMOUS AS THEY COULD BE BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE A POPULAR LOOK.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, LEONA LEWIS STILL HAS A BEAUTIFUL VOICE. I DONT THINK SHE’S MARKETED CORRECTLY. THE 1990′S MARIAH IMAGE IS WASHED UP.
FURTHERMORE, ITS A KNOWN FACT THAT THE “R&B” MUSIC BUYING POPULATION DOESNT SUPPORT ITS ARTISTS THE SAME WAY THAT THE “POP” BUYING CULTURE DOES. FOR WHATEVER REASONS. WHY DO YOU THINK SO MANY ENTERTAINERS ATTEMPT TO “CROSS-OVER”???? BECAUSE THAT PROVIDES MORE OPPORTUNITY. CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT, BUT I THINK THEY CALL IT A PAY CHECK.
Leona Lewis has an amazing voice. She sings beautiful songs with touching lyrics.
I like having diversity in music. I love listening to all genre of music.
Please evrybody lets move past the whole light skinned dark skinned thing
Women need to stick together support each other
u can get beautiful and not so beautiful in both light skinned or dark skinned
in asian caucasion spanish black mexican
WHATEVER
But remember whats inside will always shine through and show ur TRUE colors
I like the video,lovely voice..I just want to see her do something more soulful I want to see her inner Alicia Keys pop out Lol
Xtina won’t give any black or even half black singer a run for anything! Xtina has has black vocal singing coaches all of her life and she still can barely carry it off. She screams most of the time and surrounds herself with black singers to hide her untalented phoney vocals. Black people sing in all types of ways and are imitated by folks from all over the world. If you want to see colorism just got to Puerto Rico or stay here and see how bad the light-skinned Puerto Ricans treat the dark ones.
UMM..Yeah im shocked that you ppl are stuck here debating skin color when the post is about the video which you ALL seemed to overlook! This video artistically was amazing and told a beautiful story. ::claps for Leona:: Good job girl. But of course you guys pay no attention to that. smh!
she is gorgeous but damn what is up with all the slow rainy depressing songs. there is no uptempo song this girl has released or sung. my goodness she is so depressing. no wonder she attracts negativity. she needs to learn to be happy.
damn the songs name is happy yet it does not sound happy.
she looks beautiful in this video
and i didn’t really like the song before but it’s really growing on me.
Like the song. It has to grow on me some more. Her voice is amazing!
She’s looks great in the video. Just wish she’d stop having that one string of hair out in the front of her face.
some of ya’ll need to stop bitching. i am a dark-skinned woman myself and i don’t feel any animosity toward any light-skinned women. yes, it sucks that dark-skinned women can’t get a break. but you can’t go around blaming society for your shortcomings. you don’t like the way dark-skinned women are treated? do something about it. stop sitting behind your computer hating on somebody like Leona Lewis, who has never said or done shit to anyone. educate yourself. sharpen your talent. work on being a good person. work toward your dreams and goals. ANYTHING. just stop complaining.
Leona’s music is what it is. pop. So, say what you want. You may think it’s “boring” but a couple years ago she had a song just like this one and i remember it being #1 in the country. She’ll keep singing her “boring” music all the way to the bank.
oi oi sexy leona! dun no! representing London 4 real. Dibs
#46, I am with you! I am so sick of black people being pigenholed! We don’t have to make only a certain type of music- that’s craziness. If you look within the history of music, you will see that black people are largely responsible for all forms of music as we know it today! If you live your life believing that black people should only listen/sing a certain type of music, man you are missing out on some good music! Life is to short to impose such limitations!
I just love Leona and her music! I like the fact that it was shot in Cuba and she looked so gorgeous in the video.