S_Bunny
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Post by S_Bunny on Nov 22, 2009 10:42:01 GMT -5
thanks for the link! A few untagged pics: That ones my favourite, she looks really cute there. I love her hair. Some Tweets on the CNN Performance RT @hollyrpeete: Leona Lewis performing now CNN heroes #cnnheroes. She sounds great! twitter.com/ericaCNNprleona lewis just blew my away, that woman can sing. twitter.com/jhluLeona Lewis performance amazing. She's one of the best vocalists I've seen live. @cnnheroes #cnnheroes twitter.com/Kash_Shaikh
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BrokenArrow
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Post by BrokenArrow on Nov 22, 2009 11:02:35 GMT -5
Love Leona, but have to agree with most of what this review is saying. The material is simply not that strong on this record. It wasn't that great on the first album however "Bleeding Love" was so incredible that it really didn't matter. That song carried "Spirit"....nothing on "Echo" can mask that the songwriters and producers for the most part, gave second rate material for one of the greatest singers on the planet! >:( Rubbish, the songs on the album are great, just because you are used to low grade r&b/hip-hop doesn't mean you can rag on superior genre's. She should avoid dumbing down at all cost.
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Mike
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Post by Mike on Nov 22, 2009 11:12:45 GMT -5
Do we know what she sang yet? I'm assuming "Happy," but you never know.
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BrokenArrow
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Post by BrokenArrow on Nov 22, 2009 13:09:48 GMT -5
#1 in the UK.
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Jack
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Post by Jack on Nov 22, 2009 13:57:53 GMT -5
Love Leona, but have to agree with most of what this review is saying. The material is simply not that strong on this record. It wasn't that great on the first album however "Bleeding Love" was so incredible that it really didn't matter. That song carried "Spirit"....nothing on "Echo" can mask that the songwriters and producers for the most part, gave second rate material for one of the greatest singers on the planet! >:( Rubbish, the songs on the album are great, just because you are used to low grade r&b/hip-hop doesn't mean you can rag on superior genre's. She should avoid dumbing down at all cost. Now you sound like a racist snob. 'Superior genres'? Grow up. Nobody mentioned anything about R&B in the first place. And while we're at it, Leona isn't 'known' for her emotive abilities, or being one of the world's greatest live singers. She is 'known' for being the girl who sang Bleeding Love. Happy is great song. Echo is a weak album. Spirit was a better one and even that wasn't very good. Identity-less inoffensive beat infused balldary complete with big choirs and an orchestra isn't a genere, let alone a superior one. Get off your high horse.
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Post by busyboy on Nov 22, 2009 14:04:33 GMT -5
With 161,929 copies sold.
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benmcd2000
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Post by benmcd2000 on Nov 22, 2009 14:12:20 GMT -5
Rubbish, the songs on the album are great, just because you are used to low grade r&b/hip-hop doesn't mean you can rag on superior genre's. She should avoid dumbing down at all cost. One of the most ridiculous responses I have ever seen on this board! (and I’ve been posting for many years) Were you drunk when you posted this? It makes absolutely no sense. ???
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Mike
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Post by Mike on Nov 22, 2009 14:16:19 GMT -5
With 161,929 copies sold. Wow, that's quite impressive. What did her debut open with?
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S_Bunny
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Post by S_Bunny on Nov 22, 2009 14:19:36 GMT -5
With 161,929 copies sold. Wow, that's quite impressive. What did her debut open with? 375k, but that was with the monster BL. Echo has the best female opening sales so far this year and the 3rd best female of all time just after Duffy Rockferry and Spirit here in the UK. SuBo will push Echo down to 4th next week though.
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BrokenArrow
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Post by BrokenArrow on Nov 22, 2009 14:30:24 GMT -5
Rubbish, the songs on the album are great, just because you are used to low grade r&b/hip-hop doesn't mean you can rag on superior genre's. She should avoid dumbing down at all cost. Now you sound like a racist snob. 'Superior genres'? Grow up. Nobody mentioned anything about R&B in the first place. And while we're at it, Leona isn't 'known' for her emotive abilities, or being one of the world's greatest live singers. She is 'known' for being the girl who sang Bleeding Love. Happy is great song. Echo is a weak album. Spirit was a better one and even that wasn't very good. Identity-less inoffensive beat infused balldary complete with big choirs and an orchestra isn't a genere, let alone a superior one. Get off your high horse. Obviously you weren't in the UK when she first sung "Run" live on the radio one lunchtime, followed minutes later by the jamming of the BBC switchboard. Anyone who questions her emotiveness deserves all the contempt in the world.
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Mike
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Post by Mike on Nov 22, 2009 14:38:47 GMT -5
LOL @ Spirit being better than Echo. Echo is superior vocally, lyrically, musically... There isn't a "Bleeding Love" on the disc, but as a whole it is far better than Spirit.
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kmbgs
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Post by kmbgs on Nov 22, 2009 14:40:10 GMT -5
I Got U is GREAT, should have been the first single! OMH is extremely underwhelming, she just doesn't have that chemistry with Max that many other artists do (I won't name names).
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starr
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Post by starr on Nov 22, 2009 16:10:16 GMT -5
"Echo" is #1 in the UK and #2 in Ireland!
#1 The Official UK Top 40 Albums Chart (11/22/09) #1 The Official UK Top 40 R&B Albums Chart (11/22/09) #2 IRMA (Ireland) Top 100 Individual Artist Albums Chart(11/19/09)
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starr
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Post by starr on Nov 22, 2009 16:19:12 GMT -5
Congratulations Leona on your second #1 album in the UK! :)
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Post by coolmusicftw on Nov 22, 2009 18:28:54 GMT -5
Rubbish, the songs on the album are great, just because you are used to low grade r&b/hip-hop doesn't mean you can rag on superior genre's. She should avoid dumbing down at all cost. Now you sound like a racist snob. 'Superior genres'? Grow up. Nobody mentioned anything about R&B in the first place. And while we're at it, Leona isn't 'known' for her emotive abilities, or being one of the world's greatest live singers. She is 'known' for being the girl who sang Bleeding Love. Happy is great song. Echo is a weak album. Spirit was a better one and even that wasn't very good. Identity-less inoffensive beat infused balldary complete with big choirs and an orchestra isn't a genere, let alone a superior one. Get off your high horse. Racist??? The poster is allowed to say that there are superior genres to RnB and Hip Hop, just like you state that Echo is a poor album as if it's fact. You clearly don't like Leona's music, so why are you always here discussing it? I don't get it. You're coming across like a troll.
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Active Aggressive
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Post by Active Aggressive on Nov 22, 2009 19:10:05 GMT -5
Can't Breathe is one of the most brilliantly constructed pop songs I have heard in a VERY long time. It is basically flawless. It stuns me EVERY time I hear it.
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Jack
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Post by Jack on Nov 22, 2009 19:29:14 GMT -5
Now you sound like a racist snob. 'Superior genres'? Grow up. Nobody mentioned anything about R&B in the first place. And while we're at it, Leona isn't 'known' for her emotive abilities, or being one of the world's greatest live singers. She is 'known' for being the girl who sang Bleeding Love. Happy is great song. Echo is a weak album. Spirit was a better one and even that wasn't very good. Identity-less inoffensive beat infused balldary complete with big choirs and an orchestra isn't a genere, let alone a superior one. Get off your high horse. Racist??? The poster is allowed to say that there are superior genres to RnB and Hip Hop, just like you state that Echo is a poor album as if it's fact. You clearly don't like Leona's music, so why are you always here discussing it? I don't get it. You're coming across like a troll. Yup. That poster, given his history, in this instance smacks of talking about 'dat music dat dem black kids listen too'...we like good, clean, safe adult contemporary music not none of that low-denominator r&b stuff right? It's important to remember too that nobody mentioned Urban/Hip Hop/R&B music until he did. He wasn't prompted, he fired it out. Given his habitual xenophobia and ignorance, I don't think it's too far of a leap. Besides, I'm saying I don't like the material on her albums. It's very samey and grand and I want better for her...something more organic and diverse. Sadly I don't think that's on the cards.
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S_Bunny
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Post by S_Bunny on Nov 23, 2009 2:59:05 GMT -5
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Post by Mike Tuinstra on Nov 23, 2009 3:49:32 GMT -5
Rubbish, the songs on the album are great, just because you are used to low grade r&b/hip-hop doesn't mean you can rag on superior genre's. She should avoid dumbing down at all cost. One of the most ridiculous responses I have ever seen on this board! (and I’ve been posting for many years) Were you drunk when you posted this? It makes absolutely no sense. ??? He means Hip Pop: Soulless R&B with Pop music sensibilities and Rap music beats. Bad music to me just the same. You can have your opinion, but it isn't well received generally. That's why music doesn't sell. To me it's the equivalent of low quality music. An excuse for scammers to cash in without really producing something of substance. They hide behind the "black" music definition. Insult to the community IMO. They try to manipulate the industry here and there, including these boards and certain people: mainly young kids get promoted into it. Only not enough to create an acceptable sales figure.
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Post by Mike Tuinstra on Nov 23, 2009 4:07:39 GMT -5
And now you're coming back at me with this: "Then why doesn't Leona sell well in the US?".
Because radio and charts are structured to sell Hip Pop. That's what they promoted as the 00's default of music. They'd have to change the environment and come up with a marketing strategy to get people interested in music again. Until then nobody listens to a commercial station, nobody buys a commercial album.
And because Happy wasn't a good first single choice. It's an okay song, but can be considered somewhat boring. Echo has better songs, like Broken. IMO.
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S_Bunny
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Post by S_Bunny on Nov 23, 2009 12:48:00 GMT -5
Radio One played Outta My Head again and once again said its her new single, a Turkish Radio station added it too. It's more than obvious now its the next single, for Europe atleast.
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Post by yourstar830 on Nov 23, 2009 12:53:27 GMT -5
And now you're coming back at me with this: "Then why doesn't Leona sell well in the US?". Because radio and charts are structured to sell Hip Pop. That's what they promoted as the 00's default of music. They'd have to change the environment and come up with a marketing strategy to get people interested in music again. Until then nobody listens to a commercial station, nobody buys a commercial album. And because Happy wasn't a good first single choice. It's an okay song, but can be considered somewhat boring. Echo has better songs, like Broken. IMO. HIP POP? You're talking out of your A**.
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starr
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Post by starr on Nov 23, 2009 16:53:29 GMT -5
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Post by Mike Tuinstra on Nov 23, 2009 17:23:04 GMT -5
And now you're coming back at me with this: "Then why doesn't Leona sell well in the US?". Because radio and charts are structured to sell Hip Pop. That's what they promoted as the 00's default of music. They'd have to change the environment and come up with a marketing strategy to get people interested in music again. Until then nobody listens to a commercial station, nobody buys a commercial album. And because Happy wasn't a good first single choice. It's an okay song, but can be considered somewhat boring. Echo has better songs, like Broken. IMO. HIP POP? You're talking out of your A**. Enlighten please. Resorting to insults without backing it up is rather cheap, don't you think? Today's definition Urban = R&B/Hip Hop = Hip Hop Pop = Hip Pop = I repeat: soulless R&B with Pop music sensibilities and Rap music beats. This is not R&B, nor Hip Hop. It doesn't possess the soul of R&B, and it doesn't possess the lyrical art of Hip Hop. I conclude: this music, this sound regardless of what we call it is the problem to the music industry crisis. Way I see it. www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Hip%20Pop
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starr
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Post by starr on Nov 24, 2009 0:29:28 GMT -5
Leona was featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live (November 23). One of the staff from Jimmy's show was at the Red Carpet of the American Music Awards. He was interviewing various celebrities and the guy, Yeahya asked Leona was she famous and she was like no, I'm not famous. It was so funny.
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CTE
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Come sweeten me with your honey!
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Post by CTE on Nov 24, 2009 2:51:56 GMT -5
I like different styles of music, and I don't like the album either.
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BrokenArrow
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Post by BrokenArrow on Nov 24, 2009 4:56:44 GMT -5
HIP POP? You're talking out of your A**. Enlighten please. Resorting to insults without backing it up is rather cheap, don't you think? Today's definition Urban = R&B/Hip Hop = Hip Hop Pop = Hip Pop = I repeat: soulless R&B with Pop music sensibilities and Rap music beats. This is not R&B, nor Hip Hop. It doesn't possess the soul of R&B, and it doesn't possess the lyrical art of Hip Hop. I conclude: this music, this sound regardless of what we call it is the problem to the music industry crisis. Way I see it. www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Hip%20PopThat's exactly what I mean by low grade R&B/Hip hop. They are artistically bankrupt genres. There's still people doing HQ, but they don't get played on the radio. When it comes to "pop" however, that is not a genre, by definition pop=popular music, therefore any music that is in the charts is pop.
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Post by Mike Tuinstra on Nov 24, 2009 7:02:00 GMT -5
Enlighten please. Resorting to insults without backing it up is rather cheap, don't you think? Today's definition Urban = R&B/Hip Hop = Hip Hop Pop = Hip Pop = I repeat: soulless R&B with Pop music sensibilities and Rap music beats. This is not R&B, nor Hip Hop. It doesn't possess the soul of R&B, and it doesn't possess the lyrical art of Hip Hop. I conclude: this music, this sound regardless of what we call it is the problem to the music industry crisis. Way I see it. www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Hip%20PopThat's exactly what I mean by low grade R&B/Hip hop. They are artistically bankrupt genres. There's still people doing HQ, but they don't get played on the radio. When it comes to "pop" however, that is not a genre, by definition pop=popular music, therefore any music that is in the charts is pop. Very indeed. As you can see this is the official term for the music though. I didn't come up with it, but this stuff is neither R&B or Hip Hop. We need something to set it apart from the standards. Otherwise they'll continue to sell it for something it's not, and music will just destroy itself. It misses the art of those genres. The art of R&B is the soul. Without it it's just cheap watered down sound. The art of Hip Hop is in its political content and flow of words, but mostly that political aspect. Everything else is replaceable. Pop = popular yes. Pop while not actually a genre on its own it's that what has mass appeal. The art of sound that's generally considered a pleasure and impressive against the hearing - melody in combination with accessible lyrics. Its bad side is easily understood, shallow sound and lyrical content = bubblegum. Wherever Pop is held for genre it means the most neutral sound in music with accessible lyrics. Without anything attached to it it mostly sounds bubblegum. Think Teen Pop. But combine it with actual existing genres and you have a mass appeal formula. Pop Rock, Dance Pop etc. Melodic art within its genre, sound. Ditch the bubblegum side and attach it to a working genre is what makes it work. Hip Pop has a similar pattern as it combines Hip Hop with Pop. But combining Hip Hop with Pop means taking its lyrical art away, and therefore it doesn't work. The music is tuneless. You're gonna need other sounds there to make an impact on a large scale. And you don't do it by replacing singing with rapping either. It can make an occasional appearance in music, like it used to, but singing needs to remain the default in sound. Rapping is too monotonous to fulfill such a position. It's not a pleasure against the hearing. It's sped up talk which basically anyone can attempt. The ones who have the best flow are considered the best in the genre. I think Rap and Hip Hop should go back underground. Here's a solution: let's take the political message from Hip Hop, and I don't mean the ghetto slang because that's another Pop aspect, but serious stuff in general that keeps the world busy, and mix it with the art of sound. Throw a few carefree messages in the mix, but make sure it's not bubblegum, and I think we have a deal. Just make sure the music is as good as its message. IMO.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2009 8:21:38 GMT -5
'Very indeed'
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Jack
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Post by Jack on Nov 24, 2009 9:51:08 GMT -5
But how does this kind of 'pop' that Leona have any more merit? She's still gone to the biggest and best songwriters and producers, and crafted songs for the purpose of being hits and sounding commercial. It's every bit as calculated and soulless as the kind of music you call 'hip pop' (although I imagine you mean people like Flo-Rida, in which case that's just 'Pop' I'm afraid). And while we're on the subject, the AMA's were on the other night, and the most soulful, celebratory, all-inclusive, accepting, genre-crossing performance came from Jay-Z and Alicia doing 'Empire State Of Mind'...that much can be seen from the crowd reaction as well as the music itself. That song is Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 and very much the kind of thing the ignorant ones might call 'hip pop'. It's just a silly phrase, one that doesn't really exist. And even if, it has far more merit and identity than 'Echo' does. I can see people not wanting Leona to turn into Flo-Rida, but pretending her music is to individual, artistic and original to be sullied by crass commerciality is a little ridiculous when it's the very kind of music you're listening to when you listen to her.
Besides, if we've got issues of originality and thoughtfulness, it's case of swings and roundabouts (although it's pretty safe to say that most mass-market music at the moment truly lacks that ). But in the mid 1990's Hip Hop was the most progressive, influential and original music in the country...it gave a voice to the voiceless, all the while shifting millions of copies in the process. The current state of something doesn't exclude it's merits in the past, nor it's potential merit in the future.
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