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Leona Lewis ’ new album, Spirit, is the quintessential pop album of 2008 to date.

Under the direction of her executive producers Clive Davis and Simon Cowell (two of the industry’s most influential impresarios), Ms. Lewis shows the world that she’s more than a than the winner of the British talent show "X Factor."

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Her No. 1 Billboard single “Bleeding Love,” beginning humbly with a Hammond organ that meets with a pulsating kick drum, raided the airways with a catchy yet heartfelt chorus—“I keep bleeding.” As soon as you hit the bridge, her voice erupts like a volcano, displaying those Mariah Carey-like vocal flurries.

Many of the songs like “Better in Time,” “Yesterday,” “Footprints,” “Here I Am” and “The Sand” employ easy-going piano accompaniments. However, “I’m You” grooves like Toni Braxton’s “Unbreak My Heart,” while “Forgive Me” and “Misses Glass” leans towards the dance floor. No matter the flavor or groove of the track, the vocal performance is always superb.

Leona Lewis is definitely in her comfort zone on this album. As a powerhouse vocalist, she engulfs every song in sight and delivers precise melodic contours. It sounds like her voice does exactly what it is supposed to do on all the songs. But is it doing what her soul wants? It’s hard to tell because her majestic tone and professional performances always get the job done.

Download: “Bleeding Love” “Better In Time” “Forgive Me” “Misses Glasses”

  To purchase CDs, click on the cover art or title link. To legally download, click on the iTunes logo. If you do not have iTunes, you can download it here by clicking the "download iTunes" logo above.