Leona Lewis' Spirit Lifts Her To Billboard #1

Source:MTV News
Apr 16 2008 1:33 PM EDT
Jordin Sparks' LP gets substantial sales boost following 'American Idol' appearance.

By Chris Harris

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For Leona Lewis, 2008 has been a year of notable firsts.

The English pop star, who was discovered by "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell, has been breaking sales and chart records since being imported to the U.S. In March, her track "Bleeding Love" became the first single by an English female vocalist to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart since Kim Wilde's cover of the Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On" did it back in 1987. Now she's earned the distinction of becoming the U.K.'s first female artist to open at #1 with her inaugural release.

Spirit, which was produced by Cowell and industry fat cat Clive Davis, is set to bow at #1 on next week's Billboard albums chart with a whopping 205,000 copies sold, according to the latest SoundScan data. It marks the biggest female-artist debut-album opening since Carrie Underwood's 2005 LP, Some Hearts, which generated first-week scans of 314,000-plus.

Lewis' Spirit was a certifiable lock for the chart's peak position, as she faced little — make that zero — competition in her pursuit of sales greatness. Next week's #2 album, George Strait's Troubadour, sold just 59,000 units, while country artist James Otto's Sunset Man opens at #3, selling only 57,600 copies. The 27th addition to the Now That's What I Call Music! compilation series follows at #4 with 47,000 sold, while R.E.M.'s Accelerate drops three spots to #5, selling a reported 46,300. Right behind the pride of Athens, Georgia, comes the soundtrack to "Alvin and the Chipmunks," which sold another 39,700 copies for a sixth-place finish.

Lewis' and Otto's LPs were among 16 newcomers impacting next week's Top 200. Ray J's latest, All I Feel, enters the chart at #7, scanning upwards of 38,000 units, and at #9, clocking sales of 33,600, it's P.O.D.'s new one, When Angels and Serpents Dance. Wedged between Ray J and P.O.D., we find Rick Ross' Trilla, which put up week-five sales of 34,200, and rounding things out at #10 with 27,600 sold, it's Danity Kane's Welcome to the Dollhouse.

Other new releases entering next week's chart include Nine Inch Nails' Ghosts I--IV, which sold 25,800 copies to claim the #14 slot, and opening at #29 with 18,000 copies snatched up, it's Marié Digby's Unfold. Ashes Divide's Keep Telling Myself It's Alright follows at #36, scanning 15,800 copies, while Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! bows at #64 with 10,000 copies sold. The Breeders return to the chart at #98, selling 7,200 units of their latest, Mountain Battles, while Tapes 'n Tapes' Walk It Off sold to the tune of 5,900, which puts them at #116 on the chart.

Following her appearance with Chris Brown last week on "American Idol," last year's "Idol" champ, Jordin Sparks, enjoyed a much-needed sales bump. Her self-titled debut experienced a 27 percent increase in retail interest, closing out the week with 24,300 scans; the effort climbs 14 chart positions to #17.

中文相關報導：
里歐娜首張專輯空降全美專輯榜冠軍

英國選秀節目「The X Factor」第三季冠軍得主里歐娜（Leona Lewis）的2008年一開始就氣勢如虹，剛轉戰美國市場，她的首支單曲《Bleeding Love》就讓她成為廿年來首位在美國單曲榜上奪冠的英國女歌手，而這星期她的首張專輯「心靈深處（Spirit）」在美國一發行就空降全美專輯榜冠軍，讓里歐娜又增添了「首位在美國專輯榜上以首張專輯在發行第一週就空降冠軍位置的英國女歌手」這樣的榮銜。里歐娜進軍美國的成功，得歸功於「The X Factor」和「美國偶像（American Idol）」等歌唱比賽節目裡的毒舌評審Simon Cowell，Simon對於這位他親自挑選出來的優秀女聲相當看好，不但自己參與她的專輯製作工作，還請到西洋歌壇巨擘、BMG唱片總裁Clive Davis來幫她製作選曲，今年進軍美國市場後，Simon甚至還親自帶著里歐娜上通告，Simon的努力果然為里歐娜帶來好成績，本週「心靈深處」在美國地區的銷售量不但遠遠超過其他專輯的單週銷售，而且也成為自2005年凱莉安德伍（Carrie Underwood）的「寂寞芳心（Some Hearts）」專輯以來，在美國地區首週銷售量最高的一張女歌手的專輯。

這星期在全美專輯榜上得到第二名的是知名鄉村歌手喬治史崔特（George Strait）的「Troubadour」，而另一位鄉村歌手James Otto的新專輯「Sunset Man」則空降第三名位置。熱門單曲合輯「Now That's What I Call Music!」系列的第27輯這星期得到第四名；獨立搖滾精神領袖團體R.E.M.的最新專輯「全速前進（Accelerate）」獲得第五名；去年年底發行的電影「鼠來寶（Alvin and the Chipmunks）」原聲帶本週很詭異地升到第六名的位置；第七名由R&B歌手Ray J的「All I Feel」獲得；嘻哈歌手瑞克羅斯（Rick Ross）的「戰慄（Trilla）」得到第八名；第九名是搖滾團體花錢找死樂團（P.O.D.）的新作「When Angels and Serpents Dance」；第十名由DK（Danity Kane）的「歡迎光臨DK娃娃屋（Welcome to the Dollhouse）」獲得。（MTV.com）

以一個選秀新人之姿，打敗瑪丹娜及瑪麗亞凱莉2大西洋天后，首張個人專輯空降Billboard專輯榜冠軍的成績，實屬難得。
也難怪前幾天有報導說，瑪麗亞小姐超不爽媒體把Leona Lewis封為她的接班人，還冷冷的回說：那麼想當我，乾脆幫我跑宣傳和接受訪問好了...

來看一下Leona Lewis首支單曲Bleeding Love的英國版MV囉...


第二波主打Better in Time，是我比較喜歡的單曲，來看一下現場演出版囉..