Breaking America
Posted by Oeufman on 27 March 2008 - 2:23pm.
According to the BBC story below, Leona Lewis is quoted as saying she's happy to have 'broken America'.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7316521.stm
Taking nothing away from her success, does one no.1 single constitute breaking the biggest music market in the world?
I would have said continued and recognised sales across several albums would be, but am interested in others thoughts? Is it enough now to have one hit and work the chat shows, then retire to relative anonymity?
I'm not saying that's what will happen, but...
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Poor Leona...
...and her 'vocal dexterity' are obviously teed up for a dextrous verbal thrashing on these pages, and I wouldn't be the one to step in and break it up. However, she has done rather better in the USA during her short career than Robbie Williams, Oasis, Blur, and pretty much anyone else I can think of over recent years. Except Radiohead, perhaps? Or Coldplay? Anyway, it's all a far cry from Zeppelin and The Stones slugging it out in the early 70's. With Humble Pie and The Who disputing third and The Kinks (if I remember my NME and Lisa Robinson's reports from the USA correctly) being far more successful in Kansas with songs about village greens than they had ever been in their homeland
Genuinely
not posted to start a 'Leona backlash'; I'm competely ambivalent to her music and how she got where she did - a huge majority of the girl groups in the 60's were 'manufactured', just interested in what constitutes breaking America.
As you correctly point out, Quoasis, Blur and the Port Vale fan couldn't do it, despite all of them having, and I reiterate my earlier language, continued success over a number of albums in other countries.
Def Leppard were massive in the States in the 80's, but it took them two or three albums before they could genuinely say they had a fan base that would buy the next album because they liked the previous one.
LL has one single, it goes to number one, and her interpretation implies it's sunshine and roses from here on in. If Cowell is such a good manager, would he not possibly be at pains to point out that the hard work starts here, and what does it say about today's chart artists compared to those of 10, 20 30 years ago etc.?
Sorry, I didn't mean...
...that you had intentionally set her up for a pasting. Just that as she has been on the receiving end of the odd backhanded negative comment on these pages, I felt that she might attract a few more by being placed centre stage.
This is a bit like the difference between England winning The Ashes or the Rugby World Cup and winding down, retiring, concentrating on selling a book or a DVD, and the Aussies winning the same and immediately getting started on their plans to win the next one, isn't it? If LL is playing the part of England, then the one with the grit and relentlessness of the Australian is surely Madonna.
LL's not my cup of tea. I don't like what I've heard so far and, for me, her style of singing only succeeds in exploring the extremes of the scale of irritation. Mr Tellytubby, a woman who grows ever more repellent as each layer is peeled away, and For-Christ's-Sake-Dannii-Minogue (can we make that her official name from now on?) are dictating to a good part of the planet what they should be listening to. If Tom Cruise has got a theory about the human race being wiped out sometime after Mozart or Cole Porter and replaced with tone-deaf reptilians, I'd be prepared to give him a fair hearing for once.
I read earlier
that she would be the first UK solo female act to reach number 1 in the US since Kim Wilde 20+ years ago. I for one ould take a small amount of pleasure in that.
Lewis' style of poppy modern soul isn't my thing at all, but I do love the X-Factor as entertainment, and she came across as talented, beautiful and a really nice kid. Seems pretty blameless to me, and certainly not worthy of any 'verbal thrashing' that Philip anticipates.
Another one for the "Twinning" thread
Linda Lewis vs. Leona Lewis
I think she's broken America
A number 1 single is still a feat worth achieving. Also she is no worse than many artists and bands who are helped to success - in a way its more honest as its all open and on telly. Don't much like X Factor once the dodgy auditions are done with but do think Simon Cowell talks sense (albeit it business sense without much art). Sharon Osbourne is genuinely hideous mind.
Anyone seen Pop rivals?
Don't!! makes you think the "real thing" is watchable.
Hello? (Louis Walsh style)
I now the blog's not really about Leona but are we really saying we feel a bit good about an X Factor act getting to No 1 in the US just cos of a touch of national pride when this kind of horrible wailing is part of a malign force in music. If they can sell this much it's just going to encourage more of the same. Manufactured pop is fine if it leads to great records not this! And it's nothing personal against dear Leona either. And I don't mind the odd Girls Aloud song so I am not all superior about credible stuff. I do think LL has broken America BTW - it may or may not last, who knows? She's done alright for herself either way.
Re-think
Sorry, just decided that was rather a predictable, unnecessary comment. Sometimes best to keep mum if nothing original to add isn't it?
Breaking America
America was broken long before Leona came along, she should be more careful though.