Leona Lewis - 'I Got You'
She might not exactly be Katie Price in the showbiz personality stakes, but things really do seem to change around Leona Lewis in a quite startling way. Which just goes to show what a big talent can do to people.
When she first did her version of Snow Patrol's 'Run' for the Live Lounge, it felt like a challenge. Here was this defiant reality TV pop star, the girl who turned X Factor's boasts of finding real talent into *cough* reality, singing a well-loved indie song as if it was a Westlife ballad. AND making more than a decent fist of it. I mean, not only HOW DARE SHE? But also, HMM IT'S QUITE GOOD, ISN'T IT?
By slowing it down, puffing it full of warm air and setting it free to waft over a wintry nation, Leona made it her own, without killing what people liked about it in the first place. It was, and remains, a Good Cover Version.
(Here's the video. Brings a whole new meaning to the word 'heartburn'.)
This, oddly enough, is the result of the same procedure, only turned on its head. Instead of Leona making a Snow Patrol song her own, this is a Leona song remade in the image of Snow Patrol. Oh sure, it comes from the Max Martin stable of songwriting/production, but in structure and form this has Gary Lightbody's fingerprints all over it.
Endless four-chord loop? Check. Clean guitars over cavernous wobbly reverberations? Check. Quiet verses, explosively huge choruses? Check. Fragments of melody repeated, in lieu of a tune which goes somewhere? Check-ish.
Leona being Leona, she can at least provide some kind of musical movement, by wandering off the path set down by the song, and blazing a new trail using that hooting voice of hers.
The big question is whether, for you the listener, this kind of simple, stripped-back songwriting is a hallmark of emotional truth - Leona certainly sings it as if it is - or a really lazy way to put a song together. I know what I think, but it's not always all about ME, is it?*
Download: Out now
CD Released: February 22nd
www.leonalewismusic.co.uk
BBC Music page
(Fraser McAlpine)
*It is not.
Comment number 1.
At 12:13 19th Feb 2010, spirit wrote:RIGHT ! Thats the BIG F 'S next birthday present sorted ! Lets all club together and buy him SNOW PATROL 'S GREATEST HITS !
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Comment number 2.
At 12:37 19th Feb 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:I hardly think we all need to club together, it seems to be in the discount section already!
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Comment number 3.
At 12:38 19th Feb 2010, jonesybcfc wrote:I believe its called Up To Now, spirit. Rather pricy though, we may have to contribute up to 50 whole pence each.
The song? It's Leona Lewis with a slight (incredibly slight, so slight that anyone who hadn't heard her other ballad's replayed to a monotony on the radio wouldn't realise)twist. Fraser says this is a Lightbody/Snow Patrol twist. I reckon its not indie, possibly Alicia Keys or something. I cant put my finger on what that high, jumpy chorus resembles, but it'll come to me. Eventually...
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Comment number 4.
At 12:48 19th Feb 2010, RandomEnigma wrote:That chorus sounds like something Kelly Clarkson would use on her songs!
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Comment number 5.
At 14:12 19th Feb 2010, mangsy wrote:Hmm... what´s this then?
A shrill and technically advanced voice, that cuts through every material known to man. Check.
That same voice, masquerading as soulful. Very cunning. Check.
A make-up any tranny would be proud to wear even in daylight. Check.
An overblown orchestral arrangement to induce some emotion where none exists. Check.
A sense of emptiness. Yet again. Check.
And that voice... Eeeek! Check. Eeeek! Check.
Yes! It IS the new Leona Lewis!
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Comment number 6.
At 14:30 19th Feb 2010, CurtainJerker wrote:"A technically advanced voice" makes me think of Stephen Hawking.
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Comment number 7.
At 14:34 19th Feb 2010, jonesybcfc wrote:Now theres someone i WOULD like to see cover Snow Patrol. I don't think he'll be doing 'Run' though...
damn Jonesy thats harsh, feel bad now.
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Comment number 8.
At 14:35 19th Feb 2010, OddOne wrote:I like the fact Leona has recently been showing some personality. This song is bound to help her cause too. I'd give it 3 stars like Fraser.
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Comment number 9.
At 16:02 19th Feb 2010, CurtainJerker wrote:How about "Chasing Cars... Slowly"?
That's probably enough of that. I feel a possible referral coming on anyway.
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Comment number 10.
At 16:40 19th Feb 2010, spirit wrote:Well lei's be honest you guys , Stephen Hawking IS a genius .
He is also an inspiration to millions of people .
If Stephen Hawking was to do a cover version of Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars , and his electronic wheelchair could move as quickly as his brain , he would not be Chasing Cars , he would be overtaking them !
The man is a living legend !
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Comment number 11.
At 16:42 19th Feb 2010, BloggingLiam wrote:Is it just me that hates her voice on the corus? I prefered the live lounge version of this, because they seem to have tuned her voice into some wierd husk on the corus. It doesn't sound good.
Leona is taking a beating these days! Sometimes she manages to convey emotion brilliantly in songs, see 'Run', other times she fails, see 'Stop crying your eyes out'.
Whats every1s opinions on her second "indie (sorry Oasis)song turned diva"? Mine's less than complimentary.
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Comment number 12.
At 17:54 19th Feb 2010, jonesybcfc wrote:I think it's a disgraceful, boring rendition of the song with one of the best chorus's of the decade which Liam conveys in an understated, yet brilliant way. Predictably...
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Comment number 13.
At 18:01 19th Feb 2010, spirit wrote:Oh , I like the chorus of I Got You , and her interesting phrasing of the lyrics , lifts the song .
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Comment number 14.
At 13:11 20th Feb 2010, thranjax wrote:Yes but that sense of emptiness... it isn't the filling beef stew of nourishment that you get from some other artists.
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Comment number 15.
At 16:06 20th Feb 2010, spirit wrote:Yes , Thranjax , but what are you expecting from a Leona Lewis single ?
The psychedelia of early Pink Floyd , the anarchy of The Sex Pistols , the overblown epicness of Muse , the sonic thrust of The Prodigy , or a 12 minute emotional carousel that closes a Guillemots album ?
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Comment number 16.
At 17:28 20th Feb 2010, RandomEnigma wrote:I love the chorus to this song. It's more melodic and interesting than the tone of voice that she uses on the snooze fest that was HAPPY.
I GOT YOU should have been released as the first single from ECHO instead of HAPPY. It would have done way better in the States. I think her management team chose to play it safe with another Tedder ballad and failed miserably.
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Comment number 17.
At 17:35 20th Feb 2010, spirit wrote:With you on the chorus , Randy !
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Comment number 18.
At 18:43 20th Feb 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:@ 15
'Yes , Thranjax , but what are you expecting from a Leona Lewis single?'
Spirit, I see your point but should Leona Lewis really be allowed to get away with having a song that's empty just because that's who she is? That's like letting the Saturdays get away with singing half hearted pop songs purely because 'that's what you'd expect'.
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Comment number 19.
At 21:53 20th Feb 2010, thranjax wrote:Well no Spirit, obviously not any of those things. Yet... her First Symphony is much anticipated.
Just, anything really. Even Alphabeat give me a warm fuzzy feeling, this just gives me nothing.
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Comment number 20.
At 22:54 22nd Feb 2010, BloggingLiam wrote:Apparently just me not liking her voice on the corus then.
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Comment number 21.
At 23:56 22nd Feb 2010, spirit wrote:I must say now , it is time for Leona Lewis to really raise her game .
This is a pleasant single , but it's not spellbinding in the way Bleeding Love and Run were .
I do like the chorus , but I have a huge feeling that for album number 3 , Leona has got to really shake it up , surprise people , have a brilliant lead track , but totally mix up the delivery and image .
There is a fear of her being typecast .
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Comment number 22.
At 00:00 23rd Feb 2010, BloggingLiam wrote:Plus her Oasis cover was dire. Cardinal sin.
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Comment number 23.
At 16:53 4th Mar 2010, Dodah wrote:Yeah it definitley sounds like Kelly Clarkson in the chorus. I like it thought. It might not be as good as some of her other stuff but I think its a good song. To be honest, with her voice any song would be great. I'm not totally impartial because I am a huge fan. I even just got my prom dress so its like hers that she wore at that gig in London she did a few months ago https://www.promroyalty.com/black-prom-dresses-pc-7.html Its called Amelia but I call it Leona!
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Comment number 24.
At 17:07 4th Mar 2010, jonesybcfc wrote:spirits got one of them i think...
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Comment number 25.
At 16:54 5th Mar 2010, spirit wrote:I GOT 2 Harry !
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Comment number 26.
At 17:17 5th Mar 2010, spirit wrote:I only wear them at the weekend . . .
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Comment number 27.
At 11:37 6th Mar 2010, BloggingLiam wrote:Well this song disappeared pretty quick. Wonder why.
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Comment number 28.
At 16:31 6th Mar 2010, spirit wrote:I GOT YOU by LEONA LEWIS currently sits at number 14 in the chart after climbing 26 ! yes 26 places to get there .
It was the highest climber in last Sunday's chart .
This is NOT disappearing . . .
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Comment number 29.
At 16:42 6th Mar 2010, BloggingLiam wrote:On 21 February 2010, it was released in United Kingdom.
So wasn't that from Downloads --> physical release? Meaning it's probably peaked at 14 and will disappear even more in the coming week?
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Comment number 30.
At 18:44 6th Mar 2010, spirit wrote:Yeah , it will probably go down tomorrow , but at the moment it hasn't disappeared .
Look , just go and celebrate that you are getting tomorrows number 1 right !
I see the competition is getting fierce in this predicting lark .
Must be something in the water , down there in KENT !
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Comment number 31.
At 19:48 6th Mar 2010, jonesybcfc wrote:i'm scared of predicting anything nowadays...
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Comment number 32.
At 18:40 9th Mar 2010, CAZZ wrote:I LOVE LEONAS NEW SONG AND ALBUM SHE IS TRULEY AMAZING SO MUCH BETTER THAN SOME OF THE RUBBISH IN THE CHARTS RIGHT NOW ITS ABOUT TIME WE HAD A BRITISH SINGER THAT CAN SING
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Comment number 33.
At 19:49 9th Mar 2010, BloggingLiam wrote:Leona dropped to 19 this week.
I'd take Ellie Goulding over Leona any day.
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