Christmas, with Love | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 29 November 2013 | |||
Recorded | 2013 | |||
Genre | Christmas | |||
Length | 32:40 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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Leona Lewis chronology | ||||
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Singles from Christmas, with Love | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
Singles from Christmas,with Love Always | ||||
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Christmas,with Love is a Christmas album and the fourth studio album by English singer Leona Lewis. It was released on 29 November 2013,by Syco Music and RCA Records. Work on the album began in February 2013,during which Lewis began writing "immediately" after the release of her less-commercially successful album Glassheart (2012). In June 2013,it was revealed (and later confirmed) that Lewis' fourth studio album would be a Christmas album,based on the recommendation of Syco boss Simon Cowell. Lewis enlisted two producers for the album:Richard "Biff" Stannard and Ash Howes,with Lewis herself contributing to the album's production. This is Lewis' first album to be released in North America since 2009's Echo,as her 2012 album,Glassheart,was not released there.
Upon release,Christmas,with Love was met with positive reviews from critics,praising the album's original songs as well as Howes and Stannard's use of Phil Spector's famed Wall of Sound technique,with AllMusic calling it "one of the best modern Christmas albums in memory." Initially,the album charted at twenty five in the United Kingdom;the following week,the album rose to number thirteen on the chart becoming Lewis' lowest-charting album to date. However,it was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipments of 100,000 copies within four weeks of its release,and has since become the thirteenth best selling Christmas album in the United Kingdom as of December 2016. With sales of more than 122,000 units,the Official Charts Company ranked the album among the twenty biggest-selling Christmas albums of the century in 2018.
The album was preceded by one single "One More Sleep",which was released on 5 November 2013. Lewis promoted the song through a large amount of live performances,including the Regent Street Christmas lights switch-on event in London,England and on the tenth series of The X Factor ;this led to the song peaking at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart,her highest-charting entry since 2009's "Happy." Dubbed as a "modern festive classic," the song has been recognised to be one of the biggest-selling Christmas songs in the UK. [2] On 19 November 2021,the album was repackaged digitally and on vinyl,entitled Christmas,with Love Always, with two new tracks,including "Kiss Me It's Christmas" featuring American singer Ne-Yo which was released as a single digitally in November 2021. [1] In November–December 2023,following a delay due to her pregnancy,Lewis is scheduled to promote the album by headlining a UK tour called Christmas,with Love Tour. [3]
In February 2013,a representative from Syco Music,Lewis' record label,announced that she was about to start writing and recording material "imminently" for her fourth studio album,and that it would be released in late 2013. [5] The news came after Lewis announced that she had parted ways from Modest! Management,the management team who had represented her since she won the third series of The X Factor in 2006. [5] Various media outlets speculated that this was due to the weak commercial performance of her third studio album, Glassheart ,which was released in November 2012. It became her first album to not debut at number one or earn platinum certification in the United Kingdom. [5] It was also reported that the second single from the album,"Lovebird",had sold fewer than 600 copies,meaning it failed to attain one of 200 chart positions on the UK Singles Chart,was another contributing factor to her departure. [5] [6]
In June 2013,speculation arose that Lewis' fourth album would in fact be a Christmas album,after British production duo MagicIT tweeted that they were in a studio recording Christmas songs with the singer. [7] The following month,Lewis confirmed that she was indeed in the process of recording a Christmas album. [4] [8] She revealed that it was recorded on the recommendation of Syco boss Simon Cowell. [4] [8] Speaking about the decision to record a Christmas album at this point in her career in July 2013,further explained how Cowell had come up with the idea:"Simon is still very much involved in my career and helps me out. He came up with the Christmas album idea,and we both kind of felt it was the right time to go ahead with it." [9]
In an interview for Billboard magazine in November 2013,Lewis stated that she had thought about doing a Christmas album for a while,but did not intend on releasing one in for Christmas 2013,as she thought her she would be writing and recording the follow-up to Glassheart instead after she had finished her Glassheart Tour,which lasted from April to July and saw her tour Germany,Switzerland and the United Kingdom. However,she decided that she wanted to do something "a bit different" instead. [10] Recording sessions began during the summer in Brighton,England;speaking about recording Christmas songs during the heatwave that struck the country,Lewis said "We turned up the A/C,basically." [10] Lewis unveiled the artwork for Christmas,with Love on 4 November 2013. It has a vintage theme,which includes the track list on the front cover,as well as nine different photos of Lewis posing with various Christmas objects. [11]
On 4 November 2013,Lewis,along with the vintage-themed artwork,revealed the track list for Christmas,with Love which comprises three original songs co-written by Lewis ―"One More Sleep","Mr Right" and "Your Hallelujah" ―and seven covers. [11] [12] The album was eventually released on 29 November 2013 in Germany,Ireland and Switzerland. [13] [14] [15] It was followed by the United Kingdom on 2 December, [16] Canada,Italy and the United States on 3 December. [17] [18] [19] In the US,Lewis autographed a limited amount of Christmas,with Love album covers which were made available to people who pre-ordered a copy on Walmart online. [20]
Lewis embarked on a promotional tour across Europe prior to the album's release. Throughout November,she embarked on a radio and print promotional tour in the UK and gave interviews about the album with various radio stations,magazines and newspapers,including Heat , [21] Radar , [22] and the Daily Mirror . [23] On 9 November 2013,Lewis performed "One More Sleep" and "White Christmas" for the first time at the Regent Street Christmas lights switch-on event in London,England. [24] [25] On 22 November,the singer gave a free concert in Zurich,Switzerland,at the NRJ Energy Stars for Free Festival in front of audience of 13,000 people. [26] On 29 November,Lewis performed "Winter Wonderland" live on Daybreak . [27] In the United States,Lewis appeared on NBC's Today morning show on 4 December in New York City to talk about the album. [28] On the same day,she performed at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting event,where she performed "White Christmas","One More Sleep" and "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday". [29] [30] The following day,on 5 December,Lewis made an appearance on Live with Kelly and Michael . [31] Lewis also performed "One More Sleep" live at the semi-finals of the tenth series of The X Factor on 8 December 2013. [32]
In 2021,Lewis announced that a repackaged version of the album,entitled Christmas,with Love Always,with two new tracks included,would be released on 19 November 2021. [33] In December,she promoted the reissue on several occasions,singing "One More Sleep" on several TV appearances,such as This Morning , The Jonathan Ross Show ,and I Can See Your Voice ,and sang "O Holy Night" at the Royal Carols:Together at Christmas concert,hosted by Catherine,Dutchess of Cambridge,at Westminster Abbey. [34] Lewis also sang several songs from the album whilst touring with Gary Barlow on his All The Hits Live Tour across November and December 2021. In November and December 2023,Lewis plans to headline a UK tour promoting the album,the tour billed as Christmas,with Love Tour. [35] Initially announced for 2022,the concert tour was pushed back in May 2022 due to Lewis' pregnancy. [36]
"One More Sleep" was released as the lead single from Christmas,with Love. Co-written by Lewis with Richard "Biff" Stannard,Iain James,Jez Ashurst and Bradford Ellis,it was produced by Stannard and Howes,with Lewis carrying out the vocal production alongside them. [37] The song was released in the United States on 5 November 2013, [38] and in Ireland and the United Kingdom on 29 November. [39] [40] Released to acclaim from music critics, [41] "One More Sleep" debuted at number 34 on the UK Singles Chart, [42] and surged to its peak position of number three the following week. [43] It was eventually certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and has since become a "modern festive classic," [44] particularly in the United Kingdom where it emerged as one of the most-streamed Christmas songs in the years following its release,with over 93 million streams as of 2021. [45]
Apart from "One More Sleep," due to strong digital sales upon the release of Christmas,with Love in Ireland,Lewis' rendition of "O Holy Night" entered the Irish Singles Chart at number 86 for the week ending 14 December 2013, [46] while her version of "Ave Maria" charted in the US,on Billboard's Holiday Digital Songs Sales chart at number 34. [47] In support of the 2021 Christmas,with Love Always reissue,"Kiss Me It's Christmas" featuring American singer Ne-Yo was released in November 2021. [1] Despite no promotion for the single,the song debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 99,on the week commencing 31 December 2021. [48]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [49] |
Female First | [50] |
The Gay UK | [51] |
The Guardian | [52] |
The Independent | [53] |
Knoxville.com | [54] |
So So Gay | (5.8/10) [55] |
Virgin Media | [56] |
The album received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics,with some praising Lewis for her vocals but not the material produced. AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album three and a half out of five stars and called it "one of the best modern Christmas albums in memory." He found that Lewis "gets a greater chance to sing here than she did on her third album, Glassheart ,which is reason enough to enjoy the album,but better still is that the Spector salute largely works." [49] Renowned for Sound critic Janelle Tucknott remarked that "Lewis' beautiful voice delivers each song cheerfully with just the right amount of cheesiness." She called the album "a wonderfully festive collection and the perfect gift for any Leona Lewis fan,or essentially any fan of Christmas. Every track has lots of commercial appeal and will more than likely hit shopping mall sound systems very soon,especially the poppy lead single "One More Sleep"." [57] Daniel Falconer from Female First wrote that with Christmas,with Love,Lewis is "absolutely encroaching on Mariah Carey vocal territory" and felt that "if this album proves anything,it's that her talent is still incomparable and that if you want anybody to be singing you Christmas songs,it should be Leona." [50]
Alexis Petridis from The Guardian gave the album two out of five stars and praised its three original songs. He called "Your Hallelujah" a "spectral ballad," and said that "One More Sleep" and "Mr Right" were "enjoyable," but said that covers of songs such as "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" and "Winter Wonderland" were "tinged with a sense of pointlessness." [52] Mark Sempill,writing for The Upcoming,felt that Lewis' "very beautiful,soulful,satiny voice wafts appealing through the various original songs and seasonal standards like a sweet scented candle;the result is adequately Christmassy." [58] In a negative review,Andy Gill from The Independent write that "this dismal offering exemplifies the worst tendencies of Christmas albums." He found that he songs were "swathed in cathedral reverb,compounding the listless lack of imagination regarding material and treatment." [53] In his review for Virgin Media ,Ian Gittins called the album an "exercise in precision karaoke",and wrote that while Lewis "never misses a note," and that her new songs "out-Celine Celine",she "never stirs the soul." [56] So So Gay critic Jamie Clarke wrote that "Lewis' Christmas effort lacks passion,fun and energy and ultimately disappoints." [55]
In Ireland,Christmas,with Love debuted at number 45 on the Irish Albums Chart for the week ending 5 December 2013, [59] and rose to number 36 the following week. [60] In the United Kingdom, Music Week writer Paul Williams released a midweek chart reveal on 5 December stating that the album was currently at number 18 on the UK Albums Chart. Williams wrote that the album would be Lewis' lowest charting release to date,following Spirit ,number one in 2007; Echo ,number one in 2009;and Glassheart ,number three in 2012. [61] However,the album officially debuted at number 25 on the chart on 8 December, [62] selling 9,000 copies, [63] and at number 10 on the UK Digital Chart on the same day. [64] In its second week,Christmas,With Love rose to number 13 on the UK Albums Chart,with a further 14,266 copies sold. [65] Elsewhere in Europe,the album debuted at number 29 on the Scottish Albums Chart, [66] and number 42 on the Swiss Album Chart. [67] In the United States,Christmas,With Love debuted at 113 on the US Billboard 200 chart, [68] and number 37 on the US Top Holiday Albums chart. [69] By August 2015,the album had sold 23,000 copies in the US. [70] In 2018,the Official Charts Company ranked Christmas,with Love 18th on its Official Top 20 biggest Christmas albums of the century listing,having sold 122,000 copies in the United Kingdom by December 2018. [71]
All songs produced by Richard "Biff" Stannard and Ash Howes,with vocal production from Stannard,Howes and Leona Lewis. [49] [72]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "One More Sleep" |
| 3:59 |
2. | "Winter Wonderland" | 2:24 | |
3. | "White Christmas" | 3:09 | |
4. | "Your Hallelujah" |
| 4:14 |
5. | "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" | 2:37 | |
6. | "Mr Right" |
| 3:14 |
7. | "O Holy Night" | 2:53 | |
8. | "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" | 3:51 | |
9. | "Ave Maria" |
| 4:00 |
10. | "Silent Night" | 2:19 | |
Total length: | 32:40 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | "Kiss Me It’s Christmas" (featuring Ne-Yo) |
| 3:35 |
12. | "If I Can't Have You" | 4:00 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | "Kiss Me It’s Christmas" (featuring Iain James) |
| 3:36 |
12. | "If I Can't Have You" |
| 4:00 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [77] | Gold | 122,000 [71] |
Region | Date | Edition(s) | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Germany | 29 November 2013 | Standard | Sony | [14] | |
Ireland | [13] | ||||
Switzerland | [15] | ||||
United Kingdom | 2 December 2013 | Syco | [16] | ||
Canada | 3 December 2013 | RCA | [18] | ||
Italy | Sony | [19] | |||
United States | RCA | [17] | |||
Various | 19 November 2021 | Christmas, with Love Always reissue |
| Sony | [78] |
"Run" is a song by Scottish-Northern Irish alternative rock band Snow Patrol from their third studio album, Final Straw (2003). It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 February 2004 as the second single from the album. The song was conceived in 2000 by frontman Gary Lightbody after an accident he had during a bender. "Run" is described as a Britpop power ballad and was received with positive reviews by music critics, who compared it with Coldplay's "Yellow".
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer, songwriter, actress, and model. Born and raised in Islington, Inner London, she later attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Lewis achieved national recognition when she won the third series of the television talent show The X Factor in 2006, winning a £1 million recording contract with Syco Music. Her winner's single, a cover of Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This", peaked at number one for four weeks on the UK Singles Chart and broke a world record by reaching 50,000 digital downloads within 30 minutes. In February 2007, Lewis signed a five-album contract in the United States with Clive Davis's record label, J Records.
"Bleeding Love" is a song recorded by British singer Leona Lewis for her debut studio album, Spirit (2007). It was originally written and recorded by American singer Jesse McCartney, and was co-written and produced by American singer Ryan Tedder. "Bleeding Love" was released worldwide during the last quarter of 2007, and the first of 2008, as the album's lead single internationally, and as the second single in Ireland and the United Kingdom. McCartney later included his version of the song as a bonus track on the international edition of his third studio album, Departure (2008). It is Lewis' biggest hit, to date, and remains her signature song. As of 2021, "Bleeding Love" has been streamed over two billion times.
Spirit is the debut studio album by English singer Leona Lewis, released by Syco Music in November 2007 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, followed by a worldwide release during early 2008. The album made Lewis the first UK solo artist to debut at number one with a debut album, in the US, on 26 April 2008. Spirit became the fastest-selling debut album in the UK, at time of release. It also became the fastest album to sell one million copies by a solo female in the UK. The album remains the best-selling debut album by a female artist in the UK, and is one of the best-selling albums in UK chart history. Spirit is officially the best-selling debut album by a female artist in the 21st century, according to the Official Charts Company.
"Better in Time" is a song recorded by English singer Leona Lewis for her debut studio album Spirit (2007). It was written by J. R. Rotem and Andrea Martin and was produced by Rotem. Lyrically, the song tells the story of a woman who cannot forget her ex-partner, and who knows that "it will all get better in time". It was released as the second single from Spirit on 10 March 2008, as a double A-side with "Footprints in the Sand", by Syco Music and J Records.
"Footprints in the Sand" is a song recorded by British singer Leona Lewis for her debut studio album Spirit (2007). It was written by Simon Cowell, David Kreuger, Per Magnusson, Richard Page, and produced by Steve Mac. The song was digitally released as Lewis's third single on 9 March 2008 in the United Kingdom. Sony BMG and Syco Music launched it as a double A-side with "Better in Time", and "You Bring Me Down" as the B-side.
English singer Leona Lewis has released five studio albums, twenty-seven singles, one live video album, one extended play and twenty-six music videos. After winning the third series of British television talent show, The X Factor in 2006, Lewis released "A Moment Like This" in the United Kingdom and Ireland, which became the fastest selling single ever by a female artist in the UK. Her follow-up single, "Bleeding Love" reached number one in 35 countries, and was the biggest-selling single of 2008 worldwide. The song has had over two billion streams. Lewis's first studio album, Spirit was released to follow the single; it became the fastest-selling debut album of all time in the UK and Ireland, and the first debut album by a British solo artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. As of April 2012, Spirit is the 20th biggest-selling album of all time in the UK. The next single, "Better in Time", was also successful worldwide, reaching the top ten in many countries. Subsequent singles "Forgive Me" and "Run" were released across Europe and Australia; "Forgive Me" went on to moderate success, while "Run" became Lewis's third number one in the UK, and also reached the top spot in Austria and Ireland. "I Will Be" was released as the final single in North America.
"Forgive Me" is a song by British singer Leona Lewis featured on the North American version, the australian reissue, and on the deluxe edition of her debut album Spirit (2008). Musically, "Forgive Me" is a pop track with dance influences, written in A minor. The lyrics tell the story of a girl who has found a new love and asks her old one for forgiveness. The song was written by Aliaune "Akon" Thiam, Claude Kelly and Giorgio Tuinfort, and produced by the former. "Forgive Me" was released as the fourth single of the album in the United Kingdom on 3 November 2008. The single includes the B-side "Myself", written by and featuring vocals of American musician Novel.
"I Got You" is a song recorded by English singer Leona Lewis for her second studio album Echo (2009). It was written by Arnthor Birgisson, Max Martin and Savan Kotecha, with production helmed by Birgisson. The song is a pop and R&B ballad, whose instrumentation consists of guitars and synthesizers. It was released as the second and final single from Echo on 1 November 2009, by Syco Music and J Records.
"Collide" is a song performed by British recording artist Leona Lewis and Swedish DJ and record producer Avicii. It was written by Tim Bergling, Simon Jeffes, Arash Pournouri, Autumn Rowe, Sandy Wilhelm, with production helmed by Wilhelm under his production name Sandy Vee and Youngboyz. "Collide" is a house-inspired love song with instrumentation consisting of piano riffs and a guitar. The song was recorded for Lewis' third studio album Glassheart, but was not included on the album's final track listing.
Glassheart is the third studio album by English singer Leona Lewis, released on 12 October 2012 by Syco Music. Glassheart was conceived in 2010 shortly after the completion of Lewis' first headline tour, The Labyrinth. Recording and production took place in Denver, Los Angeles and London; originally the album was due for release in November 2011 but was pushed back several times to accommodate new recording sessions and allow more creative time. The album was the first – and so far only – of Lewis' albums not released in North America.
"Glassheart" is a song recorded by British singer-songwriter Leona Lewis for her third studio album of the same name (2012). The song was conceptualised by Lewis and frequent collaborator Ryan Tedder at his family home in Denver, Colorado. As she was experiencing a stressful time in her life, Lewis wanted to create an uptempo dance track with Tedder as she felt a ballad would make her more upset. It was co-written by Lewis and Tedder alongside Brent Kutzle, Noel Zancanella, Justin Franks, Fis Shkreli and Peter Svensson. Production of the song was handled by Tedder and Franks, with the latter credited under his production alias DJ Frank E. It was co-produced by Zancanella, Kutzle and Shkreli.
Hurt: The EP is the first EP by English singer Leona Lewis. It was released on 9 December 2011 by Syco Music and RCA Records. The EP served as something to bridge the gap for her fans whilst she finished recording her third studio album Glassheart (2012). The album was supposed to be released in November 2011, but was delayed to March 2012, and again to November 2012. Lewis's reason for delaying the album was because after she met producer Fraser T. Smith, the singer wanted to collaborate on new material for possible inclusion on Glassheart. As a result, Smith also produced Hurt: The EP. The EP consists of three cover versions: "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails; "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls and "Colorblind" by Counting Crows. Musically, the songs are influenced by rock music, whilst the lyrics revolve around feeling pain.
"Trouble" is a song recorded by British recording artist Leona Lewis and American entertainer Childish Gambino for Lewis' third studio album, Glassheart (2012). Inspired by Lewis' break-up with childhood sweetheart Lou Al-Chamaa, "Trouble" is a mid-tempo R&B and trip hop ballad, with a piano and strings-driven melody. It was written by a British writing collective consisting of Lewis, Donald Glover, Hugo Chegwin, Harry Craze, Shahid Khan, James Murray, Mustafa Omer, Emeli Sandé and Fraser T Smith. Production came courtesy of Khan under his production name of Naughty Boy and Smith, along with co-producer Chris Loco and additional producer Jahlil Beats. Music critics noted that the urban production marked a new direction for Lewis, particularly by featuring Gambino during the song's middle eight breakdown with a poetic rap verse. A version excluding Gambino is also included on Glassheart.
"Lovebird" is a song recorded by British singer-songwriter Leona Lewis for her third studio album Glassheart (2012). It was written by Bonnie McKee, Joshua "Ammo" Coleman and Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, and produced by Josh Abrahams, Ammo and Oligee. "Lovebird" was recorded at Pulse Recording in Los Angeles and is a power ballad, incorporating a piano and synth-driven melody. The lyrics consist of Lewis informing her past lover that enough time has passed since their relationship for her to have moved on and to have developed as a person. Critics praised Lewis' vocal performance, likening her technical abilities to those of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. The musical structure of the song was heavily compared to one of her previous singles, "Bleeding Love", along with songs performed by Adele. The accompanying music video shows Lewis trying to escape from a giant bird cage.
The Glassheart Tour was the second headlining concert tour by English singer Leona Lewis. It was launched in support of her third studio album, Glassheart (2012). Announced on 8 October 2012, with an initial run of sixteen dates in the United Kingdom, the Glassheart Tour was extended to include five dates in Germany and one in Switzerland. English singer-songwriter Ryan Keen served as the support act. It marks the first time that Lewis has performed material in Europe as part of a headline tour; her previous tour The Labyrinth (2010), only visited the UK.
"One More Sleep" is a song recorded by British singer Leona Lewis for her first Christmas album and fourth studio album, Christmas, with Love (2013). It was written by Lewis in collaboration with Richard "Biff" Stannard, Iain James, Jez Ashurst and Bradford Ellis, and produced by Richard "Biff" Stannard. It was released in the United States on 5 November, in Ireland and the United Kingdom on 29 November and many parts of Europe on 2 December. "One More Sleep" is recognised as one of the biggest recent Christmas songs in the UK according to the Official Charts Company. The song is certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). "One More Sleep" is also one of the most-streamed Christmas songs in the UK, with over 93 million streams as of 2021.
Gabriella Michelle "Ella" Henderson is an English singer and songwriter. She competed in the ninth series of The X Factor UK in 2012, being the eighth contestant eliminated despite being a strong favourite to win. She signed with Syco Music shortly after, and released her debut studio album, Chapter One (2014), which reached number one in the UK. The album spawned the chart-topping single "Ghost", as well as the top 20 singles "Glow" and "Yours". Henderson went on a four-year hiatus in 2015. Her second studio album, Everything I Didn't Say, was released in 2022.
I Am is the fifth studio album by English singer Leona Lewis. It was released on 11 September 2015, by Island Records after Lewis took leave from Syco Music in June 2014. Recording began in mid 2013, during the production of Lewis's first Christmas album and fourth studio album, Christmas, with Love (2013). Recording sessions resumed in January 2014 with producer Poet, Toby Gad and Wayne Wilkins. I Am is preceded by the release of "Fire Under My Feet" and the album's title track except for in the United States where "Thunder" precedes the album. The album reached top 40 in multiple countries, including US, United Kingdom, Spain and Germany.