I Am | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 11 September 2015 | |||
Recorded | 2013–2015 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 35:35 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
Leona Lewis chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from I Am | ||||
|
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.
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. [2] 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. [2] 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. [2] In August 2013, Lewis confirmed that she was in the process of recording her first Christmas album, and that label boss and friend, Simon Cowell, came up with the idea. [3] [4] Lewis released Christmas, with Love in November 2013; it peaked at number 13 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 27 December 2013, denoting shipments of more than 100,000 copies. [5] [6]
On 23 September 2013, it was announced that Lewis would make her acting debut in Walking on Sunshine, a 1980s-inspired musical film. [7] In an interview with Digital Spy on 27 November 2013, Lewis confirmed that she would begin official recording sessions for her fifth studio album in January 2014, after she had finished promoting Christmas, with Love. [8] She revealed that during the production of Christmas, with Love in Summer 2013, she had met with some producers to conceptualise a theme for the album, but that the main focus at the time was to compose songs for the Christmas album. [8] With regard to style and composition, Lewis said that 2013 allowed her to become re-inspired; she stated that after recording songs for Walking on Sunshine, she wanted the album to have a 1980s sound. Later, however, after she recorded Motown inspired songs for the Christmas album, it allowed her to "just get out of [her] head and go into something completely different", stating that she is now leaning towards a "retro throwback sound" as a possible theme for the album. [8]
On 3 June 2014, it was announced that Lewis had parted ways with her record label of seven years, Syco Music. Label boss and mentor Simon Cowell tweeted: "Congratulations Leona. We had 7 great years together and now wish you all the best for the future. You put X Factor on the map." [9] Lewis confirmed that she had signed a new contract in the United Kingdom with rival record company Island Records, a division of the Universal Music Group. On joining the label, Lewis said: "After seven incredible years at Sony I feel honoured to be given the opportunity to sign to perhaps the most iconic label of all, Island Records." [10] Lewis later revealed that her departure from Syco had come after "several years" of consideration. She also stated that when she expressed her desire to part with the label she was threatened that the public would be told she had been dropped by the label. However, further creative differences in relation to her fifth studio album finally caused Lewis to leave the label. Of her departure, she stated: [11]
I was asked to make a record that would not have been true to myself. By all means as an artist in this climate, I was thankful to even get the chance to make another record. But I cannot make music that does not speak to my soul, and as scary as it seemed, I could no longer compromise myself, and so I decided to leave.
On 27 November 2013, Lewis stated that, during the production of Christmas, With Love in the Summer of 2013, she met with a couple of producers to conceptualize a theme for the album. She confirmed that official recording sessions for the album would begin in January 2014. She also stated that she recently "reached out" to a couple of different songwriters and producers and expressed her desire to work with Bruno Mars and his frequent collaborators, The Smeezingtons. [8] On 19 December 2013, Lewis confirmed that she had recorded a couple of songs with Poet, who has produced material for the Black Eyed Peas, as well as some other unnamed producers. She stated her intentions of going back into the studio with Poet. [12] On 30 August 2014, Lewis revealed that she had spent the week in the studio working with Jesse Shatkin, who co-wrote "Chandelier" for Australian singer-songwriter Sia. On 10 September, Diane Warren confirmed that she and Lewis would be working together.
Promotion for I Am began on 19 December 2014 when Lewis posted a short clip of her performing "Fire Under My Feet" and playing the piano, while a member of her band played the drums. [13] On 12 February 2015; Lewis uploaded a video on YouTube that showed her recording the song in the studio. Four days later, another video was uploaded, showing Lewis recording several other songs from the album. [14] On 14 April 2015, Def Jam hosted an album showcase listening party for I Am during which Lewis performed five songs from the album for the first time including "Fire Under My Feet", the title track "I Am", "I Got You", "Ladders", and "Thank You". [15] Two days later, the artwork for the standard edition of the album was revealed. [16] On 21 April 2015 a new video was uploaded via Lewis' official YouTube account; it documents the recording process of "Fire Under My Feet". It also showed the photoshoot that took place for both the single and the album, while a snippet of "Fire Under My Feet" was also played during the video. [17] On 13 June 2015 Lewis performed "I Got You" and "Another Love Song" at the London G-A-Y nightclub. [18] The same day, she premiered "Essence of Me" at BBC Radio 2. [19]
The track list for the standard and deluxe edition were first revealed by Amazon.co.uk on 24 June 2015, while artwork for the deluxe edition was unveiled the following day. On 26 June 2015 Universal Music placed pre-orders for I Am on their official website. On 27 June 2015, the album was made available for pre-order on iTunes. [20] On 13 August 2015; "Another Love Song" was made available for purchase as a promotional single at several digital retailers, such as iTunes and 7digital. [21] "Power" was released as a promotional single in Germany on 28 August 2015. [22] It was later made available in all other countries on 4 September 2015. [23] The studio versions of "I Got You" and "Ladders" were premièred in full at BBC Radio 2 on 1 to 3 September 2015, respectively. [23] [24]
On 11 September 2015, Leona announced her third headlining concert tour, the I Am Tour, to support the album, with an initial run of fourteen dates in Great Britain. [25]
The album's lead single, "Fire Under My Feet", was released on 7 June 2015. Written by Lewis and Toby Gad, the track peaked at number 51 on the UK Singles Chart following its release. In addition, it peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 100 Hot Dance charts. [26] "I Am" was released to the iTunes Store in the UK on 17 July 2015 as the second single in the UK. "Thunder" was released as the third official single from I Am on 24 July 2015; it also served as the lead release from the album in US markets. It impacted US adult contemporary radio on 27 July 2015. [27] "Thunder" was released as the third single in the UK; it officially impacted UK radio on 24 October 2015. [28]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [29] |
Digital Spy | [30] |
Exclaim! | 5/10 [31] |
Idolator | [32] |
Knoxville News Sentinel | [33] |
London Evening Standard | [34] |
Writing for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album four out of five stars, writing "Lewis seizes this fourth album to redefine her sound [throwing] herself into a buoyant bounce somewhat inspired by reigning British diva, Adele....The songs [on the album] are passionate and sharply crafted [...] resulting in her strongest compositions......and her best album yet". [29] Digital Spy author Lewis Corner found that "for all intents and purposes, I Am is Leona's break-up album. Having worked closely with Toby Gad, she has created a concentrated record with a solid voice throughout that positions her as songwriter with something to say. The mixture of both Leona's frustration and determination leave her more vulnerable than we've heard her before, but ultimately she comes through stronger than ever. Leona's got a different kind of Ex-Factor this time out, and it's working wonders." [30]
Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel noted that "Lewis sounds great on her new I Am, but the release is still something of a disappointment. Trouble is, it feels a bit obvious, and therefore a little hollow." He added that "Lewis sounds gutsy, as she always does, the production is crisp and the hooks are sharp – so there's no need for excessive complaining. It's just this phoenix-rising tale has been done to death, and her return is only a qualified triumph." [33] Idolator's Kathy Iandoli wrote that while "the 10-track offering is full of beautiful music, it would be remiss to suggest I Am is full of hits. And that's where Leona's voice becomes an impediment." She felt that "I Am may be slightly flawed by design, but there are still many 'yaaasssss' moments, enough to make you hope her next go 'round doesn't take as long." [32] Less enthusiastic, London Evening Standard writer John Aizlewood felt that "I Am will doubtless be billed as a new start but it feels like an ending. [It] is defiantly more of the same and [Lewis is] as cautious as a learner driver on test day. Tinny, timid production makes I Am sound like it was recorded at home but Lewis's vocals are still anodyne cruise-ship fare and she still mistakes caterwauling for emotion." [34]
Upon its chart debut, I Am debuted at number 12 on the UK Albums Chart and number 8 on the UK Album Download Chart. [35] [36] I Am debuted at number 38 on the US Billboard 200 Album Chart, [37] Lewis' third album to peak in the US top 40. I Am also peaked at number 11 in Scotland, [38] also charting within the top 40 in Ireland, Germany, Austria, Spain and Switzerland.
Album track listing and credits sourced from album booklet and liner. [39]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Thunder" | Gad | 3:43 | |
2. | "Fire Under My Feet" |
| Gad | 3:35 |
3. | "You Knew Me When" | Diane Warren | Gad | 3:40 |
4. | "I Am" |
|
| 3:42 |
5. | "Ladders" |
|
| 3:26 |
6. | "The Essence of Me" |
| Gad | 3:41 |
7. | "I Got You" |
| Gad | 3:01 |
8. | "Power" |
|
| 3:19 |
9. | "Another Love Song" |
| 3:26 | |
10. | "Thank You" |
| Gad | 4:02 |
Total length: | 35:35 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
11. | "Thick Skin" |
| Gad | 2:58 |
12. | "The Best and the Worst" |
|
| 3:24 |
13. | "I Am" (Acoustic) |
|
| 3:26 |
14. | "Thunder" (Acoustic) |
| Gad | 3:17 |
15. | "Fire Under My Feet" (United Studios Sessions) |
| Gad | 3:43 |
Total length: | 52:23 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
16. | "Fire Under My Feet" (Endor Remix) |
| Endor | 3:33 |
Total length: | 55:56 |
Notes
All credits and personnel sourced and adapted from album booklet. [39]
|
|
|
|
Chart (2015) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [40] | 82 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [41] | 34 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [42] | 83 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [43] | 44 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [44] | 33 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [45] | 185 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [46] | 49 |
Greek Albums (IFPI) [47] | 75 |
Irish Albums (IRMA) [48] | 22 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [49] | 11 |
South Korean International Albums (Gaon) [50] | 12 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [51] | 25 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [52] | 23 |
UK Albums (OCC) [53] | 12 |
US Billboard 200 [54] | 38 |
Country | Date | Edition | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ireland | 11 September 2015 |
| Island | [55] | |
United Kingdom | [20] | ||||
United States | Def Jam | [56] |
"Run" is a song by Northern Irish–Scottish alternative rock band Snow Patrol. It was released in the UK on 26 February 2004 as the second single from their third album, Final Straw (2003). The song was conceived in 2000 by frontman Gary Lightbody after an accident he had during a bender. "Run" has been described as a Britpop power ballad. It received critical acclaim, and was compared to Coldplay's "Yellow".
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer, songwriter, actress, model, and activist. 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.
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.
Syco Music, originally and formerly S Records, was a division of Syco Entertainment which operated from 2002 until 2020. The label was founded by British entrepreneur, record executive and media personality Simon Cowell, who was formerly employed at Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG).
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 and Australian versions, as well as 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.
Echo is the second studio album by English singer Leona Lewis. It was released on 9 November 2009 including 16 November in the United Kingdom, and 17 November 2009 in the United States. Its worldwide release was through Sony Music. The album charted across the globe, including the US, UK, Canada, across Europe, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand, with commercial success.
"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.
Heartbreak on Hold is the second studio album by British singer Alexandra Burke. Syco and RCA Records made it available digitally on 1 June 2012, and in physical format on 4 June. It is her final release for both record labels, which she left between 2012 and the following year. Following the success of her debut studio album, Overcome (2009), Burke began work on her sophomore album in late 2010. Described by Burke as a record full of "risks", she worked with a diverse group of artists and producers, including Cutfather, Erick Morillo, Autumn Rowe, and Ben Adams, among others. Additionally, Burke co-wrote three tracks on the album.
"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.
"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. The song is certified double platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). "One More Sleep" is one of the most-streamed Christmas songs in the UK, with over 276 million streams worldwide. As of December 2023, "One More Sleep" is the 4th biggest Christmas song of the 21st century in the UK, having sold over 1.46 million units.
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 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.
Chapter One is the debut studio album by English singer an songwriter Ella Henderson. It was released on 10 October 2014 by Syco Music. Chapter One reached number one in the UK in its first week of release. The album was preceded by the internationally successful single, "Ghost", as well as UK singles "Glow", "Yours" and "Mirror Man". In January 2015, the album was certified Platinum in the UK, shipping in excess of 300,000 copies.
"Fire Under My Feet" is a song by British singer and songwriter Leona Lewis from her fifth studio album, I Am (2015). It was released as the lead single from the album on 7 June 2015 by Island and Def Jam. An uptempo song with gospel influences, "Fire Under My Feet" was recorded at Kite Music Studios in Los Angeles and was written by Lewis with Toby Gad, who also produced the song.
"I Am" is a song by British singer and songwriter Leona Lewis from her fifth studio album of the same name. The song was written by Lewis, Toby Gad and Eg White, with Gad and White producing it. Lyrically, "I Am" is about the feelings and emotions experienced by Lewis following her departure from her former record label Syco and its boss, Simon Cowell. It is a dance-influenced track which makes use of strings, piano and drums as part of its instrumentation. Its composition garnered comparisons to singers Avril Lavigne and Massive Attack. Island released "I Am" on 17 July 2015 as the lead single for the United Kingdom, but it is the second single to be released from the album overall. Remixes by Fastlane and DEVolution were also released. The track garnered a positive response from music critics, many of whom praised Lewis' strong and emotive vocal performance and described it as a standout on the album. Lewis has performed the song live on The National Lottery: In It to Win It and at the BBC's Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park festival.
"Thunder" is a song by British singer and songwriter Leona Lewis from her fifth studio album, I Am (2015). The song was written by Lewis and Toby Gad, who also produced the track. Lyrically, "Thunder" is about finding the strength to pick yourself up after falling on difficult times. Lewis explained that the song is about self-reflection and self-empowerment and finding the ability to look within in order to decide what is best to do next. Def Jam released "Thunder" on 24 July 2015 as the lead single in United States, but it is the third single to be released from the album overall. Remixes by Danny Verde and Tom Swoon were also released.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)