Per Magnusson

Last updated
Per Magnusson
Birth namePer Magnusson
Born (1969-05-30) 30 May 1969 (age 53)
Tyresö, Sweden
Origin Stockholm, Sweden
Genres Pop
Classical
Occupation(s) Songwriter
Producer
Instrument(s) Keyboard, Guitar, Bass guitar, Cello
Years active1991present
Website A Side Productions

Per Magnusson (born 30 May 1969) is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. His musical career took off in 1994 as one of the original team members of the now-legendary Cheiron Productions, meeting great international success working with Boyzone, Britney Spears, Westlife and the Backstreet Boys.

Contents

Shortly after Cheiron decided to shut down its studios in 2000, Per together with David Kreuger formed A Side Productions, having continued to produce and write songs for major artists such as Il Divo, Céline Dion, Josh Groban, Shayne Ward and Paul Potts.

To date the duo has co-written and / or produced six UK No. 1 singles:

In April 2008 Leona Lewis became the first British female ever to open at No 1 on the Billboard 200. [1] Her debut album Spirit includes the song "Footprints in the Sand", co-written by Magnusson and Kreuger.

Musical career

The early years

Per Magnusson was born and raised in Tyresö on the outskirts of Stockholm. His interest in music was developed already while attending primary school, picking up the cello as his main instrument playing it for the next ten years.

Over time, his commitment in pop & rock music became more and more predominantly. As a teenager, Per played both the guitar and keyboards in different local bands, but eventually decided to focus on producing, arranging and writing music.

His first significant record appearance came in 1994 on the Swedish artist Jennifer Brown's album Giving You the Best. Besides taking part as a musician, Per produced the song "Take a Piece of My Heart" which also was released as a single.

About that time, Per coincidentally met with David Kreuger whom worked on the DJ scene in Stockholm. They started collaborating and have continued producing and writing songs as a team ever since.

Denniz PoP & Cheiron Studios

Denniz PoP had by the early '90s become one of the most skillful and coveted DJs in the clubs of Stockholm. In 1993 he decided to start working with artists and founded Cheiron Productions together with Tom Talomaa. Its studios were located at Fridhemsplan in Stockholm, soon evolving into a great success.

After playing one of their songs for PoP, Per and David were invited aboard as songwriters and producers. Successfully working with a wide range of artists for the next couple of years, the tandem's greatest prosperity that far came in 1998, co-writing and producing the song "Will Be Yours" for Boyzone's third consecutive UK No 1 album Where We Belong .

By now Cheiron studios was one of the hottest in the world, each team member working with a different artist. But in August 1998 Cheiron shocked the music world sending out a press release that its leader Denniz PoP had died. He was only 35 years old.

On top of the US charts with Britney

Just a couple of months earlier, Cheiron had started working on songs for the 16-year-old Britney Spears' debut album. Per and David produced Spear's second single "Sometimes" as well as her third, "(You Drive Me) Crazy", which they co-wrote with Max Martin and Jörgen Elofsson. Both singles became huge worldwide hits. The album ...Baby One More Time was released in the US in January 1999 and debuted at No 1 on the Billboard 200 where it spent six weeks straight. [2]

Together Per and David also worked with Britney on her second album Oops!…I Did It Again , co-writing and co-producing "What U See (Is What U Get)" and producing "Girl in the Mirror". The album came out in the US in May 2000 and equally as the first, it shot to No 1. [3]

First UK No 1s

Per and David's success on the UK Singles Chart soon followed. Westlife had approached Cheiron for material to their upcoming self-titled debut album and the duo co-wrote three songs which they also produced. "If I Let You Go" was released in August 1999 as Westlife's ever second single. It went straight to No 1 [4] becoming Per and David's first top position in the UK. "Fool Again", which came out in March 2000 as the fifth single taken from the same album, became the duo's second [5] in less than seven months.

By the end of that same year, Westlife issued their follow-up album Coast to Coast . Five songs co-written and / or produced by the tandem had found their way onto the record. "My Love" hit the UK record stores in October as the album's first single. It entered the charts at No 1. [6] The close collaboration between Westlife and Per and David has continued ever since.

The Backstreet Boys had in 1999 broken nearly every record in the book with their album Millennium . In 2000 the group turned to Per and David for help on their next, titled Black & Blue , which was released in November. Including the tandem's productions of "It's True" and "The Answer to Our Life", the record became another huge international success selling more than 12 million copies. [7]

These recordings turned out to be some of Cheiron's last before closing up. By the end of 2000, at the top of the industry, the studio's songwriters and producers decided to go separate ways.

A Side Productions is formed

Shortly after the shutdown of Cheiron Studios, Per and David formed A Side Productions, their own production company. Located in the center of Stockholm, the duo soon embarked on several major projects including working on Westlife's upcoming third record World of Our Own . Together they co-wrote and produced four songs which all appear on the album. One of the songs was "Evergreen", that soon was about to enter Guinness World Records. Released in the UK in November 2001, the album instantly shot to No 1. [8]

In February 2002 Will Young became the first winner of Pop Idol, [9] a new British reality talent show that was followed by spin offs all around the world, in the US named American Idol. Will Young's debut single was the double A-side "Anything is Possible" / "Evergreen", released in the UK on 25 February. The single instantaneously made it into the history books by becoming the Fastest Selling Debut Single for the First Day [10] as well as First Week. [11] Co-written and co-produced by Per and David, "Evergreen" spent three consecutive weeks atop of the Top 40. [12] More amazingly, in 2009 the single still holds the No 11th position on the UK Top 100 List of Best Selling Singles of all time. [13]

Pop Idol runner-up that season was Gareth Gates and just like Will Young he recorded "Evergreen", which was included on his first single. Released in March, Gareth Gates now knocked down his rival from the No 1, subsequently holding his position for four weeks straight. [14]

Gareth Gates' second success on the charts came only four months later, on 14 July, with his follow-up "Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake)". [15] The song, also co-written and produced by Per and David, spent three weeks at No 1. This was the duo's 5th top position in the UK.

Il Divo brings opera to the pop charts

Already in 2001 Simon Cowell had come up with a new concept featuring four male singers interpreting romantic songs opera-style. Two years later, after numerous auditions across the globe, Il Divo was formed. The quartet's self-titled debut album was scheduled for release in the fall of 2004 and one of its first destinations was A Side Productions' studios for recordings. Including the productions of Ennio Morricone's "Nella Fantasia" and "Ti Amerò", which Per and David also had co-written exclusively for the group, the album Il Divo was released in the UK on 6 November. It instantly went to No 1 [16] and remained in the Top 5 throughout the year. In the US the album was issued on April 19, 2005, rushing straight to No 4 on the Billboard 200. [17]

Only months later, Il Divo had reached No 1 in 12 countries, Top 5 in another 25 [18] and sold more than 4 million copies. [19]

In 2005 Céline Dion started working on a new album, her first French compilation titled On Ne Changes Pas , including three new songs. Per and David co-wrote and produced "I Believe in You", a duet with Il Divo. Dion's album was released on 3 October and reached No 1 in Quebec, Belgium and France where it held the position for seven weeks straight subsequently spending an entire year on the chart.

Per and David's duet "I Believe in You" was also included on Il Divo's follow-up album Ancora . Along with three more songs produced by the tandem, the quartet's record was released on 7 November 2005. It hit No 1 in the UK and Australia within one week. Released in the US on January 24, 2006, [20] Ancora entered the Billboard 200 at No 1 after selling more than 150,000 copies in its first week. Il Divo's third album, Siempre , also including four songs co-written and / or produced by Per and David, was released by the end of November 2006. Across their first three albums, Il Divo achieved 36 No 1's, selling more than 22 million records worldwide. [21]

The X Factor & Britain's Got Talent

The X Factor was devised in 2004 as a replacement for the massively successful Pop Idol, which in the UK had been put on indefinite hold. In the second season's final, aired on 17 December, 2005, Shayne Ward was crowned winner after performing the newly written song "That's My Goal". Produced by Per and David it was released as Ward's debut single only four days later, shooting straight to No 1. By selling an astonishing 310,000 copies in the first day, [22] "That's My Goal" entered the Top 4 list of the Fastest Selling UK Singles of all time. [23]

On March 4, 2007, Paul Potts entered the stage in front of the skeptical looking jury of Britain's Got Talent. Ninety seconds later he made YouTube history with his rendition of Puccini's "Nessun Dorma". Potts had wowed the jury as well as the 2,000-strong audience which gave him a standing ovation. Still working as a mobile phone salesman in Wales, the unexpected tenor on June 17 won the whole show. [24]

Going straight into the music studios recording songs for his debut album, now with a full symphony orchestra backing him up in the world-famous AIR Studios in London, Potts recorded three songs produced by Per and David, "Nessun Dorma", "Con Te Partirò" and "Nella Fantasia". The album One Chance was released in the UK on 16 July. 2007 and with first week sales exceeding 128,000 copies Potts shot straight to No 1 [25] outselling the rest of his Top 10 rivals combined. [26] The newly discovered tenor held the position for three consecutive weeks. [27]

Working with Katherine Jenkins and Leona Lewis

Per and David were in 2007 involved in several other projects including working with Katherine Jenkins, the Welsh award-winning and best-selling classical crossover superstar. In 2004, at the age of 24, she became the fastest selling mezzo-soprano of all time with her debut album titled Première . [28] By the end of 2005, as the first singer in musical history, Jenkins simultaneously held the number 1, 2 and 3 positions in the UK's Classical Chart with her three albums. [29] Her fifth album, Rejoice including four songs produced by Per and David, was released on 19 November. 2007. It entered the UK's Album Chart at No 3. [30]

In 2006 more than 100,000 hopeful "artists to be" applied to the auditions for The X Factor season three, the previous season won by Shayne Ward. Leona Lewis was crowned winner on 16 December, soon breaking sales records with her first single. [31] Decided however not to push the young singer's debut album release, Lewis instead went to the US signing a lucrative record deal with Clive Davis, founder of Arista Records. Set for domestically release in late 2007 the album's recordings were coordinated in music studios around the US as well as in London. One of the songs was "Footprints in the Sand", written by Per and David together with Richard Page.

The album, titled Spirit , reached the UK record stores on 12 November. With sales surpassing 375,000 copies in its first week of release, Spirit is the fastest selling British debut album of all time. [32] It spent seven weeks straight at No 1 on the Top 40. [33] Released in the US almost five months later, on April 8, 2008, Spirit instantly shot to the top spot. This resulted in Leona Lewis becoming the first British female ever to debut at No 1 on the Billboard 200. [34]

Re-released in the UK almost exactly one year later, on 17 November, 2008, Lewis' Spirit The Deluxe Edition bounced back to the top of the charts [35] to give Per and David a second consecutive No. 1, as the bestseller that previous week was Il Divo's The Promise [36] including the tandem's production of "L'Alba Del Mondo".

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westlife</span> Irish boy band

Westlife is an Irish pop vocal group formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1998. The group currently consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member, until leaving in 2004. The group disbanded in 2012 after 14 years, later reuniting in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Martin</span> Swedish record producer and songwriter

Karl Martin Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish record producer and songwriter. He rose to prominence in the late 1990s making a string of hit singles such as Britney Spears's "...Baby One More Time" (1998), the Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" (1999), Céline Dion's "That's the Way It Is" (1999) and NSYNC's "It's Gonna Be Me" (2000).

<i>Il Divo</i> (album) 2004 studio album by Il Divo

Il Divo is the debut studio album to be released by classical crossover vocal group Il Divo, formed by Simon Cowell in 2004. The album was released on 1 November 2004 in the United Kingdom, via Syco Music, and on 19 April 2005 in the United States, via Columbia Records. The album contains three songs performed in English, six songs performed in Italian, and three songs performed in Spanish, excluding the bonus track. As of December 2013, the album had sold more than 1.5 million copies in the UK. The album has sold more than 5,000,000 worldwide copies to date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Mac</span> Musical artist

Steve McCutcheon, known professionally as Steve Mac, is a British record producer, songwriter and musician. A multi-award-winning producer, he is one of the most prolific songwriters and record producers in modern British music, with contributions to 30 number one singles in the UK Singles Chart.

Samuel Joshua Watters is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and record executive. Watters was a member of the multi-platinum selling 1990s R&B group Color Me Badd and co-authored many of their hits including "I Adore Mi Amor", and "All 4 Love". Watters has also written and produced songs for Grammy-winning and nominated artists such as American Idol winners Fantasia, Kelly Clarkson and Jordin Sparks, and other superstars such as Céline Dion, Whitney Houston, Leona Lewis, and Anastacia. Watters is a member of the production/songwriting team The Runaways including fellow hitmakers Rico Love, Wayne Wilkins, Ryan Tedder, and Louis Biancaniello.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jörgen Elofsson</span> Swedish songwriter (1962–)

Kjell Åke Jörgen Elofsson is a Swedish songwriter.

"You Raise Me Up" is a song originally composed by the Norwegian-Irish duo Secret Garden. The music was written by Secret Garden's Rolf Løvland, and the lyrics by Brendan Graham. After the song was performed early in 2002 by the Secret Garden and their invited lead singer, Brian Kennedy, the song only became a minor UK hit. The song has been recorded by more than a hundred other artists including American songwriter Josh Groban in 2003 and Irish boy band Westlife in 2005 whose versions were hits in their countries. Welsh singer Aled Jones and all-female Irish ensemble Celtic Woman have also recorded successful covers.

<i>Ancora</i> 2005 studio album by Il Divo

Ancora is the third studio album released by classical crossover vocal group Il Divo. The album was released in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe on 7 November 2005, excluding the United States and Latin America. The album was later released in the United States and Latin America on 24 January 2006. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 on the week of releases. The album contains one song partially in Latin, one song performed in Italian, two songs performed in French, two songs performed in English, and six songs performed in Spanish, excluding the bonus track. The album features the single "I Believe in You", performed with Céline Dion, that is also featured on her international album, On Ne Change Pas.

"Evergreen" is a song co-written by Jörgen Elofsson, Per Magnusson and David Kreuger, and originally recorded by Irish boy band Westlife. The song appears on their album World of Our Own (2001). It was composed in the traditional verse–chorus form in C major, with nand members Shane Filan and Brian McFadden's vocal ranging from the chords of F#3 to B4.

Andrew Gerard Hill is an English record producer and songwriter who worked with Bucks Fizz and Celine Dion during the 1980s and 1990s.

<i>Spirit</i> (Leona Lewis album) 2007 studio album by Leona Lewis

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 is a defunct division of Syco Entertainment founded by British entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell. Originally founded as S Records, the label launched while Cowell was still employed by BMG, the label oversaw music releases by Robson & Jerome, Five, Westlife and Teletubbies. A year later, BMG, now named Sony BMG, bought Cowell's share in both Syco Music and Syco Television. Later in 2010, Cowell and Sony Music entered a joint venture agreement that would see Cowell and Sony each own 50% of the new Syco Entertainment company which encompassed both the previous Syco TV and Syco Music divisions. The brand had multiple well-known acts signed such as Fifth Harmony, Camila Cabello, One Direction, Little Mix and CNCO. In July 2020, Sony sold the rights to the television formats and assets back to Cowell, effectively divesting all of Syco's non-music divisions. As part of the venture, Syco Music, its current roster and back catalog remains with Sony Music as a wholly owned subsidiary. However, as of September 2020, and according to industry magazine Music Week, the label is now defunct, with staff either leaving or being redeployed elsewhere within the Sony Music group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Footprints in the Sand (Leona Lewis song)</span> 2008 single by Leona Lewis

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheiron Studios</span> Record label in Stockholm, Sweden (1992-2000)

Cheiron Studios was a recording studio located in the Kungsholmen district of Stockholm, Sweden. Founded in 1992 by Denniz PoP and Tom Talomaa, it was famous for being the place where popular music acts of the late 1990s/early 2000s such as Backstreet Boys, Boyzone, Robyn, NSYNC, Britney Spears, and Westlife, produced many of their greatest hits. In addition, Cheiron Studios was also a record label in affiliation with BMG for a while, and a music publishing service, although those ventures were abandoned in favour of music production.

Swedish popular music, or shortly Swedish pop music, refers to music that has swept the Swedish mainstream at any given point in recent times. After World War II, Swedish pop music was heavily influenced by American jazz, and then by rock-and-roll from the U.S. and the U.K. in the 1950s and 1960s, before developing into dansband music. Since the 1970s, Swedish pop music has come to international prominence with bands singing in English, ranking high on the British, New Zealand, American, and Australian charts and making Sweden one of the world's top exporter of popular music by gross domestic product.

<i>The Promise</i> (Il Divo album) Album by Il Divo

The Promise is the fifth studio album by the classical crossover group, Il Divo. The Promise was released globally on 10 November 2008, except in the US and Canada, where it was released 17 November, Ireland and Mexico where it was released on 7 November, and Japan, on 26 November. The album reached the No.1 spot in the UK on 16 November. The album was produced by Steve Mac. It was announced on 10 September, that it will be named The Promise, although the track listing was at this time not yet disclosed. In early messages to people who are members of the band's official site's mailing list, it revealed to them that 'Il Divo return with their richest and most diverse album to date.' It also revealed that the album would have twelve songs. Cover songs confirmed at this time were: Frankie Goes To Hollywood's "The Power of Love"; 'a haunting and beautiful interpretation of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"'; the smouldering intensity of Lara Fabian's "Adagio"; and the fourth confirmed song then was ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Side Productions</span>

A Side Productions is a music production company established by Per Magnusson and David Kreuger in early 2001. Located in the center of Stockholm, A Side Productions writes and produces songs for artists such as Il Divo, Leona Lewis, Shayne Ward and Paul Potts to mention a few.

The discography of multinational classical crossover vocal group Il Divo, contains ten studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album, singles and duets and collaborations.

Henrik Janson is a Swedish music arranger, guitarist, record producer and songwriter. Founding a band at thirteen, in 1974, Janson today works with both domestic and international artists.

<i>Spectrum</i> (Westlife album) 2019 studio album by Westlife

Spectrum is the eleventh studio album by Irish pop vocal band Westlife, released on 15 November 2019 through Virgin EMI Records. It includes the singles "Hello My Love", "Better Man", "Dynamite" and "My Blood", and features songs co-written by Ed Sheeran, Steve Mac, Ryan Tedder, Camille Purcell, and James Bay. It is the band's first major album in eight years, and their first album under Universal Music Group and Virgin EMI. The album debuted atop the Irish Albums Chart and UK Albums Chart. It is also the biggest selling album of the record label by a UK signed artist in 2019.

References

  1. "BBC.com - Leona Lewis, first British female ever to open at No 1 on the Billboard 200". BBC.com. 2008-04-17. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
  2. "Rock On The Net.com - Britney Spears, ...Baby One More Time US No 1". rockonthenet.com. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
  3. "Always Celebrity.com - Britney Spears, Oops I Dit it Again US No 1". alwayscelebrity.com. Archived from the original on 2008-05-12. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
  4. "BBC.com - Westlife, No 1 with If I Let You Go". BBC.com. 2004-03-09. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
  5. "Billboard.com - Westlife, Fool Again at UK No 1". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
  6. "BBC.com - Westlife, No 1 with My Love". BBC.com. 2004-03-09. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
  7. "Dailyrecord.co.uk - Backstreet Boys, huge international success". Dailyrecord.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2007-10-28. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
  8. "Billboard.com - Westlife, World of Our Own album, UK No 1". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2008-01-16.
  9. "BBC.com - Will Young, ever first Pop Idol". BBC.com. 2002-02-26. Retrieved 2008-01-16.
  10. "BBC.com - Will Young, Evergreen 385,000 copies first day". BBC.com. 2002-02-26. Retrieved 2008-05-21.
  11. "BBC.com - Will Young, Evergreen, the fastest selling UK single first week". BBC.com. 2002-03-03. Retrieved 2008-05-21.
  12. "Imdb.com - Will Young, three weeks at No 1 with Evergreen". imdb.com. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
  13. "Everyhit.com - Will Young, No 11 on UK's best selling chart". Everyhit.com. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
  14. "BBC.com - Gareth Gates, four weeks at UK No 1 with Evergreen". BBC.com. 2002-04-10. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
  15. "BBC.com - Gareth Gates, Anyone of Us, straight in at No 1 in the UK". BBC.com. 2002-07-14. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
  16. "Goliath.com - Il Divo, debut album in at UK No 1". Goliath.com. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
  17. "Billboard.com - Il Divo, US No 4". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2008-06-11.
  18. "Ticket Nest.com - Il Divo, No 1 in 12, Top 5 in 25". Ticketnest.com. Archived from the original on 2008-07-18. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
  19. "TV.com - Il Divo, 4 million copies sold". TV.com. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  20. "MyWire.com - Il Divo, enters Billboard at No 1". Mywire.com. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
  21. "SonyBmg.co.uk - Il Divo, 22 million records sold worldwide". Sonybmg.com. Archived from the original on 2008-09-14. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
  22. "BBC.com - Shayne Ward, Christmas No 1". BBC.com. 2005-12-25. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
  23. Gibson, Owen (2006-12-16). "Guardian.com - Shayne Ward, No 4 on the fastest selling list". London: Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
  24. "BBC.com - Paul Potts, Britain's Got Talent, audition on March 2007". BBC.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  25. "News Wales.co.uk - Paul Potts, at UK No 1 with 128,000 copies". Newswales.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-07-19.
  26. "Artists Direct.com - Paul Potts, outselling the rest of the Top 10 albums combined". Artists Direct.com. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
  27. "The Official Charts.com - Paul Potts, three weeks at No 1". Theofficialcharts.com. Retrieved 2008-07-23.[ dead link ]
  28. "BBC.com - Katherine Jenkins, fastest-selling opera star". BBC.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-14. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  29. "BBC.com - Katherine Jenkins, record breaking". BBC.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-14. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  30. "The Official Charts.com - Katherine Jenkins, No 3 on the UK Album Chart". The Official Charts.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2010. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  31. "BBC.com - Leona Lewis, breaking a world record". BBC.com. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  32. "Advance Music.net - Leona Lewis, 375,000 copies in the first week". Advance Music.net. Archived from the original on 2008-02-09. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  33. "A Charts.com - Leona Lewis, seven weeks straight at UK No 1". A Charts.com. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
  34. "BBC.com - Leona Lewis, first British female ever to open at No 1 on the Billboard 200". BBC.com. 2008-04-17. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
  35. "Billboard.com - Leona Lewis, Spirit returns to UK No 1". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
  36. "BBC.com - The Promise (Il Divo album)" [Il Divo's Promise soars to No 1]. BBC.com. 2008-11-16. Retrieved 2008-11-24.