Leona - first UK female No 1 in US charts in 21 years
by Maja Gojkovic
The X-Factor winner Leona Lewis has become the first British female solo artist to top the US charts in 21 years. Leona reached No. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 with her catchy ballad ‘Bleeding Love’.
Prior to Leona’s success, Kim Wilde was the last British Female Solo artist to break into the US with her number one in 1987 with the cover of the Supremes song ‘You Keep Me Hanging On’.
It is also the first time in 27 years that a British Female artist has debuted at number 1 in the US. The last artist to have achieved this was Sheena Easton with Morning Train in 1981. The only other British artist to achieve such success in the Billboard Hot 100 prior to Leona was Petula Clark with ‘Downtown’ in 1965.
Leona’s song ‘Bleeding Love’ was No 1 in the US iTunes chart for the last two weeks. It went to No 1 before to Leona’s appearance on Oprah Winfrey show, where the host referred to Leona as a “star is born” when the singer sang live on the show.
Leona’s mentor, Simon Cowell, said: ”I am incredibly proud of Leona, what she has achieved in the past year is simply amazing. I am very very happy for her.” She was signed to SyCo Music, Cowell’s division of Sony BMG, after winning the UK talent show X Factor. She is signed jointly in the US to music legend Clive Davis’s label, J Records.
Bleeding Love has already topped charts in 10 countries around the world before gaining success in US charts and knocking Usher from the top spot. In the UK, it was the biggest-selling single of 2007, staying at Number One for seven weeks and selling more than one million copies.
The 22 year old star from Hackney, London, used to work as a receptionist before winning the X Factor. On her website she expressed how much being number one meant to her: ”Well I really don’t know what to say, I’m so overwhelmed right now. I’m getting to share my music with people around the world and it’s beyond my wildest dreams. From the bottom of my heart thank you all so much, it’s because of you that I am able to do this.”
It’s nice to finally see an X Factor winner actually singing and producing amazing songs instead of disappearing from the scene months after winning the competition- So, well done Leona! Thumbs up from European Vibe.