Echo by Leona Lewis
Echo is the second studio album by British pop/R&B singer and songwriter Leona Lewis. It was released from 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. Lewis worked with Ryan Tedder, Justin Timberlake, Max Martin, John Shanks, and Harvey Mason, Jr. amongst others to produce the follow-up to her debut album Spirit. The album was preceded by the single "Happy", released on 15 September 2009. "I Got You" was released as the second single in February 2010. The song "My Hands" was used as the theme song for the video game Final Fantasy XIII. The album has achieved commercial success peaking within the top twenty in nine countries.
This London-born singer earns comparisons with past R&B/pop icons on her sophomore album <i>Echo</i>, keeping diva bombast to a minimum in favor of more smoldering, emotionally believable performances. To be sure, there are plenty of stellar producers (including Xenomania and Timbaland) on board to frame Lewis in stylish, high-gloss settings. The steamy “Can’t Breathe”, the throbbing “Fly Here Now” and the epochal “Lost Then Found” (featuring One Republic in seven-plus minutes of uplifting gospel/pop glory) load on the melodrama effectively. But even when she reaches for the Big Note, Lewis radiates honesty and class, as in the aching survivor’s anthem “Happy.” The sleek “Love Letter” and the techno-fueled “Outta My Head” lend some pop sparkle to the proceedings, and for extra celeb content, Justin Timberlake shares vocals on the slow-simmering “Don’t Let Me Down”. Throughout, Lewis shows taste and poise, knowing when to turn up her vocal power and when to hold back.
