Leona Lewis’ offering to the ‘For Colored Girls’ soundtrack has surfaced. The Gospel-inspired ‘I Know Who I Am’ serves as the closing number on record that features contributions from Janelle Monae, Estelle and Macy Gray. Listen to the song below:
Lewis delivered a generally good vocal performance on this track. Clearly she was listening to the Pop/Gospel stylings of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston when finding inspiration for this song. However, unlike her idols, Lewis lacks the grit and raw passion in her voice that cannot be easily imitated.
While I admire her effort, ‘I Know Who I Am’ falls flat. Lewis’ vocals are quite impressive but far from expressive. She would certainly benefit from a session at a Baptist church in the presence of Aretha Franklin and Patti Labelle to learn how to feel what she’s is singing instead of just hitting the notes. Church.
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What happened to Leona? What happened to her second album?
I forgot to add my two cents. Sorry but songs like these BORE me. So 90’s.
Lovely track – Leona sings it beautifully.
Fits the theme of the movie very well.
Its good – love it
I wanna go see this movie just to hear this song. Leona is an amazing and talented singer/songwriter. I am so happy she’s still being used for movie theme songs despite her laggin popularity. It just goes to show you that you don’t have to have a No. 1 or album to still be relevant and sought-after
TGJ READERS GO LISTEN TO LEONA – PRIVATE PARTY FT ROBERT ALLEN, THAT IS THE KIND OF MUSIC LEONA SHOULD BE MAKNG FOR HER THIRD ALBUM !!!!
*WHO OWNS THE THRONE?*
*YOU DO MOMMY!*
” learning how to feel what she’s is singing instead of just hitting the notes. Church.” It’s funny you say that, but Christina Aguilera constantly gets slack from you for not singing “properly.” It’s clear that there are different types of singers, & you have to take them for who they are. Not mixing that in this case because apparently she needs soul for this song, so what her normal style of singing is not cutting it in this.
what a lovely track i love it
leona is good. im so interesting to hear how her third album sounds!
read reviews and more at:
http://kicktheeardrum.com/
I love Leona!
And this song is really pretty.
Btw, “Soul” does not = screaming and growling, Trent. Don’t hate on her because she has proper vocal technique.
Her new album comes out in 2011, and the first single is coming out early next year, for those of you that were wondering. : )
She’s not a gospel singer though, she’s a trained opera singer.
I can’t stand American gospel singers.
They are always so OTT, Leona could teach them all a thing or two about proper singing.
I disagree with the review love the song, don’t need to shout all the time to be good.
LEONA DID A FAB JOB – LOVELY SONG.
Leona All The Way!!!
Leona Lewis looks a lot like Beyonce. IMO
Anyways love the song.
wtf>>>>. http://idrag4mj.wordpress.com/
Love Leonas voice.. I love that it wasnt over sung in the church mode that you would expect.. its done in her way… remember thats its a soundtrack to a film.. so it cant overtake the visuals.. which im sure are matched quite neatly
That was nice.
Reminds me of Vonda Sheppard and Ally McBeal.
I think she sounds amazing on it, especially the vocals tbh, but this is definitely not her sound. But I don’t think it’s THAT bad. It fits the theme of the movie.
Luckily she WON’T be singing gospel on album 3 though. lol
GREGGJARV you know nothing about Gospel music—on a tame day CeCe Winans and Tramaine Hawkins can be as graceful and elegant as any singer you imagine.
Leona sounds beautiful, and she can’t teach gospel singers a thing because many have classical training along with gospel—-and many don’t need classical training.
And Sam, what does the Baptist church got to do with it…..most of the SANGING came from the black Pentecostal church!
And these dimwits in here need to learn how to win—–expressing an emotion to a song or giving it life has nothing to do with shouting. Gospel does not equal shouting.
so beautiful <3 can't wait to see the movie!
It’s ok….I definitelyagree with Trent
She sings nice but I like singers who sing with passion and grit. You don’t have to be perfect but if you sing from your soul than that is inner perfection . Don’t knock church singers who can sing this with there eyes open.
I mean with there eyes closed
LOvee It !!!
Leona Will only get better n better !
Love leona but not feeling this song its quite boring. But i cant wait for her 3rd album! Hope she does something different and unique & showcases that voice.=)
I heard Melissa Manchester, the songwriter, sing this song last week in Florida.
It was INCREDIBLE. Wish Leona’s version was a little better. Even Lisa Lois, who did the song originally — now that was another SANGIN’ white girl.
Melissa Manchester is DA S***!
haters, haters, haters, who did they ask to sing….Melissa Manchester, Lisa Lois, Leona Lewis, Beyonce, Alicia Keys?
Yeah the answer is Leona Lewis!!!! Yipee!!
Why would they ask her? Because she’s da s***! that’s why…
Hollywood loves Leona, so wat….
Leona surely got musical intelligence, and please google that. It’s one of the intelligence levels described by Gardner’s. If you can’t sing i’m sure thers something else u good at.
She has a nice voice, but this song is very boring!
She sucks, no real gospel infused vocals here… lacks soul. She was never a gospel artist, this FAILS!! Her voice is sooo one dimensional. No emotion at all.
YAAAAAAWWWN!!!!!!!!
If people hav high self-esteem they only see good in others, its only when they have low-esteems when everything infront of them looks ugly, bad,
Peolpe change ur attitudes and accepts those who are gifted, she’s already up ther, where are u, I dont even know u, i know her, Leona!
Well done Leona, all of the best for your future!!! God BLESS YOU!!!
Curly Sue…I see you listening to a little to much of Soulja Boy and Gucci mane…. it messed u up musically lol.
not so bad. don’t really expect much from her vocally.
trent is so ghettto
um..she is da new mariah carey!!
i love this girl, she is sooooooo beautiful to me. sweet and humble.
Less is more sometimes
I like what Leona did with this.
I love her voice on this, she brings home the song sweetly.
Can you just imagine Patti LaBelle tearing this song to shreds? Oh Laaaaawd, this song would have been the bomb diggity! Sorry Leona #FAIL! 🙂 Greetings from Aruba!
It’s clearly evident the Leona doesn’t know who she is because if she did she would stop trying to be Whitney and Mariah. Leona is talented but very boring. Her A&R needs to be fired. She’s too young to be promoted like a 35 yr old and a boring one at that. The sad part is there’s singers in churches all across America that would put her to shame on this song.
i guess if it was a song having swearing words in like lil wayne eminem and those people, it would have been a hit, C** on people, for once in your life listen to songs like this, thats good for your spiritual life. The question is if we dont like a beautiful song like this, where is our world going?
AND SHE IS NOT MARIA SHE WAS INPSIRED BY THEM? DONT WE ALL HAVE ROLE MODELS OR HEROES?
I would rather have Leona sing this beautifully than shout all over the song like church singers
Absolutely INCREDIBLE just amazing! love it
Can’t wait to see the movie. This song is so beautful.
She’s looks flawless pretty face,eyes, hair,skin she is just beautful
Soundslike it was written for Mariah. Same key and chord progression
S
She looks a lot like Bey in that pic.
Anywho, I don’t think she’ll ever be able to sing with feeling in any song.
I think the reason they selected her and not a more “soulful” singer was to give the song a shot at a Best Song nomination at the Oscars/Golden Globes. Her singing is not, for lack of a better way to put it, overbearing; it’s very contained, something Awards bodies prefer.
just love it! amazing song amazing singer! Leona could sing anything!
Mariah she isn’t. But she is a very very good vocalist. She’s very talented. It’s best to put your own spin on things. She did’nt need to do a remake the exact same way the original was done. She is beautiful to.
Leona should stick to songs with a catchy melody. Her voice just isn’t expressive enough to carry a song on its own. She’ll never be what Simon wants her to be.
some of you need to chill….girl can sing, does it matter if she went church to sing in a choir??… hell no, she sings it her way and she sings it beautifully … thats all.
WOW, Trent is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!
Leona does lack the true grit that Whitney and Aretha would bring to a song! I totally agree, when listening to her second album, there was something vital missing. Leona is GORGEOUS & has a beautiful voice. But something just falls flat with her!
Omg, who is saying this is ‘boring’??
Have you never heard a song with real emotion and meaning.
This is beautiful.
People need to get with it now and stop giving crappy Katy Perrys and Keshas the money to make more music Ugh!
interesting comments over a song for a film!!
95% I,d say liked it
3% got WAY over andst over whether she was gospel enough
1% she no MC/WH
1%truly awful
Not BAD for the UK girl with a beautiful voice and those 95% would agree
by the way
her 3rd album is out next year and dvd live tour 29th nov.
if you dont like her dont buy it
if you do you will x