tintin

Ok so you clearly have a desire for her to be depressed when she's clearly said she wasn't. That's fine. And as for the rest of your comments let's see what the sales say come September.

She wasn't depressed Jesus do you know what depression is? It's a huge mental and emotional disorder which ruins people's lives. I don't think categorising her as depressed helps any argument. She was low. She was stuck. But that's all. The public (and this my point) are not going to have any real empathy for her story. The reason being its not relatable enough. It's similar to that idea of someone being rich and then being upset because they lost all their money. People are going to be like "so what?!". She's landed on her feet after not really falling. She has a great family, a great upbringing, quite a privileged upbringing by the sounds of it, great friends, a wealth of 12 million quid and a gorgeous boyfriend. And then she releases an album about empowerment. Huh?!! And she wants the public to connect. It's no surprise there isn't yet a connect. And not yet any sales of any single at all. I love her, I love that she found her strength but that's for a fan to love. Not a marketing tactic (which is what it's being used as) to get people to buy into. The real problem is, and I find this with a lot of fans is the understanding that she is a brand, a business. She wrote her signature on a contract to say she is going to represent a label and bring in the cash. Hence artists being dropped if this doesn't happen. So, with this in mind there needs to be a question of, what's the middle ground between Leona and who she is, what she represents,what's true to her and what do the public want, what will they instantly connect to. What's the theme?! This theme is off, it's story is shallow and it's not really something she can strongly communicate. She does not exude strength, power, fire, Thunder or any of these words. Line up Adele, Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Jessie J, Taylor Swift, etc etc, does Leona own or represent a place in the market which Joe Bloggs wants a piece of? No she doesn't!! I may love her music but I see that she is irrelevant. Leona needs rebranding. Especially for the UK. Also. Aside from her shyness which I find deeply irritating, when I say Leona I'm talking about the brand. Because in all honesty, even a hardcore fan doesn't know the first thing about Leona as a person. she has to be the most guarded person in history. Which is great, but not if you're wanting people to connect to you and but your music. If this is her and she is happy then I'm happy for her. But she needs to openly tell her label she's in it for her own wants and isn't interested in being a brand which will be future proof. Fair play to her, she doesn't want to be a product. The sad thing is, a few fans are yet to realise she already is one. Waiting for a collaboration which helps her and the inevitable ballad that will find its middle ground between her and the public.

I think I've said enough about my point. Just hope I've managed to communicate the wider brand problem. She deserves success, but this isn't the way. And I think This will be proved in these album and single sales. They will do the talking. Hope I'm wrong.

I appreciate you're reply but you misunderstand. I've watched Leona very very closely for at least the last 5 years. One more step and I'll be classed as a stalker fan. I know through being completely besotted by her for so long how much she wants this to work. But the fundamentals are all wrong. Who she has been marketed as over the past 8 years is exactly what I have said previously. Sometimes she does indeed come out of her shell, but in honesty, it's not regular and it's not 'known' that she has her wacky fun side. Every time she stepped foot on that Xfactor stage (after she won) she could hardly speak, it's like when put under pressure she can't find the words. She said herself she's a better singer than a speaker. Although she has come a long way that hasn't changed people's perception. She has a long long way to go before the British public see her as we do as dedicated fans. Because we only really see that from YouTube clips. I think people get excited for her to sing, because of her incredible voice. But they don't expect a great song and they don't expect or get a bubbly Leona. Mainly because she doesn't offer that out. Look at her singing Thunder on Kelly and Michael America. She isn't enjoying herself she looks like she's terrified. Why?!! What has she got to be scared about? She's singing about coming back with the THUNDER and with Fire under her feet. For god sake convince us and America of that. Otherwise it looks like she doesn't get what she's singing about. Where was the emotion that fits with the lyrics? Sometimes she completely connects to a song. She gets enveloped in it. Like FTEISYF in Dublin. Amazing!! But It's rare. Next. Her depression, which she said in Stella magazine she definitely wasn't depressed as she wouldn't want to offend people who are. I don't want some deep fan interpretation. I take it as it is. She's obviously hurt and felt used BUT, at face value people aren't going to stop and feel sorry for her. And that's what she needs. In order for people to take on her 'empowerment' and root for her they first have to sympathise. That's hard when she makes it quite clear shes not in much pain at all. No one is asking her to break down, but being so guarded doesn't help. All the interviews I've heard she doesn't say a bad word against anyone it's like HAVE AN OPPINION PLEASE!! Get angry, show us enough to believe this drama. Instead it's just all lovely and she still loves Cowell and Syco. Yawn!! Yawn!! This album was her chance to break the mould and she isn't doing that! At all. I'm sure she isn't oblivious to what the general public think. And she knows she needs them on her side to be commercial but she just can't connect it. Song choices in the past have been insanely off point both lyrically and for her brand. This is the break, her to her brand. She's made herself become this limbo solo artist who is still looking for who she is. And even if she does indeed know who she is, it's not believable because she won't make it believable. Maybe I'm wrong and maybe my marketing knowledge is backward. But I believe this won't connect to the public anymore than Glassheart. I'd bet my bottom dollar that if a poll was put out, the public would want a brilliant deep ballad from her. Not just another ballad, a brilliant one! I hope America takes her back because the UK seem to have had enough. I don't need educating. Don't talk down to me. Thanks.

UK SINGLES 08 A Moment Like This (Her voice is stunning!!) 10 Bleeding Love (No words needed) 06 Better In Time (Not a fan but I can see why others love it) 09 Footprints in the Sand (Stunning) 06 Forgive Me (This is where the disconnect between her and her songs began) 11 Run (Genius) 10 Happy (One of her best, completely Leona through and through) 08 I Got You (Beautiful) 06 Collide (Great little summer song) 02 Trouble (One of her worst songs, what does she know about being trouble? Public couldn't understand it either) -1 Lovebird (Should never have made the album, much too young/immature) 10 One More Sleep (Fantastic in every way. Very connectable, very clever) 08 Fire Under My Feet (Great song. Immature lyrics, too Adele) 0 I Am (Every time I hear this song my ears try to like it, but its so GREY) OVERSEAS AND PROMOTIONAL SINGLES 05 I Will Be (Lovely but its Avril's) 05 Hurt (why did she sing a song about drugs and darkness?! Fail) 09 I See You (Brilliant, she connects with the song and sounds brilliant) 02 Thunder (No idea why she is singing about coming back with the Thunder when she's like a quiet mouse) This new album I Am is not shaping up to be anything I want from Leona. I don't believe you can come back with an 'empowerment' album, when you haven't actually been through anything serious. As my friend put it "Leona went from a 5 million pound record deal to one of the biggest record labels in the world, my heart bleeds for you Leona". He is right. I can't buy into her story because its lacks so much depth and meaning. Yes she might have felt hurt, yes she may have felt lost, but nobody is going to stop and listen to you because it clearly didn't hurt that much, or last that long! She is getting totally infuriating, I haven't heard a great love song from her since Echo. Everything since has been a mish mash of dodgy pop songs which are never going to become 'classics' or remembered in a years time. What is going on! I appreciate she is writing her own music and this should be encouraged, but the material released so far lacks maturity, depth, atmosphere and uniqueness. Bring back power ballad Leona, that is her brand. She is seen as this demure, shy girl who can easily be broken. Why is she pretending she is otherwise when its written all over her face. At times during American interviews she has looked terrified, she can't hold and interview without stumbling over her words and looking like she wants to cry into a corner. Aside from the hardcore fans who will buy this album no one else is going to jump on board. And it is because she has such a huge disconnect between herself and her music. Like it. hate it, she needs to sell it otherwise there will be no more of it. RUN, BLEEDING LOVE, FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND, FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE, CANT BREATH, BROKEN, GLASSHEART, ONE MORE SLEEP. There is a reason these songs (and more) are loved outside of her fan base. Because there is no disconnect from her brand.