[MarkWaldorf]

Did you just see the credits for The X Factor: The Winner's story? They said so far Leona has sold over half a million copies, outselling the whole of the top 40 together.

That's just WOW.

[Chrizzle]

Just what i was thinking Mark!
I was like 'OMG'

[Bells]

I bought her CD!
And I'm really pleased for her, that's just amazing.

[Lance]

Not the biggest selling single of 2006, shockingly!

[Red Moon]

They said it was 541,000 on the radio. Not bad for a rehash of an old song.

Listening to it on the radio tonight I thought it wasn't that great. It was good, but not number 1 material. She could have done better with the song and in the interview I heard she had no personality.

She was a bit of a yawn.

[Lance]

She's got about as much personality as my shoelace.

People can say she has a better voice etc. than most but she was one of the dullest contestants this year.

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by Lance
She's got about as much personality as my shoelace.

People can say she has a better voice etc. than most but she was one of the dullest contestants this year.

Makes you think what is X-factor!

[Bells]

I think she has a lovely personality – she’s really nice, lovely, down-to-earth, modest and has a really refreshing, likeable air about her. And to top all that off, she’s extremely talented.

To be quite honest, I’d much rather she be like that than arrogant, full of attitude, etc. despite the fact that she may have a great voice. If you think she’s ‘boring’ that’s perhaps because she’s not so bold yet; certainly I think her self-assurance will grow in time as she’s been through so much, but I doubt she’ll ever become arrogant, or any of the other qualities I mentioned before.

Plus, if she ever does, or if she were, I can confidently say I wouldn’t be such a big fan.

[Princess]

Wow just WOW.

[Chrizzle]

More people putting her down, when will you get bored?

[Sophii3x]

Really
Has she beat the Shayne Ward sales from last year?

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by Chrizzle
More people putting her down, when will you get bored?

That's the problem with being a celebrity, people don't get bored at having a go at you. Especially when they find you dull and boring.

I would have like her to sing something new, not a rehash of an old song. How can we tell how good she really is when she spends all her time copying other people. I know she has a fine voice but does she have talent? Does she have the x-factor to make her a star or is she going to be a cover singer forever?

Until she shows that she can sing original material and show a bit of character people are going to keep having a go at her.

[Chrizzle]

But she has shown character, yesterday on Winners Story she was fantastic.
The single wasn't her fault, it was something which she was given.

I can't believe you get slated for being shy and nice! Theres NOTHING wrong with not being loud etc

Its not her fault shes a 'cover singer', because it was the winners single, and no matter who won they were dumped with that song!

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by Chrizzle
But she has shown character, yesterday on Winners Story she was fantastic.
The single wasn't her fault, it was something which she was given.

I can't believe you get slated for being shy and nice! Theres NOTHING wrong with not being loud etc

Well yesterday on the radio she did an interview and she didn't even seem excited about having the christmas number one. The interviewer was more excited. The problem for her is going to be going into an industry where you need a strong character to survive. You can see her turning to drugs to deal with the pressure like many a pop star before her. She needs to develop a bit of back bone and have management with integrity otherwise she will be eaten alive and spat out again. I feel she still needs to grow up and I hope it doesn't happen because she has been eaten by the pop sharks.

Originally posted by Chrizzle
Its not her fault shes a 'cover singer', because it was the winners single, and no matter who won they were dumped with that song!

Well lets hope they give her some of her own material to sing when she makes an album but I fear in an attempt to get an album out fast we might end up with a disc of other peoples greatest hits.

Now that would be really boring.

[Bells]

I've already justified what I think of Leona's character, so to me her personality seems fine.

As for her being a cover artist, why would she be? She's more talented IMO than a lot of those solo artists out there at the moment who have their own songs, not to mention that she has Simon Cowell behind her. I think she'll do really well as an artist herself, both here and even abroad.

The only reason she's been singing cover songs is because she was on the X Factor - now she's won it that's all set to change.

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by ice_maiden02
As for her being a cover artist, why would she be? She's more talented IMO than a lot of those solo artists out there at the moment who have their own songs, not to mention that she has Simon Cowell behind her. I think she'll do really well as an artist herself, both here and even abroad.

The only reason she's been singing cover songs is because she was on the X Factor - now she's won it that's all set to change.

Well let us hope it does. You would have thought with the number of weeks the show ran the producers of the x-factor could get a couple of new songs written for the two finalists. It can't be hard. They have done it before so why not again his year? But instead we get a rehashed ex-hit sung by miss dull.

There were better songs in the chart, than some old rehashed tune. But I guess that is the power of TV. It allows you to fix the christmas chart. I bet Simon Cowell is laughing all the way to his piggy bank. I wonder what he got for christmas, a nice new shinny sports car on the back of the number one.

[Chrizzle]

Good on him!

I dont think Simon should care- if hes got money spend it.

And her name is Leona, not 'miss dull'
People like that song therefore it deserved to get to no1
The fact that all the people saying this are bitter because there favourite didn't win, is hilarious.

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by Chrizzle
Good on him!

I dont think Simon should care- if hes got money spend it.

I believe it's called greed. It's a sad state of modern society. People are greedy and they don't care about other people any more. I'm sure Simon doesn't care about Miss Dull. Just the money he can put in the bank. He might say different, but wouldn't you if you were him with his values.

Originally posted by Chrizzle
And her name is Leona, not 'miss dull'

If the cap hits wear it.

If you can't be excited about having a christmas number one you deserve the name. When she grows up and gets a back bone, then I acknowledge her right to be a star. At the moment she is cover artist with a good voice but that is all. We won't be able to judge her true talent until she has her own hit and not someone else's rehash.

I was glad in the x-factor that she stopped hiding behind the dancers. But now it's time to stop hiding behind other peoples songs.

May be she could copy someone else's personality - after all she is good at doing copies. She got a number one that way.

Originally posted by Chrizzle
People like that song therefore it deserved to get to no1
The fact that all the people saying this are bitter because there favourite didn't win, is hilarious.

No people paid there money for it because it made a good stocking filler and they where told to do it by TV. There is no more effective TV advertising than the x-factor and show like big brother. It's the power of the medium.

[GlitterEyes]

I think people can just see through the actual game now, It isn't as real as it use to be when real raw talent was found. The show is far away from being raw talent which is what they say the x factor is.

I don't think anyone at all is "bitter", we all know Leona has an excellent voice but we can see that the only pockets being lined is Simon Cowells. Lets be honest if I said would you rather Leona hitting number one with a brand new song she had written herself or doing a cover version I think you would want new media aswell. I think the person who is actually being cheated is Leona herself...her video for the song was a match of someone elses. She needs to get out of that shadow of other artists and show her fans who she really is. Now i am not saying this is Leonas fault but Simon or whoever is in charge has really cut her short with this cover version and a very similar video.

The fact that whoever won there were 100,000 copies pre ordered of the x factor single shows how much it is about the x factor. Before the show even started it was predicted that whoever won would be xmas #1 which is really devaluing what the xmas #1 is really about and other artists who produce new and real material are loosing out big time to a reality tv show. The magic of the christmas number # race has been lost due to shows like x factor.

I like her music here much better than when she sounds like Mariah/Whitney etc and that is what Leona should be doing asap if she wants to last. The second part of that is here

Also during those clips she doesn't have her "little girl lost" routine she comes across as being confident about her music which makes Simons theories of her not knowing herself that she is good blow out of the water.

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by GlitterEyes
I think people can just see through the actual game now, It isn't as real as it use to be when real raw talent was found. The show is far away from being raw talent which is what they say the x factor is.

That is so true, I wasn't a great X-factor fan until I met kiz, but I did watch some of the early shows, and it has changed over the years. It's far more showy now than it was when it started and the judges milk the show for all they can get out of it. Over the years it's been modified by the producers who feel they have be more and more flashy, until they ruin the basic format of the show and lose the shows original appeal. The producers main aim is to sell the show to ITV, ITV remit is to bring in the advertisers to fund the station by increasing audience share, they care little for the people on the show.

At the moment I think many people who watch the show still feel it's a talent show and not a game show as such. You have to remember a lot of people that watch TV are very gullible and believe what they see without question. That is the power of television and one the advertisers love to exploit. When the viewers see it for what it is then you will see the audience numbers falling and the show dropped by ITV1.

Originally posted by GlitterEyes
I don't think anyone at all is "bitter", we all know Leona has an excellent voice but we can see that the only pockets being lined is Simon Cowells. Lets be honest if I said would you rather Leona hitting number one with a brand new song she had written herself or doing a cover version I think you would want new media aswell. I think the person who is actually being cheated is Leona herself...her video for the song was a match of someone elses. She needs to get out of that shadow of other artists and show her fans who she really is. Now i am not saying this is Leonas fault but Simon or whoever is in charge has really cut her short with this cover version and a very similar video.

We won't know if Leona is being manufactured, cheated or just plan used by the pop industry until we can see what she can do in a few albums time. Nobody in the music industry will take her seriously until she has a hit of her own. Until then she will be just another X-factor winner who had a number one on the back of the success of the TV show. We will never see if she has real talent until people like Simon Cowell stop manufacturing hits for her and she discovers the artist within herself if there is one.

but then, I question if is she an artist in the true sense of the word, she might be talented and have a good voice but I think that's all she is. I don't think she is a complete performer that will turn her into a real star because she doesn't have the drive, the belief in herself and the personality to pull it off. I don't think there is one artistic bone in her body. That will all have to manufactured for her by people like Simon Cowell. She simply doesn't have the X-factor. Without the show she would have remained a good covers singer touring the Working Mens Clubs of the UK because that is all she can do on her own.

Originally posted by GlitterEyes
The fact that whoever won there were 100,000 copies pre ordered of the x factor single shows how much it is about the x factor. Before the show even started it was predicted that whoever won would be xmas #1 which is really devaluing what the xmas #1 is really about and other artists who produce new and real material are loosing out big time to a reality tv show. The magic of the christmas number # race has been lost due to shows like x factor.

It just goes to show the state of the charts these days or is it the pop industry? People that manufacture bands and singers like Leona make a nonsense of the chats. While the real talent and artistry remains buried to those that look past the hit machine that is the pop industry. No wonder so many classical records make it into the album chart, who wants a album of manufacture hits.

You are so right that now the the race to the christmas number one means nothing especially when a rehashed cover makes number one. I use to care who was number one at christmas. I use looked forward to the christmas songs to put me in the mood for the festive period. I use to enjoy the fight of the pop stars. But now I don't care. It is meaning less rubbish. Manufactured tripe for boring people stuck in the consumer society who can't see past there own noses.

Originally posted by GlitterEyes
I like her music here much better than when she sounds like Mariah/Whitney etc and that is what Leona should be doing asap if she wants to last. The second part of that is here

Also during those clips she doesn't have her "little girl lost" routine she comes across as being confident about her music which makes Simons theories of her not knowing herself that she is good blow out of the water.

I'm glad to her she does have some personality after all. I hope that isn't manufactured by some publicity people that Simon Cowell has found for her.

[Lance]

Originally posted by Sophii3x
Really
Has she beat the Shayne Ward sales from last year?

No, she sold about 200,000 less copies.

571,000 were last week's sales, I believe.

[James]

Top selling singles of 2006...

1 Gnarls Barkley - Crazy 815,555
2 Leona Lewis - A Moment Like This 571,000
3 Shakira - Hips Don’t Lie 487,246
4 Scissor Sisters - I Don’t Feel Like Dancin' 338,978
5 Sandi Thom - I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker 325,077
6 Infernal - From Paris to Berlin 306,728
7 Nelly Furtado - Maneater 292,765
8 Rihanna - SOS 242,318
9 Justin Timberlake - SexyBack 233,213
10 Orson - No Tomorrow 225,111

[Red Moon]

Just goes to show you the power of TV and of the X-Factor (see long post above). Thanks for that information James.

[GlitterEyes]

Where did you find that info James? I had been searching high and low the other day for the exact figures but all I found was newspaper hype and reports that Leona will hit a million sales lol.

[James]

It was on the Digital Spy forum. I don't know where the poster there got it but I Googled some of the numbers there and found this...

http://www.chartsinfrance.net/commun...ew=getlastpost

SINGLES :

1 1 Gnarls Barkley Crazy 815555
2 2 Shakira Hips don’t lie 487246
3 3 Scissor Sisters I don’t feel like dancin' 338978
4 4 Sandi Thom I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair 325077
5 5 Infernal From Paris to berlin 306728
6 6 Nelly Furtado Maneater 292765
7 7 Rihanna SOS 242318
8 8 Justin Timberlake Sexyback 233213
9 9 Orson No tomorrow 225111
10 10 Lily Allen Smile 225024

11 11 Notorious BIG Nasty girl 221669
12 12 Shayne Ward No promises 196000
13 14 Cascada Everytime we touch 194973
14 13 Shayne Ward That's my goal 194800
15 15 Snow Patrol Chasing cars 192988
16 24 Take That Patience 191689
17 16 Kooks Naïve 184295
18 20 Razorlight America 180566
19 17 Meck Thunder in my heart 180500
20 18 The Automatic Monster 178208

21 19 Rihanna Unfaithful 175938
22 21 Corinne Bailey Rae Put your records on 173000
23 25 Fedde le Grande Put your hands up for Detroit 167408
24 22 James Morrison You give me something 163870
25 23 Rogue Traders Voodoo child 162155
26 26 My Chemical Romance Welcome to the black parade 162071
27 27 Pussycat Dolls Beep 156500
28 28 Pink Who knew 153016
29 29 Ne-Yo So sick 152000
30 30 Christina Aguilera Ain't no other man 149467

31 31 Black Eyed Peas Pump it 147531
32 32 Mary J Blige/U2 One 147000
33 33 Nizlopi JCB Song 146000
34 34 Chico It's Chico time 145000
35 41 Beyonce Irreplaceable 141282
36 35 Nelly Furtado Promiscuous 139239
37 36 Kooks She moves in her own way 137193
38 37 Chamillionaire ft Krayzie Bone Ridin' 136650
39 38 Beatfreakz Somebody's watching me 135957
40 39 Madonna Sorry 135906

41 51 Akon Smack that 135157
42 42 Girls Aloud Something kinda ooh 135092
43 40 Red Hot Chili Peppers Dani California 135000
44 43 Paolo Nutini Last request 131421
45 44 David Guetta vs The Egg Love don’t let me go 130329
46 45 LL Cool J & J Lo Control myself 128500
47 47 Killers When you were young 127964
48 46 Ordinary Boys Boys will be boys 126000
49 50 Cassie Me and u 122589
50 48 Arctic Monkeys When the sun goes down (Scummy) 122500

51 49 Beyonce Check on it 122000
52 52 Razorlight In the morning 119183
53 53 Will Young All time love 117000
54 54 PussyCat Dolls Buttons 116500
55 56 Bob Sinclar & Cutee B Rock this party 116300
56 55 Chris Brown Run it 115500
57 57 Beyonce Déjà vu 114200
58 58 Hi-Tack Say, say, say 112000
59 59 Snow Patrol You're all I have 109137
60 60 Madonna Hung up 108000

61 63 Westlife The rose 107657
62 61 The Feeling Fill my little world 105186
63 62 Ne-Yo Sexy love 103500
64 64 Sunblock I'll be ready 101500
65 73 Justin Timberlake My love 100048
66 65 Zutons Valerie 98500
67 68 The Feeling Never be lonely 96700
68 66 Jose Gonzalez Heartbeats 96000
69 67 The Source ft Candi Staton You got the love 95800
70 69 Pink U & Ur hand 95700

71 70 Black Eyed Peas My humps 94000
72 NE Bodyrox Yeah yeah 93900
73 71 Keane Is it any wonder 91400
74 72 Chicane ft Tom Jones Stoned in love 91250
75 75 P Diddy ft Nicole Scherzinger Come to me 90183



ALBUMS :

1 Eyes Open - Snow Patrol * 1,296,927
2 Whatever People say I am.. - Arctic Monkeys 1,096,000
3 Inside In/Inside Out - The Kooks 1,033,000
4 Ta-Dah – Scissor Sisters * 954,253
5 Razorlight - Razorlight 875,000
6 In between Dreams - Jack Johnson 778,000
7 Corinne Bailey Rae - Corinne Bailey Rae 744,000
8 I'm not Dead – Pink * 699,944
9 Undiscovered - James Morrison 676,600
10 Sam's Town – The Killers 675,300
11 Under the Iron Sea - Keane 668,000
12 Stop the Clocks – Oasis * 655,965
13 Stadium Arcadium - Red Hot Chili Peppers * 646,585
14 The Love Album – Westlife * 614,159
15 Beautiful World – Take That * 597,140
16 Back to Bedlam - James Blunt 561,000
17 Twelve Stops and Home - The Feeling 524,000
18 PCD - Pussycat Dolls 505,000
19 Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson 503,000
20 Black Holes & Revalations - Muse 498,600
21 The Sound of – Girls Aloud * 497,338
22 Employment - Kaiser Chiefs 481,000
23 St Elsewhere - Gnarls Barkley 473,000
24 Love – The Beatles * 466,822
25 Futuresex / Lovesounds – Justin Timberlake * 458,338
26 Shayne Ward - Shayne Ward 458,000
27 These Streets – Paolo Nutini 455,400
28 Alright Still - Lily Allen 455,000
29 Eye to the Telescope - KT Tunstall 450,000
30 Collected - The Best of - Massive Attack 449,000