Lewis has become a multi-platinum selling artist and three time Grammy Award nominee. She was proclaimed 'Top New Artist' by Billboard magazine in 2008. Her two albums Spirit and Echo, released in 2007 and 2009 respectively, have collectively sold in excess of 10 million copies worldwide and topped the charts in numerous countries. Lewis's debut tour, The Labyrinth, took place in 2010. As of December 2012, Lewis has sold 28 million records worldwide. Her third album Glassheart was released 12 October 2012. It was preceded by the single "Collide", which became her seventh top-five hit in the UK. With the release of Hurt: The EP and "Trouble", Lewis has had nine top-ten hits in the UK.
Lewis' debut single A Moment Like This became the fastest selling UK single after being downloaded over 50,000 times within thirty minutes of its release. Her second single, Bleeding Love, reached number one positions in over thirty singles charts around the world. In November 2008 she set a record in the UK for the fastest selling download-only release with her cover version of the Snow Patrol song Run which sold 69,244 copies in two days. Lewis's debut tour, The Labyrinth, started in 2010.
Lewis was born in the London Borough of Islington, to Aural Josiah "Joe" Lewis of Afro-Guyanese descent, and Maria Lewis of Welsh, Italian and Irish descent. Her parents enrolled her at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, and from there she attended the Italia Conti Academy and the BRIT School, where she learned to play instruments such as the guitar and piano, in the hope of becoming a singer-songwriter. Lewis wrote her first full-length song at the age of 12. She initially trained in opera, but went on to singing jazz and blues, eventually leading to popular music, citing Minnie Riperton, Eva Cassidy and Stevie Wonder as her main influences. After leaving the BRIT School at 17, she took a number of jobs to fund studio time, recording a demo album called Twilight. The album, almost exclusively comprising her own compositions, was recorded under Spiral Music, a production company based in Fulham. "I tried to secure a record deal by doing things my own way. I worked very hard but I never managed to land a contract", said Lewis. Other demos were recorded under licence from UEG Entertainment, later included on an album called Best Kept Secret. However, none of Lewis's demos were released and she considered taking a hiatus from her music career to attend university until her boyfriend persuaded her to enter The X Factor which subsequently severed her connections with UEG.
Songfacts says that Collide, the first single from Leona Lewis's third album finds her taking a more dance pop route than on her previous material. She said, "I'm excited for people to see a different side to my music. I'm a fan of so many different genres and styles. For me this song has all the great ingredients of a summer anthem." The song got its first play on Scott Mills' Radio One show on July 15, 2011 and will be released on September 4, 2011.
Lewis' third studio album, Glassheart, is due for release in 2012.
Heartbeat
Leona Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I would be creeping round the streets,
Avoiding all the busy main roads,
And keep an ounce of dignity,
And if I could have stayed home,
I would have slept through everything,
Turn off my phone and breathe a silence,
Stay in the comfort zone of me,
Cause, nobody lies in their bed,
Nobody's heart gets broken
Nobody cries in there, but I ain't going in
When I don't speak,
Weak and hollow heartbeats,
Leaking through my heart seam,
Body sells me out, sells me out,
So I keep this deep and shallow heartbeat,
Under my control,
And you will never see me weak,
And you will never hear my heartbeat,
Never hear my heartbeat,
Never hear my heartbeat,
Never hear my heartbeat,
(Oooohhh) beat
If I never met you,
I would be busy with my life,
Going to work and still be happy,
I will be sleeping through the nights,
And if I could forget you,
I would go back and look for parts,
For patching up my broken heart,
And I would shut my aching eyes
Cause nobody shouts at their friends,
Nobody wants forgiveness,
Nobody doubts in there, but I ain't giving in
When I don't speak,
Weak and hollow heartbeats,
Leaking from my heart seam,
Body sells me out, sells me out,
So I keep this deep and shallow heartbeat,
Under my control,
And you will never see me weak,
And you will never hear my heartbeat,
Never hear my heartbeat,
Never hear my heartbeat,
Never hear my heartbeat, beat, beat
If I keep it down,
Just focus,
I'm invisible,
Cause when there is no sound,
I know where I belong,
I will be ok
When I don't speak,
Weak and hollow heartbeats (heartbeats),
Leaking from my heart seam,
Body sells me out, sells me out (no, no, no),
So I keep this deep and shallow heatbeat,
Under my control (under my control),
And you will never see me weak, (noooo)
You will never hear my heartbeat (my heartbeat),
Never hear my heartbeat (never hear my heartbeat),
Never hear my heartbeat (heartbeat),
Never hear my heartbeat, beat, beat
Heartbeat, my heartbeat
The lyrics of Leona Lewis's song Heartbeat depict the singer's desperation and desire for control in the aftermath of a failed relationship. The first verse describes how the singer wishes she could have avoided the public eye and stayed in the comfort of her own home to maintain her dignity. She does not want to show weakness or vulnerability, as she believes that is something to be hidden away. The chorus emphasizes this theme, with the singer expressing her determination to conceal her emotions and keep her heartbeat under her own control. She wants to keep her pain and heartbreak hidden so that no one can hurt her again, and she can continue to project an image of strength and independence.
The second verse continues this theme, with the singer regretting ever opening herself up to this person who has caused her pain. She imagines a life where she never met them, where she could simply live her life and be happy without any emotional turmoil. The chorus repeats, with the singer emphasizing her desire to maintain control over her emotions and her heart. The bridge provides a glimmer of hope, with the singer acknowledging that if she can just focus and remain invisible, she can find peace and be okay.
Overall, Heartbeat is a powerful and emotional song that speaks to the universal experience of heartbreak and the desire for control in its aftermath.
Line by Line Meaning
If I could have laid low,
I would be creeping round the streets,
Avoiding all the busy main roads,
And keep an ounce of dignity,
And if I could have stayed home,
I would have slept through everything,
Turn off my phone and breathe a silence,
Stay in the comfort zone of me,
If I could be invisible, I would stay away from everyone and everything, avoiding any embarrassment. I would just want to stay home, free from any distractions, to find solace and security within my own space.
Cause, nobody lies in their bed,
Nobody's heart gets broken
Nobody cries in there, but I ain't going in
People typically present a brave face to the world, but I won't pretend that I'm not hurting, even if it means facing my emotions head-on.
When I don't speak,
Weak and hollow heartbeats,
Leaking through my heart seam,
Body sells me out, sells me out,
So I keep this deep and shallow heartbeat,
Under my control,
And you will never see me weak,
And you will never hear my heartbeat,
Never hear my heartbeat,
Never hear my heartbeat,
(Oooohhh) beat
My body may betray my true emotions, but I try to control and conceal them. I don't want to show weakness or vulnerability, and I don't want anyone to hear my true feelings.
If I never met you,
I would be busy with my life,
Going to work and still be happy,
I will be sleeping through the nights,
And if I could forget you,
I would go back and look for parts,
For patching up my broken heart,
And I would shut my aching eyes
If I had never crossed paths with you, I would have been content with my life and focused on my own happiness. But since you have caused me pain, I want to try to forget you and heal my broken heart.
Cause nobody shouts at their friends,
Nobody wants forgiveness,
Nobody doubts in there, but I ain't giving in
No one wants to have conflict or ask for forgiveness, but I won't back down and pretend like everything is okay. I won't ignore my feelings and sweep things under the rug.
If I keep it down,
Just focus,
I'm invisible,
Cause when there is no sound,
I know where I belong,
I will be ok
If I stay quiet and focus on myself, I can feel like I'm invisible and free from any judgment or criticism. In the silence, I can find my own place and feel okay.
Heartbeat, my heartbeat
The song is called Heartbeat, and this line serves as a simple refrain to bring focus back to the central theme of the song.
Contributed by Bella E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.