Echo is Leona Lewis's second studio album
Leona Lewis’s long-awaited album Echo contains a mixture of ballads and dance-floor anthems. It’s to be released on 16th November in the UK and can be pre-ordered from Amazon at £8.98 and £16.09.
Echo is available in three different formats – a standard edition, a deluxe edition with two extra tracks and a 32-page insert and as a download from iTunes to include two live performance songs taken from Leona’s first full UK show at Hackney Empire on 2nd November 2009.
This is Leona’s second studio album and in it, the former winner of the X-Factor has worked with an impressive range of musicians, including Justin Timberlake, John Shanks and Ne-Yo to produce thirteen tracks that combine upbeat, electro numbers with unashamedly romantic songs reminiscent of the heart rending Keep Bleeding. Leona herself has described the album as the creation of a “big, organic sound like an echo.”
The vocalist of OneRepublic, Ryan Tedder who wrote Happy, the lead single from the album and the track You Don’t Care, claims that Leona’s singing has been raised to a new level: “I pushed Lewis vocally more on this song than any song she’s ever done,” he says.
Art work on the album features Leona looking more and more like a sultry pop diva, wearing gold lamé and white satin gowns designed by Vivienne Westwood. Expect a more polished and confident performance than that achieved in the début album, Spirit with Can’t Breathe, Broken and Stop Crying Your Heart Out all strong contenders for future singles. The album has received three out of five stars from The Observer when the reviewer Peter Robinson wrote that “Echo hits its target.” And if the album pleases the likes of the Observer critics, there’s no doubt that Leona’s fans will be more than over the moon with it.
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Old Dogs stars John Travolta and Robin Williams
Released on 19th March 2010 in the UK, this family comedy starring John Travolta tells the story of two hardened business men and best friends, who end up looking after seven-year-old twins and a large dog.
Old Dogs also stars Justin Long, Robin Williams, Matt Dillon and Travolta’s wife Kelly Preston. It is Travolta’s first film since the sudden death of his 16-year-old son, Jett, in January 2009. Still struggling with their devastating loss, the couple have turned the film into a family affair with their nine-year old daughter Ella Bleu, making her début in the comedy which opens in the US on 25th November.
Directed by Walt Becker of Wild Hoggs fame, Old Dogs tells the story of Charlie (Travolta) and Dan (Willliams) who are two co-workers who fail to recognise the value of family life. When Dan’s ex-wife (Preston) turns up after a long period of absence with seven-year-old twins she claims are fathered by Dan, Dan recruits Charlie to help him entertain the twins and dog with outdoor activities and with the help of the larger than life children’s entertainer, Jimmy Lunchbox played by Bernie Mac. Sadly this was Bernie Mac’s last film before his death in August 2009 and Old Dog’s release date was delayed as a result.
But back to the film - the question is, do Charlie and Dan learn true family values and become reformed characters or not? We have an inkling that this could indeed be the case but you never know…
Susan Boyle has released her inspirational album
After a nail-biting wait, we now have the inspirational album from Susan Boyle, the 48-year-old runner-up to Britain’s Got Talent, whose awe-inspiring rendition of I Dreamed A Dream from Les Misèrables left hard-nosed judge Simon Cowell almost speechless.
From the moment Susan Boyle walked on to the stage the audience and cynical judging panel had her down as a dowdy, delusionary no-hoper. When she walked off that stage five minutes later with a standing ovation no-one was in any doubt that a star, albeit an unlikely one, had been born.
This album not only includes those songs that brought Susan Boyle worldwide acclaim like Cry Me A River and I Dreamed a Dream, it also showcases her tremendous versatility as an artist with songs like The Monkee’s Daydream Believer and a rendition of Wild Horses by the Rolling Stones, which brought the studio audience to their feet at the finale of America’s Got Talent.
Also including a song written especially for Susan called Who I Was Born to Be, the album is tipped to be the Christmas Number one on both sides of the Atlantic and is to be released on 23rd November. I Dreamed a Dream not only shows that people shouldn’t be judged by appearances, it also testifies to the fact that anyone can achieve their dream whoever they are… (As long as they’ve got talent!!).
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Planet 51 - animated family movie
Planet 51 is an animated, intergalactic family adventure from Sony Pictures that combines comedy, fantasy and adventure and will be released on 4th December 2009, in the UK.
When US astronaut Captain Charles “Chuck” Baker lands on Planet 51, he discovers it’s populated by the alien equivalent of middle America who want to defend their suburban way of life from scary invaders from other worlds … like Chuck. In order to avoid becoming an artefact in the Planet 51 Alien Invaders Space Museum, Chuck has to find his way around the planet aided by his faithful robot, Rover and new friend and resident of Planet 51, Lem.
With voice-overs by Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Gary Oldman and Justin Long, the film is directed by Jorge Blanco and co-directed by Javier Abad with stunning and colourful graphics from Ilion Animation. Some tongue-in-cheek comedy Planet 51 is a spoof that draws some telling parallels with our own, often paranoid, attitudes towards tolerance and acceptance of others. Biel has been quoted as saying that the film will attempt to strike a balance between “super cheesy or really dark,” mixing humorous moments with drama and emotion. Rated PG, Planet 51 contains mild sci-fi action and some suggestive humour and will no doubt become one the “biggies” in cinemas over the Christmas period.
Varekai is a show from the popular Cirque du Soleil
The avant garde circus and dance troupe, Cirque du Soleil are performing Varekai at the Royal Albert Hall in Westminster, London from 6th January 2010 with tickets ranging in price from £30 to £180.
The Cirque du Soleil translated as Circus of the Sun was founded by Guy Laliberté in 1982 and reflected a new or experimental concept in the arts.
With incredibly successful resident shows in cities like New York, Orlando and Las Vegas including the hugely popular celebration of the musical legacy of the Beatles in LOVE, plus touring performances across the world’s major cities, Cirque du Soleil swiftly became a global phenomenon.
The performance of Varekai – a word that means “wherever” in the language of Romany gypsies - involves acrobatics, exciting dance and stunning visual effects as we follow the story of a solitary young man who has been parachuted into a shadowy and magical forest inhabited by fantastic creatures. As he sets off on an adventure encountering the absurd and extraordinary on the way, the hero ultimately rediscovers life. With eccentric and unbelievably colourful characters including The Skywatcher, Icarus and The Betrothed, the show offers a zany an and breathtaking immersion into a surreal world.
Choreographed by Bill Shannon and directed by Dominic Champagne and Andrew Watson, the music, composed and arranged by musical director Violaine Corradi combines sounds of Hawaiian ritual, songs of troubadours from 11th-century France, traditional Armenian melodies and gospel arrangements. The CD of the soundtrack is available to buy from Amazon or the official Cirque du Soleil website and costs £15.
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