On this day, 5 July 2010, British singer Leona Lewis played Cardiff International Arena on the last night of her Labyrinth tour with support provided by Gabriella Cilmi.
Born and raised in the London Borough of Islington, she attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Lewis achieved national recognition when she won the third series of The X Factor in 2006, winning a £1 million recording contract with Syco Music. Her winner's single, a cover of Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This", peaked at number one for four weeks on the UK Singles Chart and broke a world record by reaching 50,000 digital downloads within 30 minutes. In February 2007, Lewis signed a five-album contract in the United States with Clive Davis's record label, J Records.
Wales Online - Music review: Leona Lewis, Cardiff International Arena
SHE emerged out of the shadows of a derelict woodland castle in a hooded cloak and black boots you could measure by the mile.
Almost two hours and five or six costume changes later – who’s counting? – she left the CIA stage in a purple puff ball outfit with the chants of the Bleeding Love chorus ringing in our ears.
Lewis is no longer the shy hesitant London girl who overwhelmed us with her powerful vocal range but under-whelmed us with a lack of personality as she won the third X-Factor final four years ago.
Her debut solo Labyrinth tour, with superb choreography – it features terrific high-voltage dancing by semi-naked men – with horns! – is based on the theme of Leona’s favourite childhood film.
But you never lose sight of who the star of this show is. With subtle changes in pace, it threads together high-energy hits from her debut album Spirit (2007) and the follow up Echo released last November.
But Lewis has an equally captivating quality when she turns her attention to those slow ballads such as the Roberta Flack classic The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.
It took a while for the crowd to respond and get on their feet, but when they did, she ensured they stayed there with the upbeat Run, Sweet Dreams and her encore of what has become a classic, Bleeding Love.
Forget her X-Factor roots, Lewis put on a show that demonstrates just why she has become such a huge star.
By David Owens
Setlist
Intro
(Video Introduction)
Brave
Don't Let Me Down
Better in Time
Whatever It Takes
Take a Bow
Ride A White Swan
(T. Rex cover)
I See You
Can't Breathe
Forgive Me
Happy
Could It Be Magic
(Barry Manilow cover)
I Got You
Cry Me a River
(Justin Timberlake cover)
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
(Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger cover)
Homeless
They Don't Care About Us
(Michael Jackson cover)
Outta My Head
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
(Eurythmics cover)
Run
(Snow Patrol cover)
Encore:
Bleeding Love
Setlist
