Leona had a massive debut in 2007. When Bleeding Love topped the charts world wide, and was huge in the UK and US. Her debut album went diamond in the UK, and was the first debut album in over 20 years to debut at #1 in the US by a British female artist. The album went on to receive multiple Grammy nods. Critics were comparing her to Mariah, and her debut was seen as a continuation of the 90s vocal divas.

Yet her success petered out. Leona's career did not reach the heights that people thought it would. What went wrong?

**** team

She has only 1 hit and that's it?

She moved on to greener pastures

Just now, Smarticle said:

She moved on to greener pastures

We're not doing this today

1 minute ago, David_Greengrass97 said:

She has only 1 hit and that's it?

No. She has a few more hits in the UK, Europe and US. But nothing as big as Bleeding Love.

Wasn't there a song about sand. Oh and I remember Better In Time.

If she had gotten "Halo" her second album would've been big and maybe then "We Found Love" would've gone to her instead of Rihanna two years later, and she would've had a totally different career.

Happy deserved to be a SLY level smash

She just finished a Vegas residency and shes happy.mp3

Wait I forgot how much I loved Forgive Me

What went right is probably easier to answer because not much except her first single

She can still sing most under the bridge. I see her becoming a vocal giant ala Whitney

20 minutes ago, MatiRod said:

If she had gotten "Halo" her second album would've been big and maybe then "We Found Love" would've gone to her instead of Rihanna two years later, and she would've had a totally different career.

I think people need to realize that we found love was hit because of Rihanna

If Leona or Nicole pcd sang it it wouldn't have been as huge

Edited April 23Apr 23 by broolprop3

She picked the wrong songs for singles

Edited April 23Apr 23 by broolprop3

Simon Cowell screwed her basically.

Her overall reception slowed especially after "Happy" underperformed, which weakened the whole rollout-era and made it harder for her second album to build momentum. I always knew that single was a bad idea. The video had little relatability for anglo or european audiences.

Also, since Leona came out of The X Factor and was backed by Simon Cowell, it felt like she was set up to struggle long-term. That label had a rough track record...kind of like a UK version of Hollywood Records???. Leona is so talented. She deserved a career like the great American vocalists. My favorite from her is "Collide," the song they took from Avicii

Edited April 23Apr 23 by AvadaKedavra

Better in Time and Happy were both soooo good and both deserved to be as big as Bleeding Love was! I remember vividly being 12 and 13 and always being so thrilled when Happy finally came on the radio I think she was very much screwed over and maybe the single choices besides those three weren't strong enough? I also really love Come Alive and Glassheart and think that with the popstep boom in the mid-2010s, she could've smashed in America with those songs. Leona's voice is Kelly Clarkson at her best levels of stunning so I'm sad she didn't have the huge career she's deserved to have had! I'd love to hear her collab with someone like Jade

She had no real artistic identity

and the pop girls started smashing right when she came out so she just seemed 'boring' in comparison...

even Mariah in the 90s was able to pivot and do more R&B and Pop music to keep up with the changing landscape

The biggest issue was the poor single choices.

Poor management issues. She could have been Rihana level but they dropped the ball big time.

Her entire career is trying to recreate bleeding love thanks to that idiot!

Why release slow ballads during the dance music scene? She had dance tracks but still released the most boring singles her team was moving as if it was 1999 still.

12 minutes ago, AvadaKedavra said:

Her overall reception slowed especially after "Happy" underperformed, which weakened the whole rollout-era and made it harder for her second album to build momentum. I always knew that single was a bad idea. The video had little relatability for anglo or european audiences.

Also, since Leona came out of The X Factor and was backed by Simon Cowell, it felt like she was set up to struggle long-term. That label had a rough track record...kind of like a UK version of Hollywood Records???. Leona is so talented. She deserved a career like the great American vocalists. My favorite from her is "Collide," the song they took from Avicii

She realized that Simon was just a one-trick pony, so she decided to stop running and spend more time with the ones who actually have four legs.

3 minutes ago, Appletree said:

Why release slow ballads during the dance music scene? She had dance tracks but still released the most boring singles her team was moving as if it was 1999 still.

Adele.

I'm sad about Alexandra Burke too

No personality and very boring.