Melody Plant

Who turns down an invite from President Barack Obama? Leona Lewis, that’s who! The 24-year old singer has reportedly turned down an invitation from the president. A source told The Mirror “Leona was thrilled to be invited to dinner by Obama. She really wanted to meet him and his wife Michelle - who is a big fan and has her Spirit album. They both think she is a strong, inspirational and talented young woman who is a fantastic role model for children. They would love her to get involved in some of their charity projects. But it was really unfortunate that it clashed with her tight schedule to get her second album done. Leona would have felt it a real honor to sing for him too. So if Barack ever asks again, she’ll jump at the chance.”

Leona Lewis has finally premiered her latest music video for her song ‘I Will Be’. ‘Gossip Girl’ actor Chace Crawford has several speaking lines in a brief cameo at the beginning of the video. The music video was directed by Melina Matsoukas, who also directed the international version of Leona’s ‘Bleeding Love’ music video. In the video for ‘I Will Be’, Leona Lewis plays a criminal who gets arrested by an NYPD officer, played by Cedric Darius. It looked like Leona Lewis got to practice her acting chops for this one. I wonder if she has any plans to go into acting.

Just like every celebrity before her, Leona Lewis is milking it. At the beginning of the year, it was announced that the 23-year old was coming out with her autobiography. Now, the animal activist singer is also coming out with a vegan clothing line and a perfume. An insider said “Leona has had a lot of approaches about launching her own perfume, but she wanted to make totally sure she would be working with an ethical company. She has had a big hand in helping to create the fragrance and the design of the bottle and now she can’t wait to see it in the shops.”

Jordin Sparks was spotted signing autographs for fans before her performance at the Annual “Energy in the Park” concert at Strandbad Wannsee in Berlin, Germany this past weekend. Look at that big smile on her face! She definitely fits in with the energy theme. Other performers in the line up included the likes of Leona Lewis, The Rasmus, Sunrise Avenue, Madcon, The Script, Alexander Marcus, M. Pokora, Aloha from Hell and Movimiento. I wonder if they had as much energy as Jordin. I just thought of something after looking at the line up. What do you think about a Jordin and Leona duet? I think it would be hot!

Duffy is tired of being compared with other female singers. The 23-year-old Welsh singer - real name Aimee Anne Duffy - has been compared with Dusty Springfield and hailed as the ‘new Amy Winehouse’ since releasing her breakthrough single ‘Mercy’ earlier this year, but wants to be recognized in her own right.

She said: “To be honest, if it’s not Leona Lewis, it’s Amy Winehouse. I’m being compared with Lily Allen or Dusty Springfield, bless her soul, she was an amazing woman. I just feel like one day I’ll be known as myself, but time will tell.”

The singer - who won Single of the Year for ‘Mercy’ at MOJO Honours List 2008 on Monday - also spoke about how far she had come.

She added: “This time last year I was eating fish and chips on a North Wales beach! This is my first big awards ceremony. No one cared about me then so I don’t know why they do now.”

Duffy remained tight-lipped over rumors she is set to record the theme song for the new James Bond movie, ‘Quantum of Solace’, teasingly saying: “A lady never exposes her secrets. You’ve got to leave this Welsh girl alone.”

While Leona Lewis is the first British musician to have gone to the top spot of the American charts with her album in around 20 years, Mariah Carey’s album is predicted to have one of the biggest opening weeks on any album in recent years. Leona’s album ‘Spirit’ has sold 205,000 copies this past week in the US. Mariah’s new album ‘E=MC2’ opened with sales of 154,000 in the first day. And as I previously said, she is predicted to go over the 500,000 mark with first week sales. Mariah is hot on Leona’s tail and the curvaceous diva is pretty set to kick the Brit’s pretty butt off the top spot.

Leona Lewis is on the cover of the February issue of Harper’s UK and she is looking mighty fine! She deserves the front cover of a big magazine because the X-Factor champ’s debut album ‘Spirit’ was one of the top three selling albums of the year in the UK for 2007. The other two favorites were Mika and Amy Winehouse.

Leona is also set to take over the other side of the pond as her album is finally coming out within the next couple of months in the US. Harper’s was bold enough to say that “She’ll break the States without breaking a sweat.” I say, good luck to you Leona!

Leona Lewis’ debut record ‘Spirit’ officially took the #1 spot in the UK albums’ chart this week and it broke records on the way there. Her album because the UK’s fastest-selling debut of all time selling an amazing 375,872 copies!

Leona was up against the Spice Girls, Led Zeppelin and Celine Dion. She actually beat the #2 Spice Girls by over 300,000 copies. Wow! Leona’s current single ‘Bleeding Love’ is #1 on the singles’ chart for the fourth consecutive week, seeling a total of 563,702 copies.

Leona’s album ‘Spirit’ is now scheduled for release in the US on March 18th.