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''Glassheart'' is the third
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by English singer
Leona Lewis Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, actress and activist. Born and raised in the London Borough of Islington, she attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Lewis achieved nationa ...
, released on 12 October 2012 by
Syco Music Syco Music is a defunct division of Syco Entertainment founded by British entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell. Originally founded as S Records, the label launched while Cowell was still employed by BMG, the label oversaw music relea ...
and
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
. The album is Lewis' first under RCA Records after parent company
Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
closed
J Records J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG’s record labels in late 2008. It was distributed through the RCA Music Gro ...
and relocated its artists. ''Glassheart'' was conceived in 2010 shortly after the completion of Lewis' first headline tour, The Labyrinth. Recording and production took place in
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Los Angeles and London; originally the album was due for release in November 2011 but was pushed back several times to accommodate new recording sessions and allow more creative time. The album was the first – and so far only – of Lewis' albums not released in North America. On ''Glassheart'', Lewis reunites with
Ryan Tedder Ryan Tedder (born June 26, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. As well as being the lead vocalist of the pop rock band OneRepublic, he has an independent career as a songwriter and producer for various artists since th ...
, record producer of her previous singles "
Bleeding Love "Bleeding Love" is a song recorded by English singer Leona Lewis for her debut studio album ''Spirit'' (2007). It was written and originally recorded by Jesse McCartney, and was co-written and produced by Ryan Tedder. The song was released as t ...
" and " Happy" and songwriter
Andrea Martin Andrea Louise Martin (born January 15, 1947) is an American-Canadian actress, singer, and comedian, best known for her work in the television series '' SCTV'' and ''Great News''. She has appeared in films such as '' Black Christmas'' (1974), ''W ...
who co-wrote "
Better in Time "Better in Time" is a song recorded by English singer Leona Lewis for her debut studio album ''Spirit'' (2007). It was written by J. R. Rotem and Andrea Martin and was produced by Rotem. Lyrically, the song tells the story of a woman who cann ...
", in addition to a number of new collaborators such as British duo
Naughty Boy Shahid Khan ( ur, شاهد خان; born 1 January 1981), better known by his stage name Naughty Boy, is a British DJ, record producer, songwriter and musician. In 2012, Khan signed a three–year publishing deal with Sony ATV, as well as a rec ...
and
Emeli Sandé Adele Emily Sandé, ( ; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a Scottish singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, by an English mother and a Zambian fathe ...
,
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...
and
DJ Frank E Justin Franks, known professionally as DJ Frank E, is an American DJ and record producer from Denver, Colorado. Frank E started working closely with Adelio Lombardi, founder of Side 3 Entertainment and owner of Side 3 Studios in Denver, while ...
. Producer
Fraser T Smith Fraser Thorneycroft-Smith (born 8 February 1971), known professionally as Fraser T. Smith, is an English record producer, songwriter and musician. Some of the singles he collaborated on include Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain", James Morrison's " ...
executive produced the album after impressing Lewis with his work on '' Hurt: The EP'' (2011), a
cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...
song
extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.
(EP) that Lewis released to bridge the gap between ''
Echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...
'' (2009) and ''Glassheart''. " Collide", a collaboration with
house music House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...
DJ
Avicii Tim Bergling (; 8 September 1989 – 20 April 2018), known professionally as Avicii (, ), was a Swedish DJ, remixer and music producer. At the age of 16, Bergling began posting his remixes on electronic music forums, which led to his first rec ...
, was released on 2 September 2011. Originally a song by just Lewis, Avicii sued Sony Music claiming that the song plagiarised his own instrumental "
Penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...
". Through mutual agreement it was released as a collaboration, becoming a top-five hit in the UK and Lewis' first to top the US ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
chart. The
Afrojack Nick Leonardus van de Wall (; born 9 September 1987), better known as Afrojack, is a Dutch DJ, music producer and remixer from Spijkenisse, South Holland. In 2007, he founded the record label Wall Recordings; his debut album '' Forget the World' ...
remix of "Collide" is the only version to feature on ''Glassheart''. Subsequent singles "
Trouble Trouble may refer to: Film and television * ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin * ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film * ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Trouble'' ...
" featuring American rapper
Childish Gambino Donald McKinley Glover Jr. (; born September 25, 1983), also known by his stage name Childish Gambino (), is an American entertainer, writer, director, and producer. After working in Derrick Comedy while studying at New York University, Glove ...
and "
Lovebird Lovebird is the common name for the genus ''Agapornis'', a small group of parrots in the Old World parrot family Psittaculidae. Of the nine species in the genus, all are native to the African continent, with the grey-headed lovebird being native ...
" were less successful, the former reaching the top ten in the UK and top thirty in Ireland, while the latter sold fewer than 600 copies in the UK and failed to chart anywhere in Europe. ''Glassheart'' received a mixed reception from
critics A critic is a person who communicates an assessment and an opinion of various forms of creative works such as art, literature, music, cinema, theater, fashion, architecture, and food. Critics may also take as their subject social or governme ...
, who praised the vocals and experimental use of
dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken be ...
and
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
but were less impressed with the album's many ballads. In the UK, the album was Lewis' first album not to reach number one, debuting at number three with 27,000 copies in its first week. Elsewhere the album became Lewis' third top-five album in Ireland, and upon its international release in November 2012, reached the top thirty in some of continental Europe. Following a 2013 release for Austria and Germany, ''Glassheart'' peaked at number five and six respectively, outperforming previous album ''Echo''. In April 2013, Lewis embarked on the Glassheart Tour, in support of the album, visiting Switzerland, Germany and the UK.


Background and release

Lewis completed her first headline tour The Labyrinth in July 2010 and soon after began making plans for her then-untitled third album. Recording and production officially began in late 2010 with a view to releasing the album in November 2011. Originally " Collide", a collaboration with Swedish DJ
Avicii Tim Bergling (; 8 September 1989 – 20 April 2018), known professionally as Avicii (, ), was a Swedish DJ, remixer and music producer. At the age of 16, Bergling began posting his remixes on electronic music forums, which led to his first rec ...
, was released in August 2011, with the album to follow in November. However, Lewis was inspired to continue making music and used her Facebook account to announce that the album was being pushed back into early 2012. 26 March 2012 was confirmed as the new release date for ''Glassheart''. To bridge the gap between ''
Echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...
'' (2009) and ''Glassheart'', Lewis teamed with British producer
Fraser T Smith Fraser Thorneycroft-Smith (born 8 February 1971), known professionally as Fraser T. Smith, is an English record producer, songwriter and musician. Some of the singles he collaborated on include Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain", James Morrison's " ...
to record '' Hurt: The EP'', an extended play ( EP) of
cover songs In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or Sound recording and reproduction, recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referr ...
that was released in December. In January 2012, Lewis announced that the album was being pushed back again, this time to November 2012. During an interview with ''
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
'', Lewis confirmed that she had recorded with Scottish DJ
Calvin Harris Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter who has released six studio albums. His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'', was released in June ...
and that Smith had been brought on board to help with production. In April 2012, in an interview at the Ariella Couture fashion show, Lewis stated, "I'm now planning to have the album out in the summer f 2012
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of ''The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on t ...
has heard some of the tracks and he loves it". Cowell would later publicly offer his support, declaring to Lewis that although there had been a wait of two years for new music, "I think this new album is sensational, you've never sounded better." On 21 June 2012, Smith spoke to ''
Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...
'' about ''Glassheart'' being released on 26 November 2012. Scrapping many of the earlier recorded tracks (see
recording sessions The term studio recording means any recording made in a studio, as opposed to a live recording, which is usually made in a concert venue or a theatre, with an audience attending the performance. Studio cast recordings In the case of Broadway m ...
), Smith said he was "taking a production role for the whole album as well as
co-authoring Collaborative writing, or collabwriting is a method of group work that takes place in the workplace and in the classroom. Researchers expand the idea of collaborative writing beyond groups working together to complete a writing task. Collaboration ...
about half its tracks". Lewis would later talk of the album's delay and Smith's involvement, describing the original release dates as rough guides. Following Lewis' performance at
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
's
Hackney Weekend BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend (R1BW) (previously known as One Big Weekend, for 2012 as Radio 1's Hackney Weekend, and for 2018 as BBC Music's Biggest Weekend) is a British music festival run by the BBC's radio station. It is held once a year, in a ...
, Smith revealed that the album was 80% complete, "We've got the key tracks and we're very close." Describing the process as a stark contrast to previous albums ''
Spirit Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...
'' and ''
Echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...
'', Smith said that when you work with many producers "you end up with maybe two or three radio songs and not necessarily the album sales you want." Lewis spoke to reporters back stage after the performance, revealing that the album had been brought forward a month to October 2012. By the time July had come around, Smith updated fans to say that the album was now 97% complete. At the end of August, Lewis began selecting the track listing and approving the final audio mixes and masters of the songs. On 5 September 2012, Lewis used Twitter to communicate with Smith and inform him that she was approaching the end of listening to all the final mixes. Lewis unveiled the final track listing for the standard edition on 9 September, naming twelve songs, but excluding the album's first single "Collide". Smith confirmed that the final decisions had been made and that the album was 100% complete on 10 September. A two- disc deluxe edition was to be released alongside the standard version as per a Lewis question and answer session with fans. Thirty-second snippets of each song were released on 5 October. The album itself was released on 12 October in Ireland and 15 October in the United Kingdom.


Recording sessions

Among the first people to work with Lewis was her frequent collaborator
Ryan Tedder Ryan Tedder (born June 26, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. As well as being the lead vocalist of the pop rock band OneRepublic, he has an independent career as a songwriter and producer for various artists since th ...
who penned and produced multiple songs both on ''
Spirit Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...
'' (2007) and ''
Echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...
'' (2009). The album is named after "Glassheart", a song recorded in sessions with Tedder in
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Colorado, when Lewis asked for a song that she could "dance and jump around o. The song's other co-writers were Noel Zancanella and
OneRepublic OneRepublic is an American pop rock band formed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2002. It consists of lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Tedder, lead guitarist and violist Zach Filkins, rhythm guitarist Drew Brown, bassist and cellis ...
guitarist
Brent Kutzle Brent Michael Kutzle (born August 3, 1985) is an American musician, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer, and film composer originating from Fountain Valley, California. He is the bassist and cellist for the pop rock band OneRepubli ...
. Kutzle, Zancanella and Tedder worked with Lewis on another song called "
Burn A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur mainl ...
". A snippet of "Burn" was used during an interview with
Clive Davis Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer, in 2000. From 1967 to 1 ...
which aired on 23 October 2011. Davis headed Lewis' former US label
J Records J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG’s record labels in late 2008. It was distributed through the RCA Music Gro ...
before joining
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
when the former was folded. Davis had previously played a part in the A&R division for Lewis' albums. The
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
interview titled ''Clive "The Music Man" Davis – Interview'' showed Davis talking about Lewis branching out to work with American producers, and about previewing songs before they were presented to Lewis.''Clive "The Music Man" — Interview''.
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
. V Programme Aired 23 October 2011.
However, when the track listing for the album was unveiled, "Burn" was omitted in favour of another Zancanlla/Lewis/Tedder track, recorded with
Roland Orzabal Roland Orzabal (born Roland Jaime Orzabal de la Quintana; 22 August 1961) is a British musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and author. He is best known as a co-founder of Tears for Fears, of which he is the main songwriter and joint v ...
and
Curt Smith Curt Smith (born 24 June 1961) is a British singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and co-founding member of the pop rock band Tears for Fears along with childhood friend Roland Orzabal. Smith plays bass guitar, has co-written seve ...
, titled "Favourite Scar". "Burn" would later be recorded by British singer-songwriter
Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer and songwriter. Her career began when she met record producers Starsmith and Frankmusik, and she was later spotted by Jamie Lillywhite, who became her manager and Artists and ...
for '' Halcyon Days'' (2013), the re-release of her second album ''
Halcyon Halcyon is a name originally derived from Alcyone of Greek mythology. Halcyon or Halcyone may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''Halcyon'' (TV series), a Virtual Reality murder mystery on SyFy * '' The Halcyon'', British period ...
'' (2012). British hip hop artist
Tinie Tempah Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu (born 7 November 1988), better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He has been signed to Parlophone Records since 2009, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. He created his own entertainment compa ...
approached Lewis to record a duet with him called "
Trouble Trouble may refer to: Film and television * ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin * ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film * ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Trouble'' ...
", however after hearing the raw demo sung by
Emeli Sandé Adele Emily Sandé, ( ; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a Scottish singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, by an English mother and a Zambian fathe ...
, Lewis decided she wanted the song for her own album. Together with Sandé and
Fraser T Smith Fraser Thorneycroft-Smith (born 8 February 1971), known professionally as Fraser T. Smith, is an English record producer, songwriter and musician. Some of the singles he collaborated on include Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain", James Morrison's " ...
, Lewis recorded the song. "Trouble" appears on the album in two versions; the first features just Lewis and is the opening track on the album, while the second version featuring a
rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
from
Childish Gambino Donald McKinley Glover Jr. (; born September 25, 1983), also known by his stage name Childish Gambino (), is an American entertainer, writer, director, and producer. After working in Derrick Comedy while studying at New York University, Glove ...
appears as track thirteen. As a result of recording "Trouble", Sandé and Lewis struck up a friendship which led to the duo writing several other songs for the album. "Mountains" was co-written by Lewis and Sandé with Shahid Khan, James Murray, Mustafa Omer and Luke Juby. The piano and
strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
-led ballad was supposed to feature on ''Glassheart'' however for unknown reasons the song was reclaimed by Sandé and instead features on her own debut album ''
Our Version of Events ''Our Version of Events'' is the debut studio album by Scottish recording artist Emeli Sandé. The album was released on 13 February 2012 by Virgin Records, following Sandé's winning of the Critics' Choice Award at the BRIT Awards 2012. Though ...
'' (2012). A small unfinished snippet of Lewis' version of "Mountains" leaked online on 15 August 2012 along with another song called "I Miss You Missing Me", which was written by
Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
-winning songwriter
Diane Warren Diane Eve Warren (born September 7, 1956) is an American songwriter. She has received several awards including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three ''Billboard'' Music Awards and an Honorary Academy Award. Wa ...
and originally sung by Chinese singer
Bibi Zhou Zhou Bichang (; born 26 July 1985 in Changsha, Hunan), also known as Bibi Zhou, is a Chinese singer, songwriter, and actress. She debuted her singing career by winning the second place at the Chinese singing contest '' Super Girl'' in 2005. The ...
in 2010. A third Sandé and Lewis-penned song called "I to You" did make the album. In September 2011, Sylvia Patterson of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' previewed several tracks including "Sugar" and "Trouble", both of which feature on the album, in addition to the song "
Blank Page "Blank Page" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera, taken from her seventh studio album, '' Lotus'' (2012). It was written by Aguilera, Chris Braide and Sia, with production done by Braide. Aguilera had worked with ...
", which was written by Australian singer-songwriter
Sia Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she rel ...
. The latter was described as "a soaring reverie over mournful piano and strings", but it did not make the album. "Blank Page" was later revealed to have been given to American singer
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
, as it can be found on her 2012 album '' Lotus''. During this same time period, fellow American producer Brian Kennedy Seals revealed that Lewis would record his song "Open Up". According to
Yahoo! Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds managed by Apollo Global Man ...
music, Lewis worked with
Ammo Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other wea ...
and
Steve Robson Steve Robson is an English songwriter and record producer who has sold in excess of 138 million records around the world. He has written and produced 12 no 1 UK/US singles, 38 no 1 UK/US albums and a further 41 top 5 UK/US albums and singles. H ...
while a press release from Sony Music revealed that Lewis had branched out to work with a variety of international producers, including Swedish producer Jonas Quant, American producer
Chuck Harmony Charles T. Harmon (born 1979),Gerrick D. Kennedy''Los Angeles Times'', February 24, 2015. better known as Chuck Harmony, is an American music producer, musician, songwriter and entrepreneur, based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a three-time Gram ...
and American songwriters
Claude Kelly Claude Kelly (born December 27, 1980)Shirley Halperin and Bob Love"THR Names Music's 35 Top Hitmakers,"''The Hollywood Reporter'', February 6, 2013. is an American singer, songwriter and music producer. He is a four-time Grammy Award nominee, a ...
and
Al Shux Alexander Shuckburgh, who is also known as Al Shux, is a British record producer and songwriter from London, England. Shux has worked with musical artists Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Snoop Dogg, Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Plan B, Tinie Tempah and Lana Del R ...
. During this same time, two other American record producers linked themselves to ''Glassheart''. Whilst working as a mentor on ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
'', American music producer
Christopher "Tricky" Stewart Christopher Alan "Tricky" Stewart (born January 4, 1974) is an American record producer, record executive, songwriter, and music publisher. In a career spanning over 30 years, Stewart has won 5 Grammys and is responsible for over 50 million rec ...
noted that he had been asked to submit material for Lewis' new album. French producer
Sandy Vee Sandy Julien Wilhelm (born 22 April 1975) better known by his stage name Sandy Vee, is a French music producer and songwriter. He gained much commercial and critical recognition for co-producing Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)", Katy Perry's ...
and American songwriter
Autumn Rowe Autumn Rowe (born May 25, 1981), is an American singer-songwriter, TV personality, DJ and activist from South Bronx, New York, United States. In 2010, she helped write the song "Happiness" by Alexis Jordan, with producers Stargate and Deadmau5, w ...
presented Lewis with the album's first single " Collide". ''
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
'' and ''
Popjustice Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 by UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for ''NME'', ''The Guardian'', ''Attitude'' and many others. It is composed of the work of editor Robinson, features editor Michael Cra ...
'' confirmed that Lewis spent time in the studios with producer and writer
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...
", rapper
will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. ...
and
Polow da Don Jamal Fincher Jones (born October 15, 1977, or 1978), professionally known as Polow da Don, is an American record producer and rapper. Jones has produced a variety of singles for a multitude of artists including "Anaconda" by Nicki Minaj (2014 ...
. Lewis' sessions with Darkchild took place over the weekend of 18–19 May 2012 and produced the song "Shake You Up". Circle House Studios in Miami, Florida was the venue for recording sessions with American songwriter
Rico Love Richard Preston Butler Jr. (born December 3, 1982), better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wiscon ...
. MTV revealed that R&B singer-songwriter
Ne-Yo Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He gained fame for his songwriting abilities when he penned Mario's 2004 hit " Let Me Love You ...
was planning to pen some material for her. It would be their third collaboration, Ne-Yo having previous penned tracks for ''Spirit'' and produced tracks for ''Echo'' that did not make the final list. Ne-Yo wasn't Lewi's only returning collaborator.
Andrea Martin Andrea Louise Martin (born January 15, 1947) is an American-Canadian actress, singer, and comedian, best known for her work in the television series '' SCTV'' and ''Great News''. She has appeared in films such as '' Black Christmas'' (1974), ''W ...
, who co-wrote Lewis' 2008 single "
Better in Time "Better in Time" is a song recorded by English singer Leona Lewis for her debut studio album ''Spirit'' (2007). It was written by J. R. Rotem and Andrea Martin and was produced by Rotem. Lyrically, the song tells the story of a woman who cann ...
", worked with Lewis in the first half of 2011. On 1 January 2012 the leaking of a snippet of "Love Birds" (later renamed "Lovebird") revealed that according to
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
, Lewis had worked with
Bonnie McKee Bonnie Leigh McKee (born January 20, 1984) is an American singer and songwriter. Her debut album, ''Trouble'', was released in 2004 under Reprise Records. After underperforming, McKee was dropped by her label and took a musical hiatus before es ...
who is known for working with
Kesha Kesha Rose Sebert (; born March 1, 1987), formerly stylized as Ke$ha, is an American singer and songwriter. In 2005, at age 18, Kesha was signed to Kemosabe Records. Her first major success came in early 2009 after she was featured on America ...
,
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
and
Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...
. Lewis also travelled to
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
in January to record for a week and separately worked with
Dallas Austin Dallas L. Austin (born December 29, 1970) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and film producer. Biography Early life During a 2019 interview with DJ Vlad, Dallas Austin detailed previously unknown or unconfirmed events in ...
. McKee later joined studio sessions after
Fraser T Smith Fraser Thorneycroft-Smith (born 8 February 1971), known professionally as Fraser T. Smith, is an English record producer, songwriter and musician. Some of the singles he collaborated on include Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain", James Morrison's " ...
co-wrote "Un Love Me" with Smith and
Kelly Sheehan Kelly Sheehan (born July 26, 1983), also known as "Madame Buttons", is a songwriter and recording engineer from Los Angeles. Career Kelly Sheehan has written songs for Kylie Minogue, Beyoncé, DJ Khaled, Mary J. Blige and others. She has engineer ...
, a writer known for her work with
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
. At the end of 2011, Lewis spoke about another of her collaborators – this time Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, "I've worked with Calvin on a song and want to do another – he's so talented. I'm planning an EP before the end of the year as I feel bad for everyone who was expecting the album this year. But the lead song won't be the track I've done with Emeli Sandé – that's for the album." Lewis revealed that she had recorded the song "
We Found Love "We Found Love" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her sixth studio album, ''Talk That Talk'' (2011). Scottish DJ Calvin Harris wrote, produced, and features on the song, which also appears on his third album '' 18 Months'' (2012). "We F ...
" but because she wanted to release "Trouble" as her first single, Harris subsequently offered the song to
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
while touring with her. Rihanna's version of "We Found Love" became a worldwide hit. Lewis released ''Hurt: The EP'' in December 2011. The EP consisted of
cover songs In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or Sound recording and reproduction, recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referr ...
that had been re-tooled by Smith. During the middle of March, Lewis posted a picture of herself in the studio with Jahlil Beats and Smith, confirming that Smith was now producing material for ''Glassheart''. Later following Lewis' performance at the Radio 1
Hackney Weekend BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend (R1BW) (previously known as One Big Weekend, for 2012 as Radio 1's Hackney Weekend, and for 2018 as BBC Music's Biggest Weekend) is a British music festival run by the BBC's radio station. It is held once a year, in a ...
in June, it was confirmed that Smith was overseeing production for the remainder of the album and was the project's
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
. Norwegian songwriter Ina Wroldsen joined some of Lewis and Smith's studio sessions, notably contributing to the song " Come Alive". Orchestral collective the Wired Strings joined Smith in the studio in June 2012, to record the
strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
section for the song "I to You". Smith produced the composition while Rosie Danvers handled the
arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...
.


Musical styles and composition

Lewis unveiled the official track listing of the standard edition of ''Glassheart'' on 9 September, which excluded the first single "Collide" (with Avicii), although the track did appear on the deluxe edition.Lewis, Leona. "Chat and Q&A Session with Fans" [Interview with Fans]. Published via
uStream IBM Watson Media (formerly Ustream and IBM Cloud Video) is an American virtual events platform company which is a division of IBM. Prior to IBM acquisition, it had more than 180 employees across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Budapest offices. ...
. on 30 July 2012.
The album was
executive produced Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
by Fraser T Smith, who confirmed in June 2012 that he was "taking a production role for the whole album as well as
co-authoring Collaborative writing, or collabwriting is a method of group work that takes place in the workplace and in the classroom. Researchers expand the idea of collaborative writing beyond groups working together to complete a writing task. Collaboration ...
about half its tracks".
Syco Music Syco Music is a defunct division of Syco Entertainment founded by British entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell. Originally founded as S Records, the label launched while Cowell was still employed by BMG, the label oversaw music relea ...
's MD and A&R representative Sonny Thkrar said that Smith was brought to "weave a creative thread through the album", elaborating that Smith was ensuring that there was continuity in "the vocal recording, the style, the production and songwriting." Smith also commented that his aim was for "Lewis to make an artist album rather than it being a collection of songs." According to Lewis, ''Glassheart'' tells the story of "star-crossed lovers that can't be together."


Influence and sound

In February 2011, Lewis said the album would be more experimental than ''Spirit'' and ''Echo'', embodying a "different" yet "classic" sound. She added, "I'm really, really excited about it. I'm working with some new producers, some up and coming people and it's going to be kind of a different sound – but still classic". Lewis suggested the album would be "a bit different from what people have heard" from her before, adding that she planned to "go in and create and just see what happens". Lewis later described the album as "more progressive", "more eclectic", "more uptempo" and "a bit darker". The song " Come Alive" experiments with dubstep and
drum and bass Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...
. Lewis stated that the song was inspired by the "dirty and heavy" music sound of British
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...
band
Faithless Faithless are an English band that formed in 1995, with its core members being Rollo, Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz. Their first album, '' Reverence'', was released in 1996 and their most recent, ''All Blessed'', in 2020. They have sold millions ...
. She also commented, "We wanted to do an uptempo song, but for it to remain true to what I do". In March 2012, after extending the album's recording sessions, Lewis elaborated on the evolution of her sound, "I've got a track that's got a bit of drum 'n' bass at the end. It's quite different to what I've had out before." Lewis then went on to add "I've got a track that's very '90s. It's just different influences that I've had through my life growing up. I'm really actually looking forward to people hearing it." Throughout the development of the album Lewis explained that she wanted to make an album that is "timeless". In June 2011, when asked about the upcoming album, Lewis described it as "energetic, deep, ndunique". She also commented that it would have a darker tone and that she would be putting her "heart into erlyrics". She cited
Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman (born March 30, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter. Chapman is best known for her hit singles "Fast Car" and "Give Me One Reason". Chapman was signed to Elektra Records by Bob Krasnow in 1987. The following year she released ...
,
Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights (song), Wuthering Heights", ...
and
Tears for Fears Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new wav ...
as the album's primary influences. Lewis spoke on the sound of the album saying "Well, when I was on tour, we mixed a lot of dancer beats on it – my cousin actually reproduced a lot of the ballads. I've taken more of that sound into the album; we've got a lot of piano and live instrumentation. I've a song called 'Fireflies' which I really, really love and hope we get to do as a single. it's a really good one. And it's got a guy on it!" She explained "So the album is such an eclectic mix. I've really got to delve into every kind of music that I love, really try everything and make the best of everything. Because I love so many different genres, it's kind of hard to just pick one thing to do, so I just did everything!" During an interview with ''
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
'', Tedder said he was inspired by the movie '' Tron: Legacy'' among other things and "wanted to surprise and shock people". On the songs, Lewis said that Tedder "used these synthetic melodies that go up and down the scale, really, really fast." During a
uStream IBM Watson Media (formerly Ustream and IBM Cloud Video) is an American virtual events platform company which is a division of IBM. Prior to IBM acquisition, it had more than 180 employees across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Budapest offices. ...
chat with fans, Lewis announced she would be rapping on the album after "discovering a voice for rap", comparing her London MC style to American hip-hop rapper/singer
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
. Following Smith's arrival, Lewis confirmed that the album was a mixture of " programmed synths and live music". Smith described the album vocals as "fantastic", commenting to ''Digital Spy'' that Lewis "is making a very relevant record...
t is T, or t, is the twentieth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is der ...
a very important record for her. The songs are really strong". In a separate interview with
Popjustice Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 by UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for ''NME'', ''The Guardian'', ''Attitude'' and many others. It is composed of the work of editor Robinson, features editor Michael Cra ...
in July 2012, Smith said that Lewis had "turned up raw emotions" and produced a "classic sound". In June 2012, following her performance of the song "Come Alive" at
Radio 1's Big Weekend BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend (R1BW) (previously known as One Big Weekend, for 2012 as Radio 1's Hackney Weekend, and for 2018 as BBC Music's Biggest Weekend) is a British music festival run by the BBC's radio station. It is held once a year, in a ...
, Lewis was asked if "Come Alive" was a good indication of the rest of the album. She replied, "It's definitely a piece of it, but there's much more quiet-sounding instrumentals." During a September interview for the ''Birmingham Mail'', Lewis elaborated that she was influenced by Canadian rapper
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...
's "laidback beats", whilst explaining that the majority of the album is a mixture of
electronic instruments An electronic musical instrument or electrophone is a musical instrument that produces sound using electronics, electronic circuitry. Such an instrument sounds by outputting an electrical, electronic or digital audio signal that ultimately is pl ...
and live instruments.


Songs and lyrics

Lewis unveiled the official track listing of the standard edition of ''Glassheart'' on 9 September 2012, which excluded the first single " Collide" (with
Avicii Tim Bergling (; 8 September 1989 – 20 April 2018), known professionally as Avicii (, ), was a Swedish DJ, remixer and music producer. At the age of 16, Bergling began posting his remixes on electronic music forums, which led to his first rec ...
). A two- disc deluxe edition was also released alongside the standard version featuring several bonus tracks. The album was executively produced by
Fraser T Smith Fraser Thorneycroft-Smith (born 8 February 1971), known professionally as Fraser T. Smith, is an English record producer, songwriter and musician. Some of the singles he collaborated on include Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain", James Morrison's " ...
, who confirmed in June 2012 that he was "taking a production role for the whole album as well as
co-authoring Collaborative writing, or collabwriting is a method of group work that takes place in the workplace and in the classroom. Researchers expand the idea of collaborative writing beyond groups working together to complete a writing task. Collaboration ...
about half its tracks".
Syco Music Syco Music is a defunct division of Syco Entertainment founded by British entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell. Originally founded as S Records, the label launched while Cowell was still employed by BMG, the label oversaw music relea ...
's MD and A&R representative Sonny Thkrar said that Smith was brought on board to "weave a creative thread through the album", elaborating that Smith was ensuring that there was continuity in "the vocal recording, the style, the production and songwriting." Smith also commented that his aim was for "Lewis to make an artist album rather than it being a collection of songs." According to Lewis, ''Glassheart'' tells the story of "star-crossed lovers that can't be together." The album opens and closes with two versions of the
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
, "Trouble", described by Sylvia Patterson of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' as "very London". Co-written with Sandé, it contains elements of
trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...
and was inspired by Lewis' 2010 break-up with childhood sweetheart Lou Al-Chamaa. Lyrics co-written by Lewis include the lines "I told you never to get used to me, I stay awake while you fall asleep. I'm a whole lot of trouble, we're in a whole lot of trouble. You shout louder than you used to and you hold on tighter in the bedroom." When Smith was brought on board, "Trouble" was one of the songs he worked on; a new
rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
verse by
Childish Gambino Donald McKinley Glover Jr. (; born September 25, 1983), also known by his stage name Childish Gambino (), is an American entertainer, writer, director, and producer. After working in Derrick Comedy while studying at New York University, Glove ...
was added along with some additional production. Early critics praised the song's emotive qualities and dark undertones. "Un Love Me", a song described by Smith as "radio friendly" and "a classic Leona Lewis record", appears as the second track. It was written by Smith,
Bonnie McKee Bonnie Leigh McKee (born January 20, 1984) is an American singer and songwriter. Her debut album, ''Trouble'', was released in 2004 under Reprise Records. After underperforming, McKee was dropped by her label and took a musical hiatus before es ...
and
Kelly Sheehan Kelly Sheehan (born July 26, 1983), also known as "Madame Buttons", is a songwriter and recording engineer from Los Angeles. Career Kelly Sheehan has written songs for Kylie Minogue, Beyoncé, DJ Khaled, Mary J. Blige and others. She has engineer ...
; McKee's previous credits include songs for
Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her Camp (style), campy style, she has been ...
and
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
, while Sheehan is most noted for collaborating with
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
. Upon reviewing the album, critics also praised its cridentials as a single. It is built around
guitar riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accomp ...
s and "thudding bass beats" while vocals are in falsetto. Critics compared the song to work by
Indie Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Gaming *Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies *Indie game, any game (board ...
band
Snow Patrol Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish–Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland. They consist of Gary Lightbody (vocals, guitar), Nathan Connolly (guitar, backing vocals), Paul Wilson (musician), Paul Wilson (bass guitar, ...
. "Lovebird" is a
midtempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
ballad which uses an organ-based introduction, similar to that used in Lewis's debut single "
Bleeding Love "Bleeding Love" is a song recorded by English singer Leona Lewis for her debut studio album ''Spirit'' (2007). It was written and originally recorded by Jesse McCartney, and was co-written and produced by Ryan Tedder. The song was released as t ...
", and is then layered with piano melodies in the
chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
which critics compared to those used in Lewis's single "
Better in Time "Better in Time" is a song recorded by English singer Leona Lewis for her debut studio album ''Spirit'' (2007). It was written by J. R. Rotem and Andrea Martin and was produced by Rotem. Lyrically, the song tells the story of a woman who cann ...
". An
up-tempo A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special mus ...
dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken be ...
and
drum and bass Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...
-inspired song, " Come Alive" written and produced by Smith with co-writing from Lewis and Swedish songwriter Ina Wroldsen features as the fourth song. Lewis commented that the song had a dark tone and energy. Critics noted the song's heavy
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
production which includes a
techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
breakdown towards the end. "Fireflies" is a
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
-pop song which was written and produced by Cragie Dodds from
indie Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Gaming *Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies *Indie game, any game (board ...
-
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
outfit
One Eskimo Kristian Leontiou (born February 1982) is an English singer. Formerly a solo artist, he is the lead singer of indie rock band One eskimO. Early life Kristian Leontiou was born in London, England and is of Greek Cypriot descent. He went to Hat ...
. The track opens with a "rotating piano riff" while during the verses and choruses Lewis' vocals are joined by a strings orchestra, all of which critics noted while pointing to the strong gospel influences. "I to You" is another song written by Sandé and produced by Loco. It is driven by a string instrument-led melody, which was performed by the orchestral collective Wired Strings and arranged by Rosie Danvers. "Shake You Up", was noted by critics as a "modern remake" of an '80s
pop song Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...
with strong elements of
bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States i ...
. It was written by
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...
and British singer-songwriter Olivia Waithe (also known as Livvi Franc). Critics noted that "Shake You Up" starts with a vocal interlude from Lewis, who asks "Can you turn the music up a little bit please?" The production, helmed by Darkchild, uses
synths A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...
and a midtempo "80's pop" melody. Critics compared it to the early work of the late American entertainer
Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...
. "Stop the Clocks" returns to the electronic production present on much of the album, but according to critics it was a "lighter instrumental production" that could have been taken from Lewis' last album ''
Echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...
'' (2009). "Favourite Scar" was co-written by Lewis, Tedder, Noel Zancanlla, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. It is built around the lyric "You shot me through my heart. Pain never felt so good. Boy, you're my favourite scar," whilst critics noted that it was full of attitude from the beginning, comparing it to songs by Barbadian singer Rihanna. The song is built around a sample of the piano riff from the
Tears for Fears Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new wav ...
song " Head Over Heels", which is joined by hip hop beats; Lewis Corner from ''
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
'' said "it's not the kind of Ryan Tedder collaboration we've come to expect from LeLe." "When it Hurts" is a piano-led ballad that also features some elements of electronic guitar. The album's title song "Glassheart" is also a production done by Tedder. Critics noted that "Glassheart" was a distinctive change in sound for Lewis, with its production featuring elements of
dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
,
grime Grime may refer to: * Dirt, in the form of black, ingrained dust * Grime (music genre), a genre of music * ''Grime'' (album), a 2001 album by Iniquity * ''Grime'' (video game), a 2021 Metroidvania video game * "Grime", a 2022 song by Dallas Woo ...
and
dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken be ...
. Critics noted that after several ballads, the
up-tempo A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special mus ...
"Glassheart" was a "welcome change of pace". The album closes with a "
down-tempo Downtempo (or downbeat) is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music. Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may ...
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
" called "Fingerprint", which was written by Lewis, Laura Pergolizzi and Smith, Critics noted that the song was a showcase for Lewis' vocals; Lewis begins the song singing in her lower register before moving to her falsetto. The song is produced atop a "delicate piano riff" which are later joined by "crashing echoes" and "strings" section. The chorus is built around the lyric "No match, no match, no match for your fingerprint/ No substitute, no other you." A
rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
edit of "Trouble" which features Childish Gambino is also included as a bonus track; Gambino raps a "witty and poetic verse" during the song's
middle eight The 32-bar form, also known as the AABA song form, American popular song form and the ballad form, is a song structure commonly found in Tin Pan Alley songs and other American popular music, especially in the first half of the 20th century. A ...
section. The deluxe edition features six additional tracks which on CD versions of the album, feature on a second disc. The first three songs are acoustic performances of "Trouble", "Come Alive" and "Glassheart". Tracks four and five are not present on the standard edition. "
Colorblind Color blindness or color vision deficiency (CVD) is the decreased ability to see color or differences in color. It can impair tasks such as selecting ripe fruit, choosing clothing, and reading traffic lights. Color blindness may make some aca ...
" is song number four, while "Sugar" is a song that Patterson described as "an orchestral landscape". "Sugar" was written by Sandé and
Al Shux Alexander Shuckburgh, who is also known as Al Shux, is a British record producer and songwriter from London, England. Shux has worked with musical artists Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Snoop Dogg, Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Plan B, Tinie Tempah and Lana Del R ...
. The second disc closes with the
Afrojack Nick Leonardus van de Wall (; born 9 September 1987), better known as Afrojack, is a Dutch DJ, music producer and remixer from Spijkenisse, South Holland. In 2007, he founded the record label Wall Recordings; his debut album '' Forget the World' ...
remix of "Collide".


Title and artwork

The album title "Glassheart" was inspired by a conversation that Lewis had with Tedder. During the conversation Tedder asked Lewis about her past experiences with love and life in general. Lewis' response led him to the word "Glassheart". During an interview with Clyde 1 radio, Lewis said "Glassheart represents protecting your heart, yourself and protecting your emotions, its very poignant".Leona Lewis Interview. Clyde 1 Radio. (Global Radio Group). adio Interviewer Aired 17 September 2012. The artwork and visuals for the album were shot with American fashion photography
Guy Aroch Guy Aroch ( he, גיא ארוך) is an Israeli American New York-based fashion and celebrity photographer who emigrated from Israel in 1988. He lives and works in New York City and Los Angeles. Aroch moved to New York to become a professional pho ...
in a vintage apartment. ''Glassheart''s album cover was unveiled on 5 September 2011. An editor for '' The Metro'' described the cover photo. Lewis stares directly at the camera "in a continuation of the more sexy and sophisticated look she has been sporting in recent months." The reviewer commented on Lewis' styling: "Her long dark hair is swept back from her face, aside from her ruffled fringe, while two black stars have been carefully applied below her eyes, adding to the overall dramatic effect." Becky Bain from music website
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
, commented that although "Lewis looks beautiful", the image processing makes her look "incredibly washed out in this over-saturated photo"; Bain was less impressed with the star-like beauty marks on her face. A competition run by Lewis' website gave fans the opportunity to be part of the artwork for the deluxe edition of the album. Fans were asked to send in pictures of themselves posing with a heart, for inclusion in the album liner booklet. Additionally, Lewis hand-signed 3,000 limited edition copies of the album which exclusively went on sale through online retailer
Play.com Rakuten.co.uk is a website owned by Rakuten, that operates as an online marketplace. The website does not sell any products directly, but instead allows third party sellers to sell their products. The website replaced Play.com, which was origin ...
, while retailer
HMV Sunrise Records and Entertainment, trading as HMV (for His Master's Voice), is a British music and entertainment retailer, currently operating exclusively in the United Kingdom. The first HMV-branded store was opened by the Gramophone Company ...
sold the album with an exclusive
slipcase A slipcase is a five-sided box, usually made of high-quality cardboard, into which binders, books or book sets are ''slipped'' for protection, leaving the spine exposed. Special editions of books are often slipcased for a stylish appearance when ...
.


Promotion


Marketing

On 23 July 2012 Lewis released her first video prior to the album release, saying "In the lead-up to my album, I wanted to make some video blogs and share with you my journey (!) and everything that goes on, from the video I'm doing very soon, to going on the road doing shows. Every week I'm going to be doing a little video blog and this is the first one." A second blog entry on 10 August, showed Lewis heading to the studio to record acoustic performances of the album's songs. Later, another blog revealed that five songs had been recorded with the backing provided solely by piano and cello. The first of those acoustic performances was for the album's lead single, "Trouble" featuring Gambino. Filmed in black and white and featuring Lewis singing solo, the performance was released through Lewis' official
Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...
account on 5 September. A newsletter to fans on 24 August 2012 mentioned the "Trouble" release and officially revealed details about a competition for aspiring musicians.Lewis, Leona;
Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
. (24 August 2012)
"Remix brand new track 'Trouble' for Leona Lewis"
. an Newsletter]. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
In association with TalentHouse, fans had the opportunity to compete for the chance to have Lewis' website release their remix. Lewis and Smith would be among the judges. Additionally, a separate competition gave fans the opportunity to appear in the album's deluxe edition artwork. Fans were encouraged to send in pictures of themselves interacting with a heart (or hearts), from which images would be used for the deluxe edition cover.Lewis, Leona; Sony Music Entertainment. (24 August 2012). "Trouble pre-order – Get involved in Leona's album artwork – Remix competition". [Fan Newsletter]. Retrieved 28 August 2012. During a promotional tour of UK radio stations, Lewis premiered the album's title track on 19 September 2012, on Capital (radio network), Capital FM's ''In Demand'' program. Two days later, Lewis premiered "Stop the Clocks" live on
Graham Norton Graham William Walker (born 4 April 1963), better known by his stage name Graham Norton, is an Irish actor, author, comedian, commentator, and presenter. Well known for his work in the UK, he is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for his comedy ...
's Saturday morning radio show on
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
. On 26 September 2012,
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz; he, חיים ויץ, ; born August 25, 1949) is an Israeli-American musician. Also known by his stage persona The Demon, he is the bassist and co-lead singer of Kiss, the hard rock band he co-founded with Paul ...
' daughter Sophie Tweed-Simmons auditioned for the second season of ''
The X Factor USA ''The X Factor'' is an American reality television music competition show created by Simon Cowell and produced by FremantleMedia North America and SYCOtv, a partnership between Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment, which aired on Fox. Based on t ...
''; during the judges comments on the performance, a snippet of "Fireflies" played in the background. From 28 September 2012 through to 15 October 2012, an acoustic version of "
Colorblind Color blindness or color vision deficiency (CVD) is the decreased ability to see color or differences in color. It can impair tasks such as selecting ripe fruit, choosing clothing, and reading traffic lights. Color blindness may make some aca ...
" is available as a free download from
Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...
. "Colorblind" was originally performed by American rock band
Counting Crows Counting Crows is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immerglück, bass guitarist Mil ...
; Lewis covered the song for her 2011 release, '' Hurt: The EP'' and that version is also featured on the deluxe edition of ''Glassheart''.


Live performances

On 3 September 2011 Lewis performed "Collide" for the first time on the first episode of
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of ''The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on t ...
's new gameshow ''
Red or Black? ''Red or Black?'' is a British television game show which was broadcast on ITV between 3 September 2011 and 29 September 2012. In each round, contestants choose red or black, with those that choose the incorrect colour being eliminated. During ...
''. She then performed the song along with "Glassheart" at London's
G-A-Y G-A-Y is a long-running gay nightclub, based at Heaven in Charing Cross, London. It started in 1976, and for many years was based at the London Astoria. History G-A-Y started in 1976 in the Sundown club in the basement of the London Astoria (l ...
nightclub. Then in June 2012, Lewis performed during the opening slot of
BBC Radio One BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
's Hackney Weekend. Lewis' performance was directed by Steve Anderson and was choreographed by Lewis' then-boyfriend Dennis Jauch. The set-list consisted of
Skylar Grey Holly Brook Hafermann (born February 23, 1986), known professionally as Skylar Grey, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Mazomanie, Wisconsin. In 2004, at the age of 17, Grey signed a publishing deal with Universal Music ...
's interpretation of " I'm Coming Home" (with special guest
Wretch 32 Jermaine Sinclaire Scott (born 9 March 1985), better known by his stage name Wretch 32, is a British rapper, singer and songwriter from Tottenham, North London. He was a member of the grime collective Combination Chain Gang, before forming The M ...
), a mash-up of previous single "
Better in Time "Better in Time" is a song recorded by English singer Leona Lewis for her debut studio album ''Spirit'' (2007). It was written by J. R. Rotem and Andrea Martin and was produced by Rotem. Lyrically, the song tells the story of a woman who cann ...
" with
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
's " Man Down", as well as "Come Alive", "Collide" and "Run". A remix of "Collide" produced by Anderson was commissioned for the performance, while the Hackney Empire Community Gospel Choir joined in on "Run". She reprised her performance of "Come Alive" during an acoustic set at the Amberliegh Charity Foundation Event on 25 August 2012. The set also included previous singles "Run", "
Bleeding Love "Bleeding Love" is a song recorded by English singer Leona Lewis for her debut studio album ''Spirit'' (2007). It was written and originally recorded by Jesse McCartney, and was co-written and produced by Ryan Tedder. The song was released as t ...
" and "
Better in Time "Better in Time" is a song recorded by English singer Leona Lewis for her debut studio album ''Spirit'' (2007). It was written by J. R. Rotem and Andrea Martin and was produced by Rotem. Lyrically, the song tells the story of a woman who cann ...
", in addition to covers of " Apologize" by
OneRepublic OneRepublic is an American pop rock band formed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2002. It consists of lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Tedder, lead guitarist and violist Zach Filkins, rhythm guitarist Drew Brown, bassist and cellis ...
and "
Grenade A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade genera ...
" by
Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical s ...
. On 11 September 2012, Lewis held an acoustic gig for an intimate crowd at London's Annabel Nightclub. The set-list included songs from ''Glassheart''. The audience included Lewis' parents Aural and Maria as well as models
Kelly Brook Kelly Ann Parsons (born 23 November 1979), known professionally as Kelly Brook, is an English model, actress, and media personality. She is known for her modelling work in the UK, and in the US for her role as Prudence on the NBC sitcom ''One ...
, Annabelle Neilson and Indian businessman
Arun Nayar Elizabeth Jane Hurley (born 10 June 1965) is an English actress and model. As an actress, her best-known film roles have been as Vanessa Kensington in '' Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'' (1997) and as the Devil in '' Bedazzled'' (2 ...
. Lewis performed "Trouble" live on the ninth series of ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'', the same show that launched her career seven years earlier. She performed on the weekend of 6 & 7 October, directly preceding the song's release. During album release week, Lewis performed on '' Alan Carr: Chatty Man'' on 12 September before returning to London's G-A-Y nightclub, almost a year after she appeared at G-A-Y to perform "Glassheart" and "Collide". Lewis' set was supported by the first-eliminated act (
Carolynne Poole Carolynne Willey (née Good; born 5 August 1980) is a British singer-songwriter, actress and former model from Leeds, England. She is a founding member of the Carolynne Good Band, based in Leeds and London. She is best known for finishing in ...
) from the ninth series. Lewis performed an acoustic version of "Come Alive" on 7 October for '' The Xtra Factor''. In November, Lewis uploaded the studio recording of her "Come Alive" acoustic performance which was included on the deluxe edition of ''Glassheart'' to her
Vevo Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...
page. During the
Stand Up to Cancer Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C) is a charitable program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). SU2C aims to raise significant funds for translational cancer research through online and televised efforts. Central to the program is a telethon tha ...
UK
telethon A telethon (a portmanteau of "television" and "marathon") is a televised fundraising event that lasts many hours or even days, the purpose of which is to raise money for a charitable, political or other purportedly worthy cause. Most telethons f ...
on 19 October 2012, Lewis performed "Fingerprint" live for the first time, as well as the acoustic version of "Trouble" on '' This Morning''. On 20 October 2012, Lewis performed an acoustic set for the seventh annual Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women Awards.


Singles

On 14 July 2011, " Collide" was unveiled on
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
's ''
The Scott Mills Show ''Scott Mills'' was a British award-winning radio show broadcast on BBC Radio 1 from 2004 to 2022. It was hosted by Scott Mills, with contributions from Chris Stark. Other contributors have included Mark Chapman, Laura Sayers, and Beccy Hu ...
'' as Lewis' first single from ''Glassheart''. The
Autumn Rowe Autumn Rowe (born May 25, 1981), is an American singer-songwriter, TV personality, DJ and activist from South Bronx, New York, United States. In 2010, she helped write the song "Happiness" by Alexis Jordan, with producers Stargate and Deadmau5, w ...
-penned
dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
song quickly attracted controversy after it was claimed to have plagiarised a
sample Sample or samples may refer to: Base meaning * Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of s ...
of Simon Jeffes' "Perpetuum Mobile", exactly the same sample used to create the melody for Swedish disc jockey (DJ)
Avicii Tim Bergling (; 8 September 1989 – 20 April 2018), known professionally as Avicii (, ), was a Swedish DJ, remixer and music producer. At the age of 16, Bergling began posting his remixes on electronic music forums, which led to his first rec ...
's 2010 song "Penguin". To resolve the court proceedings filed by Avicii, the single on 4 September 2011 as a joint collaboration between Lewis and Avicii.
Music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
had a mixed reception to the song, torn between the Lewis's ability to "deliver
power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. C ...
lyrics into a
dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
orientated song" and song's production which "seemed to build and drop at the wrong times". Commercially, "Collide" was reasonably successful becoming Lewis' first number on the US ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot Dance Club Songs Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
chart. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, "Collide" debuted and peaked at number three and four respectively. The
Afrojack Nick Leonardus van de Wall (; born 9 September 1987), better known as Afrojack, is a Dutch DJ, music producer and remixer from Spijkenisse, South Holland. In 2007, he founded the record label Wall Recordings; his debut album '' Forget the World' ...
remix of "Collide" is included on the bonus disc of the deluxe edition of ''Glassheart''; the original single version is excluded from all editions of the album. Following a year of delays, Lewis followed up "Collide" with a new version of the song "
Trouble Trouble may refer to: Film and television * ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin * ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film * ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Trouble'' ...
", a song that was always intended as the album's next single. The new version featuring American entertainer
Childish Gambino Donald McKinley Glover Jr. (; born September 25, 1983), also known by his stage name Childish Gambino (), is an American entertainer, writer, director, and producer. After working in Derrick Comedy while studying at New York University, Glove ...
premiered on 21 August 2012 and superseded "Collide" as the album's
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
. It was released in Ireland on 5 October and in the UK on 7 October. Critics praised the song's production, Gambino's feature rap and Lewis' powerful vocals. Upon release, "Trouble" had mixed success reaching number seven on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, eight in Scotland and top-thirty Germany. Near the end of October, Lewis said that the ballad "Fireflies" had been selected to release next because it would be "really powerful" in the run-up to Christmas. On 26 October an official lyric video was published on Lewis' official VEVO account. However, on 5 November 2012, at the London Oxford Street Christmas light event, Lewis introduced "
Lovebird Lovebird is the common name for the genus ''Agapornis'', a small group of parrots in the Old World parrot family Psittaculidae. Of the nine species in the genus, all are native to the African continent, with the grey-headed lovebird being native ...
" as her new single and before performing the song live for the first time. The single was released from 16 November 2012, serving as the first single for much of Europe, while it received a limited "impact day" release in the UK on 9 December 2012. It sold fewer than 600 copies in the UK, becoming Lewis' first single to not chart in the UK, as well as her lowest-selling release in that territory. Elsewhere in South Korea, "Lovebird" peaked at number twenty-two on the South Korean International Singles Chart.


Glassheart Tour

In 2013, Lewis embarked on her second headline tour titled "Glassheart Tour", visiting twenty-one venues across Germany and the United Kingdom. The tour began on 15 April in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
. The list expanded from an initial sixteen to include five dates in Germany. Lewis then proceeded with UK dates beginning in Glasgow, including two dates at London's
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
before finishing on 18 May in
Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...
. During an interview with ''
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
'', Lewis told Tom Eames that ''Glassheart'' has a running theme about "star-crossed lovers that can't be together", and so it was likely that this idea would feature on the tour. Lewis also cited
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
as another source of inspiration.


Critical reception

''Glassheart'' received mixed reviews from critics. It received praise for the decisions to experiment with dubstep,
bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States i ...
and
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
on some of the tracks and criticism towards the ballads, with critics divided over the number on one album and their quality versus the more
up-tempo A variety of musical terms are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian, in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special mus ...
songs. Ludovic Hunter-Tilney from the ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
'' found that although there was still a "preponderance of
Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a reco ...
-aping break-up songs", the delays in releasing ''Glassheart'' had worked in Lewis' favour by forcing her to "confront her lack of usicaldirection". Hunter-Tilney praised both the
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
-styled vocals and use of "echoing
snare drum The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...
s" in many of the songs, concluding that Lewis' singing "has an extra edge to it" while the music "strays out of her comfort zone". The ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ...
''s Dean Piper also noted similarities to Adele, commenting that although both Lewis and Adele had worked with Smith, Lewis' album would "not translate to a universal audience" like Adele's ''21'' had. However Piper did call the comparison unfair because ''Glassheart'' "reminds you what an extraordinary talent Leona is", also saying "there's no doubting the music is good and ''Glassheart'' does appear to be her most personal album to date." Amongst the songs Piper picked out were "Un Love Me", "Favourite Scar" and "Fingerprint". Another positive review came from ''Digital Spy''s Lewis Corner who said that Lewis surprised on "the pacey numbers full of angst and torment that standout". Commending her
falsetto ''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous ed ...
, Corner awarded Lewis five out of five stars and ended by saying "Like many artists before her, Leona has channelled the darker side of love's grasp into her work – and the result is nothing short of spectacular." Matthew Horton writing for
Virgin Media Virgin Media is a British telecommunications company which provides telephone, Cable television, television and Internet access, internet services in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are at Green Park in Reading, Berkshire, Reading, Engla ...
praised Lewis for experimenting with dubstep on "Come Alive" and bubblegum pop on "Shake You Up", describing both songs as experiments that work. Caroline Sullivan from ''The Guardian'' newspaper picked up on the album's composition and described it as too heavily reliant on ballads, saying the issue was that it was "an area where Adele now has the advantage." However Sullivan did say that "for once Lewis has made an album that's worth turning up – in parts, at least." She praised "Come Alive", "Glassheart" and "Trouble". Fraser McAlpine from
BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...
gave the album a mixed review saying that ''Glassheart'' "largely plays up to expectations". He criticised the subject matter, noting that many of the songs revisit familiar territory on how "she is always unlucky in love, unless she is swooning in melancholy bliss." McAlpine praised the production values, noting that "over the course of these 12 songs there are all sorts of production nods to happier music" but also pointing out that on most songs "
ewis An electrical wiring interconnect system (EWIS) is the wiring system and components (such as bundle clamps, wire splices, etc.) for a complex system. The term originated in the aviation industry but was originally designated as Electrical Intercon ...
sounds devastated." In part "it's her natural tone of voice", McAlpine concluded, as well as noting that there were not really any up-tempo songs, just songs that were not ballads, but adding that it did not matter as "the songs that tend to fly best, on their own terms at least, are the uncluttered muscle ballads." Commenting on "Come Alive", he stated that although the "breakbeat" production is one of the "happier" ones on the album, Lewis sounds "eternally downcast". ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
''s Hugh Montgomery gave the album a mixed review, saying that "obviously there's still swathes of antiseptic balladry best described as 'music to fold towels by'." However, not all of his review was negative. Montgomery said the album attempted to make Lewis "current again" by including songs penned by Sandé, a "
Bond Bond or bonds may refer to: Common meanings * Bond (finance), a type of debt security * Bail bond, a commercial third-party guarantor of surety bonds in the United States * Chemical bond, the attraction of atoms, ions or molecules to form chemica ...
theme manqué" and "obviously and actually rather effectively, some dubstep". Critics Robert Copsey and Lewis Corner from ''Digital Spy'' put ''Glassheart'' at number nine in their top 20 albums of 2012, writing that despite being renowned for ballads, "it's the pacey numbers full of angst and torment that stand out." Later in a poll of 25,000 people, conducted by ''Digital Spy'', readers voted ''Glassheart'' the fifth best album of 2012 with 9.8% share of the vote, behind Sandé's ''
Our Version of Events ''Our Version of Events'' is the debut studio album by Scottish recording artist Emeli Sandé. The album was released on 13 February 2012 by Virgin Records, following Sandé's winning of the Critics' Choice Award at the BRIT Awards 2012. Though ...
'', ''
Babel Babel is a name used in the Hebrew Bible for the city of Babylon and may refer to: Arts and media Written works Books *Babel (book), ''Babel'' (book), by Patti Smith * Babel (2012 manga), ''Babel'' (2012 manga), by Narumi Shigematsu * Babel (20 ...
'' by
Mumford and Sons Mumford may refer to: *Amazing Mumford, a Muppet character on ''Sesame Street'' * ''Mumford'' (film), a 1999 American comedy-drama film * Mumford procedure, also called distal clavicle excision or distal clavicle resection, an orthopedic surgical pr ...
,
Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent ...
's '' Born to Die'' and ''
Fall to Grace ''Fall to Grace'' is the second studio album by English recording artist Paloma Faith. It was released by RCA Records on 28 May 2012. She worked on the album with producer Nellee Hooper, who previously worked with artists such as Madonna, Bjö ...
'' by
Paloma Faith Paloma Faith Blomfield (born 21 July 1981) is an English singer and actress. Her debut studio album, ''Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?,'' was released in 2009 and was certified double platinum in the UK. The album spawned the sing ...
.


Commercial performance

According to mid-week predictions from the
Official Charts Company The Official Charts (legal name: The Official UK Charts Company Limited) is a British inter-professional organization that compiles various "official" record charts in the United Kingdom, Ireland and France. In the United Kingdom, its charts inc ...
, ''Glassheart'' was expected to chart at number two on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
, 4,000 copies behind the week's biggest seller, 18-year-old
Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...
singer-songwriter
Jake Bugg Jake Bugg (born Jake Edwin Charles Kennedy on 28 February 1994) is an English singer-songwriter. His self-titled debut album, '' Jake Bugg'', some of which was co-written with songwriter Iain Archer, was released in October 2012 and reached num ...
's self-titled debut album. Upon the release of the final chart, ''Glassheart'' debuted at number three with 27,000 copies sold, 8,000 copies behind that week's number one, Bugg's self-titled debut album and 1,000 copies behind
Mumford & Sons Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band formed in London in 2007. The band currently consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Ted Dwane (vocals, bass guitar, double bass), and Ben Lovett (vocals, key ...
' second album ''
Babel Babel is a name used in the Hebrew Bible for the city of Babylon and may refer to: Arts and media Written works Books *Babel (book), ''Babel'' (book), by Patti Smith * Babel (2012 manga), ''Babel'' (2012 manga), by Narumi Shigematsu * Babel (20 ...
''. ''Glassheart'' thus became Lewis' first album not to debut at number one. Its first week sales represent a stark decline from ''
Spirit Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...
'' (2007), which opened with 375,000 copies and the 161,000 copies that ''
Echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...
'' (2009) sold in its first week On the
UK Download Chart The UK Singles Downloads Chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the music industry. Since July 2015, the chart week runs from Friday to Thursday, with the chart date given as the following Thursday. The main chart co ...
, ''Glassheart'' fared better, debuting at number two, having beaten ''Babel'', but losing out to Bugg's debut album. In Scotland, the album also debuted at number three. Meanwhile, on the
Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA). The charts were previously compiled on behalf of IRMA by Chart-Track, and have been compiled by the ...
, ''Glassheart'' debuted at number four, becoming Lewis' third top-five peaking album in Ireland behind 2007's ''
Spirit Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...
'' (peaked at number one) and 2009's ''
Echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...
'' (peaked at number two). In
continental Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous continent of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by ...
, ''Glassheart'' was also considerably less successful than Lewis' previous releases. It debuted at number twenty-nine in Switzerland, spending two weeks in the top-fifty on the Swiss Albums Chart. Additionally in Spain, ''Glassheart'' opened at number fifty-four, whereas ''Echo'' peaked in the top-twenty and ''Spirit'' peaked in the top-thirty. ''Glassheart'' was most successful in Austria and Germany where it peaked at number five and six, respectively. In Austria it became Lewis' second top-five album, besting ''Echo''s peak of number eight but losing out to ''Spirit'' which peaked at number one. Similarly in Germany, the album became Lewis' second top-ten album, after ''Spirit'' reached number one and ''Echo'' peaked at number twelve. In South Korea, ''Glassheart'' peaked at number 13. Within the four-week period of the album charted, both "Trouble" and "Lovebird" entered the international singles chart. South Korea was the only country in which "Lovebird" charted, where it experienced strong download sales. The total number of downloads between the two singles was 36,980. In total, the album shifted over 20,000 copies in the four weeks it remained on the chart.


Track listing

Notes * signifies co-producer * signifies additional producer * "Favourite Scar" contains a
sample Sample or samples may refer to: Base meaning * Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of s ...
of " Head over Heels" performed by
Tears for Fears Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new wav ...
and written by
Roland Orzabal Roland Orzabal (born Roland Jaime Orzabal de la Quintana; 22 August 1961) is a British musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and author. He is best known as a co-founder of Tears for Fears, of which he is the main songwriter and joint v ...
&
Curt Smith Curt Smith (born 24 June 1961) is a British singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and co-founding member of the pop rock band Tears for Fears along with childhood friend Roland Orzabal. Smith plays bass guitar, has co-written seve ...
. * " Collide" contains a sample of "Perpetuum Mobile" by Simon Jeffes.


Personnel and credits

Adapted from album credits and album liner.Leona Lewis — ''Glassheart''. lbum Booklet
Syco Music Syco Music is a defunct division of Syco Entertainment founded by British entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell. Originally founded as S Records, the label launched while Cowell was still employed by BMG, the label oversaw music relea ...
(
Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
). Catalogue Number: 88725476052.


Recording studios

*
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Colorado – Patriot Studios * London, UK – Air Studios, Air Edel Studios, Angel Recording Studios, The Dairy Studios, Metropolis Studios, MyAudioTonic Studios (The Matrix), The Pool * Los Angeles, California – 2nd Floor Studios, Harmony Recording Studios,
Henson Recording Studios The Jim Henson Company Lot, formerly A&M Studios, is a studio property located just south of the southeast corner of North La Brea Avenue and Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Originally established by film star Charlie Chaplin, the property serv ...
, Side 3 Studios, Pulse Recording, Westlake Recording Studios, UMPG Studios


Performers

*
Leona Lewis Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, actress and activist. Born and raised in the London Borough of Islington, she attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Lewis achieved nationa ...
– lead vocals, background vocals (on 7. "Shake You Up" * Eemia – background vocals (on 6. "I to You") *
Livvi Franc Olivia Charlotte Waithe (born 31 May 1988), better known by her stage name Livvi Franc, is a British Barbadian singer-songwriter. Early life Franc was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England to an English mother and a Bajan father. Franc ...
– background (on 7. "Shake You Up") *
Childish Gambino Donald McKinley Glover Jr. (; born September 25, 1983), also known by his stage name Childish Gambino (), is an American entertainer, writer, director, and producer. After working in Derrick Comedy while studying at New York University, Glove ...
– guest vocals (on 13. "
Trouble Trouble may refer to: Film and television * ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin * ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film * ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Trouble'' ...
") * Ladonna Harley Peters – background vocals (on 1. "Trouble", 2. "Un Love Me", 4. "Come Alive", 8. "Stop the Clocks", 10. "When it Hurts", 12. "Fingerprint") *
Emeli Sandé Adele Emily Sandé, ( ; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a Scottish singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, by an English mother and a Zambian fathe ...
– background vocals (on 6. "I to You", disc 2 – 5. "Sugar") * Ina Wroldsen – background vocals


Musicians and technicians

* Josh Abraham – producer * Phil Allen –
engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
* Beatriz Artola – engineer * Brandon N. Caddell – assistant engineer * Smith Carlson – engineer * Stephanie Cavey – violinist * Matt Chamberlin – engineer * Matt Champlin – mixing technician * Hugo Chegwin – composer * Joshua "
Ammo Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other wea ...
" Coleman – producer, composer * Harry Craze – composer * Christopher Crowhurst (Chris Loco) – drum programming, guitar, keyboards, producer, programming, composer * Rosie Danvers – cello, string arrangements * Tim Deluxe – additional production * Craigie Dodds – composer, drums, engineer, guitar,
keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...
, piano, producer, programming * Alison Dods – violin *
Jörgen Elofsson Kjell Åke Jörgen Elofsson (born 14 January 1962) is a Swedish songwriter. He was one of the writers of the songwriter-team at Cheiron Studios in Stockholm (along with Denniz PoP, Max Martin, Kristian Lundin, Andreas Carlsson, Rami Yacoub, Per ...
– composer *
Guy Farley Guy Farley (born 5 February 1963) is a British musician and composer based in Battersea, south London. Farley is a film composer whose work includes orchestral scores, world music, contemporary sound design and has also collaborated with pop ar ...
– string arrangements, string conductor * Justin Franks (
DJ Frank E Justin Franks, known professionally as DJ Frank E, is an American DJ and record producer from Denver, Colorado. Frank E started working closely with Adelio Lombardi, founder of Side 3 Entertainment and owner of Side 3 Studios in Denver, while ...
) – composer, producer *
Fraser T. Smith Fraser Thorneycroft-Smith (born 8 February 1971), known professionally as Fraser T. Smith, is an English record producer, songwriter and musician. Some of the singles he collaborated on include Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain", James Morrison (sin ...
– composer, drum programming, drums, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards,
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
, piano, producer, programming * Mike Freesh – bass, drum programming, synthesizer * Ben Georgiadis – string engineer * Serban Ghenea – mixing *
Lukasz Gottwald Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald (born September 26, 1973), known professionally as Dr. Luke, Tyson Trax, and Made in China, is an American record producer and songwriter. His professional music career began in the late-night television sketch comedy ...
– composer * Alex Graupera – assistant engineer, engineer * Matty Green – mixing assistant * Jack Guy – engineer * John Hanes – mixing engineer * Helen Hawthorn – violin * Charlie Hugall – engineer, percussion * Sally Jackson – violin * Bryony James – cello *
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists. Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...
– composer, mixing, musician, producer * Becky Jones – viola * Luke Juby – composer * Patrick Kiernan – violin * Shahid "
Naughty Boy Shahid Khan ( ur, شاهد خان; born 1 January 1981), better known by his stage name Naughty Boy, is a British DJ, record producer, songwriter and musician. In 2012, Khan signed a three–year publishing deal with Sony ATV, as well as a rec ...
" Khan – composer, producer *
Brent Kutzle Brent Michael Kutzle (born August 3, 1985) is an American musician, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer, and film composer originating from Fountain Valley, California. He is the bassist and cellist for the pop rock band OneRepubli ...
– composer, producer * Colin Leonard – mastering * Leona Lewis – composer * Steve Mair – double bass *
Andrea Martin Andrea Louise Martin (born January 15, 1947) is an American-Canadian actress, singer, and comedian, best known for her work in the television series '' SCTV'' and ''Great News''. She has appeared in films such as '' Black Christmas'' (1974), ''W ...
– composer * Trent Mazur – drum programming, guitar, synthesizer *
Bonnie McKee Bonnie Leigh McKee (born January 20, 1984) is an American singer and songwriter. Her debut album, ''Trouble'', was released in 2004 under Reprise Records. After underperforming, McKee was dropped by her label and took a musical hiatus before es ...
– composer * James Murray – composer * Oligee – producer * Mustafa Omer – composer *
Roland Orzabal Roland Orzabal (born Roland Jaime Orzabal de la Quintana; 22 August 1961) is a British musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and author. He is best known as a co-founder of Tears for Fears, of which he is the main songwriter and joint v ...
– composer * Brent Paschke – guitar * Kerenza Peacock – violin * Laura Pergolizzi – composer * Steve Price – string engineer * Brian Ray – guitar * Daniela Rivera – assistant engineer, engineer * Jenny Sacha – violin *
Emeli Sandé Adele Emily Sandé, ( ; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a Scottish singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, by an English mother and a Zambian fathe ...
– composer * Phil Seaford – mixing assistant * Sarah Sexton – violin *
Kelly Sheehan Kelly Sheehan (born July 26, 1983), also known as "Madame Buttons", is a songwriter and recording engineer from Los Angeles. Career Kelly Sheehan has written songs for Kylie Minogue, Beyoncé, DJ Khaled, Mary J. Blige and others. She has engineer ...
– composer * Fio "Alastor" Shkreli (Fis Shkreli) – composer, drum programming, producer *
Curt Smith Curt Smith (born 24 June 1961) is a British singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and co-founding member of the pop rock band Tears for Fears along with childhood friend Roland Orzabal. Smith plays bass guitar, has co-written seve ...
– composer * Ash Soan – drums * Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing *
Peter Svensson Anders Peter Svensson is a Swedish record producer, songwriter, and musician. He is the main songwriter and guitarist of the band the Cardigans. He started playing guitar at the age of eight, and in his teens he went on to play with local bands ...
– composer * Phil Tan – mixing *
Ryan Tedder Ryan Tedder (born June 26, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. As well as being the lead vocalist of the pop rock band OneRepublic, he has an independent career as a songwriter and producer for various artists since th ...
– composer, instrumentation, producer * Orlando "Jalil Beats" Tucker – additional production, programming * Olivia Waithe (
Livvi Franc Olivia Charlotte Waithe (born 31 May 1988), better known by her stage name Livvi Franc, is a British Barbadian singer-songwriter. Early life Franc was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England to an English mother and a Bajan father. Franc ...
) – composer * Seth Waldmann – engineer, vocal recording * Bruce White – viola * Darin "Piano Man" Whittington – drums, keyboards * Deborah Widdup – violin * Ryan Williams – engineer * The Wired Strings – strings * Ina Wroldsen – composer * Noel Zancanella – composer, instrumentation, producer


Charts and certifications


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Glassheart 2012 albums Leona Lewis albums RCA Records albums Syco Music albums Albums produced by Ryan Tedder Albums produced by Fraser T. Smith Albums produced by Naughty Boy Albums produced by Al Shux Albums produced by Rodney Jerkins Albums produced by Josh Abraham Albums produced by DJ Frank E Albums produced by Jahlil Beats