I became an instant fan when I watched Leona Lewis perform on X-Factor for the first time, and every one of her performances after that only made me a bigger fan. She's definitely got the 'X-Factor', alright, with such a powerful voice which can also be so sweet and emotional that she's moved me to tears more than once with her performances even while she amazed me with her skill.

I can honestly say I have never heard another singer who has the voice, talent, emotion, power, and control that Leona Lewis has, and of course, I couldn't get enough of her. I wanted to hear more from her, and I waited anxiously for the release of her debut album, Spirit. But before I managed to obtain a copy of her debut album, her first single, "Bleeding Love", was already being played constantly on the radios. I must admit that I was disappointed when I heard it, because while it was a great song and a catchy one in its own right, it was not what I would have expected of someone of Leona Lewis' ability.

When I finally got a copy of Spirit and listened to the rest of the songs on the album, I was glad to hear a few songs that I thought were more suitable for Leona's voice and talent. Among them are my favorite song on the album, "I Will Be", her beautiful rendition of Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", and the emotion-packed UK bonus track, "Footprints In The Sand". Some of the other songs I really liked are "Better In Time", "Angel", "Yesterday", "Whatever It Takes", and "Here I Am".

However, while I liked almost every song on her debut album, I felt that she could have done so much better than this. The songs are great, and I more than enjoyed them, but it was almost as if I went to a five-star gourmet restaurant and only got pasta for dinner. I love pasta, mind you, and this is the most delicious pasta I've ever had, but what a waste of the chef's skill!

Of course, there's something to be said for singing a song for the song's sake, instead of just for showing off one's vocal prowess, but still, I was disappointed that I couldn't hear more of what made me fall in love with Leona Lewis' voice on X-Factor. Having said that though, Spirit is a great album with some really wonderful and catchy songs that are fast becoming my favorites.  I will eagerly await Leona Lewis' albums to come and hope that they will offer more great songs that can illustrate more of her talent.