THE #1 SONG SEVEN YEARS AGO TODAY WAS....

....Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis. Remember Leona Lewis? She won The X Factor is the UK and released this as her debut single there in 2007. It became the #1 single of 2007 there. Then in 2008 Leona's record label released her album in the US. Bleeding Love shot up the charts and hit #1 for a week, then went away for two weeks to make room for Mariah's Touch My Body, then back to #1 for another week, then gone again for a week while Lil' Wayne stepped in with Lollipop , then back again for two more weeks before ceding to Rihanna's Take A Bow. Settle down, bitch!! Anyway, the song ended up being the second biggest hit of 2008 in the US, behind Low by FloRida (basically the same song, right?) and making Leona potentially the next huge thing, with frequent comparisons to Mariah Carey. Well, that didn't happen. While she has continued with her success in her native UK and despite her debut album, Spirit, hitting #1 in the US, she has only charted one more album -- her sophomore effort Echo hit #13 in 2009 -- and two other top 40 hits in the American Hot 100 since. But, as far as one-hit wonders go, Bleeding Love is not a bad one to have under your belt. Am I right, ladies? The song has sold over 4 million digital downloads in the US alone and was the 7th most successful song on the Hot 100 from 2000 to 2009. Work, girl. Anyway, here is the #1 song from seven years ago today, Leona Lewis' Bleeding Love. Or as I like to sing it, "I keep peeing. Keep, keep peeing blood." You're welcome.

FIRST LISTEN: HELPING HAITI SINGLE "EVERYBODY HURTS"

The single put together by Simon Cowell and featuring such artists as Leona Lewis, Mariah Carey, Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, Rod Stewart, Alexandra Burke, Susan Boyle and Mika, among others, has come together quite nicely. Available for download on February 7th, here is a listen to the finished product.

SIMON COWELLL LINES UP STARS FORM US AND UK FOR HAITI RELIEF

Simon Cowell has plenty of pull to get lots of big names on his single, a cover of REM's Everybody Hurts, to raise money for Haiti. Half the proceeds will go to Helping Haiti, a fund set up by The Sun, and the other 50 percent will go to the Disasters Emergency Committee. Some of the big names he already has lined up are Robbie Williams, Mariah Carey, Kylie Minogue, Jay-Z, Susan Boyle, Rod Stewart, Alexandra Burke, Leona Lewis, Cheryl Cole, James Blunt, Miley Cyrus, Michael Buble and Mika. Damn! That's a lot of star power. The song is currently being recorded in L.A. Robbie Williams states, “I'm very honoured to be asked to contribute to the single. We can all do something to help the people of Haiti - and I urge everyone to do what they can.” Agreed. The Hope for Haiti concert brought in almost $58 million last weekend. Sounds like a lot of help is on the way. [source]

LADY GAGA SETS ANOTHER CHART RECORD

Lady Gaga has once again set a record. This time she broke the record for most weekly plays registered in the 17-year history of Billboard's Pop Songs radio airplay tally. Bad Romance logged 10,859 plays from January 11th to 17th. WOW!! The previous record was held by Leona Lewis' Bleeding Love which totalled 10,665 back in 2008. Bad Romance averaged 84 plays per station last week, or one spin every two freakin' hours! I never listen to the radio, so I wouldn't know. They do seem to play the same songs over and over and over though. But Gaga's case, I can never get enough. GO GAGA!! [source]

JAMES BLUNT OUTSELLS EVERYONE IN THE UK THIS DECADE?

Unfortunately, it's true. According to the Official Charts Company, Blunt's Back to Bedlam was the biggest selling album of the decade in the UK. While his song You're Beautiful was a one-hit wonder here in the US, James' album sold huge in the UK. No. 2 was Dido's album No Angel. Amy Winehouse comes in at No. 3 with Back to Black. Leona Lewis is the new comer coming in at No. 4 with her debut Spirit. David Gray (who?) is at No. 5 with White Ladder. No. 6 is taken up by The Beatles' 1 album and No. 7 is Dido again with Life For Rent. No. 8 is Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head. The only non-British act to make the list, Scissor Sisters' self-titled debut comes in at No. 9. Rounding out the Top 10 is Take That's Beautiful World. It's so interesting how different the tastes in music can be just across the pond. I guess it's what makes the world go round. [source]

STING IS NOT A FAN OF SINGING COMPETITION SHOWS

Sting went OFF on some of the most successful shows on television recently. The former Police frontman is not having any of this "televised karaoke" and says it's filled with talentless wannabes. He says, "I am sorry but none of those kids are going to go anywhere, and I say that sadly. They are humiliated when they get sent off. How appalling for a young person to feel that rejection. It is a soap opera which has nothing to do with music. In fact, it has put music back decades. Television is very cynical." Right, because when you walk into a record label there's NEVER any rejection!!! You are treated with only respect. NOT! He even goes off on the judges of the X Factor saying,"The X Factor is a preposterous show and you have judges who have no recognisable talent apart from self-promotion, advising them what to wear and how to look. It is appalling." WOW! Somebody woke up on the wrong side of his record sales this morning. Obviously there are some untalented people involved with these shows, but there are also your Leona Lewises and Kelly Clarksons who go on to great success. So maybe Sting is just sucking on some bitter pills. He's still hot though.[source]

LEONA LEWIS PERFORMS ON X FACTOR

Leona Lewis won the X Factor in 2006 and now she has gone back to perform her new single, Happy. Her voice is pretty great, excellent actually, but the song is not my favorite (and is not doing well on the Hot 100, only getting as far as #50). The performance vocally is stunning, and it's nice to see someone just stand and command a stage for a change instead of relying on all the bells and whistles to distract from talent. Here's Leona Lewis with Happy.

ALEXANDRA BURKE: OVERCOME - REVIEW

LOOK OUT BEYONCE!!!! Alexandra Burke is the winner of the firth season of the X Factor in the UK. Her voice is pretty freakin' amazing and it's only a matter of time before she makes her way over the US, so I want to jump on this bandwagon ahead of time and let you all know about her incredible album Overcome. The first single off the set is Bad Boys featuring Flo Rida, (watch the video here) and it's a doozie!! Alexandra's voice is full, throaty, sexy and brash. This tune is pure pop perfection and doesn't rely too heavily on Flo Rida to make it work, unlike most girl singers do these days. Good Night Good Morning, featuring Ne-Yo, is another sexy song with beats and club synths grooving around a song where our couple is trying to decide if they will end with a good night or good morning. Sassy! The Silence is a tune Mariah Carey would have killed for back when she could still sing. Luckily Alexandra's voice is more than equipped to handle this power ballad. I really think this girl has the best voice I have heard in a long time. She kills it on this one. Diving into pure Supremes territory, Bury Me (6 feet under) is a sweet, 60s inspired song with clever lyrics and sultry vocals. A great standout track. Broken Heels is a women's anthem about how the ladies can do what the boys can do even better and in "broken heels". Take that fellas!! Super cute and brassy song that is a great mid-way point for the disc. Dumb is a raggae-tinged dance floor number that has a darker tone than most of the record. It's good, but not my fave. The title track, Overcome, is an anthem about coming out from under pain and greif and learning to overcome adversity. Soaring vocals that exude strength and soul lead this to be a true gem and a future classic for Alexandra. Inspiring and beautiful. Gotta Go sound a lot like Kelly Clarkson's Already Gone and Beyonce's Halo, and that's not a bad thing. It is different enough not to be a clone, and Burke puts her own stamp on it that makes it something individual and special. You Broke My Heat is another song that will take you back to a different time, this time the 70s. Like a update of Heard It Through the Grapevine, this song has great horns and pianos and lets Alexandra tear up some strong lyrics. Most people would get lost in this much production, but Burke shines right through it. Clubby and electronic, Nothing But The Girl is dance floor ready and sexy in it's rhythm. There is some definite Whitney Houston influence on the licks on this song. It's a keeper for sure and will go on my workout mix instantly. The final new track on the cd is They Don't Know, a ballad that has plenty of soul and plenty of gorgeous singing, but really is a run-of-the-mill song of hope that is hardly fitting of closing this set out. There is a bonus track of Leonard Cohen's hit Hallelujah that Alexandra took to No. 1 in the UK after she won X Factor and broke the record for most sales in one day, totalling 105,000 digital downloads and was later announced as the biggest selling British single of 2008. It is a grandiouse cover and well worth the accolades. This record is a must have for anyone looking for the next Whitney, Mariah, whoever you put in that category. This girl is amazing and this album is good from start to finish. Pick it up and take a listen, she will be here in America before you know it!