It's certainly a good month to be a diva.
Days before Mariah Carey is expected to storm the U.S. pop charts, import Leona Lewis has become the first British solo artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard tally, having sold 205,000 copies of her debut, "Spirit," according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Both artists, not surprisingly, have a connection to television juggernaut "American Idol," the vocal competition show that's become a consistent supplier of hits to the music industry. This was Mariah Carey week on "Idol," in which the remaining contestants tackled the songs of the pop superstar, and Lewis was the 2006 champion of similarly minded, Simon Cowell-produced British series, "The X Factor."
"A lot of people criticize these shows and ask if we'll ever find a truly international star," Cowell said. "Funnily enough, I said at the beginning of that particular year that my main purpose was to find an artist who could sell all over the world."
The soft-spoken Lewis, who worked odd jobs as a receptionist and waitress while pursuing a music career, said she was talked into auditioning for "The X-Factor."
"I had watched the show, but I never thought I was going to go and do it," she said. "But someone said I should just try it, and it was an opportunity. At the end of the day, you should take every opportunity that comes your way."
Although other winners of "The X-Factor" haven't been given a strong U.S. push, Lewis' "Spirit" has a contemporary R&B sound that should be familiar to American audiences. Smash single "Bleeding Love" is a slow-building Whitney Houston-influenced number, and more upbeat num- bers such as "Forgive Me" sprinkle in some hip-hop flourishes.
"I first studied classical, and then went into jazz and blues," said Lewis, who cites American vocalists such as Eva Cassidy and Minnie Riperton as influences and is signed to Cowell's Syco Music.
Lewis' "Spirit" also represents the first full-on partnership between Cowell and Clive Davis' J Records. Davis has overseen the careers of many an "Idol" superstar, including Kelly Clarkson and Daughtry, but he said that Lewis' television connection was being overblown in the media.
"I've never signed anyone from 'Star Search,' " he said.
Yet Davis and Cowell designated Lewis as a star-to-be and lined up A-list producers such as Akon and Stargate for her "Spirit." The album arrived on these shores after securing a No. 1 post in Britain, where it became the fastest-selling debut when it was released in November.
