Leona Lewis has announced she will release her first new album in over a decade. The 40-year-old singer, who won The X Factor in 2006, last released an album, I Am, in September 2015. She revealed she has been working on the record for several years, writing, producing and playing instruments herself.
Speaking to The Sun, Lewis said: 'I've actually been in and out of the studio for the past couple of years. It's been a real labour of love, and I'm planning to share music next year.' She described the process as 'very unfiltered' and 'very raw', adding that becoming a mother gave her a new depth of emotion.
However, the announcement comes as Lewis was forced to cancel two shows of her Christmas-themed Las Vegas residency due to illness. On 20 December, she told fans she was unable to perform because of a sore throat, and on 21 December she cancelled another show, saying she was following medical advice to protect her voice. She expects to return on Christmas Eve.
Lewis, who has Hashimoto's disease, has sold millions of records worldwide and holds the record for the first British female solo artist to reach the top five with eight singles. She has won two MOBO Awards, an MTV Europe Music Award and two World Music Awards, and been nominated for six Brit Awards and three Grammys.
