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Leona Lewis’ career has blossomed over the past ten years.
While the Brit School alum was “discovered” on ITV’s X Factor in the early 2010s, she has gone on to carve a real path for herself in the music industry.
Her most recent venture includes voicing and singing as London Lilly, an animated character named after her home city and her dog, in DOGGYLAND – the kids’ TV show written, produced and starring Snoop Dogg.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Leona confessed she was looking for a way to entertain her newborn daughter when she discovered Snoop had an entire kids’ album (Kids Hits, Vol 1): “I used to play it for my kid when she was little and it was the only thing that would stop her crying! And the only thing I could listen to that would not drive me insane,” she laughed.
“So, I reached out and I said: ‘I just want to say I love what you’re doing, if you ever need a vocalist I’m here.'” Before long, Snoop got in touch with Leona, and London Lilly was born.
Leona was ultimately thrilled with how her DOGGYLAND collab went and is keen to work with Snoop again in the future.
“I actually did a gig awhile back,” she recalled. “And he was on the same show. He was so lovely and so chill … I didn’t get much time with him but I think we’re going to do more together. We should do a whole album!”
Before Leona gets too carried away with starting a collaborative album with Snoop, she has a number of massive Christmas shows to get through first.
Leona recently announced a string of shows taking place throughout the UK in December on a tour she has dubbed “Christmas With Love 2023”.
She’ll be hitting some of the country’s biggest venues, including London’s Eventim Apollo, Bournemouth Windsor Hall, Manchester Bridgewater Hall, and many more.
While she has a fair few festive tracks to bring to life at these glitzy events, Leona is no doubt best known for her chart-topping track One More Sleep.
Although it has no doubt become a mainstay in many Christmas playlists around the world, is Leona sick of hearing her own voice when she walks into every shop in December?
“I’m not!” she laughed. “Not yet. I haven’t got to that point. I hope I get to that point, that’d be amazing because that would mean it is everywhere! I love that it comes back every year and it gets bigger and bigger.”
Pop stars, rock stars, and artists around the world release Christmas songs every year – but somehow Leona’s One More Sleep has stood the test of time, and she believes she knows why: “Honestly, I really believed in that song and I made that song from my soul.
“And it was a little bit before other artists did that. The first year I was so excited and the next year I didn’t hear it. The next year? Didn’t hear it. Then – suddenly! – it just resurged. I was like, amazing, let’s keep going!”
Would she ever consider writing and recording another Christmas song or album, though? “No” she confirmed. “It’s done. That’s a wrap, that’s it.”
Buy tickets to Leona Lewis’ Christmas tour here.
Watch Leona Lewis as London Lilly in DOGGYLAND here.
