Fans don’t have to wait much longer for Leona Lewis’ new music.
The Bleeding Love singer, 40, is opening up about her first album in a decade, teasing not only the theme but also the release date.
“A lot of the themes on this album are about unlearning a lot of things. And since becoming a mother as well, I realized that what I’m saying to my daughter, that becomes her internal dialogue,” Lewis exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting her Las Vegas holiday residency, A Starry Night, on December 12.
“The things that were said to us when we were younger, it’s all these dialogues that aren’t actually ours. And it’s about finding what is true to me, what is my authentic voice, and carving that out for ourselves and really being able to listen to what we’re saying truly, like that true intuition, which I think gets a bit clouded,” she explained. “A lot of that’s been revealing itself over the years. So I write about that and sing about that a lot in the album.”
Lewis’ last major studio album, I Am, was released in 2015, and she shared why it took her a decade to get back in the studio.
“Maybe like five years ago, I felt like, maybe I should be, but I just wasn’t ready. Honestly, I wasn’t ready to put anything out there yet, and it’s taken me this long to be like, ‘OK, now I’m ready.’ And I was probably ready about two years ago when I came off of tour,” she told Us.
“That’s when I started getting into the studio and started the process. When you embark on a process like this, you never know how long it’s going to take, what’s going to appear, what am I going to write about?” Lewis added. “And there was such a recurring theme, and I kept trying to push it away and be like, ‘I’m not sure if that’s the way I want to go,’ but it just revealed itself to me.”
Lewis shared that after her Vegas residency at Voltaire in The Venetian Resort is over on January 3, she’s headed back to the studio to finish the album.
“It’s honestly about the past 10 years, all of the learning and the unlearning that I’ve done. It’s an ode to my daughter as well. It’s an ode to my younger self,” the three-time Grammy nominee revealed. “It’s a really deeply connected album. So I’m excited to share it, and I think that people will feel where I’m coming from.”
Regarding the album’s release, Lewis was hesitant to share a specific date; however, she told Us that fans can expect new music before the summer ends.
“I have like a time frame in my mind, like a loose one, so it’s probably going to be a few months,” Lewis noted. “I’d say, before the summer next year, hopefully.”
The British singer also reflected on her tight friendship with Simon Cowell. (Lewis was launched into stardom after winning X Factor UK in 2006).
Cowell, 66, recently told Us that Bleeding Love was one of the top two songs he’s ever worked on.
“He’s a dear friend, and he’s always had my back. He’s always been so supportive of everything I’ve done,” Lewis said of the record executive. “I have a lot of love for him. And we’ve both been on such a journey together. He’s always been a big supporter of me and my music and my career, throughout the years, even now. 20 years later.”
Lewis also shared that the pair are still in contact to this day.
“He was just saying, he’s very proud of the residency and really just so happy for me. And I went on AGT a few months back as well, which was really lovely, like he gave me the opportunity to go and perform. So yeah, it’s a lot of love,” she added.
Reflecting on the last 20 years, Lewis had thoughts about what she would tell her younger self.
“It would be to worry way less and to really fully embody and embrace who you are. Embrace your authenticity, your true voice, and know that is what is needed,” the singer explained. “I think sometimes, especially as women, we get compared to each other a lot, and we compare ourselves a lot.”
Lewis credited a quote she read years ago that “cracked something open inside of me.”
Sharing that quote with Us, the star repeated, “If every bird sang the same song, the forest would be a very boring place.”
Lewis continued, “That really resonated with me, and I feel like I would tell her that, ‘Just sing your own song.’ It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing, singing, thinking, just do you and that’s it.”
Lewis’ Vegas residency, which features her hit songs and several classic Christmas bonuses, ends on January 3, 2026.