"Bleeding Love" is a pop/R&B ballad recorded by British singer Leona Lewis, which appears in her debut album, Spirit.^[1] Co-written by Jesse McCartney^[2] and Ryan Tedder (and produced by Tedder), the song is the album's lead single (Lewis's official second single following "A Moment Like This"), released in the United Kingdom and Ireland in October 2007.^[3] "Bleeding Love" became the best-selling single of 2007 in the United Kingdom.^[4] Since the single's release, it became a major international hit, and was the world's best-selling single of 2008.^[5] The single has reached number one in 34 countries,^[6] including the UK, Japan, Germany and the United States. This is the second song to achieve this feat after "Candle in the Wind". The video aired on 17 October 2007,^[7] and was uploaded to popular video-sharing website YouTube on the same day.^[8]

"Bleeding Love" has sold more than 1 million copies in the United Kingdom, and over 4 million digital downloads in the United States, where it was the best selling digital song there in 2008.^[9][10][11] "Bleeding Love" has sold more than 9 million copies worldwide, putting it in the top five selling songs of the decade.^[12] It was named the 17th most successful song in the US from 2000–2009, on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs of the Decade.^[13] The song achieved a similar feat in the United Kingdom where it was the best-selling single of 2007, selling 788,000 copies.^[14] "Bleeding Love" has charted within the UK top 100 singles chart in three different years: in 2007 it peaked at #1; 2008 at #76; and 2009 at #97.^[15] "Bleeding Love" was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 51st Grammy Awards. It remains Lewis's biggest hit in the US to date, and her only single to reach the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 and most successful single worldwide to date.

Background[link]

"Bleeding Love" was initially written for Jesse McCartney, but was later refused by his record deal.

On 16 December 2006, Lewis won the third series of British reality singing contest, The X Factor, her prize being a £1 million recording contract with Sony BMG, of which Simon Cowell is an A&R executive.^[16] Cowell, an X Factor judge who was also Lewis' mentor on the show, wanted her debut album to be an "incredible record" of original material, using some of the world's best record producers and songwriters.^[17]

Meanwhile, in February 2007, OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder and pop singer-songwriter Jesse McCartney had written the song "Bleeding Love" for McCartney's third studio album,^[18] Departure. However, his record label, Hollywood Records, did not like the song.^[19] Tedder believed it was a "massive" song and the record company was "out of his mind".^[19] Despite his own reality TV background, Tedder had previously made the decision not to work with contestants from the singing competition American Idol, but he had not heard of The X Factor, and on being shown a website about Lewis, he thought that "her voice just sounded unreal," saying that "from a writer's perspective, this girl – with or without a TV show – has one of the best voices I've ever heard."^[20] On hearing that Cowell was looking for songs for Lewis's debut album, Tedder rearranged "Bleeding Love", changed the key and tailored it to suit her voice.^[19] They pitched the song to Cowell, who said it was "the one".^[20] After the success of Lewis's version, the song was re-recorded by McCartney being included as a bonus track on the international version of the album, Departure.

Composition[link]

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	"Bleeding Love" noicon A 30 second sample of "Bleeding Love" containing the bridge and chorus, backed by drums and a church organ
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"Bleeding Love" is a pop song with R&B undertones set in the key of F major. It moves at 104 bpm and is set in 4/4 time. The album version runs for four minutes and twenty-two seconds and the radio edit runs for four minutes and one second. Lewis performs (Bb5) during the bridge and the final chorus, and (C4) during each pre-chorus. The range of the song for her version is 1.75 octaves, from C4-Bb5.^[21] "Bleeding Love" is constructed in the common verse-chorus-bridge song pattern. It employs a church organ which is audible throughout the song until the bridge. Synthesized strings are also prominent throughout the song, which intermittently integrates wood block percussion throughout the track. A heavy, distorted marching band-like drum loop backs the song.^[22] The song employs a harmonic shift beginning at the bridge. A harmonic shift or harmonic variety generally identifies most song bridges. In "Bleeding Love" the turn around from the common I, vi, IV, V (F, Dm, Bb, C) progression used exclusively up to the bridge for both verses and choruses shifts to focus on the relative minor: vi, IV, I/V, V (Dm, Bb, F/C, C).^[23]

McCartney wrote the song about his longtime girlfriend, and said: "I kept thinking about being in love so much that it hurts. I was away from my girlfriend for four months at the time and I really wanted to [quit] and fly home. I was so in love that it was painful. It was like bleeding, it cut me open."^[24] The song refers to someone in a relationship who is extremely blinded by love. Regardless of the numerous warnings from her friends and the fact that she is emotionally hurt by her lover, she continues to love him and accepts the pain. Metaphorically, this is represented in his "cutting her open". However, all she can do is "bleed love" for him.^[25]

Promotion[link]

Leona Lewis performing "Bleeding Love" on the Labyrinth Tour in 2010.

The song's first radio play was on the BBC Radio 1 Chart Show on 16 September 2007,^[3] and was quickly followed by an online exclusive streaming by celebrity blogger Perez Hilton.^[26] It was reported that over 1.5 million people listened to the song online.^[27] The song was also Scott Mills's record of the week from Monday 24 September to Friday 28 September.^[28] Lewis went on a two-day regional UK radio tour to promote the single and album on 11 and 12 October 2007.^[29] This was followed by an appearance on This Morning on 15 October. Lewis performed the song live on the fourth series of The X Factor on 20 October 2007,^[30] and also made appearances on several other TV and radio shows such as T4, GMTV and Loose Women.

Lewis also performed the song at the Festival della canzone italiana on 29 February 2008, and on German entertainment show Wetten, dass..? on 1 March 2008.^[31] Lewis made her US television debut on The Oprah Winfrey Show, on 17 March 2008,^[32] where she sang "Bleeding Love". She has also performed on Good Morning America on 4 April 2008, Live With Regis and Kelly on 8 April 2008, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Ellen DeGeneres Show on 11 April 2008, and The Tyra Banks Show on 17 April 2008. Lewis performed the song live on the seventh season of American Idol on Wednesday 23 April 2008.^[33]

Critical reception[link]

Critics noted similarities between Lewis' vocals and the vocals of Mariah Carey.

"Bleeding Love" was well-received by critics. Showbiz Spy described the song as "emotionally fuelled", and opined, "this track perfectly showcases Leona's impressive vocal prowess and from the moment she opens her mouth we are instantly reminded about her amazing voice, capable of heart stopping intensity and a playful light touch."^[34] Digital Spy's review of the song gave it four stars out of five, saying it is "easily the best single to be released by an X Factor star," and describing it as "a brilliantly smart pop record, managing to offer the lovelorn balladry that Lewis' X Factor fans are no doubt craving, while also suggesting a hint of street cred in the form of some beefy, vaguely modish beats."^[35] It came second in Digital Spy's Top 20 Singles of 2007 announced on 31 December.^[36]

However, BBC America's reviewer expressed that "the inventive percussion can't stop "Bleeding Love" from sounding dated, like filler on some long-lost, late '90s Mariah Carey album. It's one of those mid-tempo numbers – too slow for the club, too fast for the foxtrot. Actually, with its marching band drum beat, it sounds as much like Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" as a ballad can." The critic continues to say, "On to the positive: Lewis wisely restrains her vocals, never devolving into those vocal acrobatics that have historically plagued Christina Aguilera."^[37] Billboard's review by Singles Review Editor Chuck Taylor for "Bleeding Love", the first ahead of the song's release in the United States, stated it was "a colossal and timeless debut", going on to say "not only a one-listen harmonic show-stopper, it is also hip, soulful, beat-rippling and an undeniable vocal tour de force."^[38] The Village Voice described the song as a "perfectly devised emo-pop machine ... the old Mariah is jealous right now."^[39]

"Bleeding Love" has earned Lewis numerous awards and nominations. In December 2007, "Bleeding Love" won The Record of the Year^[40] and the award for Best Track in the Virgin Media Music Awards 2007.^[41] In January 2008, the song was nominated for the British Single award at the 2008 BRIT Awards.^[42] Although the award was won by Take That's "Shine", it was announced that "Bleeding Love" had received the second highest number of public votes. The massive success of "Bleeding Love" earned Lewis the music award at Britain's Best 2008, which was aired on ITV1 on Friday 23 May 2008. On 3 December 2008, the song was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, but lost to Alison Krauss and Robert Plant's "Please Read the Letter" and Adele's "Chasing Pavements", respectively.^[43] Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song 25th in the list of The 100 Best Singles of 2008.^[44] In April 2009, Tedder and McCartney were awarded with the Song of the Year Award at the 26th Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards for writing "Bleeding Love".^[45] On September 2011, "Bleeding Love" was ranked #67 by VH1 on its list for the 100 Greatest Songs of the '00s.^[46]

Chart performance[link]

"Bleeding Love" debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number one on 28 October 2007.^[47][48] With "Bleeding Love" reaching number one, Lewis became the first contestant from The X Factor to achieve two UK number-one singles.^[49] It was reported to be outselling Take That's "Rule the World" by three-to-one in chain store Woolworths,^[50] and Britney Spears' "Gimme More" by ten-to-one.^[51] It went on to sell 218,805 copies in its first week, gaining the biggest one-week sales in 2007, a feat it maintained until "When You Believe" by Leon Jackson was released in December 2007.^[47][52] In its second and third weeks on sale the single sold 158,370 copies,^[53] and 111,978 copies respectively, bringing the total sales to 489,153 and making "Bleeding Love" the biggest selling single of 2007 after just three weeks of release.^[54] It stayed at the top of the UK Singles Chart for a total of seven weeks,^[48] the longest run from a UK female solo artist in chart history. By the end of 2007 the single had sold a total of 788,000 copies and was the biggest selling single of the year. It was the first time a single by a UK female solo artist had topped the end of year singles sales chart in the 55 year history of the official charts.^[4] "Bleeding Love" was certified platinum on 18 January 2008.^[55] On 8 November 2010 it was confirmed by the Official Charts Company that "Bleeding Love" had sold total of 1,000,534 copies in the UK, making it the 103rd song overall to sell a million copies in the chart's history, with Lewis the 14th female singer to achieve the feat.^[56]

In Australia, "Bleeding Love" debuted at number nine on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart on 24 December 2007, and on 21 January 2008, topped the chart. On 10 February 2008, the single received a platinum certification, with sales of over 70,000.^[57] In New Zealand, Lewis became the first British female solo artist to have a number one single since the Sugababes topped the chart in January 2006; it stayed at number one for five weeks.^[58] It also reached number one in Switzerland, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands.^[59] In Spain, the single reached number two on the Spanish Singles Chart by PROMUSICAE. It was certificated Platinum with sales over 40,000 units. "Bleeding Love" was a hit on radio stations around the world, reaching number one in the airplay charts of the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany,^[60] Australia,^[61] New Zealand, Luxembourg,^[62] Slovakia,^[63] Latin America,^[64] Estonia^[65] and Japan.^[66] In the Greek Airplay Chart, it reached number two.^[67] In Italy the song peaked at number 2 on the FIMI singles chart based only on digital downloads; instead it peaked at number 1 on the Italian Musica&Dischi singles chart, which is based on digital downloads and CD single sales, for 13 non-consecutive weeks.^[48]

In the United States, the single was released digitally on 18 December 2007,^[68] and debuted on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart at number 11.^[69] The song officially debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on 1 March 2008 at number 85.^[48] The song became Lewis' first U.S. top ten hit, and reached number one on Billboards Hot 100 chart three separate times, each for a one-week run.^[48] It also hit number one on subsidiary charts, including Hot Digital Songs,^[70] and Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks, where it spent 52 weeks.^[71] Lewis is the third female artist from the UK to have a number one hit with a debut U.S. single, following Petula Clark with "Downtown" (1965) and Sheena Easton with "Morning Train (Nine to Five)" (1981).^[72] The song has sold 4.277 million digital downloads in the U.S. by November 2011.^[73] It became the second single to have three separate turns atop the Hot 100, following Chic's "Le Freak" (1979).^[74] During this time, the parent album Spirit debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making Lewis the first solo British artist in 18 years to simultaneously top both the Billboard albums and singles charts. On the Billboard End of Decade Chart, "Bleeding Love" was 17th. The song also reached number one on the Canadian Hot 100 dated 5 April 2008.

Music videos[link]

There are two music videos for "Bleeding Love". The first was directed by Melina Matsoukas and was filmed in Los Angeles.^[75][76] It is set in a mock apartment block and features six storylines about couples in different stages of relationships: "The video is extremely emotional and shows everything from first love and unbridled passion to heartbreak, loss and anger."^[77] Lewis stated that it is "real colourful, very funky, has lots of extras and I get to really perform."^[75] Melina explained her meaning of the video in an interview on MTV's Making the Video, saying that the water in the video is a metaphor for the tenants' love problems, as if the apartments are bleeding love. For the video, Lewis wore a £100,000 Dolce & Gabbana crystal-encrusted dress, which weighed 40 pounds (18 kg).^[76] The international version of the video was first posted to popular video sharing website YouTube on 17 October 2007.

Lewis filmed a second video in New York City for the US release of "Bleeding Love". The treatment for the video was written by Ryan Tedder,^[78] and centres on a storyline involving Lewis arguing with her boyfriend, played by model Nicholas Lemons. It was directed by Jessy Terrero.^[79] The video premiered in the United States on 29 January 2008 on Yahoo! Music,^[80] and was uploaded to YouTube on 30 January 2008. Its television debut was on 4 February 2008 on VH1 as part of their "You Oughta Know" campaign.^[81]

The international version of the music video was nominated for Best UK Video at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. The US version was number one on the VH1 Year End Top 40.

Track listings and formats[link]

Credits and personnel[link]

• Lead vocals – Leona Lewis
• Authors - Ryan Tedder & Jesse McCartney
• audio mixing – Phil Tan
• Recording engineer – Ryan Tedder
• Assistant recording engineers – Nate Hertweck and Craig Durrance
• Producer – Ryan Tedder
• All instruments – Ryan Tedder
• Programming – Ryan Tedder
• String arrangement – Ryan Tedder
• Recorded at:
  • Mansfield Studios, Los Angeles, California
  • Record Plant Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
  • Encore Studios, Burbank, California

Charts and certifications[link]

Release history[link]

Tom Dice version[link]

"Bleeding Love" was covered by Belgian singer-songwriter Tom Dice after winning Flemish X Factor in 2008, released on 25 May 2010 from his debut album Teardrops. The single reached number 7 in Belgium.

Track listing[link]

• Digital download

1. "Bleeding Love" – 3:22
2. "A Soldier for His Country " – 4:12

Chart performance[link]

See also[link]

• List of best-selling singles by year (UK)
• List of number-one singles from the 2000s (UK)
• Number-one singles of 2007 (Ireland)
• List of number-one singles from the 2000s (New Zealand)
• List of number-one singles of 2008 (Australia)
• List of European number-one hits of 2008
• List of number-one hits of 2008 (France)
• List of Ultratop 50 number-one singles of 2008
• List of Dutch Top 40 number-one singles of 2008
• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2008 (Canada)
• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2008 (Japan)
• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2008 (U.S.)
• List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 2008 (U.S.)

References[link]