Jamelia calls Leona 'poor man's Mariah'
The X Factor winner will "fade into obscurity", says Jamelia
Monday, 24, Sep 2007 03:39
Diplomatic as ever, singer Jamelia has slammed X Factor winner Leona Lewis.
Talking to the Sun, the Superstar songstress blamed Simon Cowell for the rise of manufactured popstars like Ms Lewis.
"When Simon stops all this stupid hype about her, that's when we'll see if she can deliver," Jamelia said.
Leona hit the Christmas number one spot with her debut single - a cover of American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson's A Moment Like This - selling around one million copies.
However, her career has no chance of taking off if she continues to work with Cowell, according to Jamelia.
"Like every artist Simon has, she'll fade into obscurity eventually," she commented.
"Only Will Young has been successful, and that was because he's talented and cut ties with Simon. Leona is a poor man's Mariah Carey.
"Simon’s lost it," she added. "He is disrespectful. Leona may be talented, but she's not worked as hard as me or others in the industry - fact!"
Lewis signed a £5 million contract with Arista Records' Clive Davis - the man behind Whitney Houston's success - in February 2007.
After working on her debut album in Los Angeles, her second single Bleeding Love will be released on October 22nd.