EVERY ALBUM HAS ONE...well, except Leona who seems to have about NINE...

With discussion on Alexandra Burke's debut album still raging on, it's time for Moopy's favourite assault victim, Leona Lewis, to release her second album, 'Echo'.

The 'True Blood'-esque cover was received positively and the initial reaction to the album content follows suit. Although quite a few leaked tracks didn't make the final cut (presumably saved for an October 2010 deluxe edition), it's safe to say that the final product has been received better than both 'Spirit' and Alexandra's 'Overcome' album.

Despite being labelled as "samey" as 'Spirit', this is not an album full of drippy piano ballads. Rather, it's full of epic screamathon ballads with an interjection of upbeats which range from interesting ("Naked") to dreadful ("Outta My Head"). But these tracks mostly serve to make the big ballads stand out more, which will probably be the make or break for most people. Such material is a winner for many posters chez Moopy. On the other hand, whilst Ryan Tedder's involvement is limited to just a handful of tracks, you may be getting a BIT FED UP with the Halo/Bleeding Love esque SCREAMATHON BALLADS now, since EVERY ALBUM HAS ONE...well, except Leona who seems to have about NINE...

'Stop Crying Your Heart Out' (yes it is a cover of the Oasis track) will invariably be compared to 'Run' which numbs its impact for some Moopists, but it's still going down well, as is the final track 'Stone Hearts'.

Initial album rankings have started, but most predict this to be a grower. With an X Factor performance this weekend, we'll be watching the performance of the mixed-reaction lead single 'Happy' next week, and casting eyes over the official release of 'Echo' seven days later.

Hop over to Moopy now to share your thoughts on the album project.

Check out:
Leona Lewis - "Echo"
Leona Lewis ∙ 'Happy'
Queen Leona SLAPPED
Alexandra Burke - Overcome (Album discussion)

I don't know who told this bitch we wanted another Charmbracelet, it certainly was not me

Whilst we're on the subject of artists who seem intent on showing their fans as little regard as possible, focus must turn to Mariah Carey.

For over two months now, the 'lambs' and the 'haters' have been scrutinising Obsessed's chart performance in America. After a slow-start, the "buzz single" managed to peak within the top ten. Thus inevitably, focus turned to the album.

Despite the immense amount of pre-release hype for the album (how exactly did we reach 27 pages?!), anticipation has been mixed from the start. Would Mariah's first JD-less album since Glitter be a good move? Would it return the lambs to plink-plong whispery Charmbracelet hell? What exactly could a song titled Ribbon be about?

The answer to all of the above is a mostly resounding "ZZZZ", with some posters unable to see the album through to the end. True, the first three tracks (Betcha Gon' Know, Obsessed and H.A.T.E.U.) have survived relatively unscathed, but the reaction to the album as a whole makes the ten-steps-backwards I Want To Know What Love Is sound earth-shattering by comparison.

Yet, the album does have some fans and there could be some Moopy-esque U-turns abound. Meanwhile, whether the album is a max volume or mute moment, we'll be keeping a close eye on the charts to see how Memoirs... plays out.

Check out:

Mariah Carey - Memoirs... FIRST LISTEN PARTY
Mariah Carey - Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel (Pre-release rambles)
Mariah Carey - I Want To Know What Love Is
Obsessed CHART TRACKER