FFXIII: Leona Lewis

Monster

Monster

I wanna fly, I wanna drive, I wanna go.
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
232
Location
United Kingdom
Gil
0
Leona Lewis seems to be currently one of the most successful artists to have come out of the ITV Talent search show, The X Factor, she won it back in 2006 and went on to hit many number ones... but, surprisingly, she has scored the theme to Final Fantasy XIII. My Hands was chosen for the main theme in the song, and it's an alright song. I like Leona, she's alright. Not a bad singer, but nothing extremely amazing.

But what do you think of Leona Lewis?
 
I feel the same as you. She's alright. I don't really mind the song change, and I like it how they chose some local music for the NA version, but I kind of liked the sound of the Japanese song better.
 
I haven't actually heard any other songs besides "My Hands." To be perfectly honest, I think the song is godawful and I could barely get through the FF XIII trailer with her wailing in the background. Nearly made my ears bleed. >_>

So yeah, not a very high opinion of her currently. :hmmm:
 
I agree with what you are both saying. It is good that they've picked someone that is around now and not someone you've never heard of yet, I didn't think the song was a good choice.
 
I think i heard one song by-- no two songs by no, idunno xD
a few a couple a whatever it is xD

Her main one was 'bleeding love' which, wasn't bad but got annoying after hearing it over and over D:
I heard that one from the Avatars soundtrack that was.... just boring tbh. She has a pretty voice but, I dun really like her music tbh. She just doesn't appeal to me as much as others have.

I actually never heard her song for FXIII theme's song just ain't too bothered. I heard it sucks anyways xD
 
I really like Leona Lewis, she has a very good voice.
I did enjoy a few of her songs, like "Better in time", and "I Will Be".
I also enjoy "my hands", but I don't agree with her being the theme song for XIII.
I think it's just an ill made choice, I think an original song would've been better.
 
I think they could have made a better choice with the western theme song. While My Hands is in no way an atrocious song, I don't think it really fits with FFXIII that well - nor is it a really captivating song. Originally the song was just an ordinary ballad in her album Echo, and it just feels like SE plucked it from the album at the last minute. I understand that some people love the song, which is absolutely fine. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

As for Leona Lewis herself - she is my favourite X-Factor winner to have emerged so far, and a gleaming pillar of British talent from a worldwide view. I used to really enjoy her songs from Bleeding Love to Run to Better In Time. However once her second album Echo has come in, I found her songs to be lacking any real spark lately. There are good ones such as I See You, but compared to her first album, I am a little disappointed.
 
Can somebody please give me the trailer with the song? I haven't heard it yet.
 
One trailer coming right up:


It's quite a decent trailer - although it just feels a little odd watching it with Leona Lewis's voice in the background because I've been so used to watching the Japanese trailer. I personally don't think it fits in that well at all. It really isn't my favourite song out of the album - and they could have chosen another.
​
 
I'll move it into the FFXIII section since it's about the song in relation to the game :)

I like the song, and personally I think Leona Lewis is a brilliant singer but it's the wrong song choice. Who knows, it may work well in the actual game, we'll have to wait and see. But in relation to the trailer it doesn't help, it starts off well but then it ends up feeling like a song slapped on top of a combination of video clips. Although, admittedly it's Square Enix's fault, if they approached me asking if they could use a song I'd say yeah, too. They should have chosen "I Got You" though, imo.
 
its all about that trailer,i like the japanese singer better then leone lewis,just cuz she sings better,leonas voice is pitchy but not that bad.the japanese singer is one of a kind by making that album,its one of the best japanese songs i ever heard.

about leone lewis herself,i dont know much about her b4 seeing that trailer,but i hear her name a few times.shes a nice singer and a good singer all the time,but is an embarassment of dubbing a song from japan!
 
I quite like the song, people have complained saying that it isn't a Final Fantasy Song due to the realistic tones, like "Wake up in the morning, put on my make-up." I quite like it, it isn't what I expected in a Final Fantasy but it gives that sort of joyous feeling, and this feeling of being together in a way that FF Party's are. I guess you can only see if it goes after you've completed the game and you know the full story, and the whole scenario, character's feelings, etc. :]
 
Wow, I actually liked the song and felt it went with the game really well.
I started out bashing this game from day one but after seeing this trailer, I think I was wrong.

And I can't believe what I'm about to say, but damn it! I want this game!
 
It just isn't a Final Fantasy song to me. If I heard that on the radio then FF would be last thing I would associate with it, it's just too random IMO.

SE should stop bending over backwards trying to please Western audiences. FF's appeal is Japanese style of RPG and all the classic things we've come to love about the series. Theme song and all.
 
Ashley Riot said:
It just isn't a Final Fantasy song to me. If I heard that on the radio then FF would be last thing I would associate with it, it's just too random IMO.

SE should stop bending over backwards trying to please Western audiences. FF's appeal is Japanese style of RPG and all the classic things we've come to love about the series. Theme song and all.
Click to expand...

They're tired of people(westerners)mocking the games and not seeing them as serious. That's why they're trying to please both sides. You should be happy that you like a company that cares so much about their fans. I actually appreciate SE trying to make more than just Japanese fans happy. It shows me they care. And instead of keeping the song some Japanese pop song, they Westernized it for Westerners, that's good marketing.

I'm not saying SE should change everything they are, but they have to acknowledge their NA fans too, and doing this will hopefully do that.
 
Hitsugaya Toushirou said:
They're tired of people(westerners)mocking the games and not seeing them as serious. That's why they're trying to please both sides. You should be happy that you like a company that cares so much about their fans. I actually appreciate SE trying to make more than just Japanese fans happy. It shows me they care. And instead of keeping the song some Japanese pop song, they Westernized it for Westerners, that's good marketing.

I'm not saying SE should change everything they are, but they have to acknowledge their NA fans too, and doing this will hopefully do that.
Click to expand...

It's not good marketing for me. I think the song is rubbish and doesn't fit with the FF game at all. Also, a theme song isn't going to make Westerners take the game any more seriously then they do now. All they did was replace a Japanese pop song with an English one.

Also, there are plenty of Westerners that like the FF games the way they are. It may attract more Western fans but IMO they won't be experiencing the FF style music.

And SE didn't use Leona Lewis because they care about us. They care about the £40 you'll spend on the game.

Just my opinion.
 
Last edited:
The problem with what Square Enix has done is that they've tried to appeal to both Western and Japanese markets but it's backfired, they've tried to change too much, too quickly and they've forgot their roots in the meantime. I don't know what I'd call it, it's not a JRPG which means it's been slaughtered by a lot of Japanese fans but it's not a WRPG either, it's sort of stuck in-between.

Onto the actual music, I am curious to what the theme would have been if Square Enix produced an original theme song which is what they wanted to do. :hmmm:
 
I can see why some don't think it matches... maybe they should have used a rock song?

Thing is, they didn't want people or shows like X-play commenting on how it's a Japanese pop song.
 
SE are just hoping to kill two birds with one stone by using Leona Lewis. Firstly, they probably have this idea that it would be better for the western release to have a western song perhaps to appease the people who wouldn't want an incomprehensible Japanese song. Secondly, they're hoping that Leona's name and face will reach out to people who have never played a Final Fantasy before and gain a new audience as well.

Both points above are understandable, and it has torn opinions. Some love the song and others don't - whether or not this outcome will be a good or bad thing I'm not too sure at the moment. I'm sceptical as to whether or not this will work. I'm a little disappointed that a song wasn't composed strictly for the western release - and that My Hands just seems more of a promotional tool than any other previous theme song.
 
Hitsugaya Toushirou said:
They're tired of people(westerners)mocking the games and not seeing them as serious. That's why they're trying to please both sides. You should be happy that you like a company that cares so much about their fans. I actually appreciate SE trying to make more than just Japanese fans happy. It shows me they care. And instead of keeping the song some Japanese pop song, they Westernized it for Westerners, that's good marketing.

I'm not saying SE should change everything they are, but they have to acknowledge their NA fans too, and doing this will hopefully do that.
Click to expand...

I agree with that. Plus some audiences aren't really bothered whether it's in Japanese or not but there are people that are, for example a person who's new to Final Fantasy may listen to a song that's in Japanese and think "What the? I can't understand what they're saying, nor the lyrics." What I'm trying to say is, there's people that are into Japan franchises, such as Japanese Dub, Japanese Music, Japanese Anime and there's some people who aren't.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top