http://www.amazon.com/Awake/dp/B00DW245D6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375904893&sr=8-1&keywords=Davina+Leone+-+Awake
Awake is the debut album from emerging singer songwriter Davina Leone.
Leone started singing around the age of seven or eight. She has said that she would replay songs from Christina Aguilera and Kelly Clarkson and try to imitate their vocals and dance around in her room. Leone also watched musicals Annie and Fiddler on the Roof constantly and would sing along to each song. This sparked her acting and dancing career in Broadway shows for local theaters at the age of ten.
Leone later taught herself how to play the guitar and at the age of fourteen she broke out of her shell and started posting YouTube videos of her singing. Her sound is a combination of smooth acoustic pop with a hint of country twang. Her debut album Awake is about her life experiences that involve bullying, love, heartbreak, and life awakening moments.
Leone and her band opened for One Republic during Sundance week in Park City, Utah. She also performed at SXSW in Austin, TX. About performing Leone said on her website DavinaLeone.com, I'm definitely the happiest when I'm on stage. Nothing beats the feeling of sharing my music and my stories with everyone, inspiring listeners to stand up and believe in themselves, and also to enjoy life and have fun. Nothing can be greater than spreading happiness through my singing."
The album opens with the single “Come Closer” that is an uplifting pop single as she talks to a love interests to “come closer” and not be so “shy.” The single showcases Leone’s sultry voice as it is harmoniously melded with the sweet beat of the drums.
The album shifts to a more serious issue of bullying in the single “For the Haters.” Leone was bullied in junior high and went to four different high schools because rumors had made her switch schools.
About the single Leone told Sweetly High, “I thought I don’t want to write a song about being sad, then they win. I wanted to write a song that people could sing along to and feel great about themselves and just kind of tell off the bullies. That ‘you can try to hurt me, but you cannot destroy me’ message.”
The single has an upbeat pop dance vibe as Leone tells her bullies they wont keep her down as she has a smile on her face. It is a relatable song that gives hope to adolescents that have been in Leone’s position.
Another unique feature on the album is that Leone has two bonus tracks that are in Spanish called “En Tu Sonrisa” and “Soñando En Ti.” Leone is a passionate and vivacious 20-year-old artists that takes you on a journey with her heartfelt album Awake.