Leona Lewis I AM (DELUXE)

It's hard to miss the declaration of independence within the title of I Am, Leona Lewis' first album recorded outside the confines of Simon Cowell's Syco Music. Separating from the machine that turned her into a star, Lewis seizes this fourth album as a vehicle to redefine her sound, ditching much (but not all) of the glassy gauze of "Bleeding Love" and throwing herself into a buoyant bounce somewhat inspired by the reigning British diva of the late 2010s, Adele. Lewis is canny, though. She may often trade in the same Tamla/Motown rhythms that define new millennial neo-soul -- a sound that also surfaced on her ebullient 2013 seasonal affair, Christmas, With Love -- but she and her team of producers (often led by Toby Gad but featuring several other musicians) are keenly aware of various club and EDM trends, so they're given a digital sparkle that entices, not blinds. Similarly, the slower showcases for her volcanic voice seem somewhat built to scale, opting for modulated melodrama over