Considering she ‘graduated’ from The X Factor almost 2 years ago, it’s hard to believe that Forgive Me is only Leona’s fourth single.

Interestingly, this is her first up-tempo single to be released from the Spirit album. Written by Akon (and Claude Kelly and Giorgio Tuinfort), it’s a breath of fresh air. After a slew of ballads, a regular pop song will show us if Leona can break out of the diva stereotype.

So, how does she fare? Surprisingly well. Her vocals are smooth and flawless as usual, and in the video, she handles the dance routines with more confidence than I would have given her credit for.

Do I need to mention that she looks stunning as usual?

And though the melody suggests that it’s a light hearted song, the lyrics are actually about Leona apologising to her ex about settling down with someone else. Can you spot the obvious marketing angle here? That’s right – “Leona says ‘Forgive Me’ to boyfriend, moves in with Cowell”

The song itself is another pure pop gem – no R&B here, which echoes what Beyonce’s doing with her latest release. Is conventional pop music making a return? Certainly looks like it.

Forgive Me is released in the UK on 3 November 2008.