Bleeding Love - Critical Reception

Critical Reception

"Bleeding Love" was well received by critics. Showbiz Spy described the song as "emotionally fuelled", and opined, "this track perfectly showcases Leona's impressive vocal prowess and from the moment she opens her mouth we are instantly reminded about her amazing voice, capable of heart stopping intensity and a playful light touch." Digital Spy's review of the song gave it four stars out of five, saying it is "easily the best single to be released by an X Factor star," and describing it as "a brilliantly smart pop record, managing to offer the lovelorn balladry that Lewis's X Factor fans are no doubt craving, while also suggesting a hint of street cred in the form of some beefy, vaguely modish beats." It came second in Digital Spy's Top 20 Singles of 2007 announced on 31 December.

However, BBC America's reviewer expressed that "the inventive percussion can't stop "Bleeding Love" from sounding dated, like filler on some long-lost, late '90s Mariah Carey album. It's one of those mid-tempo numbers – too slow for the club, too fast for the foxtrot. Actually, with its marching band drum beat, it sounds as much like Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" as a ballad can." The critic continues to say, "On to the positive: Lewis wisely restrains her vocals, never devolving into those vocal acrobatics that have historically plagued Christina Aguilera." Billboard's review by Singles Review Editor Chuck Taylor for "Bleeding Love", the first ahead of the song's release in the United States, stated it was "a colossal and timeless debut", going on to say "not only a one-listen harmonic show-stopper, it is also hip, soulful, beat-rippling and an undeniable vocal tour de force." The Village Voice described the song as a "perfectly devised emo-pop machine ... the old Mariah is jealous right now."

"Bleeding Love" has earned Lewis numerous awards and nominations. In December 2007, "Bleeding Love" won The Record of the Year and the award for Best Track in the Virgin Media Music Awards 2007. In January 2008, the song was nominated for the British Single award at the 2008 BRIT Awards. Although the award was won by Take That's "Shine", it was announced that "Bleeding Love" had received the second highest number of public votes. The massive success of "Bleeding Love" earned Lewis the music award at Britain's Best 2008, which was aired on ITV1 on Friday 23 May 2008. On 3 December 2008, the song was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, but lost to Alison Krauss and Robert Plant's "Please Read the Letter" and Adele's "Chasing Pavements", respectively. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song 25th in the list of The 100 Best Singles of 2008. In April 2009, Tedder and McCartney were awarded with the Song of the Year Award at the 26th Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards for writing "Bleeding Love". In September 2011, "Bleeding Love" was ranked #67 by VH1 on its list for the 100 Greatest Songs of the '00s.