Exclusive: Tedder blames Leona absence for US flop

Ryan Tedder has blamed Leona Lewis's absence from the US for the disappointing Stateside performance of her last single.

The X Factor star topped the American charts with her debut offering 'Bleeding Love' in March 2008, but 'Happy', the lead single from her new album Echo, could only make number 32 when it was released in September.

Tedder, who co-wrote and produced both songs, insisted that the more recent track became the victim of an ill-advised release strategy.

"In the US, unless you're Justin Timberlake or Beyoncé, you cannot put out a song and not be in the country when it comes out," he told Digital Spy.

"Leona was gone for six weeks when 'Happy' came out because she was promoting the record in other countries - it wasn't her fault; she couldn't be two places in once.

"I had radio stations telling me that they thought 'Happy' was the single biggest ballad they'd come across in ten years, but that if Leona didn't come over here and promote it, it was going to fall."

However, Tedder also admitted that the impact of Lady GaGa - who has notched up five US top ten hits in the last 12 months - might have adversely affected the single's chances.

"On top of that, America's consumed with Lady GaGa and dance music right now, so it's not the best time for ballads anyway", he said. "When everything on the radio is blasting out at 120 bpm, a song like 'Happy' almost sounds out-of-place."

> Click here to read our full interview with Ryan Tedder