Anyone who reads the papers or watches the news will know who Amy Winehouse is, she tragically died on 23rd July 2011 at the age of 27, she suffered from addiction to alcohol and drugs and was reportedly trying to start fresh and take control of her life, however she may never really had made a recovery. Amy was known even better for her music, Amy Winehouses voice was amazing, it had real soul and you could really feel her music when she was on her top game.

Lioness: Hidden Treasures was released on 2nd December 2011 and is a list of unreleased songs that Amy had been working on before her death, the songs on this album were chosen by the people closest to her, her family and £1 from every copy of this album are to go to The Amy Winehouse Foundation. The Amy Winehouse Foundation was set up in memory of Amy, to help charitable activities in both the UK and abroad that provide help, support or care for young people, especially those who are in need by reason of ill health, disability, financial disadvantage or addiction. For more on the Amy Winehouse Foundation, please go and check out their website.

This album contains 12 songs, some new and some remade, here is a list of the track names on this album:
0.1.Our Day Will Come
This song is quite upbeat and is about being in love with someone and knowing that everything will work out in the end with them, the music on this track has a really cool beat to it and has a real reggae feel to it, I really like this song and think that it is one of my favourites on the whole album.

02. Between the Cheats
This song is slower paced and is being in love with your husband, but noticing how much attention he gets from other women, I really like this song, however it wouldn't really be my favourite on the album.

03. Tears Dry (Original Recording)
This is a slower and more funkier soulful version of the already released Tear Dry, it is still quite a good version, but I do prefer the original because it is faster and more upbeat.

04. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (2011 version)
This song is about being caught up in the moment and wondering if the person you are with will still love you the morning after the night before. It is another funky and soulful song that is quite intense, the vocals on this song are amazing and this is another of my favourites on the album.

05. Like Smoke (featuring Nas)
Like smoke is a lovely slow track that includes rapper Nas, the song is about not wanting to love or depend on someone, but hanging around them anyway because you don't want to be alone either, I really like this song, and am a fan of Nas as well which makes it easier for me to like, this song is different to the other songs on the album as it has a few rap verses in it as well as Amy singing the chorus beautifully.

06. Valerie ('68 Version)
This is another remake of an original track, this song has been slowed down and given a more laid back feeling than the original upbeat Valarie, however the lyrics have stayed the same, I prefer this song version to the original Valarie track and am quite glad that this was put on the album.

07. The Girl from Ipanema
This is Amy Winehouse's version of this already popular song from the 60's, I think that this song really suits Amys voice and style and her vocals on this track are perfect.

08. Halftime
This song is about standing back and taking a look at things in a relationship at halftime, this is the time when all the fun and excitement of just meeting someone is beginning to wear off and the relationship is getting more real, this is a really lovely song and again of course has a really soulful and cool feeling to it.

09. Wake Up Alone (Original Recording)
This is another love song, its slow and has a bluesy sad feel to it and is about dreaming about being with the person you love and then waking up alone. I really like this song and think that it's probably the one I listen to the most on this album, it's not what you would call a catchy song as it doesn't really have a chorus, but this is good in my opinion as its really different to most songs I listen to.

10. Best Friends, Right?
This is a song about being friends with someone who you aren't really that nice to all the time, but it doesn't matter because you are best friends and know each other really well, I really like this song on the album and think that it has quite a comical feel to it as the friends start off hating eachother and then the nicer points make their way in towards the very end.

11. Body and Soul (Duet with Tony Bennett)
This is a fantastic song about love and rejection with Tony Bennett, who also has an amazing voice and matches well in the duo with Amy's voice, this song is about giving everything to the person you love and instead of loving you back being rejected.

12. A Song for You
This is the final song on the album and is by far the best in my opinion, this song has a really slow and moody vibe to it and is sang fantastically by Amy. This song is about love and the happiness of being with someone you love but also about going through the hard times and coming through them happily. The lyrics on this song really relate to the circumstances of the album and are really beautiful.

The background music on this album, like many of Amy Winehouses previous songs, all has a real band soulful feeling to it, there is a range of instruments that are heard throughout the album including the piano, drums, saxophone and more. The songs on this album have the same feel and style to them as previous Amy Winehouse songs because of this and I think that anyone who enjoys her past work will really enjoy this album.

You can buy this album in any good music store including HMV, or also in the supermarkets, like Tesco's, Sainsburys or Asda or also online if you shop around. I bought my copy in Tesco for £9.97 which was quite a good price, though I have seen it cheaper online.

Overall
I think that this is a fantastic album, if you enjoy any of Amy Winehouse's previous albums, you will definetly like this one, its cool and there is a real jazzy, blues kind of feeling to it, and her voice is amazing. I think that this album is a suitable tribute to Amy and a fantastic buy, and £1 per album sold goes to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which is an added plus to purchasing this album. I would recommend it to any Amy Winehouse fans, I like it so much, it's been on repeat in my car for the last week now and unlike some other albums, there are no weak tracks on this album.

*also on ciao under lorrainek90