Christina Aguilera feels she needs more time to prepare for her upcoming tour, so she has postponed it.

A statement from the singer’s rep says the summer tour has been moved to 2011 because she is busy with her debut film, “Burlesque,” and her new album, “Bionic.” The film is due in November, the album on June 8.

The 20-city tour was to kick off July 15 in Uncasville, Conn., and wrap up Aug. 19 in Irvine, Calif. British singer Leona Lewis was set to open.

The dates included a stop at Cruzan Amphitheatre on Aug. 7.

The statement says with so little time between the album release and tour date she wouldn’t have to rehearse the show.

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Technically, this telephone press conference with Simon Cowell is a preview of the ninth season of “American Idol,” whose first live performances Tuesday start the season in earnest. But instead of focusing on beginnings, the acerbic Brit finds himself fielding questions about endings – specifically the end of Cowell’s tenure as the show’s go-to, no-nonsense judge of record.

“I want to go out on a high,” Cowell says. “This is my last season, and I want to be successful. We will do everything we can to make it happen.”

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'X Factor' winner Joe McElderry released his cover of 'The Climb earlier this week. (Ian Gavan / Getty Images)

Singer Joe McElderry won the 2009 version of Britain’s The X Factor — basically the U.K.’s version of American Idol.

McElderry became the sixth winner in the show’s history on Sunday, edging out Olly Murs for the title.

The most famous winner of X Factor is Leona Lewis, who has had worldwide success since the show. Other winners haven’t been nearly as fortunate so far outside the U.K.
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Leona Lewis hopes her second album, 'Echo', does as well as her debut. (AP)

Leona Lewis made a name for herself with her debut song “Bleeding Love,” a soaring ballad that flew the 24-year-old to the top of the charts worldwide.

But the British pop singer says her sophomore CD Echo goes a step further, and is “full of big, emotional, dramatic songs.”

“It’s just really like big songs. The main thing is about the song and the melody,” she said of the album, to be released Nov. 17.

“I don’t have any songs on there that are just like, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah,’” she said in a whispery tone while bopping her head.

The first single, the gloomy-yet thumping “Happy,” is one Lewis co-wrote with Ryan Tedder, the producer behind “Bleeding Love.”

“It’s a contradiction of song because, yes, it’s named ‘Happy,’ but the song’s kind of dark, a bit sad, somber,” she said.

“In my songs I want people to go on a journey, and (to get to) happiness, you go through a lot of pain and sadness to get there sometimes and that’s what we wanted to convey on the song,” she added.

The new CD is also a departure for Lewis as she tackles more uptempo, dance songs, like “Outta My Head,” written and produced by Max Martin (Pink, Backstreet Boys).

Lewis also teamed up with Ne-Yo, Justin Timberlake and John Shanks on the new CD.

Echo is the follow-up to Lewis’ 2008 platinum-selling debut, Spirit, which garnered three Grammy nominations, including record of the year for “Bleeding Love.”

Lewis says she’s happy now in her career and life — and ready for round two as an international singer.

“I’m just embarking on going back on the road and traveling and doing it again,” she said.