26. February 2025
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Media Review

Leony – Oldschool Love

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Leony - Oldschool Love

Leony - Oldschool Love
3.9

Rating

 3.9/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Well-recorded and arranged songs
  • Lovely, characteristic vocals by Leony
  • Very personal style with Americana influences in the first half of the album
  • Good dance beats in the second half

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Two too different parts of the album feel confusing

In March 2023, I already shared Leony’s debut album Somewhere in Between with you. Some two years later, the German artist is sharing her sophomore record. On 28th February 2025, Leony is releasing Oldschool Love. I already had a listen.

 

Leony – About The Artist

Leony was born as Leonie Burger on 25th June 1997 in Cham in Bavaria. Her first major TV appearance was in 2014, when her band Unknown Passenger won the TV talent show Rising Star. The band broke up soon thereafter and Leony became a solo artist. Her 2017 debut single already got some attention as it was used in a commercial.  Her first commercial success was the platinum single Paradise, which she recorded with Joker Bra and Vize. After she had a chart lead with Raindrops (2021, with Katja Kasavice) in Germany, Remedy (2022) was another platinum single. All of these songs are part of her debut album. She established in the German music scene and also has a couple of golden records as a guest musician, the last one being the 2022 Follow, recorded with Kontra K and Sido.

 

Leony – Oldschool Love – Track by Track

The fifteen track album lasts 36 minutes.

1. I’ll Be Alright (Intro)

The first 75 second of the album are taken by this vocal and instrumental intro with a personal touch.

2. Oldschool Love

In the press kit, Leony dedicates the title track of the album to her parents. A song, which is praising traditional values. The song is a rhythmic pop track. The press kit states that the album also features some country music elements. And there are indeed some sprinkles of it here and there in this song.

3. By Your Side (In My Mind)

The third song of the album has been one of the key single releases. You know the melody of the track already – Dynoro and Gigi D’Agostino had a hit with it in 2018 already and there are numerous versions of it. The guitar-driven, groovy style with folk music elements leads to another view on the track.

4. Your Way

Oldschool Love continues with Your Way. It’s one of the songs which nicely illustrates that Leony and her team are trying to go for a wider sound. The general rhythmic pop heart, which makes the song ready to dance and to enjoy stays. But string and guitar elements remind of other genres. The flavor could be stronger, though.

5. Simple Life

Simple Life has been a single release in March 2024 already. The song has summer vibes and makes you smile. The song feels familiar, but is an original. Definitely an uplifting listen.

6. Fire (with Meduza & OneRepublic)

Fire has been one of the most remarkable releases by Leony in 2024. The song has been the official song of the soccer UEFA Euro 2024 and been streamed on Spotify some 60 million times already. Leony does have scattered vocal parts in there. Not a bad song, but does not really fit into the context of the album to me.

7. Another Goodbye

The Americana influence on Oldschool Love becomes very obvious in Another Goodbye. The song is having a strong rhythmic influence from the guitars. Nonetheless, it is majorly a pop track. I really like that blending.

8. Count On Me

The piano is driving this song, in which Leony states You can count on me.  The arrangement of the ballad puts a nice, strong focus on Leony’s voice, leading to a very personal touch. I like it.

9. Afterglow

Afterglow initially combines the fine voice by the German artist with a strong beat. The first chorus focuses on Leony’s voice – later there are more rhythmic interpretations of it. Despite the song is not that long (2:26 minutes), it feels too repetitive to me. I am sure it does have a nice impact on her upcoming shows, though.

10. What If

The briefest song (apart from the intro) on Oldschool Love is What If. The song works with quite some distortion and electronic elements. It thus rather feels like a song, which could have been part of Somewhere in between already.

11. The Weekend (feat. Imran)

Leony’s discography is full of collaborations and guest appearances. Thus, it is not that surprising that her 2025 album features some of them as well. In The Weekend, she is working with Imran, also known as Abaz. The Hanover producer recorded this electronic pop track with the Southern German artist and also is featured on the vocal side. The song has a good chorus, but it is still quite different to most of the songs in the first half of the album.

12. One In A Million

Oldschool Love has moved to electronic pop with What If finally – and that style continues with One In A Million. I rather like the first half of the record and still feel a bit of confused. From other perspective, listeners might say it this one is just as they love listening to Leony. It is definitely a well made song.

13. Rock n Roll (feat. G-Eazy)

In the meantime, Leony and US-American rapper G-Eazy have recorded and released By Your Side (In My Mind) Part II already. The October 2024 release Rock n Roll has been their first collaboration. The chorus has a really nice touch. If you like pop and rap blendings in general, you will likely love it.

14. I Can Feel (feat. VIZE & Niklas Dee)

VIZE is a music project by DJ Johannes Vimalavong and producer Vitali Zestovskih, who is also the producer of Leony. Together with German DJ Niklas Dee, they recorded I Can Feel, which is a straight dance track. A really nice dancing track.

15. Running Through The Night

Running Through The Night closes Oldschool Love. Leony takes you back to the sound of the first half of the album. Now that sound feels a bit confusing, even though the rhythmic style of the song is a nice one.

 

Leony – Oldschool Love – Spotify

I will add the Spotify widget once the album has been published.

 

Leony – Oldschool Love – My View

Apart from some songs like Fire or Running Through The Night, which feel like being on the “wrong” part of the album, Oldschool Love feels to be split into two sections. There is the first half, which feels more handmade and by that also more personal. The second part is the electronic pop and dance section of the album. You could either praise how versatile Leony is on her new album. I rather lean towards that these two sections are too distant from each other. Both are well done, but I guess most listeners rather love the first or the second part of the album. Splitting it into two EPs might have been the better solution.

Favorite Song: Another Goodbye

 

Leony – Oldschool Love Tour 2025

Soon after the album release, Leony is touring through German-speaking countries:

Mo 10.03.2025 Berlin (Germany) – Columbiahalle
Tu 11.03.2025 Dresden – Stromwerk
We 12.03.2025 Cologne – Carlswerk Victoria
Th 13.03.2025 Münster – Jovel Music Hall
Sa 15.03.2025 Rostock – Moya
Su 16.03.2025 Hamburg – Große Freiheit
Mo 17.03.2025 Hanover – Capitol
We 19.03.2025 Linz (Austria) – Posthof
Fr 21.03.2025 Vienna – Gasometer
Sa 22.03.2025 Mannheim (Germany) – Maimarkt Club
Su 23.03.2025 Stuttgart – Liederhalle
Tu 25.03.2025 Munich – Tonhalle
We 26.03.2025 Zurich (Switzerland) – Komplex 457
Th 27.03.2025 Nuremberg (Germany) – Kia Metropol Arena
Mo 16.06.2025 Bad Vilbel – Hessentag / VILCO Stadthalle
Sa 28.06.2025 Büren – BOArocks

 

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