Ryan Tedder on Leona's "Happy": Flop Because of No Promotion and Gaga-Led Dance Craze

One of pop music's most ubiquitous songwriters, Ryan Tedder, has offered an explanation as to why Leona Lewis' single "Happy" was a flop in the United States.

The song, which served as the lead single for her album Echo, peaked at #31 on the Hot 100 last year, thanks in part to its appearance in the trailer for the film Precious. According to Tedder, who also co-wrote her #1 smash "Bleeding Love", it wasn't enough.

He told Digital Spy, "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. 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."

The song was released in September, and with sales of over 50,000 in its first week, it debuted at #50 in the US. It quick fell as iTunes sales dropped off as well, only receiving a resurgence with Precious and the album's release. She performed the song on America's Got Talent, Ellen, Dancing with the Stars, and VH1 Divas. Her album has sold 150,000 copies so far in the US, debuting and peaking at #13.

Tedder also referenced Lady Gaga and the boom of dance music on Top 40 radio as reason for the song's disappointing performance. "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."

In my opinion, the real reason why "Happy" flopped is because it wasn't that great, coupled with Leona's lack of promotion. I completely disagree with the dance music argument, and its interesting that he would make it, since "Halo" and "Already Gone", two songs he produced, were radio smashes. After a debut like "Bleeding Love", Leona needed a song far more transcendent that the one Tedder provided.

Her new single "I Got You" is out now.