by GERARD DEE

It’s been more than three years since “Don’t You Forget,” the chart-topping single from his debut album World Outside My Window, made Glenn Lewis one of the freshest faces in contemporary soul. Since then, he’s been recharging his batteries and getting ready for his next big move.

“I’ve just been taking a little bit of time for myself, to set new goals and create new challenges,” says Lewis. “You know, I had like, 25 years to prepare to do that first album. Those [songs] were all from different experiences, and you have to accumulate different experiences.”

Although he’s grateful that he had a hit single right out of the box, he admits that the immediate success had its drawbacks.

“It’s funny, I look back and I wish that I had been better prepared for it. So many things just happened so fast on the strength of that song. There were just so many opportunities, so many things that came my way, and at the time, I didn’t really know how to capitalize on them.”

One thing Lewis had to get accustomed to right from the start were the constant vocal comparisons to one of his idols, Stevie Wonder.

“I understand where it’s coming from, and I appreciate it and it’s not something I’m trying to hide. Definitely, there’s that influence, but there’s so much more that makes me who I am and I think one of the things that has been important for me is people being able to identify with me.”

These days Lewis is busy writing material for a new album, which may possibly surface sometime in 2006. In the meantime, he’s still enjoying the long-lasting effects of his impressive debut.

“Anywhere I go, people always express their appreciation of my work, and it doesn’t matter what their background is, where they come from, what nationality they are. And that in itself is humbling and I’m grateful for it—it’s all I ever wanted to do. I feel like I’ve achieved one goal that I set out to accomplish.”

With Majess, Butcher T, Supreme and Mr. V at Xodus on Monday, Dec. 26, 10 p.m., $20+, ages 21 and over

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