U.K. import Leona Lewis makes a huge splash at No. 1 on The Billboard 200, becoming the first British solo artist to debut in the U.S. chart's top slot, according to this morning's Nielsen SoundScan charts.

The singer, discovered on "The X Factor," Simon Cowell's British talent show, leads the list with opening-week sales of 205,000 copies. That gives Lewis' "Spirit" a commanding lead over last week's chart champ, George Strait's "Troubadour," which holds the runner-up spot with 59,000 sold.

Last year, Amy Winehouse's "Back To Black" set a record for the highest bow by a British female's solo debut when it entered at No. 7, although that set had not been Winehouse's first British release.

Lewis becomes the first Brit solo act to lead The Billboard 200 since Rod Stewart's "Still The Same... Great Rock Classics Of Our Time" led the page in the Oct. 28, 2006 issue. Moreover, she becomes the first British female soloist to do so since Sade's "Promise" reached No. 1 in February 1986, a couple of months before Lewis' first birthday.

The release of "Spirit" stirs an 11% rise for Lewis' lead single, "Bleeding Love," which returns to No. 1 on Hot Digital Songs with 223,000 sold for the week (2-1). The song has sold 1.1 million copies since U.S. downloads became available in late December, according to Nielsen SoundScan.