Amy Winehouse's new songs have been rejected by her record label.

The 25-year-old singer - who recently spent three months in the Caribbean on holiday and working on new material - has been told to return to the recording studio because label bosses don't like her new reggae sound.

A source said: "Amy was very productive during her stay in St. Lucia. She wrote a lot of songs, but the majority of them just aren't hitting the mark.

"She seems to have ditched her trademark vintage soul sound and is now heavily influenced by reggae. Her bosses don't think it's a wise move to change her style so sharply and have told her that."

The troubled star's demo tracks for her upcoming third album have also been criticised for being "very dark" compared to her previous hits.

The source explained: "The lyrics are very dark indeed. While she's known for her conversational style and has been very successful with it, many of the tracks are near the knuckle.

"In the past, she's written frequently about broken hearts and boyfriends, but this time round she's delving into harrowing terrain."

Bosses are determined to ensure Amy's upcoming album is matches the success of her 2006 LP "Back to Black".

The source added to Britain's The Sun newspaper: "It is crucial Amy's return is handled properly. If she puts out a record that is in any way half-baked, that could severely damage her long-term prospects, so everyone's focus at the minute is getting it right, even if that means telling Amy some things she probably won't want to hear."

(China Daily/Agencies, March 24, 2009)