Putting heartache to good use

source: mb.com.ph

MANILA, Philippines- For pure mainstream showbiz relevance, we’ve always wondered how Sarah Geronimo would handle her recent bout with heartache.

Curiously, Sarah – probably the most guarded big star in local entertainment – somehow managed to maintain a secret relationship of sorts. But alas, neither fame nor fortune saved her from the bitter hurt of a failed romance. Most of us know how that feels; but if you are Sarah, what do you do?

You put out an album’s worth of songs about heartbreak, of course!

Well, at least that’s how it looks like from where we’re sitting. Whatever the case, she absolutely hits the emotional bull’s eye with her brand new album, “One Heart.”

Opening the album is the ballad “Sino Nga Ba Siya,” an apt question that seems to be lingering in Sarah’s head. Then there’s “Kung Siya Ang Mahal,” wherein Sarah also yearns for an answer. Both are delivered with exacting skill, which is no problem for singing champion Sarah whose sincerity is, well, sincerely felt.

Even the selection of covers adds to the “heartbreak theme:” “Sa Isip Ko” (originally by Agot Isidro) and (Jay-R’s) “Bakit Pa Ba?” It’s the stuff soap operas are made of, and whether by design or not, an emotional Sarah Geronimo is all the better for it – artistically, at least.

A handful of originals like “If You Could Read My Mind,” “I Miss You,” the pop-rock flavored “Bata” (a duet with Kean Cipriano, who also wrote the song) and the sweet sounding title track, make this album one of Sarah’s strongest in years. Sarah’s heartache can’t be that bad when it sounds this good.

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“Sunshine Corazon” has come a long way indeed.

Charice Pempengco continues to make waves in the world of US entertainment, as evidenced by her memorable appearances on the hit US TV series “Glee.” In the hit series, the diminutive belter from Laguna wowed audiences with her spot on approximation of powerhouses like Whitney Houston and Celine Dion. That’s why everything is looking up for the 19-year-old singer. And that’s also the reason her label is repackaging her self-titled US debut album to include four new tracks to keep the Pinoy singing phenom going.

Charice’s debut is all about the R&B and dance tunes, which includes the hit track “Pyramid” featuring hip hop artist Iyaz. We’ve reviewed this album already exactly a year ago and listening to it again made us want to put the track “Reset” on repeat-mode. You also want to hand it to the producers of her album for finding the right style and songs for Charice, hitting pay dirt with “Nobody’s Singin’ To Me,” and “In This Song.”

The memorable tracks are still the same: “Thank You,” “I Love You,” and “The Truth Is,” and they all showcase Charice as the powerhouse singer she truly is. For the fanatics, bonus tracks like the R&B flavored “Fingerprint,” the piano and vocal version of “Thank You” and the “Charice only version” of “Pyramid” will make buying this repack worth it.

source: mb.com.ph