A Peek Into Charice’s Forthcoming Album

Back in 2010, Charice’s self-titled international debut album landed 8^th in the US Billboard 200 Chart.  The year before that, Charice was invited to sing The Star-Spangled Banner at the opening ceremony of Major League Baseball at the Los Angeles Dodgers Stadium.  She wore a jersey with number 8.  Chasters knew back then that her favorite number was 8.  In the description of the video of this event on her YouTube channel, Charice explained the reason for that number 8—“that means infinity.”  In 2011, she released the album Infinity in Japan and in other Asian countries.  Included in the cover of the album is the infinity sign which is 8 written sideways.

In February this year, it was mentioned on Twitter that Charice’s favorite number was 10.  “Oh, I thought it was 8,” I heard myself say.  Well, I am one of those whose favorites change over the years…be it number, color, book, food, movie, etc.  Sometimes, I retain my old favorites and just add new ones.  Other times, I cannot decide or it depends on my mood.  But that tweet was very specific—10.

The significance of 10

In June, days after her ‘coming out’ on The Buzz, Charice announced that she would make an album specially for her fans in the Philippines.  (Let me add here that her international fans are excited to get this album via whatever means possible.)  Later on, she revealed the title of the album—Chapter 10.  I wondered then what the significance of 10 was.

During her guesting on the TV talk show Showbiz Inside Report (SIR) which aired on July 13, Charice briefly explained the significance of 10—her birthday (May 10), her mom’s birthday (January 10), and their (her and girlfriend Alyssa Quijano’s) anniversary.  She added that there had been so much happening associated with the number 10 in her life.  She wanted the album to be like a book of her life which, to my thinking, was the reason for the word “chapter” in the title.  So, Chapter 10 it is!

About the songs in the album

Aside from the significance of 10, Charice also revealed in Tagalog on SIR, “What you will hear from the album are songs that are close to my heart.”  On Bandila, a late night news program which aired on July 11, part of Boy Abunda’s Tagalog report went, “Alyssa Quijano, Charice’s girlfriend, has a special participation in the album.  There are also songs that Charice dedicates to her mom.”

It is inevitable that there are those who wonder if Chapter 10 has songs with belted notes.  One fan of “Charice, the belter” tweeted Troy Laureta, Charice’s musical director and part of the team making the album, asking if Charice did some belting in the album or just soft tones all the way.  It was Charice who replied in Tagalog, “When the album comes out, don’t wait and search for the belting.  Just feel and listen to it instead.”  With that reply, I can surmise that Charice wants her listeners to focus, not on her belting (if ever there is in the album) but rather, on the messages of the songs and the feelings that she has put into singing them.  And rightly so because it is a book of her life and not something about belting notes. I don’t think Ms. Lea Salonga was in the vicinity of belting avenue when she wrote in her column, “If she [Charice] must tell the world her whole story, I’d rather hear it sung.”

Probably

Troy had been updating the Chasters on the progress of Chapter 10 on Twitter. In one such update he tweeted, “These Charice records are coming out beautifully! #InTheStudio #CharicePHAlbum #UnexpectedLove”

Unexpected Love is the title of a song that Cheesa and Charice wrote together. Cheesa, who is Troy’s sister, a good friend of Charice, and an artist in her own right, tweeted, “Excited and honored for Charice to record one of the songs we wrote together! I miss you @officialccrp! Kill it!!!! #unexpectedlove”

I have not come across any information from Charice Team regarding the specific songs that are included in the album. Based on the above tweets, however, Unexpected Love will most probably be part of it. I think other songs that may be included are those that she has sung in her TV guestings lately, like Perfect, Titanium, and Skyscraper. I have heard her versions of these songs and I consider my experience in listening to them as a peek into her forthcoming album.

How many songs will be in the album? Maybe 10? More than 10, of course, will be most welcome. Less than 10 will not lessen its value. But I think 10 songs will be perfect because…

In 2008, drama anthology “Maalaala Mo Kaya” featured the earlier life story of Charice. Part of it showed her frustration in not winning the grand title of Little Big Star and this made her think that she did some mistakes while singing If I Were You in the final round. A couple of months after the contest, producers from a music publishing company in Sweden saw her videos that were uploaded by FalseVoice on YouTube. Aside from giving Charice the very first opportunity to go abroad, their invitation to a demo-recording in June 2007 paved the way for Charice to gain back her confidence in singing. The name of that company was Ten Songs/Productions.

Anticipation

I cannot wait to get hold of Charice’s Chapter 10 album which will be released this coming September. Before discovering Charice, I would usually listen to songs and appreciate their rhythms, beats, and harmonies without so much minding of their lyrics, their messages. I did not even hear the feelings of the singers. It was their melodies that mostly got stored in my memory. Well, not anymore and definitely not this time. That is not going happen when I listen to the songs in Chapter 10.

 Fan-made layout by Yojan17