A few years ago, Oprah Winfrey crowned Charice Pempengco as "The Most Talented Girl In The World". The Filipina singer rose to fame through YouTube, and her various appearances on the talk show host's program probably didn't hurt her profile. So now that the eighteen year-old vocalist's debut international album has finally arrived, one has to wonder if she lives up to the hype.
Some might say the project is packed with far too many ballads, mid-tempo tracks and enough overly sentimental lyrical content to make you flaccid before the first song even ends. One could even argue that the selected songs sound like castoffs from Jordin Sparks or a desperate attempt at imitating Celine Dion.
On the other hand, there's a whole other side to these claims. The album may be full of an overflowing amount of melodramatic, slow-paced entries, but that's because Charice is known for singing songs of that variety. She's essentially doing what Leona Lewis couldn't do–breathing new life into the power ballad. And she's doing it in a truly stunning fashion.
While it's yet to be determined whether we're listening to the next big diva, there's no denying the potential hinted at on Charice. Let's just hope the combined powers of Oprah and adult contemporary radio are enough for this young artist to achieve success, because otherwise we may never see what becomes of that potential.
– Dewitt
To listen to a few select songs from the album, follow the JUMP:
great song! you are right, this girl has a great potential, a singer who can really sing.
I’ve heard “Pyramid” on the radio for a few weeks now, and never knew it was her until I saw her on Oprah today! You are correct in that this song does sound like a Jordin Sparks castoff single, but it is a great song, her voice is spectacular, and I love it! Hope she continues to release some great music!