After her second international single, “Pyramid,” topped the Billboard Dance/Club chart, comes Charice with her eponymous debut album which zooms to number eight on the Billboard 200 this week on strength of her album launch and fourth appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” on May 11.
Billboard.com reported album sales of 43,000 copies, trailing behind the latest CD of R&B singer Usher. The feat, Charice said via Twitter, is a “dream come true.”
This development somewhat alleviates the pressure posed on the 18-year old Filipina star whom some say may have a challenging time penetrating the US teen market because of being heavily identified with the “moms” segment from her guest appearances on "Oprah."
The YouTube sensation is identified as the little girl with the big voice who can belt out power ballads by Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. However, as Associated Press puts it, “these days, it's the grooves behind the big voice that matter.”
Released last Feb. 23, "Pyramid" took a protracted climb at the Billboard Dance/Club Party Chart, reaching the top almost three months later. So far, the single is yet to penetrate the Billboard Hot 100.
Charice’s mentor, producer extraordinaire David Foster, who is also responsible for some of Celine’s and Whitney’s hits back in the days, told AP in an interview that he is well aware of the challenge, that’s why they made a “conscious decision” to make the petite belter’s sound more appealing and accessible to her generation.
The result: A pop-R&B album which features not only Charice’s “towering voice” but also the artistic services of young writers and producers. These include in-demand songwriter Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic and Swedish songwriter David Jassy, who co-wrote “Pyramid.”
With the proliferation of hook-laden pop songs, which seem to be nothing more than the hooks, David believes that Charice has a musical gap to fill.
"There is a lack of organic music right now, and it's fine - it's just the phase that we're in. I think there is room for some more musicality," he said. More, “[Charice] has the entire package.”
In spite of these issues, Billboard predicts that “like any strong pop song, expect this one (“Pyramid”) to scale multiple charts.” The song also earned praise from the popular American music mag, which described it as “a radio-friendly number about defying the odds while displaying the kind of vocal range that other budding pop stars simply don't have.” It “ultimately sounds believable because of Charice's conviction in her delivery.”
Billboard.com reported album sales of 43,000 copies, trailing behind the latest CD of R&B singer Usher. The feat, Charice said via Twitter, is a “dream come true.”
This development somewhat alleviates the pressure posed on the 18-year old Filipina star whom some say may have a challenging time penetrating the US teen market because of being heavily identified with the “moms” segment from her guest appearances on "Oprah."
The YouTube sensation is identified as the little girl with the big voice who can belt out power ballads by Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. However, as Associated Press puts it, “these days, it's the grooves behind the big voice that matter.”
Released last Feb. 23, "Pyramid" took a protracted climb at the Billboard Dance/Club Party Chart, reaching the top almost three months later. So far, the single is yet to penetrate the Billboard Hot 100.
Charice’s mentor, producer extraordinaire David Foster, who is also responsible for some of Celine’s and Whitney’s hits back in the days, told AP in an interview that he is well aware of the challenge, that’s why they made a “conscious decision” to make the petite belter’s sound more appealing and accessible to her generation.
The result: A pop-R&B album which features not only Charice’s “towering voice” but also the artistic services of young writers and producers. These include in-demand songwriter Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic and Swedish songwriter David Jassy, who co-wrote “Pyramid.”
With the proliferation of hook-laden pop songs, which seem to be nothing more than the hooks, David believes that Charice has a musical gap to fill.
"There is a lack of organic music right now, and it's fine - it's just the phase that we're in. I think there is room for some more musicality," he said. More, “[Charice] has the entire package.”
In spite of these issues, Billboard predicts that “like any strong pop song, expect this one (“Pyramid”) to scale multiple charts.” The song also earned praise from the popular American music mag, which described it as “a radio-friendly number about defying the odds while displaying the kind of vocal range that other budding pop stars simply don't have.” It “ultimately sounds believable because of Charice's conviction in her delivery.”
