“I’m missing you/ and it’s making me blue, yeah/ I’m missing you/ But what can I do/ I’m thousand miles away from you…”

The car’s CD player played that song while my friend and I were braving the traffic on EDSA one Friday evening.

“Hmmm, that doesn’t sound like Meja,” said my road buddy, who, by the way, earned her Music degree (major in Voice) from the U.P. Conservatory of Music.

I replied, “Yes, it’s not Meja. It’s actually Bea.”

“Bea??? Bea the upcoming Betty La Fea?” she almost screamed.

Bea Alonzo’s The Real Me album is quite the anti-thesis of her sweet, charming and kikay image on television and in the movies.

The lady singing the six tracks in the album shows a bit of spunk.

Her choice of cuts is very exploratory. I initially thought Bea would go for Mandy Moore-type of songs, but I was wrong. Her choices combine both maturity and youthful sweetness. Her voice can be raspy, forceful, and also dulcet. Her emotions speak for a woman in love, heartbroken and hopeful.

THE SONGS. I like her version of “I’m Missing You.” She sounded a bit like Meja, but I was moved by the passion in her voice. I just felt she was sort of pouring her heart out. I can see the song as a potential hit.

Teens are likely to go crazy over “Crazy About You,” one of the original songs in the album. The arrangement reminded me of Jane Arden’s “Insensitive,” and Bea’s rendition can be likened to how pop-star dolls—like Britney Spears, Hillary Duff, and even Rihanna—treat their songs.

Bea’s “Close To You” deviates from the original piece, which was sang by Danish singer Whigfield. The song is now more upbeat, breezy, and something you can listen to while driving.

Another promising cut is “You,” a composition by Jim Brickman, while Bea’s revival of Michael Johnson’s “I’ll Always Love You” will find an audience in the young hopeless romantics.

The only Tagalog track in the album, “Kagandahan,” is proof that the young actress also has what it takes to be part of the pop rock scene.

VOICE QUALITY. On her album jacket, Bea wrote: “It has always been my frustration to be a singer…but growing up after being a fan of Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, & Regine Velasquez, I thought to myself, I can never be a singer…”

The girl has no problem with hitting the right notes, and her voice is generally clear. In terms of style, she can do some yodeling and she can sometimes go nasal. As my friend put it, “May babagayan ang boses niya. But the girl can really sing.”

The budding singer also mentioned this in her album: “You don’t have to have a high-pitched voice to be a ‘real singer’.. You just have to sing your heart out & be real.”

And she’s right.

Bea doesn’t have the voice range of our famous divas here in the country, but she definitely has the heart of a singer. (PEP.ph)

Here's the video of Bea Alonzo in Wowowee



Download FULL ALBUM HERE