The Star for a Night album is now ‘gold’

There must be something about kids dreaming of showbiz stardom that sets the world on its ear. Take for example the television show American Idol where unknowns compete for the plum prize of a recording contract. Not only does it dominate the ratings, it has also spawned a hit single, God Bless the USA by the finalists in the talent search, two hit albums, also featuring the last batch of finalists and a star in winner Kelly Clarkson, who was launched with the hit album Thankful.

The situation is no different hereabouts. One of the biggest-selling albums in the country these days is the soundtrack of the hit TV show Star for a Night featuring newcomers who competed in the finals last March for the one-million-peso prize. It is made up of the contestants performing their competition songs plus one cut, the Willy Cruz classic, Pangarap Na Bituin by the show’s emcee Regine Velasquez. With sales of over 20,000 copies, the album is now officially Gold and on its way to the coveted Platinum status.

Just like what happened with Clarkson, Star for a Night has also given birth to a new star in the person of winner Sarah Geronimo. The svelte 14-year-old wowed the audience and the judges with her showstopping rendition of Celine Dion’s To Love You More. She obviously has the same effect on radio DJs who started playing the song. Listeners responded with requests for more of the same and it came to a point when people woke up, spent their day and went to bed with Sarah’s song in their very own soundtracks. Sarah is now on top of the playlists, her To Love You More and the Star for a Night album are big sellers and Sarah is the hottest newcomer in the music business.

Thanks to the album’s success, there is now also a great deal of interest in the other finalists who failed to win the grand prize but are no less talented. In fact, it is believed by many industry observers that given the right push and opportunity and most of all their willingness to work extra hard at their craft, these kids should be able to dominate the local music scene within the next few months.

Expected to make his mark soon is Jason Velasquez whose rendition of Martin Nievera’s You are My Song is the album’s second single release. Jason will soon begin work on his own solo album. We will also be hearing more from Musica Cristobal of the song Emotions. Angeli Mae Flores of Cry, Mark Bautista with Ngayon at Kailan Man, and Florie Mae Lucido and her Ngayon. Also certain not to be dismissed as just other also-runs are the finalists Maureen Marcelo with Better Days, Carlo San Jose Never Ever Say Goodbye, Angeline Quinto Habang May Buhay, Roxanne Castro Fallin’ and Mailyn Yu with her Vision of Love.

Auditions have began for a new star search show featuring Regine as host and also produced by Viva Television. Telecast will begin in June. As expected, the Sarah fever is very much at its peak with nearly every aspiring diva bursting into her version of To Love You More at the audition. There are also one or two Mark’s with Ngayon at Kailan Man and an occasional Jason You are My Song plus clones of the other contestants. This is of course, another indication of the popularity of the Star for a Night album.

By this time next year, we might be listening to the performances of a new batch of talented finalists and of the lucky million-peso winner. By that time too Sarah and company should have already reached the top and have become the most exciting batch of new stars around. And plans will be afoot to pick out the contestants who will comprise the first group of another talent search.

And the cycle of the search for stardom goes into another round.

Hit songs

Meanwhile here are the songs Pinoy music lovers have been listening to the most during this past week: To Love You More by Sarah Geronimo; If You’re Not the One by Daniel Bedingfield; Heaven by DJ Sammy; Passenger’s Seat by Stephen Speaks; Foolish Heart by Nina; Pangarap Ko ang Ibigin Ka by Regine Velasquez; In Da Club by 50 Cent; Don’t Dream It’s Over by Sixpence None the Richer; Rock Your Body by Justin Timberlake; and Unwell by matchbox 20.