Rachel has new album under Sony Music

MANILA, Philippines - It has taken six years for Rachel Alejandro to come up with a new album and music lovers better Believe  it’s worth the wait.

According to Rachel, the 13 tracks in Believe were chosen so carefully, she refused songs submitted to her by friends (some of whom are big names in the industry) when these didn’t fit the bill. “It was hard telling them ‘no’ because what they wrote were really very good songs. But in the end, we couldn’t just settle for ‘very good’ — we wanted the best,” she said.

Carrier single Tayo Pa Ba?  is written by Edith Gallardo and Nino Regalado. Rachel admits she was crying the first time she heard it. “I had just broken up with my boyfriend then so I was able to relate to the song. Tayo Pa Ba?  is about two people who have supposedly moved on from their relationship but are still thinking secretly what they had may still be worth one more chance. The song is in the vein of Rachel’s biggest hits such as Paalam Na, Bulag Sa Katotohanan and Kay Tagal that tell of real situations versus mere generic messages.

Released under Sony Music Entertainment, Believe also contains the songs Bakit Hindi Tayo? (penned by Cholo Escano), Hanggang (an Amber-Marcus Davis collaboration) and The Rain (written by Rachel herself). The remakes are You Were There (by Southern Sons done in duet with her father, Hajji Alejandro), Xanadu (Olivia Newton John), Don’t Stop Believing (Journey) Alone (Heart) and There’s A Fine, Fine Line  (from the musical Avenue Q).

Rachel is part of the puppet-meets-person musical, Avenue Q, that runs at Carlos P Romulo Theater at the RCBC Plaza in Makati City from March 12 to 27. Produced by Atlantis Productions, Raçhel plays Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut in the Tony Award-winning show. To those who wish to get tickets to Avenue Q for the March 12 and 19 playdates call or text 09178-AVENUE for reservation and delivery.

Rachel describes Believe as a pop album; one that’s easy to listen to but canvasses the geniuses of some of OPM’s finest songwriters and producers. “I was able to give my voice a rest these past years which now allows me to use its full strength and range,” said she.

Rachel is about to launch new menu items for her and her sister’s business, The Sexy Chef. They will soon launch the Calorie Controlled food items, among others. Rachel will be in the US in April for shows with Geneva Cruz. She’ll go to New York end of the year to take up skating lessons in preparation for Xanadu.

Launched on ASAP XV, Rachel says Believe reflects her rekindled purpose as an artist. “If you’re someone like me who has been around, you know that it’s easy to lose sight of why you entered the business in the first place. This album reasserts my belief that new good music still exists. That in these days of the revivals, fresh materials still have a place in the OPM scene,” she concludes.