Sarah G releases ‘The Great Unknown’

Fresh from her successful two-night concert at the Araneta Coliseum, Sarah Geronimo continues her musical reinvention with the release of her 12th and brand new album titled “The Great Unknown,” and here, our Popstar Royalty takes the best bits from her two previous hit albums and expands on it.

An even mix of ballads, mid tempo numbers and upbeat tracks, the album starts off with the piano driven ballad “Unbroken.” Written by Philpop finalist Melvin Morallos, “Unbroken” finds Sarah on a romantic yet somewhat pensive mood. Those strong emotions only serve to beautify the songs, and you can hear it on the singer’s execution all throughout, especially on “The Great Unknown,” the title track that Sarah collaborated on with alt-pop band Hale.

The laidback feel continues on the romantic track “Ako’y Para Lamang Sa’Yo,” composed by hitmaker/singer-songwriter Top Suzara formerly of Freestyle. Picking up the tempo a bit, Sarah takes on the R&B-tinged pop number written by Geraldine Lim titled, “Baby You’re The Reason.” Also making a first time appearance in an SG album is Sarah’s close friend, pop-rock singer-songwriter Yeng Constantino who contributes a song and is featured in “Kaibigan Mo.”

“The Great Unknown” is exclusively an all-original affair, and Sarah meticulously picked the best songs from the most promising of songwriters – from next-gen tunesmiths Thyro Alfaro, Yumi Lacsamana, Nica Del Rosario, Emmanuel Sambayan and those in between, such as Edmund Perlas, who wrote the endearing “Only For You” and Hale’s Roll Martinez in the alt-pop flavored “Kapit.”

Highlighting the “The Great Unknown” is a triple-treat of catchy, upbeat modern pop tunes: starting with the subtle, electro-flavored “Sabi Mo Sa Akin” (written by Mark Villar). Sarah works anew with beats-meister Jumbo “Bojam” De Belen who whipped up a smorgasbord of beats with Nica Del Rosario and Emmanuel Sambayan in the dubstep-fringed “Tala.” Closing the album with a bang is the Thyro Alfaro-Yumi Lacsamana track “Misteryo.”

“The Great Unknown” is produced by Civ Fontanilla and Sarah and is released by Viva Records. Released on December 4, the album is now available on iTunes for download and can be listened to on music services like Spotify, Deezer, Rdio and Guvera.

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The year 2015 is memorable for Albert Martinez. At his solo presscon held at B Hotel located at Scout Rallos, Quezon City, the actor looked back on the events that happened in his life. First, his wife Liezl passed away in March. Then his mother-in-law Amelia Fuentes suffered a stroke while vacationing in Korea. With his career, he is cast in two top-rating soap operas where he plays important roles.

In the afternoon soap “All of Me,” he portrays the role of Doc Manuel opposite 21-year-old Yen Santos. In the primetime drama “Ang Probinsyano,” he plays villain to Coco Martin’s character.

This is the first time that he has two soaps airing at the same time and both are top-rating at that. When he turned 50,  Albert accepted that he will surely be offered father roles because he knows he can no longer compete with younger leading men. But last year, he was offered by ABS-CBN to be the leading man of Bea Alonzo in “Sana Bukas Pa Ang Kahapon,” while this year, he was given the role as Yen’s leading man in “All of Me.”

“This is a different kind of career positioning for me since I found out I can still be credible as leading man to younger actresses even if I am already 54,” said Albert. “We were surprised that my loveteam with Yen has its own following, and they call us AlYen.”

Albert plans to do a movie with Yen next year. He is on the lookout for a good story that will suit them.

Since both of his shows are doing well ratings-wise, they’ve both been extended; “All Of Me” will air until March while “Ang Probinsyano” will be on air until July.

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It will be a challenge for the AlDub Nation to make “My Bebe Love #Kilig Pa More” a blockbuster hit. This is the first movie of Alden and Maine, the hottest showbiz tandem today.

For sure, the AlDub Nation is aware that the movie is up against stiff competition, so it is up to them to let “My Bebe Love” give the other filmfest entries a run for their money.

The competition is daunting. There’s the movie of Vice Ganda with Coco Martin, which has the tandem of James Reid and Nadine Lustre. Then the movie of Kris Aquino and Derek Ramsay has Jodi Sta. Maria, Ian Veneracion, Kim Chiu and Xian Lim.

“My Bebe Love” has Bossing Vic Sotto and Ai Ai delas Alas. For sure, with Bossing and Ai Ai in the cast, the film will surely put up a good fight. If we are to base the big support that the AlDub Nation is giving Eat Bulaga’s Kalyeserye, “My Bebe Love” has a good chance of being MMFF 2015’s frontrunner.