Regine Velasquez

In 1998, one of the Philippines' most popular and best-selling singers, Regine Velasquez, released Drawn, her first album for the United States-based MJF Company, with which she signed a six album contract that year. The album is distributed in the Philippines by Viva Music Group. MJF Company is headed by Mark J. Feist, who also produced the album, arranged all tracks, wrote several songs and played several instruments throughout. Philippine distribution of Drawn is handled by local independent Viva Music Group. Feist is reportedly seeking a major international label deal for Drawn, but nothing has yet developed. Best-selling Filipino singers usually restrict themselves to performing easy-listening love songs, a style of music quite popular in the Philippines, but Velasquez also performs much modern music on her albums, particularly 1995's My Love Emotion and 1997's Retro, in addition to the love songs she performs.

1998's Drawn is easily Velasquez's most modern, contemporary album yet, and is oriented toward soulful rhythm'n'blues. "How Could You Leave," for example, a hit in the Philippines for Velasquez, is a senuous, thoroughly modern rhythm'n'blues-styled song in the verse-chorus-verse structure, as are "Once in a Lifetime Love," "Love Again" and others.

Drawn also features a fine acoustic remake of the Bee Gees' "Emotion." Several songs on the album are directed at a Philippine audience, and these include, "Ikaw," "Linglangin Mo" and "I'll Never Say Goodbye."

Whether or not a major label deal is secured for the album remains to be seen, but Velasquez gives it her best shot on Drawn. ~ David Gonzales, All Music Guide