Stay Alive (Nina album)

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Stay Alive
Jay R, Keith Martin, DJ High Rez, Arnie Mendaros, Paolo Zarate
Nina chronology
Diamond: Greatest Hits 2002-2010

(2010) 		Stay Alive
(2011) 		All Good
(2013)
Singles from Stay Alive
  1. "Dance"
    Released: October 6, 2011
  2. "However Much Love"
    Released: January 30, 2012
  3. "Believe in the Dream"
    Released: April 24, 2012

Stay Alive is the sixth

Filipina singer Nina, released in the Philippines on November 19, 2011 by Universal Records.[1][2] After a long recording hiatus, Nina started working on a new album with her new label during the second half of 2010. She described the album's sound as "sexy-soul," and stated that they wanted to show the "other side" [the dancer] of her by means of a dance album. The album covers a wide range of genres, consisting of upbeat house, dance
songs, but still possessing Nina's distinctive mellow sound. Aside from keeping a close watch to the production and song arrangement, the singer also contributed to the album art when she designed the packaging together with her brother King. She described the new look as "different, slightly futuristic and edgy."

The album had a star-studded production. In August 2011, it was revealed that

inspirational song about "following your dreams," a Jude Gitamondoc-penned power ballad, later revealed to be entitled "Believe in the Dream
", was included in the album's final track list.

Stay Alive was a universal acclaim, being well-received by critics and fans alike.

Amazon.com MP3 Download with a slightly altered cover.[5][6]

The album was accompanied by three official singles. "Dance" was initially released in August 2011, but was immediately pulled out of the airwaves after the album's release date was pushed back. On October 6, 2011, the song was commercially released, and was later followed by a critically acclaimed music video. The video for "Dance" features Nina in Gaga-ish costumes, doing choreographed moves at the same time. She performed the song live in Happy Yipee Yehey! and Party Pilipinas, where she also launched the album. On January 30, 2012, "However Much Love" was released as the album's second single to boost up album sales. It also served as a radio-only Valentine single, since no video was recorded for the song. It became a commercial success, becoming Nina's first chart-topper since 2008. "Believe in the Dream" was released in April 2012 as the third official single from the album, accompanied by an official lyric video.

Background and development

"I only have two cover songs in there and the rest are originals. It's going to be sexy-soul which is like singing from the soul but when you hear it, there's a degree of sexiness to it. That's me 'eh. I'm really a singer that sings from the soul, bonus na lang 'yung sexy na part [the sexy part is just a bonus]."

—Nina, on the album's different sound and content.[7]

Before production for the album began, Nina was in a long recording hiatus. The last album that she recorded,

Sabel's theme song "Hagkan" on the album as a bonus track. He also stated that Richard Poon wrote a song for the album entitled "I Don't Want to Fight". However, the album was pushed back to a February release. It was mid-February and there was still no update on the album's release. In an interview for the February 2011 issue of Woman Today magazine, Nina stated that the album's release was, again, pushed back to June 2011 due to the fact that she and her new label wanted the album to be perfect.[9] On February 22, 2011, she posted on Twitter a photo of her, recording a new song in the studio.[10] On February 28, she posted another photo in the studio with the tweet "getting ready for recording. :)...SO much love<3 [sic]."[11]

Nina was touring with the Sessionistas during production for the album.

In an interview after her arrival from

Jay R tweeted that he was working on a collaboration song between Nina and Jimmy Muna.[15] On August 16, Nina tweeted her first publicized picture from the album's photo shoot.[16] In September 2011, she confirmed that the album will finally be released by the last week of the month, proudly expressing the time and effort she exerted for it. She also stated that she did not pressure herself during its production, saying that her main goal is to create a different kind of music for her fans and that she does not expect for it to be a huge hit.[17]
Despite announcements, the album was not released until November 2011.

Title and cover art

Nina was very much involved in the whole process of producing the album that she had to give up several television appearances, which included dropping out of her ASAP group and segment entitled the Sessionistas.[18] She explained "Umalis po ako sa ASAP dahil nagprepare po talaga ako sa album. At nasasabay sa mga out of town and out of the country na shows. [I dropped out of ASAP because I really prepared for the album. And I performed in out of town and out of the country shows.]"[19] She kept a close watch from the album's conceptualization to its songs and arrangement, and even the paper dolls inside the album was her own idea. To be able to do all these things, she had to temporarily disappear in the scene for a while.[20] Production for the album took nearly two years to finish, making people wonder if she had gone out of the music industry for good. In choosing a title for the album, Nina personally decided to call it Stay Alive—coming from the album's second track, "Staying Alive"—to remind the people that she is still very much around, in spite of the hiatus on TV, and the long break from the recording scene.[21] She further explained the origin of the title:

"Kasi parang yung iba sinasabi na wala na (ako), pero hindi nila alam na gumagawa lang ako ng album. [Because it's like some people are saying that I'm gone, but they don't know that I'm just recording an album.] So I’m here to say that I’m still here and staying alive."[19]

She finds the album "special," considering that she did not only contribute to its contents, but also worked on the album cover and packaging together with her brother King. She described the album's new look as "kakaiba, medyo [different, slightly] futuristic and edgy," and stated "I was really hands-on with it."

digipak, containing a booklet, two "Nina Paper Doll" cut-outs and a minus one disc that is encased inside a white record sleeve (available exclusively at Odyssey)—all enclosed in a hard plastic case with white broken line prints, resembling Nina's image in the cover and appearing similar with the Statue of Liberty
's superficial details.

Departure from Warner

"Oh, I know the usual speculations like our business partnership turned sour, etc. But in our case, it’s just a matter of exploring or trying new things. I’ve no disagreement with them, whatsoever. I just wanted to move on!"

—Nina, on her separation with Warner Music.[23]

Nina has been one of the highest-selling acts of

Jay R on the song "Muli" for his album Jay R Sings OPM Love Classics.[24] In May of the same year, she appeared on Kris Aquino's compilation, Blessings of Love, performing Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone" for the album. The album was also released by Universal.[25] On June 30, 2010, she performed the song "Bagong Pilipinas", together with other Universal artists, in the inauguration of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III.[26] It was evident that she has transferred from Warner to Universal, but there was still no confirmation until 2010 ended. On April 15, 2011, she confirmed transferring to Universal, when she wrote an article in The Philippine Star stating "Late last year, I moved to my new record label Universal Records and I consider it one of the biggest blessings in my career."[13] In May 2011, she covered another song for Kris Aquino's album My Heart's Journey. It was "I Want to Know What Love Is", originally recorded by Foreigner.[27] On July 15, 2011, she stated in an interview that she properly asked for permission when she left Warner. She further mentioned how the label took good care of her career, and that their separation ended in good terms.[2] She also described Universal staffs' warm welcome as she transferred, saying "Actually, even though I was new to them, I didn't feel like a newcomer [...] They took care of me during the recording, and also during other shows by Universal."[2]

Composition and critical response

Style and structure

Stay Alive shows a different side of Nina, consisting mostly of original songs, and covers a wide range of genres from piano-driven

working out, playing tennis, and practicing boxing every day. She expressed hard work and exercise to improve her natural physique, proudly stating "I want to be a role model when it comes to body. As you can see, you don't need to be skinny to be sexy."[30]

Music and lyrics

"Dance"
A 29-second sample of "Dance", featuring the aggressive
uptempo
arrangement that is completely different from Nina's previous releases.
"Believe in the Dream"
A sample from "Believe in the Dream", where Nina is said to "heighten the song’s emotion through the rawness that exudes from her vocals."
Problems playing these files? See media help.

The album's

Filipino music.[20] Jojo Panaligan of Manila Bulletin recalled how Nina isn't new to the dance floor anymore, since her first two lead singles, "Heaven" and "Make You Mine", displayed the same groovy vibe. However, none of the two sounds as aggressive as "Dance" in terms of tempo and arrangement.[30] Nina explained her thoughts on the simple reinvention, saying "Few know I love to dance and I’ve always wanted to show that side of me."[30] Lyrically, the song talks about a woman who wants to get back together with her lover after breaking-up with him. While the verses describe her desire for the relationship, the chorus was written in an opposite manner, where she goes to the club and dances her way to forgetting her lover: "In the club I will raise my hands / I just wanna dance, dance, dance / On the thoughts of a new romance / I just wanna dance, dance, dance." According to FORG of PhilCharts.com, the song "has an irresistible beat that makes for a good club banger."[31]

The following track, "Staying Alive", was written and produced by

power ballad, written by Jude Gitamondoc.[20] Nina insisted the song's inclusion with the purpose of encouraging her listeners to pursue their goals despite adversities. Its message is about not giving up on your dreams. Nina related the lyrics to her personal struggles, saying "That's important for me because I, really, almost gave up [...] If this is what you always wanted to do, if this is your dream, don't lose hope. Go for it. Me, I almost gave up and if not for my faith and belief in God, I would have lost the hope that was left. So, just really keep on reaching for your dreams."[7]

"Stay Alive is a testament to Nina's evolution as an artist and determination to be a better performer [...] While the album attempts to prove the Soul Siren's versatility, Stay Alive is still distinctly Nina with her slow and sentimental ballads."

—A writer from Philippine Entertainment Portal, describing Nina's improvement in the album.[22]

"Laging Ikaw" ["Always You"], the only original Tagalog song in the album, was written by Jose Villanueva III. The song is a midtempo pop blues containing elements of R&B, and has a bassline that is aligned with its electronic keyboard notes. It is described as "pop-ish."[22] "Only with You" and "I Came to Dance" were written by Amber Davis and produced by DJ High Rez. Both songs feature "infectious and enticing party-house music."[22] "I Don't Want to Fight" is an acoustic ballad, written by her close friend and ASAP Sessionistas group mate, Richard Poon.[22] The song was originally recorded by Poon's band, U Turn, for their eponymous 2004 album. "Starlight" is a progressive ballad, originally recorded by Nora Aunor. "Missing You" was written by Arnie Mendaros, whom Nina has worked with in her debut album. "You Should Know" was co-written by Nina herself, together with Keith Martin, becoming the second song she ever wrote that was included in an album of hers—the other being "Can't Say I Love You" from Smile (2003). The song is described as "emphatic."[22]

Singles

"However Much Love"
A sample from "However Much Love". The song became Nina's first number-one single, since "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" in 2008."
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Prior to the release of Stay Alive, two different sample versions of the song "Dance" were released by Universal Records via YouTube.[33][34] After a couple of days, the song received rotation over the radio, but was immediately pulled out due to cancellation of the album release. In October 2011, the song was officially released and started receiving limited airplay through radio stations. It was later revealed that Nina personally picked the song as the album's lead single, accepting the risk of catering a new different sound to listeners.[35] "Dance" is an aggressive uptempo club, house dance song,[23] described as an "upbeat track with a catchy melody."[20] Two versions were shot as official music videos for the song, both directed by Sean Lim. The second version was released on December 9, 2011, and features Nina in Gaga-ish costumes.[36] Knight of R&B Duncan Ramos made an appearance in the video, portraying her love interest in the club-dancing scenes. The song was given very limited commercial promotion, and its video was not played on myx until March 2012—which led Nina's fans to questioning Universal's marketing strategy. On January 30, 2012, Universal posted a sample version of "However Much Love", revealing it as the second single from the album.[37] The song was set for a Valentine release as a radio-only single to boost up album sales. It was both critically and commercially acclaimed, being called a "standout" by Philippine Entertainment Portal and peaking at number one for three consecutive weeks, becoming Nina's first chart-topper since 2008's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing".[22] "Believe in the Dream" was released on April 24, 2012 as the third single from the album, accompanied by an official lyric video posted by the label on the same day.[38] The song received overwhelming positive reviews by critics, but failed to chart due to loss of promotion.[31]

Other notable songs

Nina posed on the front cover of Playboy Philippines magazine's May—June 2012 special issue, where she is seen nude with only her private body parts being covered. On May 29, 2012, Playboy Philippines' official YouTube channel released a music video for "Only with You", which consists of behind-the-scene footage for Nina's Playboy photo shoot. The video was produced in collaboration with Universal for the promotion of both the magazine and Stay Alive.[39]

Promotion

Release

Prior to the release of the album, a sample of the disco-influenced pop song by DJ Silverfilter entitled "Dance" was released on August 23, 2011 through Universal Records' official YouTube channel.[33] Silverfilter revealed via Twitter that the voice behind the song is Nina's, and that it would be included in her album. He also stated that he was working on another material with Nina. The song was later released to radio, but was immediately pulled out of the airwaves due to the album release's cancellation. On October 6, 2011, a different sample version of "Dance", which does not feature Silverfilter, was posted by Universal.[34] It was later revealed that Nina personally picked the song as the lead single for Stay Alive.[40] On November 10, 2011, Universal Records' official YouTube channel posted a preview of the album which only included the first nine tracks.[41]

Live performances

Nina performing "Staying Alive" on Update Your Status... at the Music Museum in February 2012.

On November 19, 2011, during the album's release date, Nina performed on a mini concert at

radio show on DZMM
entitled LoveNotes, where she sang a few songs from the album including "Hagkan", "Laging Ikaw" and "However Much Love". Also, the music video for "Dance" had its nationwide premiere during the show on December 13, 2011.

On January 29, 2012, Stay Alive Mall Tour had its first leg at Market! Market! Taguig, where Nina performed most of the album songs with intensive choreography including "Staying Alive" and "Only with You". On January 30, 2012, she sang "Believe in the Dream" in Hitachi Philippines' "Awakening" Distributorship Night at Century Seafood Restaurant. On the following night, she performed the same song for the Philippine Marketing Association anniversary. On February 5, 2012, Nina promoted the album at SM City Baguio, where she performed the album's songs and her previous hits, "Love Moves in Mysterious Ways" and "Someday". On February 13, 2012, she had her first major concert for the year entitled Update Your Status... at the Music Museum.[45] The concert was staged in support with Stay Alive. The fan favorites—"However Much Love" and "Laging Ikaw", the ballads—"Believe in the Dream" and "You Should Know", and the dance songs—the title track and "I Came to Dance", were all included in the set list.[46] As tribute to one of her musical influences, Whitney Houston who died two days before the concert, Nina performed Houston's hit single "Run to You".

Awards

Stay Alive was nominated for Best Album Package in the

Wave 89.1 Urban Music Awards.[49]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."
Jay R Sillona, Keith Martin, Dessirie Joy Hernandez-Poblete, Noel Zuñiga, Knowa Lazarus
Sillona, Martin3:35
3."However Much Love"Jude GitamondocRapadas4:20
4."Believe in the Dream"GitamondocRapadas4:45
5."Laging Ikaw" (English: "Always You")Jose Villanueva IIIRapadas4:32
6."Only with You"Amber Davis, RapadasDJ High Rez3:42
7."I Came to Dance"DavisDJ High Rez3:41
8."I Don't Want to Fight"Richard PoonRapadas3:59
9."Starlight"Bodjie Dasig, Odette QuesadaRapadas5:09
10."Missing You"Arnie MendarosMendaros4:37
11."You Should Know"Martin, Nina GiradoMartin4:51
12."Hagkan" (English: "Kiss")Louie Ocampo, Winnie ArrietaPaolo Zarate3:33

Notes

Release history

Country Edition Release Date Label Catalogue
Philippines Standard (CD) November 19, 2011 Universal Records CDP-94,1485
Standard (download) May 7, 2012
United States Standard (download)[5][6] B0087UVCIO

References

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  2. ^ a b c d Melba R. Llanera (July 15, 2011). "Soul Siren Nina warns other singers of her former PA's modus operandi". pep.ph. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  3. ^ Nitz Miralles (November 25, 2011). "Nina hindi pa alam kung saan lilipat". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
  4. ^ Melba R. Llanera (February 29, 2012). "(UPDATED) Soul Siren Nina disappointed with promo of latest album". pep.ph. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
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  6. ^
    Amazon.com
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  9. ^ Woman Today (February 2011), upcoming album's release date
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  13. ^ a b Nina (April 15, 2011). "Pattaya on my mind". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
  14. ^ soulsiren_nina (May 31, 2011). "its gonna b included in my upcoming album Ü". Twitter. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
  15. ^ rnbjayr (August 5, 2011). "In the studio working on a song for Nina feat @imjmuna. It's gona be hot". Twitter. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
  16. ^ soulsiren_nina (August 16, 2011). "how do you guys like this?". Twitter. Retrieved 2011-08-17.
  17. ^ Bernie Franco (September 23, 2011). "Nina says she misses performing on ASAP". push.com.ph. Retrieved 2011-09-25.
  18. ^ Melba R. Llanera (November 21, 2011). "Nina quits Sessionistas; reaches amicable settlement on estafa case against Nyoy Volante's parents". pep.ph. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
  19. ^ a b c Karen Valeza (November 23, 2011). "Nina to switch networks too?". Yahoo! OMG!. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  20. ^ a b c d Salve Asis (November 26, 2011). "Nina puwedeng dance diva!". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  21. ^ a b "A new Nina". Malaya. November 25, 2011. Archived from the original on November 29, 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Abby Mendoza (November 23, 2011). "Nina shows how she stays alive in her latest album". pep.ph. Retrieved 2011-11-27.
  23. ^
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  24. ^ Bong Godinez (April 16, 2010). "R&B Prince goes pop with Jay-R Sings OPM Love Classics". pep.ph. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
  25. ^ Bong Godinez (May 25, 2010). "Kris Aquino shares Blessings of Love". pep.ph. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
  26. ^ JOJO P. PANALIGAN (June 19, 2010). "Gary V to sing with GMA artists at Aquino inauguration". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
  27. ^ Roldan Castro (April 13, 2011). "Kris Aquino explains why she sticks with "spoken word" concept for her fifth album". pep.ph. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
  28. ^ Rey Belen (November 24, 2011). "Diamond Soul Siren Nina: Sexier and Bolder in New Album". ReyBelen.com. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
  29. ^ Ricky L. Calderon (November 25, 2011). "Diamond Soul Siren Nina just released her new album under Universal Records titled "Stay Alive"". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
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  32. ^ patrickstarfish (2011-11-23). "Nina sizzles in latest single "Dance"". pep.ph. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
  33. ^ a b UniversalRecPH (Aug 23, 2011). "DANCE by silverfilter (Audio Sampler)". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  34. ^ a b UniversalRecPH (Oct 6, 2011). "Nina "Dance" Audio Clip". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  35. ^ ETHEL RAMOS (November 28, 2011). "Mo quits". Malaya. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
  36. ^ UniversalRecPH (Dec 9, 2011). "Nina "Dance" Music Video". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
  37. ^ UniversalRecPH (January 30, 2012). "Nina "However Much Love" Audio Clip". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
  38. ^ UniversalRecPH (April 24, 2012). "Nina "Believe in the Dream" Lyric Video". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  39. ^ PlayboyPhils (May 29, 2012). "ONLY WITH YOU - NINA". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
  40. ^ "NINA SIZZLES ANEW WITH HER NEW RELEASE "STAY ALIVE"!". odysseylive.net. Oct 10, 2011. Archived from the original on November 18, 2011. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
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  42. ^ jcarlgirado (Nov 22, 2011). "Dance by Nina (LIVE) on her Stay Alive Album Press Launch-11222011". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
  43. ^ jcarlgirado (Nov 22, 2011). "However much love by Nina (LIVE) on her Stay Alive Album Press Launch-11222011". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
  44. ^ jcarlgirado (Nov 22, 2011). "You should know by Nina (LIVE) on her Stay Alive - 11222011". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
  45. ^ "Nina's Valentine show". Malaya. January 25, 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  46. ^ Jelai L. Tarosa (February 13, 2012). "Valentine treats from Lea & Nina". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2012-02-19.
  47. ^ "24th Awit Awards - Winners". Awit Awards. Archived from the original on 2012-07-06. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  48. ^ "4th Star Awards for Music will take place on September 9". pep.ph. June 27, 2012. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  49. Wave 89.1
    . March 28, 2012. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
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