No longer the girl she used to be

Corinne Drewery is no longer the girl performing hits Breakout, Am I The Same Girl? and La La Means I Love You. Corinne has evolved as an artist and so does the music of the Swing Out Sister. Andy Connell is the other half of the ’80s British duo. 

The bob-cut haired singer sings a more intimate music and musing about life, as she puts it, in the latest album titled Swing Out Sister Beautiful Mess. She says Swing Out Sister’s music remains a fusion of different genres but new elements are added into it.

Swing Out Sister is also in Manila for the concert Swing Out Sister... Breakout Live in Manila tomorrow night at 8 at the Araneta Coliseum. Corinne and Andy will also share with their Pinoy fans the fusion music of pop, jazz, soul, funk, hip-hop and easy listening that their previous albums like Kaleidoscope World, The Living Return, Shapes and Patterns and Somewhere Deep in the Night are known for.

“(It was in) 1994,” replies Corinne when asked about the Swing Out Sister’s last concert in Manila. “There’s quite a bundle of fans here. I like their kindness and craziness. Pinoy crowds are enthusiastic, warm and very musical. They love music. They want to join in. I hope they still remember the songs (this time around).”

Pinoy’s passion for music is just one of the reasons why Corinne looks forward to have another show in the Philippines. She says Pinoys are one of the most lively crowds she has ever had in her concerts. They also make the performer feel whether they like his performance or not.

It’s not surprising The Swing Out Sister comes prepared for its third concert here. Corinne will perform 15 songs. Four are from the album Beautiful Mess which is distributed exclusively by Universal Records, Inc. We expect to hear new songs like Something Everyday, Butterfly and Beautiful Mess.

The other tracks in the album are Time Tracks You Down, My State of Mind, I’d Be Happy, Butterfly Lullaby, Secret Love, All I Say, All I Do and Out There.

“For the concert, we have an assortment of songs,” says Corinne. “We want to give everyone a little bit of everything (like hits from previous albums). We have to get a balance. We hope to keep it and to make everybody happy.”

Fans of Swing Out Sister will surely enjoy the live performances of Breakout, which is also a hit in England, and Twilight World, a favorite song in countries like the UK and Japan.

Before coming to Manila, Swing Out Sister toured four cities in Japan. The duo has a huge following in the  land of sakura and kimono. Some of its albums like Filth and Dreams, Where Our Love Grows and Shapes and Patterns were first released in Japan before in other territories like the US and Europe. Beautiful Mess was released by the Japanese record company Avex Trax early this year. It explains why Corinne and Andy have a soft spot for the Japanese.

Swing Out Sister, on the other hand, has won the hearts of many Pinoys because of its catchy songs and lyrics and easy listening/ballad music.

Beautiful Mess showcases a more intimate sound of Swing Out Sister. Corinne’s vocal stylings and Andy’s rhythm heavy sounds bring back Pinoys to the time when they fell in love with the duo’s distinctly pop-jazz music. Somehow, the group’s ninth album reflects the UK’s changing music from jazz to ’60s pop to electro to hip-hop.

“We want to make music that is timeless and lasting,” says Corinne. “We just want to remember the time gone by.”