Zia hurdles second album ‘curse’

The hot new singer Zia Quizon came into show business toting baggage that would have daunted anybody. For one, she is descended from legends. On one side of her family are the Quizons, where daddy, the late Comedy King Dolphy, reigns supreme over an extraordinary line-up of actors, singers, dancers, comedians, etc. 

The other side is occupied by the Padillas, also a noted showbiz family that includes Mom, the Divine Diva Zsa Zsa and lots of award-winning actors and singers and even a famed boxing referee for her grandfather. I can just imagine how difficult it must have been for Zia while she was growing up, being constantly scrutinized if she will become a great beauty like Zsa Zsa or will have the poise and wit of Dolphy. 

Thankfully, Zia grew up pretty and talented. But those qualities and her pedigree were not really enough for her to win total acceptance as an artist. Because, there was also the fact that Zia looked and sounded different from the girl singers that local fans liked to have around.  Thankfully again, Zia stuck to her guns, singing and writing songs she liked and not like what fans are presumed to like. And it worked.

Zia introduced her jazzy, folksy vibe in the album also titled Zia from two years ago. Thanks to cuts like Dear Lonely, Simple Girl and the big debut single Ako Na Lang, the CD turned out to be a major success. She was named Best Female Recording Artist, while her album won for Best Recording by a New Female Artist at the Awit Awards.  Ako Na Lang was named Song of the Year while Simple Girl won for Best Engineered Recording. Voters at the MYX Music Awards picked Zia as Favorite New Artist of 2012.

And because she has now chosen to make music her career, there was no way for Zia to avoid the dreaded sophomore curse. You know how it goes in the music business.  An artist hits it big on the first time out like she did with Ako Na Lang but a single song in the first album is not enough for a lifetime. 

That is why there are the so-called One Hit Wonders, artists who never got to have a second hit and are remembered forever for only one song. To be a full-fledged star, a recording artist must hurdle the sophomore slump with a second, a third and many more hits. Zia recently released her second album and it looks like she has gracefully overcome the sophomore test.

Titled A Little Bit Of Lovin’, the CD is a well-produced collection that shows how much of Zia’s talents remain untapped. There is still a lot of Adele in the way she sings but she has managed to put her own spin in the style. The result is very much her own. This is most effective in her compositions. She has four very good originals in the album, Under & Over, On The Run, Little Bit Of Lovin’ and Sweet Memories.

Zia has also ventured into light rock, Seven Nation Army, by Jack White of White Stripes, the only foreign cover song in the CD; and folk with Asin’s Masdan Mo Ang Kapaligiran. She also does well with a torchy ballad Kung Ayaw Mo Sa Akin by Francis Salazar. And while I think that Gloc 9’s rap in Katulad Ng Iba by Aristotle Pollisco, comes off as too strong and detracts from her sweet delivery, it makes for some variety in the album’s contents.

Best of all, her use of a mixture of English and slangy Tagalog in her lyrics comes off as cute and definitely memorable. Check out potential hit singles Pasakalye and Bakit Hindi Ka Crush Ng Crush Mo by Jungee Marcelo, who also wrote Ako Na Lang. Expect a lot of other artists to do the same soon. Zia is making sexy and easy singing appealing. Expect a lot of girl singers to ditch power singing, too, and save a lot of voice boxes.

From local music channel MYX, here are the Top 20 videos from last week’s Pinoy MYX tabulation. Sandata by Yeng Constantino; Tamis by Kamikazee; Ilusyon by Abra featuring Arci Muñoz; Gilid by Moonstar88; No Limitations by Sam Concepcion; Saludo by Quest; Discolamon by Banda Ni Kleggy; Bumalik Ka Na Sa Akin by Silent Sanctuary; High by Save Me Hollywood; Broken Heart by Kaligta.

Atat by Ron Henley feat. Muriel; Josephine by Yeng Constantino; Dati by Sam Concepcion, Tippy Dos Santos and Quest; Tonight by JayR and Mica; Puro Laro by KZ Tandingan; Trip Lang by Shehyee feat. Sam Pinto; Back To You by Luigi D’Avola; Pwede Ba by Midnight Meetings; Haunted by Ely Buendia; and Lapit by Ebe Dancel.