Why Nina doesn’t consider new and younger singers a threat
MANILA, Philippines — Nina looked back on her first encounter with Julia Fordham, the original singer of Love Moves in Mysterious Ways, and shared Fordham’s thoughts on her version.
To recall, Nina’s cover became the biggest hit off her third album Nina Live!, which was certified Diamond after it sold over 300,000 units almost 20 years ago now.
“I even sang at her show, I think it was at Shangri-La, and after her show, I brought my Diamond Award for her to sign. She said, ‘I love your version of Love Moves in Mysterious Ways. Thank you so much for doing it again in your own style,’” the Soul Siren shared at the intimate press conference for her Love Nina concert presented by Ticket1 at The Theatre at Solaire this Oct. 30, 8 p.m. “She loved it, she told me.”
Nina said she never ever contemplated quitting the music scene. She has survived the changing trends and is now on her 22nd year in the business after making her recording debut in 2002.
“Even if you feel like leaving, but if that’s where you were placed, and that’s your task — to be an artist and share music — you won’t disappear. If it’s your destiny to be an artist and singer, no one can take that from you, not even yourself,” she said.
“Even when I think of going down a different path or profession, I always come back to it. It’s like I’m constantly being pushed in this direction,” she added.
She also shared why she doesn’t view the new generation of singers as a threat.
“Of course, if you feel threatened by the new singers, that’s when you start going crazy. Kumbaga ang dami mong iisipin. But there’s always gonna be new talents, new faces and everything, but if you stick to your soul, to your own music and everything, I think it will work.
“But if you’re always looking over your shoulder, thinking, ‘there’s a new one or oh, they’re better than me,’ or if you have envy in your body, you’ll really lose focus. But if you just look at yourself and not compare yourself with everyone else, I think (you’ll be fine).”
Nina’s Oct. 30 show will also serve as her 44th birthday concert (her official birthdate is Nov. 1). Knowing her songs has comforted the heartbroken is already a gift for her. “I’m just glad that I’m here, still sharing my music. Yung kita (the income) is just a bonus, but seeing people’s faces and hearing comments like ‘I love your songs,’ ‘I moved on with your songs,’ ‘I fell in love because of your songs’ — that’s what makes me happiest.”
“I’ve always believed in aging gracefully,” Nina continued. “Aging gracefully means being content and happy with what you have now, not worrying about the future or dwelling on the past. For me, if I stress about how I’ll look or where I’ll be, it’ll drive me crazy. But if I enjoy the moment, appreciate where I am and how I look now, I think that shows.”
If her songs have been a band-aid for the broken-hearted, The STAR asked if she ever also found healing through her own music.
She gave a resounding yes, sharing, “When I recorded all the songs in the album, I tried to think about the stories and experiences in my life and incorporate them into my songs. That’s why people say, ‘When you sing your songs, we can feel it,’ because it’s real —I’ve been through those things, and I put them into the music. So, when I sing, I feel the emotions from my experiences and even those of my friends.”
But there was one love song where she poured all her heartache into — I’ll Always Stay In Love This Way. “How can you sing that if you’re heartbroken? I was recording it, but I had just gone through a breakup. I couldn’t sing; I was crying nonstop, so I called the A&R director and said I couldn’t do it because my tears wouldn’t stop,” she said.
She recorded it anyway and it became part of her best-selling Nina Live! album.
Meanwhile, if you check out Spotify for numbers on Nina’s songs, they continue to rake in the streams, with her Top 5 songs are Someday (107M+ streams), Foolish Heart (48M+), Love Moves in Mysterious Ways (33M+), Jealous (26M+) and I Love You Goodbye (16M+).
In addition to her hits, she said she will perform new numbers that are always requested but to be sung for the first time with different arrangements in Love Nina.
She promises not only music but also untold stories from her life.
“It’s a light vibe,” said Nina, whose special guests are American singer David Pomeranz, Ian Veneracion and Randy Santiago.
“Love, Nina” tickets are available via Ticket World, Ticket 1 and Solaire.
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