I only got the chance to listen to Lil Round's "I Surrender" performance on AI last week on my iPod playlist and was really caught up with the song.

A little research more showed me that it's a Celine Dion song way back in 2002 from her "A New Day Has Come" album. Initially, i love Lil Rounds version but Dhena - the hardcore Celine fan I met online suggests that's Celine's version was way much better. Indeed, it was. A very divalicious moment for her and heart-wrenching song I heard for a long time since Whitney Houston's "Why does it hurt so bad."


Sadly, "I Surrender" was never considered a commercial single off that album. It could have had duplicated Celine's old as time's "My Heart Will Go On."

With another suggestion for the live version, I impulsively bought the "A New Day" DVD with additional features on the fanbase, all-access to her concert and some secrets to the success of her Vegas show. After drowning myself of watching those 2 DVDs, I instantly become a bonafide Celine fan...again...renewed..lol

I purchased yesterday a Collector's Edition over eBay of "A New Day" because it's no longer available on record bars. Ugh!

Listen Here!

Charice covered "Note to God" (actually she re-made the song, with new lyrics to the previous JoJo album cut) with much soul, splendor and better performance. Arranged by David Foster, written by Dianne Warren.

The songs starts off with a heartbeat gliding on a piano subtlety. Towards the middle, music is heightened as her voice soars and ending the song with a bravura middle range belt on an almost orchestra background. Live version on Oprah features a live white backup choir. Charice delivers the song so well that we can detect maturity in her voice over this single as compared to her earlier releases. What is interesting here too is that she's Filipino and she's given this great opportunity at an early age she's storming the world with her full voice. So proud of her and also a great lesson to the father that abandoned them.



Download the song--

iTunes
Amazon.com

Lyrics:

"Note To God"

f I wrote a note to God
I would speak whats in my soul
I’d ask for all the hate to be swept away
For love to overflow

If I wrote a note to God
I’d pour my heart out on each page
I’d ask for war to end
And for peace to mend this world
I’d say, I’d say, I’d say

Give us the strength to make it through
Help us find love cause love is over due
And it seems like so much is goin' wrong
On this road…… we’re on

If I wrote a note to God
I’d say please help us find our way
End all the bitterness
Put some tenderness in our hearts
And I’d say, I’d say, I’d say

Give us the strength to make it through
Help us find love cause love is over due
And it looks like we haven’t got a clue
Need some help from you
Grant us the faith to carry on
Give us hope when it seems all hope is gone
Cause it seems like so much is goin' wrong
On this road, we’re on

No, no no no
We can’t do this on our own
So, so

(Give us the strength to make it through)
(Help us find love cause love is over due)
And it looks like we haven’t got a clue
Need some help from you
Grant us the faith to carry on
Give us hope when it seems all hope is gone
Cause it seems like so much is goin wrong
On this road we’re on

No, no no no
We can’t do this on our own
So, So

If I wrote a note to God

At 3:27AM Manila (21-May-2009), Mariah tweeted about her new album:

Bcuz I Love U, I want u to be the first to know the title of my new album "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" Its very personal & dedicated to u

It could be noted that 3:27 or March 27 is Mariah's birthday!

The song "Hate U" which is rumored to appear in this new album was also played during an IDJ event. Hhhmmm... seemed like MC's album title preferences are Grammy-attention-grabbing!

Note Updates on this Album:
From PMCF, one lamb (diva_er) found an interesting information that Mariah maybe be channeling Minnie Riperton's Perfect Album released in 1974.

With this interesting detail, I check other Minnie references that Mariah might have adjusted to her musical style.

1. Five (or eight) octave range plus whistle register
2. Friendship with Stevie Wonder
   
3. Keyword references from Minnie's discography

1. Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel (new album title out in Fall 2009) - taken from Memory Lane, Perfect Angel?
2. I Stay in Love (4th single from E=MC2 album) - taken from 1977 album "Stay in Love"?
3. Petals (cut from Rainbow album, 1999) - taken from her 2001 release - Petals: The Minnie Riperton Collection (could it be that before Mariah's 1999 release, Minnies project was shelved for a while)?
4. The Adventures of Mimi Tour (2006) - taken from the 1975 CD Adventures in Paradise?

Just asking...

We had the last minute change of plans last night to discard the Baguio roadtrip to just watch a movie to wrap the day.

So here comes the unanimous choice of the group - Wolverine!

Off we go to Trinoma - definitely the better moviehouse compared to its neighbor in terms of appropriate airconditioning and the best seats (comfort and snooze) - and found that 4 cinemas were actually showing Wolverine! Well, I was not surprised, I clickthecity-ed it before we hit the road. Haha.

Zoom to a no-choice 10pm slot, we hed off to Cinema 7 - their THX theatre - and stayed in the F aisle. We should have come early to get a better row.

Wolverine's origin is enticingly action-packed in the first sequence. What is amazingly thought-of is the generation of war that Logan and Victor went through - Civil War, World Wars I & II, Vietnam War. I was asking my brother why they skipped the War on Iraq and he was quick to reply that because not much fighting happened in Iraq - only strategic cannon balls and air raids.

Surprisingly also, Will.I.Am is there and it has an Asian cast - Daniel Henney (Korean actor of the Kim Sam Sung series) which got a very good marksman skill. Impressive! I was under impression that he's Japanese but it appeared to be Korean.

Action sequences are creatively shot but not too good like Spiderman's.

Storyline involved a love story between Logan/Wolverine and Kayla which is acceptable.

The ending has got alternate scenes - so don't leave your seat until after the final credits.

3.5/5 stars