"Take It Or Leave It" - Yasmien Kurdi

GMA Records
from the album "Love Is All I Need"
Directed by Milos Curameng

Fans and critics alike may remember the enjoyable pop concoctions she and her producers have created in her debut. Those dreamy vocals sliding smoothly on a piano base sure kept listeners humming and aptly longing for more. This time though as a reaction to requests, and expectations perhaps, Yasmien's eagerly awaited sophomore effort has finally materialized.

Nourished by actual music industry experience and inescapable critique - an applicable combination for growth - Yasmien returns to the big league with "Love Is All I Need", a surprisingly noble effort framed with the intention of eliciting impressed looks and raves, as well as silencing detractors. It seemed that the time it took to craft this album had changed Yasmien's point of view; it's as if she closed her eyes and envisioned that a timely transformation is a key.

Make no mistake about it, Yasmien still glows with the same friendly light; only that she is more capable of harnessing it now in varying degrees. Under the professional support of GMA Records, "Love Is All I Need" is an assertive collection of sensible pop goodies supplied with an ample amount of inventive collaborations. Produced by Miguel Alcaraz and Michael Dizon of Sandwich, Alwyn Cruz and Rene Salta, the result of the experimentation is adequately astonishing.

And this exploration is none more palpable than in the first single "Kisapmata", a rock anthem baptized in modern pop fashion. Unlike the original's dark emotive treatment, Yasmien's adaptation plays around the riveting lyrics with amiable, sunny production. The accompanying video, directed by Milos Cumareng, portrays a magical Yasmien wandering around streets and districts; the backdrop of which is a venue of ordinary life. Essentially, the video translates the song's very meaning that is, wherever you go, in the blink of an eye, you are transported to an entirely different world.

The carrier single leaves a lasting effect and clear indication of what one may expect from the rest of the album. From the cool breeziness of "Give Me A Sign" to the positive piano chords of "Wishing Well", and the vintage soul of "One Day", the so-called sophomore slump is crushed to oblivion; here is a girl who knows what she is doing and revels in it.

Riding along the delightful line-up change, Yasmien takes a huge leap in her music career as she gleefully strides into the singer-songwriter path with title track "Love Is All I Need". Considering that this is her first take at songwriting, she pulls it off, to a large extent, with fairylike grace, proudly singing "Climb a mountain and touch the clouds, Sing a song in different sounds..." backed by soft arrangements and memorable, modest lines. This is a significant moment for her music career that demands-and commands-respect and that she is recognized as an artist serious in the perfection and development of her craft.

On the subject of development, her vocal technique remains breathy but not frail, and still esoterically appealing. But now she is gradually realizing, and understanding, the range and distortions that come along with possessing a distinct voice. Two songs that exhibit subtle vocal variations include the despondent but rich "Even If", a ballad reminiscent of a young Sarah McLachlan, and the ultra-catchy "Take It Or Leave It", molded in the same structure as "I Know", which incidentally is interjected in a mix version included in the album.

Rock-tinged "Hayaan Mo Na", a collaboration with Mong Alcaraz and Mike Dizon of Sandwich, turns up the heat. The steady beats and dampened guitar riffs are as catchy as hell and Yasmien doesn't disappoint: she delivers with ethereal melodrama in the presence of accomplished musicians. Her cover of "Goodbye" follows suit, bringing a new touch to an old iconic track.

Yasmien ups the ante and shifts genre in "Candlelight Romance", an electronica/dance ditty rich in driving beats, laser-like penetrating thumps, and synth-heavy bangs. Her voice, in typical electronic manner, is manipulated to sound mechanized. This also proves her comprehension of the musical repertoire an artist should have.

Acting has been Yasmien's foremost forte, naturally calling forth assorted personas with each role. But upon listening to this follow-up, she has taken that instinctive adaptability in her music too. It is always a relief to see someone rooted in safe territory reaching out to greater heights; so it is even a greater delight to see Yasmien, generally groomed as a pop princess in the public eye, trying out different styles. Yes, the good, old princess is still there but you get the sense that the adventurous, self-assured queen within her is steadily making its presence felt.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Yasmien
• GMA
• opm

[jgm1490]

balik kana yas.. miss na kita.. sobra

[jgm1490]

yas.. sana bumalik kana kahit anong station ka mapunta dun ako.. miss na miss na kita... wala na akong ganang manuod ng GMA ngaun kc halos kung sino ang sikat yun nlang lage kasawa na cla..

[143Mhac]

I LOVE YOU IDOL YASMIEN KURDI YOUR SO BEAUTIFUL PO TLAGA!!!

[KurdSouth]

nice girl nice name

[natsume16kurapika]

ang astig nito!

[natsume16kurapika]

ang astig ng video na to....

[Fr3shFili2]

Reckless Driving!

[19romance]

half lebanese sya kaya maputi si yazzie.......mahilig lang talaga mag swimming at magpa artificial tan daw

[19romance]

asteg naman ni yasmien dito...emo girl, missed your mall tours yas

[19romance]

this is north express way going to pampanga, where yasmien's mother came from i think. maybe they ask permission to the local authorities to can drive like this for art purposes only....

nice video, looks emo!