Charmers and sizzlers for Justin’s ‘beliebers’
MOST OF the tracks in Justin Bieber’s latest album, “Believe,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 three weeks ago, are garnished with hooks that are hard to resist, and melodies that show off Justin’s maturing vocal chops—like the adolescent charmer, “Boyfriend”; the percussion-heavy “Fall,” and the groovesome dance-floor ditty, “Out of Town Girl.”
Yes, he mostly tackles teenage love and devotion—but, that’s all right. After all, the baby-faced heartthrob just turned 18 last March, so his followers can’t expect him to tackle very adult themes and carry the problems of the world on his young albeit influential shoulders.
Bieber doesn’t mind tackling his own problems, however. In the bonus track, “Maria,” to address the paternity issue unsuccessfully hurled at him, he sings: “She says she met me on a tour/ She won’t leave me alone/ And she’s dragging my name through the dirt/ That ain’t my baby!” Then, he caps off his swinging reference to “Billie Jean” with an unexpected Michael Jackson-like growl!
Samplings
To further appreciate his hormone-induced vocal evolution, check out the moody
performances throughout the half-decade she’s been facing the movie cameras. If a print is still extant, it should start with her first starring role as a child star (in “Trudis Liit”), and include her first award-winning stellar portrayal (in “Dama de Noche”).
Among her finest characterizations that should similarly be represented are “Relasyon,” “Broken Marriage,” “Burlesk Queen,” “Tagos ng Dugo,” “Pagputi ng Uwak, Pag-itim ng Tagak,” “Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa?,” “Dekada ’70,” “Anak,” “Inspiration,” “T-Bird at Ako” (with Nora Aunor)—and, possibly her best portrayal of all, “Sister Stella L.”
Aside from quality, the Vilma Santos festival could also celebrate the variety that has characterized her “golden” performing career—a representative teen flick, her “Dyesebel” and “Darna” forays, her period musical with Joseph Estrada (“King Khayam and I”), her FPJ costarrer (“Bato sa Buhangin”), etc.
Retrospective
Aside from the Vilma film fest, a similar retrospective could be mounted on television, especially by a movie channel. In addition, Vilmanians should come up with a coffee-table book on their beloved star—she deserves nothing less.
What else? We’d love to see Vilma conducting a master class for actors, like the one Basil Valdez did earlier this year for singers. While sharing the tenets, highlights and insights of her long love affair with performing, Vilma would be able to recall choice anecdotes and “secrets of the trade” that should make the long session with her a most significant and eminently viewable event.
So, why don’t her Vilmanians produce and videotape the once-in-a-lifetime sharing, beef it up with a lot of choice period visuals and interviews with the star’s coworkers, and air it as a TV special?
As a sort of postscript, it should be noted that, as Vilma slides into her 50th year as a public figure, she’s making a similarly big name for herself as a politician and public servant. Thus far, she’s restricted her scope of political activity to local posts like mayor and governor, but her prospects don’t stop there.
What’s up next for everybody’s Ate Vi? Higher political office—like senator or even VP? Whatever happens, we hope that, every couple of years of so, she will continue to gift us with another memorable screen portrayal, to further enhance her already exceptional filmography. She’s simply too good a thespian to surrender completely to politics.