Smile (Nina Girado album)
Encyclopedia
Smile is the second studio album
by Filipino
singer Nina
, released in the Philippines
on December 12, 2003 by Warner Music
. The album was a follow-up to the tremendous success of her debut album
. It resembles the same sound from its predecessor, but only bigger and bolder in terms of incorporating urban-style to upbeat rhythmic jams and harmonic sound to powerful sentimental ballads. Ricky Ilacad, head of Warner label, assigned a few international songwriters and arrangers, including Jörgen Elofsson
and Rudy Pérez
, to collaborate with the label on the production of the album, which is noticeably broader compared to the first project. For the first time, Nina wrote a song, "Can't Say I Love You", which made it to the final cut. The album contains three cover versions of songs by Madonna
, Baron Barbers and Cris Villonco
.
Upon release, the album received generally favorable reviews from music critics, many of which pointed out the similarities of its sound to Nina's debut, but criticized the lack of appeal and new sound and failure to produce potential hits. It is also described as her most Mariah Carey
-influenced album at that time. In 2004, it was certified gold by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI). On June 21, 2005, it was made available on digital download
through iTunes
and Amazon.com
MP3 Download. In 2009, the song "What If" was covered by Korea
n boyband Super Junior
for their album Sorry, Sorry
. To date, the album has sold more than 30,000 units in the Philippines, certifying Platinum by the PARI.
Three successful commercial singles were released from the album. "Make You Mine", the lead single, became Nina’s third number one single in the country, allowing her to be the first and only female OPM artist to have three number one singles in a span of one year. "A Girl Can Dream" was released as the second single and it performed well on Philippine charts. It did not reach number one, however, but she managed to popularize the song and make it her own, even if it was originally recorded by another artist. "Sayang Naman" is the first Tagalog single by Nina and the last commercial single from the album. It was released due to high demand and requests by fans and listeners. Despite this, the song did not perform on charts as well as her previous releases.
, it was obligatory that she releases another record in the following year. Her debut was heavily influenced by jazz
y lounge pop
-R&B
similar to the sound of international music at that time. For that reason, it was unacceptable to break the formula. Instead of directing into a different musical path, Warner Music kept the sound she started with and made it even bigger. While the special edition re-release of Heaven was being sent out to the market, the label has already started production for her second album in 2003. The production was a bit rushed, since the album needed to be released before the year ended. Under Warner's managing head at that time, Ricky Ilacad, the label collaborated with more international songwriters, arrangers and producers for the second project. These include The 33rd, Cuban American
composer-producer Rudy Pérez
, Zomba record-production acts Sean Hosein, Dane DeViller, Andy Goldmark and Swedish
composer Jörgen Elofsson
. Mike Luis of Freestyle
joined the production, writing two songs for the album. The album was named after one song that made it to the final cut, "Smile".
ballad
s with more edge.
Neil Gregorio co-produced all the songs in the album. "Can't Say I Love You" is the first ever song written by Nina, to be included on her album. Its music was handed by Emanuele Ruffinego. The song was notably described as a "sensually engaging ballad." The album includes three revivals of songs that were not really familiar to listeners—"A Girl Can Dream" (originally by Cris Villonco
), "Shoo-Bee-Doo" (originally by Madonna
) and "I'll Always Stay In Love This Way" (originally by Baron Barbers). "Goodnite But Not Goodbye" was composed and arranged by Roxanne Seeman
, John Keller and Stephen Oberhoff. It is one of the complex songs in the album in terms of sound engineering. The 33rd composed, mixed and produced "Make You Mine", which was released as the first single of the album. The song has a rich harmonic chemistry of Nina's mesmerizing vocals and hypnotic urban-style beats with a blend of funky strings. It is described as an "upbeat R&B piece that offers a blissful listening experience." Rudy Pérez co-wrote "Still Gonna Be" with Allan Rich and Mark Portman. The song starts with an acapella arrangement. Bass and percussion were added in it within the first chorus. Mike Luis and Ferdie Marquez were assigned to most of the jobs, including production, arrangement, mixing, sequence and programming, vocal supervision, and back-up.
", it talks about a love triangle, but brings forth a more optimistic view in love. The music video features labelmate Christian Bautista
as her love interest. It did not become a chart-topper, but it performed well on Philippine music charts. "Sayang Naman" was the first Tagalog single released by Nina and became the last commercial single from the album. It was released due to positive reception and massive requests. Though the song failed to establish the same impact as the previous hits, it was praised for its ability to maintain consistency with the album's focus.
(which starred Rufa Mae Quinto
), where Nina starred in a cameo role, performing the song back to back with Kyla
, Karylle
and Anna Fegi.
to ABS-CBN
. She signed a contract with musical variety TV show ASAP Mania
and launched her album on the show, singing the Smiles first single, "Make You Mine". On January 30, 2004, she performed on her album launching at Greenbelt 3 Park
, singing most of the album's tracks. Early in 2005, she returned to MYX
Live! hosted by Rico Blanco
. She sang songs from the album including the two covers, "Shoo-Bee-Doo" and "I'll Always Stay in Love This Way". She also performed "The Christmas Song
" (from Warner's All Star Christmas Collection
) and "I Don't Want to Be Your Friend
" (from Diane Warren Presents Love Songs
).
Like Heavens singles, music videos of the album's songs have playful storylines and youthful ideas, and also uses special visual effects. Music videos of the album's singles received heavy rotation on MYX
and MTV Philippines
.
release, Smile had poor initial sales and weak impact to the public. It received favorable response from critics, but was not as successful as Nina's debut. On the 2004 Awit Awards
, the album only had two nominations—including Best R&B song for "Di Ba" and Best Engineered Recording for "Goodnite But Not Goodbye". It won her the Best Engineered Recording category, but lost the other award to "I Will Find You" by Kyla
. The album also failed to have any nomination on the MTV Pilipinas Music Awards
2004. Although, music listeners and reviewers noticed the heavy influence of R&B
to the album, and they liked it. In 2004, the Philippine Business Excellence Award/Awards and Recognition Association of the Philippines named Nina as the "No. 1 Female R&B Singer in the Philippines". In addition, MEGA Magazine
listed her as "One of the Women to Watch in 2004". In the same year, she was recognized as one of the "Top 10 Singers in the Philippines" by the Tinig Awards, joining OPM A-list
ers Regine Velasquez
, Jaya, Ogie Alcasid
and Gary Valenciano
.
Due to the chart-topping success of the carrier single "Make You Mine", MTV Philippines
and 97.1 WLS-FM made Nina their Artist of the Month for January 2004. On the first ever Philippine Hip-Hop Music Awards in 2005, she was nominated for Female R&B Artist of the Year, but lost the award to Kyla. Also in 2005, she was awarded as the Best Female Acoustic Artist by the National Consumers Quality Awards.
Notes
Production
Musicians
Album design
Recording locations
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
singer Nina
Nina Girado
Marifil Niña Girado , better known by her stage name Nina, is a Filipino pop/R&B singer, occasional songwriter, record producer, TV and radio personality. She made her recording debut in 2002 after signing a recording contract with Warner Music Philippines...
, released in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
on December 12, 2003 by Warner Music
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
. The album was a follow-up to the tremendous success of her debut album
Heaven (Nina Girado album)
Heaven is the debut studio album by Filipino singer Nina, released in the Philippines on August 20, 2002 by Warner Music. The album is heavily influenced by jazzy lounge pop-R&B and composed of songs that are reminiscent to the sound of international records at that time. Under the direction of...
. It resembles the same sound from its predecessor, but only bigger and bolder in terms of incorporating urban-style to upbeat rhythmic jams and harmonic sound to powerful sentimental ballads. Ricky Ilacad, head of Warner label, assigned a few international songwriters and arrangers, including Jörgen Elofsson
Jörgen Elofsson
Jörgen Kjell Elofsson is a Swedish songwriter who has written or co-written hits for stars such as Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Guy Sebastian, Ana Johnsson, Marie Serneholt, Shayne Ward and Super Junior. He has also written hit singles for groups such as Il Divo and Westlife...
and Rudy Pérez
Rudy Pérez
Rudy Pérez is a Cuban American composer, producer and Sound engineer specialized in Latin Ballad whose songs have been very successful. He is considered one of the most outstanding creators in the field of international pop music...
, to collaborate with the label on the production of the album, which is noticeably broader compared to the first project. For the first time, Nina wrote a song, "Can't Say I Love You", which made it to the final cut. The album contains three cover versions of songs by Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Baron Barbers and Cris Villonco
Cris Villonco
Cris Villonco is a Filipino performance artist whose credits include performances in theater, television, film, album recordings, music videos, and advertisements...
.
Upon release, the album received generally favorable reviews from music critics, many of which pointed out the similarities of its sound to Nina's debut, but criticized the lack of appeal and new sound and failure to produce potential hits. It is also described as her most Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
-influenced album at that time. In 2004, it was certified gold by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI). On June 21, 2005, it was made available on digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
through iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
MP3 Download. In 2009, the song "What If" was covered by Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n boyband Super Junior
Super Junior
Super Junior is a South Korean boy band. Formed in 2005 by producer Lee Soo-man of SM Entertainment, the group comprised a total of thirteen members at its peak, and was once claimed to be the world's largest boy band...
for their album Sorry, Sorry
Sorry, Sorry
Sorry, Sorry is the award-winning third studio album by South Korean boy band Super Junior, released on March 12, 2009 in South Korea. Sorry, Sorry was a critically and commercially successful hit in Asia, becoming 2009's best-selling Korean-language album in South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, China,...
. To date, the album has sold more than 30,000 units in the Philippines, certifying Platinum by the PARI.
Three successful commercial singles were released from the album. "Make You Mine", the lead single, became Nina’s third number one single in the country, allowing her to be the first and only female OPM artist to have three number one singles in a span of one year. "A Girl Can Dream" was released as the second single and it performed well on Philippine charts. It did not reach number one, however, but she managed to popularize the song and make it her own, even if it was originally recorded by another artist. "Sayang Naman" is the first Tagalog single by Nina and the last commercial single from the album. It was released due to high demand and requests by fans and listeners. Despite this, the song did not perform on charts as well as her previous releases.
Background
After the success of Nina's 2002 debut album, HeavenHeaven (Nina Girado album)
Heaven is the debut studio album by Filipino singer Nina, released in the Philippines on August 20, 2002 by Warner Music. The album is heavily influenced by jazzy lounge pop-R&B and composed of songs that are reminiscent to the sound of international records at that time. Under the direction of...
, it was obligatory that she releases another record in the following year. Her debut was heavily influenced by jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
y lounge pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
-R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
similar to the sound of international music at that time. For that reason, it was unacceptable to break the formula. Instead of directing into a different musical path, Warner Music kept the sound she started with and made it even bigger. While the special edition re-release of Heaven was being sent out to the market, the label has already started production for her second album in 2003. The production was a bit rushed, since the album needed to be released before the year ended. Under Warner's managing head at that time, Ricky Ilacad, the label collaborated with more international songwriters, arrangers and producers for the second project. These include The 33rd, Cuban American
Cuban American
A Cuban American is a United States citizen who traces his or her "national origin" to Cuba. Cuban Americans are also considered native born Americans with Cuban parents or Cuban-born persons who were raised and educated in US...
composer-producer Rudy Pérez
Rudy Pérez
Rudy Pérez is a Cuban American composer, producer and Sound engineer specialized in Latin Ballad whose songs have been very successful. He is considered one of the most outstanding creators in the field of international pop music...
, Zomba record-production acts Sean Hosein, Dane DeViller, Andy Goldmark and Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
composer Jörgen Elofsson
Jörgen Elofsson
Jörgen Kjell Elofsson is a Swedish songwriter who has written or co-written hits for stars such as Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Guy Sebastian, Ana Johnsson, Marie Serneholt, Shayne Ward and Super Junior. He has also written hit singles for groups such as Il Divo and Westlife...
. Mike Luis of Freestyle
Freestyle (band)
-Current members:*Joshua Desiderio *Mike Luis *Rommel dela Cruz *Gerald Banzon *Tat Suzara -Former Members:*Christopher "Top" Suzara *Carlo Tapia *Obet Luzon...
joined the production, writing two songs for the album. The album was named after one song that made it to the final cut, "Smile".
Writing and composition
Smile resembles the same sound from Nina's debut, but only bigger and bolder in terms of incorporating urban-style to upbeat rhythmic jams and harmonic sound to powerful sentimental ballads. During the production process of the album, Nina showcases her versatility by taking on upbeat pop-R&B materials and soulful acousticAcoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s with more edge.
Neil Gregorio co-produced all the songs in the album. "Can't Say I Love You" is the first ever song written by Nina, to be included on her album. Its music was handed by Emanuele Ruffinego. The song was notably described as a "sensually engaging ballad." The album includes three revivals of songs that were not really familiar to listeners—"A Girl Can Dream" (originally by Cris Villonco
Cris Villonco
Cris Villonco is a Filipino performance artist whose credits include performances in theater, television, film, album recordings, music videos, and advertisements...
), "Shoo-Bee-Doo" (originally by Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
) and "I'll Always Stay In Love This Way" (originally by Baron Barbers). "Goodnite But Not Goodbye" was composed and arranged by Roxanne Seeman
Roxanne Seeman
Roxanne Seeman is an American songwriter born in New York City. She is best known for her songs with Billie Hughes, Philip Bailey with Phil Collins, The Jacksons, The Sisters of Mercy, Bette Midler, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Jacky Cheung....
, John Keller and Stephen Oberhoff. It is one of the complex songs in the album in terms of sound engineering. The 33rd composed, mixed and produced "Make You Mine", which was released as the first single of the album. The song has a rich harmonic chemistry of Nina's mesmerizing vocals and hypnotic urban-style beats with a blend of funky strings. It is described as an "upbeat R&B piece that offers a blissful listening experience." Rudy Pérez co-wrote "Still Gonna Be" with Allan Rich and Mark Portman. The song starts with an acapella arrangement. Bass and percussion were added in it within the first chorus. Mike Luis and Ferdie Marquez were assigned to most of the jobs, including production, arrangement, mixing, sequence and programming, vocal supervision, and back-up.
Singles
In December 2003, Nina released the album alongside the first single "Make You Mine". The song features rap parts by Pinoy hip hop artist Picasso. The reception was great, especially since it differed from the singles she was known for. Its upbeat groove and flirty lyrics allowed her to transcend the typical "love song syndrome" most Filipino artists are known for, and spun a reinvented image for the Soul Siren. The song was number one in the country, making Nina the first and only female artist to have three number one singles in a single year. In 2004, "A Girl Can Dream" was released as the second single in early 2004. Although Nina popularized the song, Cris Villonco originally recorded it in 2000. Like her number one hit "JealousJealous (Nina Girado song)
"Jealous" is a song by Filipino singer Nina from her 2002 debut studio album Heaven. It was released as the album's second commercial single in February 2003 by Warner Music Philippines. The song was written by international songwriters Shelly Peiken and Brett Laurence, and it was produced by...
", it talks about a love triangle, but brings forth a more optimistic view in love. The music video features labelmate Christian Bautista
Christian Bautista
Christian Joseph Morata Bautista , more popularly known by his screen name Christian Bautista, is a Filipino singer, actor, host, and model. He was a finalist of Star In A Million, a Philippine reality show aired on ABS-CBN channel, winning the 4th place in the competition in 2003...
as her love interest. It did not become a chart-topper, but it performed well on Philippine music charts. "Sayang Naman" was the first Tagalog single released by Nina and became the last commercial single from the album. It was released due to positive reception and massive requests. Though the song failed to establish the same impact as the previous hits, it was praised for its ability to maintain consistency with the album's focus.
Other songs
Two radio-only singles were released in the form of the Madonna original "Shoo-Bee-Doo" and the Baron Barbers original "I'll Always Stay in Love This Way", allowing the album to reach platinum status by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI). In 2004, "What If" was used in the film Masikip sa DibdibMasikip sa Dibdib
Masikip sa Dibdib is a 2004 Filipino comedy film, directed by well-known romance/comedy director Joyce E. Bernal. The film was released to Philippine theaters on April 14, 2004...
(which starred Rufa Mae Quinto
Rufa Mae Quinto
Rufa Mae Quinto is a Filipino actress, comedienne, and television host.Quinto has won four PMPC Star Awards and is one of the most bankable stars in the industry with top grosser films like Apat, Dapat- Dapat, Apat, Pasukob, Desperadas, Manay Po 2, I.T.A.L.Y. & Desperadas 2...
), where Nina starred in a cameo role, performing the song back to back with Kyla
Kyla
Melanie Hernandez Calumpad Alvarez , better known by her stage name Kyla, is an R&B singer, songwriter, producer, TV host, and occasional actress from the Philippines....
, Karylle
Karylle
Ana Karylle Padilla Tatlonghari , better known as simply Karylle, has established herself as one of the most talented showbiz personalities in the Philippines. She is a respected singer, actress, TV host, athlete, and a writer/blogger....
and Anna Fegi.
Promotion
In December 2003, Nina transferred from GMAGMA Network
GMA Network is a major commercial television & radio network in the Philippines. GMA Network is owned by GMA Network, Inc. a publicly listed company...
to ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN
ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ...
. She signed a contract with musical variety TV show ASAP Mania
ASAP (variety show)
ASAP Rocks is a musical variety show in the Philippines broadcast by ABS-CBN in the Philippines. The show is presented by its main hosts Zsa Zsa Padilla, Gary Valenciano and Martin Nievera. The show first premiered on February 5, 1995, and airs live Sundays...
and launched her album on the show, singing the Smiles first single, "Make You Mine". On January 30, 2004, she performed on her album launching at Greenbelt 3 Park
Greenbelt (Ayala Center)
Greenbelt is a shopping mall located at Ayala Center, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines which is just near Glorietta and SM Makati. It is owned by Ayala Malls, a real-estate subsidiary of Ayala Land, which is an affiliate of Ayala Corporation. It opened in the 1980s and it is one of Ayala...
, singing most of the album's tracks. Early in 2005, she returned to MYX
Myx
myx or MYX is the music channel of ABS-CBN brand and the #1 music channel in the Philippines. It is also a part of Studio 23's program line-up. In 2007, MYX North America was launched in the United States....
Live! hosted by Rico Blanco
Rico Blanco
Rico Blanco is a Filipino singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. As a solo artist and with his former band, Rivermaya, Blanco has so far recorded, written and produced more local and regional number one hits than any other musician since 1994 and has sold over a...
. She sang songs from the album including the two covers, "Shoo-Bee-Doo" and "I'll Always Stay in Love This Way". She also performed "The Christmas Song
The Christmas Song
"The Christmas Song" is a classic Christmas song written in 1944 by musician, composer, and vocalist Mel Tormé and Bob Wells. According to Tormé, the song was written during a blistering hot summer...
" (from Warner's All Star Christmas Collection
All Star Christmas Collection
All Star Christmas Collection is a compilation album released by Warner Music Philippines on December 25, 2004. It is composed of 11 tracks and performed by Filipino singers under Warner Music Philippines such as Nina, Artstrong, Paolo Santos, Kitchie Nadal, Pido, Christian Bautista, Thor, Dice &...
) and "I Don't Want to Be Your Friend
I Don't Want To Be Your Friend
"I Don't Want to Be Your Friend" is a pop/R&B song written and composed by Diane Warren. It was recorded by singer Cyndi Lauper for her 1989 album A Night To Remember. The song was meant to be the second commercial single released in the U.S...
" (from Diane Warren Presents Love Songs
Diane Warren Presents Love Songs
Diane Warren Presents Love Songs is a compilation album of love songs written by American Grammy Award and Golden Globe-winning and Academy Award-nominated songwriter Diane Warren, released by herself in 2004 to 2006 in various countries...
).
Like Heavens singles, music videos of the album's songs have playful storylines and youthful ideas, and also uses special visual effects. Music videos of the album's singles received heavy rotation on MYX
Myx
myx or MYX is the music channel of ABS-CBN brand and the #1 music channel in the Philippines. It is also a part of Studio 23's program line-up. In 2007, MYX North America was launched in the United States....
and MTV Philippines
MTV Philippines
MTV Philippines was a 24-hour music/entertainment television network owned by All Youth Channels, Inc., with a partnership with MTV Networks Asia Pacific...
.
Awards and accolades
Despite the impressive chart performance of the first single "Make You Mine" and a ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
release, Smile had poor initial sales and weak impact to the public. It received favorable response from critics, but was not as successful as Nina's debut. On the 2004 Awit Awards
Awit Awards
The Awit Awards is the longest-running award-giving body of the Philippines that gives recognition to Filipino musical talents, performing artists and producers it was Philippines equivalent to Grammy Awards, organized by the Philippine Association Of The Record Industry .-Objectives and Winner...
, the album only had two nominations—including Best R&B song for "Di Ba" and Best Engineered Recording for "Goodnite But Not Goodbye". It won her the Best Engineered Recording category, but lost the other award to "I Will Find You" by Kyla
Kyla
Melanie Hernandez Calumpad Alvarez , better known by her stage name Kyla, is an R&B singer, songwriter, producer, TV host, and occasional actress from the Philippines....
. The album also failed to have any nomination on the MTV Pilipinas Music Awards
MTV Pilipinas Music Awards
MTV Pilipinas Music Awards is the Philippines' biggest annual music video awards event.-Award categories:*Video of the Year*Favorite Male Video*Favorite Female Video*Favorite New Artist in a Video*Favorite Group Video*Favorite Pop Video...
2004. Although, music listeners and reviewers noticed the heavy influence of R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
to the album, and they liked it. In 2004, the Philippine Business Excellence Award/Awards and Recognition Association of the Philippines named Nina as the "No. 1 Female R&B Singer in the Philippines". In addition, MEGA Magazine
Mega (magazine)
MEGA, subtitled '100% pure Mega Drive' was a monthly magazine, published in the United Kingdom, aimed at users of the Sega Mega Drive and its additions, the Mega CD and 32X. During its time, as one of the main Mega Drive publications, Mega covered the golden age of the Sega Mega Drive; from 1992 to...
listed her as "One of the Women to Watch in 2004". In the same year, she was recognized as one of the "Top 10 Singers in the Philippines" by the Tinig Awards, joining OPM A-list
A-list
A-list is a term that alludes to major movie stars, or the most bankable in the Hollywood film industry.The A-list is part of a larger guide called The Hot List that has become an industry-standard guide in Hollywood...
ers Regine Velasquez
Regine Velasquez
Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez , better known as Asia's Songbird, Regine Velasquez, is a Filipino singer, actress, record producer and TV host...
, Jaya, Ogie Alcasid
Ogie Alcasid
Herminio Jhay Alcasid, Jr., more popularly known as Ogie "Eric Ordoñez" Alcasid , is a Filipino singer, songwriter, composer, television presenter, comedian, parodist, actor, and entrepreneur.-Recording career:...
and Gary Valenciano
Gary Valenciano
Edgardo Jose Martin Santiago Valenciano , better known as Gary Valenciano or Gary V., is a Filipino musician. He is also dubbed as Mr. Pure Energy. He has released 26 albums, and won the Awit Awards for "Best Male Performer" 11 times. In 1998, he became UNICEF Philippines first national Ambassador...
.
Due to the chart-topping success of the carrier single "Make You Mine", MTV Philippines
MTV Philippines
MTV Philippines was a 24-hour music/entertainment television network owned by All Youth Channels, Inc., with a partnership with MTV Networks Asia Pacific...
and 97.1 WLS-FM made Nina their Artist of the Month for January 2004. On the first ever Philippine Hip-Hop Music Awards in 2005, she was nominated for Female R&B Artist of the Year, but lost the award to Kyla. Also in 2005, she was awarded as the Best Female Acoustic Artist by the National Consumers Quality Awards.
Track listing
All tracks were co-produced by Neil Gregorio. Additional producers are listed below.Notes
- Track 4 is translated in English as Only Wasted
- Track 8 was re-titled as "Still Be Lovin' You" on some copy prints
- Track 9 is translated in English as Isn't It
Album credits
Credits taken from Smiles liner notes.Production
- The 33rd – producer, mixing
- Nikki Cunanan – vocal recording
- Dane DeViller – arranger
- Jörgen ElofssonJörgen ElofssonJörgen Kjell Elofsson is a Swedish songwriter who has written or co-written hits for stars such as Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Guy Sebastian, Ana Johnsson, Marie Serneholt, Shayne Ward and Super Junior. He has also written hit singles for groups such as Il Divo and Westlife...
– arranger - Andy Goldmark – arranger
- Neil C. Gregorio – A&R administration, producer
- Sean Hosein – arranger
- Ricky R. Ilacad – A&R administration, executive producer
- John Keller – arranger
- Mike LuisFreestyle (band)-Current members:*Joshua Desiderio *Mike Luis *Rommel dela Cruz *Gerald Banzon *Tat Suzara -Former Members:*Christopher "Top" Suzara *Carlo Tapia *Obet Luzon...
– producer, arranger, programming, mixing, vocal supervision - Ferdie Marquez – producer, arranger, mixing, sequence and programming
- Arnie Mendaros – vocal supervision
- Stephen Oberhoff – arranger
- Rudy PérezRudy PérezRudy Pérez is a Cuban American composer, producer and Sound engineer specialized in Latin Ballad whose songs have been very successful. He is considered one of the most outstanding creators in the field of international pop music...
– arranger - Mark Portman – arranger
- Radha – vocal supervision
- Allan Rich – arranger
- Gerry Samson – mixing
- Roxanne SeemanRoxanne SeemanRoxanne Seeman is an American songwriter born in New York City. She is best known for her songs with Billie Hughes, Philip Bailey with Phil Collins, The Jacksons, The Sisters of Mercy, Bette Midler, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Jacky Cheung....
– arranger
Musicians
- Nina GiradoNina GiradoMarifil Niña Girado , better known by her stage name Nina, is a Filipino pop/R&B singer, occasional songwriter, record producer, TV and radio personality. She made her recording debut in 2002 after signing a recording contract with Warner Music Philippines...
– lead vocals, back-up vocals - Mike Luis – back-up vocals
- Edil Luyon – acoustic guitar
- Ferdie Marquez – back-up vocals
- Noel Mendez – acoustic guitar
- Picasso – rap vocals
Album design
- Garl Buenavista – photography and design
- Chris Genuino (of WMP CreativeCreative TechnologyCreative Technology Ltd. is a Singapore-based global company headquartered in Jurong East, Singapore. The principal activities of the company and its subsidiaries consist of the design, manufacture and distribution of digitized sound and video boards, computers and related multimedia, and personal...
) – digital imaging and final art - Anne Poblador – album concept and styling
Recording locations
- Pinknoise Studio (Quezon CityQuezon CityQuezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
, PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
) – vocal recording - Chili Red Studio (NYL REVISIS) – sequencing and mastering
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines Philippines The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam... |
PARI PHIL Music The Philippine Association of the Record Industry or PARI is the Philippine equivalent to the American RIAA.The Philippine Association of the Record Industry , a non-profit, non-stock, purely private industry organization, was organized in 1972.-Objectives:* To promote and develop a legitimate and... |
Platinum | 30,000+ |
Release history
| Country | Edition | Release Date | Label | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | Standard (CD) | Warner Music Warner Music Group Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies... |
50467-1076-2 | |
| South Korea | 643443173063 | |||
| United States | Standard (digital download) | WEA | ||