''Charice'' is the debut international
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
and third overall release by Filipino pop singer
Jake Zyrus
Jake Zyrus (formerly known under the mononym Charice; born 10 May 1992) is a Filipino singer and television personality.
In 2007, after some appearances on Philippine television, Zyrus sang on ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', and the followin ...
under his pre-transition name Charice. It was released on May 11, 2010, under
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels.
Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Enya, Michael ...
, making him the third Filipino singer to be signed on an international record label, the first being
Lea Salonga
Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga (; born February 22, 1971), known professionally as Lea Salonga, is a Filipino singer, actress, and columnist. Nicknamed "Pride of the Philippines," she is best known for her roles in musical theatre, for supplyin ...
(on
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
in 1993) and
Regine Velasquez
Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez ( ; born April 22, 1970) is a Filipina singer, actress, and record producer. She is considered one of the most influential figures in Philippine popular culture and is known for her vocal range and beltin ...
(on
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...
in 1994). It was released prior to Zyrus'
gender transition
Gender transition is the process of changing one's gender presentation or sex characteristics to accord with one's internal sense of gender identity – the idea of what it means to be a man or a woman,Brown, M. L. & Rounsley, C. A. (1996) ''True ...
thus the eponymous album is credited under his former name, ''Charice''.
It was launched on ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...
'' during the World's Most Talented Kids episode with
Iyaz
Keidran Jones (born 15 April 1987), better known by his stage name Iyaz, is a British Virgin Islands singer and songwriter, formerly signed with the record label Beluga Heights Records. He is known for his singles " Replay", "Solo" and " Prett ...
on the same day. The album, immediately upon release in the United States, debuted at number eight on the
''Billboard'' 200, making Zyrus the first Asian artist to reach the top 10 on the chart solo.
The lead single, "
Pyramid
A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilat ...
", featuring
Iyaz
Keidran Jones (born 15 April 1987), better known by his stage name Iyaz, is a British Virgin Islands singer and songwriter, formerly signed with the record label Beluga Heights Records. He is known for his singles " Replay", "Solo" and " Prett ...
, was released as the second and last single from the album on March 2, 2010. The single reached number 17 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, making Zyrus the first Filipino singer to have a top 20 single in the UK. In Japan, the album was the 81st best selling album of 2010 according to
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...
, selling over 98,000 copies.
Promotion
Upon the release of the album, Zyrus appeared on ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...
'', where he performed, "Pyramid" and "In This Song". He also performed it on QVC with his other songs from his self-titled album, Zyrus, such as "I Love You", "Note to God" and "In This Song". He also sang "In This Song" on ''
Live with Regis and Kelly
''Live with Kelly and Ryan'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American syndicated morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show formula has aired under various hosts since ...
''.
Singles
* "
Note to God" was released as the album's first North American single on May 15, 2009.
* "
Pyramid
A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilat ...
", featuring
Iyaz
Keidran Jones (born 15 April 1987), better known by his stage name Iyaz, is a British Virgin Islands singer and songwriter, formerly signed with the record label Beluga Heights Records. He is known for his singles " Replay", "Solo" and " Prett ...
was released as the album's lead international and second US single on March 2, 2010.
* "
Crescent Moon" was released as third single in Japan.
Critical reception
Mikael Wood from the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' gave the album a mixed review, saying that it "darts somewhat haphazardly from sleek dance-pop tunes ... to schmaltzy slow jams" but also that "it also feels like an honest showcase of the singer's voice ... its strength lives up to that of her collaborators."
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
's Andy Kellman gave it 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "As a showcase for a teenage powerhouse vocalist, Charice (Zyrus' former name) does succeed, but a more balanced mix of heart-heavy and upbeat material would have made the desired
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...
and
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
comparisons more accurate".
''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' gave the album a generally positive review, noting that "the set's stylistic shifts--from teen-oriented pop to a touch of rock ("In Love So Deep") to anthemic ballads—ultimately leaves you wondering just which audience Charice is eyeing: her teen peers or their moms," before concluding that "Though it doesn't hit on all cylinders, the album leaves no doubt as to Charice's talent--and promising future."
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number eight on the
''Billboard'' 200 chart (issue of May 29, 2010), with sales of 43,000 copies in its first week of release in the United States.
In Canada the album debuted at number four on the
''Billboard'' Canadian Albums.
Track listing
North American edition
Japan edition
UK edition
Additional notes
*"Reset" (which is track #2) contains
Filipino
Filipino may refer to:
* Something from or related to the Philippines
** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines.
** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
lines in the
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
part of the song.
Charts
Release history
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charice (Album)
2010 debut albums
Jake Zyrus albums
Albums produced by Billy Steinberg
Albums produced by Brian Kennedy (record producer)
Albums produced by David Foster
Albums produced by Emanuel Kiriakou
Albums produced by Twin
Reprise Records albums