Idolator: Oprah

Get Ready For Your Mom To Ask You If You Know About "That Cute Charice Pempengco Girl"

Maura Johnston — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:30:00 EDT

A few months back, you may recall that we posted a video by one Charice Pempengco^*, a big-voiced teenager from the Philippines who blasted through Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" on Oprah and won over the hearts of many a Google-equipped Oprah Winfrey acolyte in the process. Well, according to news reports out of Charice's home country, Oprah has become so entranced by this young lady, she's decided to manage Pempengco's music career here in the States, thus proving to the world that she is the only person left who can single-handedly steer anything resembling a monoculture in this country, even in the more-fragmented-by-the-day music business. How do you know that Oprah's serious? The power of her show resulted in Pempengco sharing the Madison Square Garden stage with Celine Dion earlier this week!

Jon Caramanica reports:

Spending so much time on other people’s work reflects a populist instinct, but sometimes it wasn’t called for. Her signature song, “My Heart Will Go On” from the film “Titanic,” is essentially about being alone. And though she delivered it here dressed in funereal black, it came at the show’s end as she marched around the stage convivially sending off a crowd that was already making for the doors; the lightness of the room was at odds with the gravity of the song.

That may have been the wrong moment for approachability, but not all of Ms. Dion’s sensors had been dulled. Earlier, she brought Charice Pempengco, a young singer from the Philippines with an impressive voice, onstage. (Ms. Pempengco came to her attention through an appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”)

They performed “Because You Loved Me,” though Ms. Dion mostly stayed out of the way as Ms. Pempengco explored the song’s heretofore unheard rougher edges, with ample gesticulations and melisma. As Ms. Pempengco brought the crowd to its feet, Ms. Dion struck poses behind her: awestruck wonder, heartfelt empathy, ambient triumph.

Upstaging Celine? You better believe there's video:

Oh boy. This girl's album is so going to be the Noel of 2008, isn't it.

Charice Pempengco [Official site]
Oprah to manage Charice's US career [Inquirer.net via StreetCred.com]
Earlier: Just What The World Needed: A Younger, Bigger-Voiced (And Female) David Archuleta

^* OK, we spelled it wrong back then, sorry sorry.

Chart-Watchers To Queen Of All Media: We Shall Never Doubt You Again

Chris Molanphy — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EDT

chrism: She actually did it: No. 1: "Bleeding Love," Leona Lewis
mauraidolator: wow!
chrism: I can't believe Sony BMG pulled that shit off
mauraidolator: oprah man
chrism: I know right?!!
mauraidolator: haha
chrism: I mean, wow — what was I saying about "military efficiency"? Scary.
mauraidolator: :)

[Photo via leona-lewis.net]

Leona Lewis Gets Touched By An Oprah

Maura Johnston — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:50:13 EDT

When I heard that next Brit thing Leona Lewis was on Oprah earlier this week—complete with Oprah proclaiming that "a star was born" after her performance of "Bleeding Love"—I was going to set up a post about how it might affect her album sales, only to find out that the domestic version of her debut album, Spirit, wouldn't be available until April 8. Talk about striking while the iron is cooling off, Sony BMG!

The suits at Lewis' label may not have decided to give the album the Gnarls Barkley rush-release treatment yet, but they might want to re-evaulate that strategy soon; looking at the page for the import version of the album on Amazon, where it costs $22.98 and has a 1-3 week shipping time, reveals that it's currently No. 62 on the site's music chart. (Preorders for the domestic version, which will only set Oprah watchers back $9.99 and will presumably ship shortly after its release date, have placed that edition at No. 25.) Sales spikes like this would lead me to believe that whoever's left at the labels are once again lobbying Winfrey and her staff to set up an "Oprah's Record Club," and maybe we could even get some super-cranky rock dude to play the role of Jonathan Franzen and add "controversy" to the whole thing. (Jack White, perhaps?)

Search results: "leona lewis" spirit [Amazon]
Leona Lewis on Oprah [YouTube]