Christian Bautista launches international album

AFTER HIS SUCCESS as lead actor in the Singapore TV production, “The Kitchen Musical”, Christian Bautista launches his first international album with Universal Records. Although his ballads are big hits in some Asian countries, his albums then weren’t really geared for international release. This time, in “Outbound”, he collaborates with artists from the U.S., Korea, Japan, Singapore and Indonesia. The first single, “All That’s Left”, is composed by Tat Tong, a songwriter-producer-arranger responsible for more than 20 top 10 hits in Hongkong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and mainland China. Aside from “All That’s Left” (which has a bouncy music video with Alodia Gosiengfiao as Christian’s leading lady), he composed two other potential hits for Christian’s album, “Unphotographable” and “What Can I Do”. He also arranged Christian’s cover version of George Michael’s “Faith”, his first big solo in “The Kitchen Musical”.

Why is the album titled “Outbound”? “Because it’s an honest attempt to really go out of our own country and conquer new horizons,” Christian explains. “It’s not my usual ballad albums as there are many dance tunes. It shows another side of me that was built up in ‘Kitchen Musical’. First time I’m doing something na talagang kakaiba.”

Aside from Tat Tong, Christian collaborates with other international artists in the album. He does “Never Far Away” with American instrumentalist Jim Brickman, duets with Avex Japan’s lovely Baby M in “Sakura” (she was at the launch to personally support Christian), does “Wrong Number” with K-Pop R&B Trio One Way, and sings Indonesian composer Satrio’s “I’m Already King” which he sang in his movie “A Special Symphony”.

How about his lovelife? “I have no girlfriend but I do go out on dates,” he said. “I’d rather keep them private na lang para hindi magulo.” His “Kitchen Musical” can still be seen at AXN on Mondays at 9 PM and Studio 23 on Sundays at 7:30 PM. He plays Chef Daniel, a sous chef in love with co-worker Chef Maddie, played by Karylle.