James Reid reinvents himself as a singer

REID. Releases self-titled debut album.

Whatever happened to James Reid? The Fil-Australian big winner of the “Pinoy Big Brother, Teen Clash” reality tilt has been waiting in the wing to seize the spotlight again since his stint with the popular show ended in 2010.

But, if his acting projects at ABS-CBN have yet to make him a star, we expect James’ knack for  reinvention to speed up his ascent to the top—as a recording artist!

Lately, the local music industry has been inundated with releases from a good number of vocally deficient actors who want to cash in on their popularity by waxing Autotune-enhanced songs that conveniently hide their less-than-sturdy pipes. —That was exactly what we expected from the young comer’s self-titled debut album—and we’re glad to be proven wrong!

You only need to listen to Reid’s cool and skilled version of Michael Jackson’s R&B hit, “Rock With You,” to realize that there’s more to him than his boy-next-door looks: His voice hews close to the smooth and sexy renditions of Jay-R and Kris Lawrence—with high notes to boot! He likewise shows off a soulful smolder in the album’s other cover, Tom Jans’ “Loving Arms.”

Upbeat numbers

His catchy upbeat numbers, “Alam Niya Ba?” and “Gone” (from omnipresent songwriter Thyro Alfaro), take full advantage of his boundless energy and youthful vibe. Another plus point is the fact that James writes his own tunes—and he’s no slouch at songwriting, either:

“You Make My Body” is a sleek jazz-and-blues concoction, while “Game Changer” is a harmony-fueled charmer that you can groove to at the end of a long and tiring day. —And, if you want to sing along to his songs, the lineup’s minus-one versions should come in handy!