Edgy, multimedia projects for Solenn

HEUSSAFF. Shows contrasting sides to her personality.

With her imposing presence and lovely Fil-French beauty, Solenn Heussaff may initially seem intimidating. But, appearances can be deceiving. In fact, the 28-year-old singer-actress is devoid of pretentions and is one of the kindest—and busiest—celebrities we know:

She portrays a doctor on GMA 7’s primetime soap, “Akin Pa Rin Ang Bukas,” shares stellar billing with Eugene Domingo, Maja Salvador, Jake Cuenca and Paulo Avelino in Chris Martinez’s upcoming film, “Status: It’s Complicated” (a reworking of Ishmael Bernal’s “Salawahan”), and has just released “SOS,” her second album.

Not enough time

With Solenn, what you see is what you get. She says she enjoys acting more in movies than teleseryes. She explains, “You’re not given enough time to develop your character in TV dramas, which you get to do when you’re preparing for a role in a movie. In ‘Status: It’s Complicated,’ for instance, I read the script 45 times to work on my character and make my Tagalog believable and seamless. You don’t have that luxury when you’re taping too many sequences for a TV drama.”

How different is her sophomore recording from her self-titled debut album? She shares, “It’s more dance-oriented and has more edge. ‘Sos’ is my nickname, but the title also stands for ‘sinner or saint,’ because it attempts to show contrasting sides to my personality.”

The 10-track collection  is a satisfying blend of house music and club riffs that put its singer’s sultry sass to good use, most notably in Ely Buendia’s “Turn Your Love Around,” and in her noteworthy covers of Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River” and the Backstreet Boys’ “All I Have to Give.”

There’s more to Solenn than sizzling percussions or a sexy smolder, however. Her hit carrier single, “Diva” (featuring hip-hop artist, Ron Henley), takes a swipe at difficult, self-entitled actresses who believe that everybody should give in to their whims.

Vain men 

In her self-penned “I Never Met A Man,” she scoffs at and scorns vain men who think they’re God’s gift to womankind: “Never met a man with tighter jeans than me/ Acting like he knows the world/ Your hair gelled back like there’s too much wind/ Said you’re feeling cool, but you’re just a fool/ Wake up, man, ’cause you’re just as big as my middle finger/ Hey, Johnny Bravo, I’m not impressed!” Fighting words!

So, her boyfriend isn’t one of those guys? Solenn shakes her head as she laughs, “He’s Argentine, he isn’t picky like many Frenchmen. He’s very down to earth, because he comes from a family of farmers. I have fought with him only  once in the past two years!”