Sassy, sexy sound from Solenn Heussaff

HEUSSAFF. Shines in 10-song debut album.

We have always rooted for Solenn Heussaff since her heyday as a castaway on “Survivor Philippines” because, despite her beauty, she’s always seemed level-headed and unpretentious. Of course we know only too well that it’s easy for Tinseltown’s “tigresses” to change their spots but, as far as Solenn is concerned, so far, so good.

With the release of her eponymously titled debut album, “Solenn,” we’re only too happy to see the versatile Filipino-French beauty reveal herself (and her evolving artistry) even more, this time, as a recording artist – and what a treat her 10-track collection turns out to be!

Her playfully sassy rendition of Sheryl Crow’s Grammy-winning breakthrough song, 1993’s “All I Wanna Do,” is enough to convince doubters that there’s more to Solenn than ambition, attitude and opportunity. The dance ditty is catchy and fun, but because of its improvisational style of delivery, it’s also as tricky as a rap song – and Solenn delivers it without missing a note or skipping a beat.

Optimism

The moody, bluesy tweak she gives to Prince’s “Kiss” will likewise surprise music buffs who are used to a more upbeat tempo for the popular tune – from Prince’s funky 1986 original to Tom Jones and the Art of Noise’s 1988 dance cover, to Matthew Morrison and Gwyneth Paltrow’s tango-infused revival on “Glee.” She makes Gabrielle’s lovely 1999 hit single, “Sunshine,” tingle with heady optimism, then dabbles in pop-rock via her earnest cover of Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn.”

But, Solenn shines brightest when she doesn’t have to “measure up” to the quality and likability of the pop tunes she covers: She smolders in “Chemistry,” the sexy make-out track she cowrote with Rico Blanco, as well as her groove-heavy collaboration with Viktoria Vixen, “Ladies’ Night,” and the hum-worthy chill-out number, “It’s Our First Time.”

Let’s hope Solenn manages to sustain the positive and upward trajectory of her career as a multitasking singer, actress and host. We’re saying this because we recently caught her sharing a song with the overachieving Lovi Poe on “Party Pilipinas”—and, while Solenn gave the number all she had, there were audible “off” notes there. Singers need to constantly “listen” to themselves when they’re performing, especially if they’re not pitch-perfect.