Fan girl’s dream takes shape in May May Entrata’s debut album

May May Entrata’s debut album

May May Entrata is living a fan girl’s dream. The kooky 20-year-old big winner of “Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky 7”—the reality show’s longest season to date (which ran from July 2016 to March 2017)—doesn’t just have 17-year-old screen consort Edward Barber by her side, she’s also cooking up career-boosting acting projects and guesting stints that keep her visible and “viewable.”

With the release of her eponymously titled debut album “May May,” the enthusiastic newcomer manages to perpetuate the Cinderella story her handlers are banking on to keep her consistently newsworthy—even in the novelty songs she attempts to sing.

Now, the big question: Does May May and her album pass muster? Well, some of her songs do, especially the self-penned, Manila Sound-channeling “Shanawa (Sana S’ya)” and Christian Martinez’s “Kabaduyan”—but, unfortunately, not her singing. Not just yet, at least.

Having said that, there’s always room for improvement. Although actors who turn to singing are no longer a contentious “issue” these days because just about anybody, even the entertainment biz’s tone-deaf performing wannabes, can now wax full-length albums.

May May Entrata

Moreover, May May benefits from the pop music-churning expertise of Star Music’s creative minds, who are no slouch at making the disparate elements of songwriting and music-making come together.

While “May May” isn’t something that non-“PBB” viewers would take seriously, it nonetheless fields love songs and novelty tunes that go beyond perfunctory hemming and hawing as they tackle predictable but age-appropriate themes about young love (“Titig ng Pag-ibig”), seemingly inconsequential adolescent concerns (“Kabaduyan”) and teenage romantic fantasies (“Pangarap,” “Shanawa”).

May May also gets by with some help from her friends in “Titig ng Pag-ibig” (where she shares the singing chores with Edward, Kisses Delavin and Marco Gallo), then sings “Mahal Kita Kasi” and “Baliw” with Edward. The songs are cute and charming, but the singing is nothing to crow about.

It doesn’t hurt that the melodies and arrangements that bring the featured tracks to palpable life are catchy and radio-ready—thanks, not only to Autotune technology, but also to arrangers Arnold Jallores, Kiko Salazar and Kiko Martel, who convincingly capture the songs’ melodic vim and youthful vibe.

If there’s anything remarkable about the album, it’s the impressive fact that five of the seven songs it features are written or cowritten by May May herself—and, we’re happy to note that she isn’t bad at it!

If the young actress’ forays into acting don’t work out, perhaps a career in songwriting could be a viable option for her.

Take the album-opener “Toinks.” May May doesn’t just use the novelty song to introduce herself to her listeners, she wisely seizes the opportunity to poke fun at society’s double standards: “’’Pag g’wapo ang tumitig, kinikilig/ ’Pag pangit ang tumitig, mukhang manyakis/ ’Pag g’wapo may tattoo, mukhang astig/ ’Pag pangit may tattoo, mukhang adik/ ’Pag sosyal ang may sakit sa balat, allergy/ ’Pag jologs may sakit sa balat, galis agad.” Spot on.