THE NEXT BIG
THING
OPM’s new muse MARIELLE shows
you dreams do come true—even today
Carving a career in the music industry isn’t
so much a choice as much as it is a destiny for talented upstart Marielle. In fact, it’s an ideal career
choice for this 24-year-old aesthetic nurse currently based in Dubai.
A true-blue Filipina singer with plenty of
potential, Marielle's home demos serendipitously found its way onto GMA Records,
eventually causing a wave of dream-like scenes for this brilliant
singer-songwriter. In a span of just 32 days, Marielle inked a recording deal with
GMA Records that would eventually launch her into the music scene and start a
personal journey to commercial and critical success.
Marielle’s love for music is rooted in a
childhood spent singing along to songs of pop chanteuses Lea Salonga and Donna
Cruz. Her passion continued to swell, studying classical piano pieces and
writing compositions of her own. Not even Marielle’s focus on her studies could extinguish
the fire burning inside.
Staying true to herself even after
graduating and working as a nurse in another country, Marielle continuously honed
her musical abilities and lyrical approach. “All my
compositions are based on my tough experiences but I don’t focus on the
negativity and instead, divert them to positive and hopeful thoughts,” she
says.
Drawing inspiration from personal
experience isn’t the only thing that drives Marielle to write songs that are
channeled through her lush vocals and laid over wistful melodies. She is a
disciple of the style pioneered by Eva Cassidy and Amy Winehouse and taking
cues from contemporary Irish indie folk artist Lisa Hannigan and soul’s all-time
favorite darling Adele.
Fans of heartfelt songwriting stand to be
surprised by Marielle's first single, “Bubble.” It’s a delightful indie pop
goodness with Marielle's delicate vocals cooing confessional lyrics like they were
taken straight from her diary. Gorgeous harmonies embolden sentimental
songwriting such as the chorus’ restrained beauty, ‘You’re all I need, please tell
me you need me too/In this crazy world, let’s run away from lies/We will chase
the wind and build our dreams.’
““Bubble” is a symbol of protection,” she
muses, “Someone told me that whenever you’re performing,
you have to create a certain bubble so that the crowd around you won’t affect
you. It's an idea that sank in to me. I think it would be great if every
family, every relationship has its own bubble to protect them from harm. It's
like a fantasy, an idea that why not create this kind of world where serenity
and love reigns.”
The autobiographical “Escape” is possibly
one of her best numbers, offering listeners a peek inside her thoughts. Largely
taking its cue from Taylor Swift’s brand of pop, “Escape” sounds like a cut
from Fearless. It’s a charming, country-tinged
track that says a lot about Marielle “I wrote this two years ago. I was camping
with friends and I needed that escape because I wanted to decide on my own, to
think clearly about situations that might influence the tough decision that I
had to make.”
That kind of introspection is most likely Marielle's better asset aside from her versatile vocals and trademark poetry. But
the great thing about her is that she manages to fuse all her gifts with the
dexterity of a professional to create purposeful pop music, whether to excite
listeners, document her story, or express love. It’s a precious combination she
does extremely well that, in time, will only pave the way for more touching and
exuberant songs everyone can appreciate and relate to.
Marielle’s “Bubble” will be
available through iTunes, Amazon, Spotify (.99 USD) and OPM2GO (P25) by June 18.
