Singer-songwriter KITCHIE NADAL splashed into the Philippine music scene in 2004, and she hasn’t stopped making waves since then. The moment her first single “Huwag Na Huwag Mong Sasabihin” from her self-titled debut album was released, listeners were hooked. It wasn’t long before the song was ruling the airwaves. The album has since achieved double-platinum status. Four years later, Nadal’s popularity continues to grow as she makes a comeback with her highly-anticipated sophomore album Love Letter. Currently, she is relentlessly being tapped to compose theme songs for various TV shows, commercial endorsements (Bayo, McDonald’s, Caltex), and most recently, the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Recognized by a number of prestigious award-giving bodies (MTV [Asia, Philippines, Ayos!], PARI Awit Awards, Aliw Awards), Nadal’s versatility and ability as a singer-songwriter are indisputable. Speaking to us in musical poetry, she shines with a beauty so painfully bright that it’s blinding. As you take in Nadal’s music as she bares her profound soul, it becomes impossible not to lose oneself and be enchanted. It feels powerful being alive again. It becomes clear that Nadal makes no apologies about the sound she has dared to make and words she has chosen to put together– whether she speaks of love, life, or all that is in between. Here you’ll find themes that may be too close for comfort, but the same honesty has also never felt so comfortable. Most captivating of all is Nadal’s boldness to first sing for and to the Greatest Musician of all, whose glory never ends. It’s a testimony made that echoes into all eternity. Few times in life do we come across an artist whose heart seems to mirror that of our own while simultaneously remaining an elusive mystery. It is this haunting quality about Nadal that keeps us coming back for more. Her music is so compelling that it’s not possible to listen to such alluring substance and come out the same person. Time has left you alone and before you know it, the rarity of the uplifting sound and refreshing words such as Nadal’s have changed you and have become your anthem. The words of this life start to rhyme and heaven begins to make sense. Far be it from one to say that they took it in without warning or that they were ready for a sound such as this. Love Letter boasts of an incredible range of material, showcasing Nadal’s growth and maturity as an artist. “I want to share the grace I have received. I want my new album to be life-changing,” Nadal says. The album features collaborations with producer Jack Rufo, co-writer of the song “Tadhana; Cynthia Alexander, producer of the song “Iniibig Kita”; Luc Middledorp of Europe-based band “Insight” wrote and produced the song “In a Big Way”; and Akshai Sarin, co-writer and producer of the song “Walk on Water”. Love Letter kicks off with “Wide Awake”, introducing us to a new digital domain embracing programming and loops, a sound distinctively and refreshingly different from Nadal’s debut record. The album boasts of several more tracks with a similar sound (“Lala Land”, “Love Letter”), yet it impressively remains all too human with Nadal’s vocals on center stage. “You are the highest Way, the Truth, and the Life… there is no other road for me now,” Nadal sings on “Highway”, the song that brought her to South Africa as an endorser for multinational gas company Caltex. She goes on to tell us of the direction she’s chosen to take in her second single “Grace”, singing “Grace, grace, grace… I surrender to your embrace.” Apparently, Nadal has found grace in choosing to surrender and the peace in her soul clearly manifests itself in tracks like “Armour Bearer”, and “Beautiful Jesus”. Of course, guitar-driven, soul-deep melodies such as “Tadhana” and “Unconditional Love” are not absent on this record, highly reminiscent of the songster we all fell in love with four years back. Nadal is the type of musician who can fascinate you with her arresting renditions of popular cover songs one minute, and leave you floored with her original compositions the next. You cannot put limits or confines to an artist such as Kitchie -- whether she’s headlining a concert or doing a gig at a local bar, this pop-alternative crooner never fails to deliver. The best part is, Nadal’s intention for her music was never to please the world, but she managed to do so anyhow. Her latest single talks of “Grace”— and truly, there could not be a word more apt to describe her sound and soul which she has so selflessly shared with us… it’s unmerited favor. In this journey called life, there’s one thing we can be certain of. Wherever Kitchie Nadal chooses to take us, the destination will be beautiful. -Pauline Yao, 2008