Manila Bulletin
Entertainment
Music and Concerts
20 years on, Nina still knows exactly what fans want to hear
Entertainment
Music and Concerts
20 years on, Nina still knows exactly what fans want to hear
20 years on, Nina still knows exactly what fans want to hear
Published May 15, 2026 05:37 pm
There are very few artists who can sell out a major theater on the strength of songs that, technically speaking, were never theirs to begin with.
Asia’s Diamond Soul Siren Nina has been doing exactly that for two decades, and it’s what makes her career genuinely fascinating.
On May 9, at the packed Newport Performing Arts Theater, Asia’s Diamond Soul Siren celebrated the 20th anniversary of her multi-platinum album "Nina Live!" with “NINA XX: The Anniversary Celebration,” a sold-out concert that was equal parts tribute, victory lap, and reminder that Nina remains one of the most quietly enduring forces in OPM.
Because "Nina Live! "was never just an album. It was a cultural event. A live-recorded collection of covers that somehow became one of the most beloved albums in Filipino music history, embedding itself into radio playlists, videoke rooms, and heartbreak rituals nationwide. It redefined what a live album could be and, perhaps more impressively, what an interpreter could become.
For over two hours, Nina revisited that legacy with precision and warmth.
Opening with Faith Hill’s “There You’ll Be,” she stepped onstage to immediate cheers, sounding remarkably untouched by time. From there came a flood of familiar favorites: “Colored Kisses,” “Sweet Thing,” “Piano in the Dark,” “I Don’t Want to Wait,” and “Steep,” each delivered with the kind of effortless control that makes difficult singing look easy.
And that’s always been Nina’s trick. Not theatricality. Not reinvention. Just consistency so polished it begins to feel almost supernatural.
Under the musical direction of Soc Mina, who has worked alongside Nina for two decades, the arrangements felt lush without overwhelming her voice.
Concert director Calvin Murphy Neria kept the pacing sharp, balancing emotional peaks with lighter moments where Nina’s quiet humor and shyness surfaced between songs.
That contrast remains one of her most charming qualities: offstage, Nina often describes herself as reserved, even timid. Onstage, she transforms completely.
As she’s said before, the audience gives her energy, and it showed.
The concert also made room for collaborators and old friends. Thor joined her for “The Closer I Get to You” and “Burn.” Jay Durias brought elegance to “Love of My Life” and a fresh arrangement of “Saving Forever for You.” Meanwhile, Kris Lawrence delivered perhaps the evening’s most unexpectedly entertaining moment.
After their duet of “Have You Ever” and “How Can We Be Lovers,” Nina playfully pressed Lawrence about rumors surrounding his rekindled relationship with actress Katrina Halili.
“So… friends ba kayo?” she asked, smiling, to loud audience cheers.
Lawrence, laughing, answered diplomatically: “We’re just trying to take it step by step.”
“Step by step,” he added. “Pero nakailang steps na siguro.”
The night eventually surged into its emotional final stretch with powerhouse staples:
“Jealous,” “I Love You Goodbye,” “Someday,” and “Through the Fire.” But when Nina exited the stage, something was obviously missing. The audience knew it. She knew it.
And soon enough, she returned, visibly emotional to deliver “Love Moves in Mysterious Ways,” the song fans had been waiting for all night.
“After 20 years,” she told the crowd through tears, “alam niyo talaga kung ano ang kulang.”
That may be the secret to Nina’s longevity. Not reinvention. Not spectacle. Just understanding exactly what people came for and somehow still making it feel new. (Ian Ureta)