Arlene is an artist all around. She began her performing career acting in plays, then transitioned into the award-winning singer, songwriter, and musician that she is today. Arlene is a Filipino-Canadian from Mississauga and has been touring internationally since 2010. Her story is an inspiring transformation from an introverted girl to the successful artist that she is today! Arlene now hosts a Filipino TV show called Striving Artist, and has recently been named Best Pop Artist at the Mississauga Music Awards! In 2018, Arlene released a pop album “Home With You” in which she advocates for self-confidence.
Arlene collaborated with artist Nick Name for the album’s first song “Over You.” This track opens the album with an enthusiastic and confidence-building pop song. Arlene’s attitude is all about leaving the past in the past and embracing her own life and happiness. Her powerful spirit is simply contagious! “Over You” embodies the idea of a positive self-image, similar to Arlene’s original songs “I’m Worth It” and “Shine So Bright.”
“Leave Me Alone” is a song that spotlights Arlene’s vocal range. The majority of the chorus is sung at high notes displaying the real feeling that Arlene puts into her music. “Leave Me Alone” is the ideal song for anyone who needs a little motivation to stand up for themselves. The dramatic instrumental background combined with Arlene’s captivating voice makes this a song to add to your daily playlists. “He Got Me” and could easily be the intro song to the next James Bond movie. The backtrack is dramatic, yet not overbearing. It includes a good beat as a delicate piano and strings make up the melody. Arlene uses her powerful voice to add mystery to the track which is sure to leave you anticipating the next 007 adventure
“Home With You,” “My Favourite” and “Best Kept Secret” are romantic, staring out the car window in the rain kind of songs. “Home With You” is a track about missing someone and yearning for the day they can reunite. In each of these songs, Arlene’s desire stands out in her vocals and is accompanied by an upbeat, instrumental backtrack. With these songs, Arlene is sure to tug on your heartstrings and leave you thinking about that special someone for hours after.
Arlene’s final track “Soy Valiosa” stands out as the only song on the track that is sung in a different language. “Soy Valiosa” introduces a cultural aspect to her album which highlights her ability to stand out and give listeners something original. It is a slower-paced song accompanied by a Spanish guitar. “Soy Valiosa” directly translates to “I’m valuable,” making it an ideal song to close up the album and represent Arlene’s ability to uplift her audiences. Her album “Home With You” keeps you engaged because of the variety of different pop styles. We look forward to hearing more from Arlene because we love the message she has to offer.
You can listen to the full album here.
Welcome to BuzzMusic Arlene! We are thrilled to have you here! Your album “Home With You” really hit our hearts. Can you tell us more about your inspiration for this song?
That's so sweet of you! I am hoping to touch hearts with this album, that's for sure. This album is quite special to me because I worked with 3 producers instead of one and I produced two tracks myself, which was both really exciting and scary! I got to work with Nick Name, Mike Schlosser, and Kevin Dvorak who brought their own spin to my songs and still made sure the story and the feel of the songs were authentic. Brad Smith united them all together with his amazing mastering skills. The title song, Home with You was inspired by an old-fashioned love story where the two people in the relationship are so in love that all they can think about is the other. It's one of those songs that makes couples in the audience lean on the other's shoulder or hold their hand tighter. I've seen it happen!
We love your strong and unique sound! Are there any other artists that have inspired you over time to create your music the way that you do?
Thank you for the kind words! I have been heavily influenced by many Canadian artists and bands. My biggest influence is Raine Maida from Toronto's own Our Lady Peace. "Superman's Dead" was the first song I taught myself on guitar. It was my love for them that influenced me to write my own music. Raine's writing style and singing made me decide to start writing my own tunes. I am also influenced by piano playing, belting singer-songwriters like Chantal Kreviazuk, Sarah McLachlan, and Alanis Morissette.
The song “Soy Valiosa” is written entirely in another language. Could you tell us the message behind this song?
This song is a Spanish version of my song, I'm Worth It. The song appeared in my last two albums with a message that we can achieve anything we put our minds to and that we are worth our goals and dreams that we desire! I wanted to have this song on my album again and decided to have it translated into another language. My good friend Carla Casanova helped me translate it and also helped with the pronunciation.
We know that you have been performing for a long time. Can you tell us how your music style has evolved over time?
Great question! My music has evolved over the past decade with different instrumentation, different musicians and experiences that I've gone through. I can now say that my style is becoming closer to hot adult contemporary which is edgy, majestic, and relatable. It's definitely maturing as I am growing up in this industry.
We were happy to have you here on BuzzMusic! Your music career has recently been taking off! You won Best Pop Artist at the Mississauga Music Awards, and even came second for NOW Toronto Magazine’s Best Songwriter! Can you tell us about your future plans as an artist, and what we can look forward to from you?
I'm so happy to be here on BuzzMusic! Thanks so much for reaching out and all the love! Right now I'm working on new music with my music director, Kevin Dvorak. There's no set date for any new releases so hang tight! In the meantime, I hope listeners enjoy my latest album, Home with You.