 Michael V. Breaking barriers seem to be one of Michael V’s favorite pastimes. When the world witnessed the blossoming of Michael V’s talent, television audiences and critics officially saw his potential for greatness. He entered the industry as a gifted performer but excelled mostly as a comedian armed with his arsenal of jokes and witty humor. Eventually, people loved the comical personality and talent for impersonating celebrities, which was ingrained amongst those who have come across Michael V. Aside from hosting his own show and regularly showcasing his acting skills in a well-liked gag show, Bitoy—as he is universally known—is again setting a breakthrough with a video/audio album release under GMA Records titled “The Bubble G Anthology”. Primarily a video album that includes an audio counterpart, “The Bubble G Anthology” contains ten tunefully humorous and funny parodies, which carries ample character as these twisted gems truly evoke everything that the novelty genre has to offer: pure fun. Michael V’s sense and sensibility to mass humor and culture reflects brightly on the candy-coated record in that he tickles the right spot at the right time. And this time with the right tune and the right visual delight. First single “Hindi Ako Bakla” is the tale of a closeted gay person named Tom Yam. Written and directed by Michael V himself, the memorable video depicts Tom Yam denying the gay rumors continuously bugging him but he responds through a performance starting out all masculine but ends up in a sequence of tight-fitting and tummy-exposing costume changes. Eventually, Tom Yam reveals his, er, her true identity and screams out “Babae ako!”. Celebrated television commercial jingle turned track single “Joy in My Heart” opens the album, retelling the telenovela-inspired story between Jacob, Johnny, and Julie all in the context of, well, a dishwashing liquid. But it’s wonderfully amusing—the innovative tune, the catchy chorus, and especially that quirky dance step that made everyone get up on their feet. “DJ Bumbay” follows suit, with Michael V rapping about a merchant’s commodities and services ranging from mobile phones to TVs to sneakers. The oriental instrumentation and eastern accent adds an interesting flavor to the album mix. Personal favorite “Wag Na Wag” satirizes the pop rock smash hit and Michael V shape shifts into Kitchie Na Day. The song pokes fun at gender confusion again but maintains a lighthearted tone and establishes brilliant impersonating skills. From facial expression to gestures, every twitch and quiver tickles the funny bone. Insert additional participation from two other hilarious personalities in Ogie Alcasid and Antonio Aquitania and you’ve got a spoof hit. Halfway through the disc, Michael V slows it down with “Chaka N’ya” and “Wag N’yo Kaming Pansinin”. The renditions cleverly illustrate Michael V’s creativity as he croons and sings about an unlikely combination of bodily imperfections, most notably the dark skin color and nguso. The participation of Bubble Gang regulars Diego and Maicah made it an even more entertaining watch. Building on the momentum of the earlier songs, “Mamaw!” is Michael V’s adaptation of the chart topping Narda. Instead of a super heroine, the focus is on an ugly gay monster preying on innocent victims. Probably the most entertaining aspect is watching Michael V and his special guest band composed of Ogie Alcasid, Boy 2 Quizon, Antonio Aquitania, and Wendell Ramos, scream their lungs out in energetic and edgy fashion as the original without losing the laughable quality and intention of the track. Playing rock parodies with smart humor is hard but Michael V and the rest did a commendable job in pulling off this one. Another recurring theme is food as seen and heard in “Di Na Maggigisa” and “Isaw Nga” sung to the tunes of fantaserye hits. “Di Na Maggigisa” sees Michael V dressed up as a goddess-like maid in the clouds complaining about the pains of sautéing, proven by her burns and wounds. Unexpectedly, she transforms into a “donya” as a testament to her conviction of never sautéing again. On the other hand, “Isaw Nga” is as straightforward as it can get as it talks about dreaming of a scrumptious piece of isaw. After a slew of mellow satire songs, Michael V bounces back to close the album with a bang with the midtempo ditty “May B.O. Na Ako” about, well, bad odor. If there is one thing about the novelty genre that best explains its determined existence, it’s the fact that humor has its place in society. Especially in the entertainment industry. Sure, critics would easily question and dismiss its artistic quality but they seem to forget the hard fact: humor, in all its numerous forms, is the most difficult to achieve. Thus, Michael V’s album is akin to watching a maestro display his natural ability, keeping pace with his overflowing ingenuity while the world stumbles, awestruck. And in this effort he has indeed safely crafted a worthy masterpiece. Many have tried but failed to consistently realize the demands but “The Bubble G Anthology” springs Michael V back into the hot seat, or more appropriately in the throne, which he rightly owns. “The Bubble G Anthology” is released by GMA Records and distributed exclusively by Paragon Music Corporation nationwide. Special thanks to Joy Ultra and Rebisco Crackers as major sponsors and to Globe Telecom as minor sponsor of the video release. SHORT VERSION Michael V is back and better with an exclusive break out video/audio album dubbed “The Bubble G Anthology”. This ten-track collection from GMA Records contains well-loved hits with that distinct Bitoy twist. Flagship song and carrier single “Hindi Ako Bakla” has been receiving considerable airplay in music channels and radio stations. The danceable ditty focuses on Tom Yam, pretending to be straight despite the nasty rumors about his orientation. But the entertaining video gives him away when he evolves into a full-blown “woman” (with the gaudy red outfit) as he confirms aloud in the end. The creative direction of “The Bubble G Anthology” inclines on the usual spoof themes of gender confusion, physical flaws, and food but still done in an amiable, humorous manner. Other noteworthy tracks include the ubiquitous commercial tune “Joy in My Heart”, the comical, parodied versions of “Wag Na Wag”, “Chaka N’Ya”, and “Mamaw!”. Additional comical support is provided by guests Ogie Alcasid, Antonio Aquitania, Wendell Ramos, Boy 2 Quizon, Diego, and Maicah. The DVD version also consists of spoof segments in between tracks to further heighten the entertaining experience. “The Bubble G Anthology” is released by GMA Records and distributed exclusively by Paragon Music Corporation nationwide. Special thanks to Joy Ultra, Rebisco Crackers and AXN Time as major sponsors and to Globe Telecom as minor sponsor of the video release.
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