Marifil Niña Girado-Enriquez, known professionally as Nina, is a Filipina singer, occasional songwriter, record producer, TV and radio personality and occasional actress. She made her recording debut in 2002 after signing a recording contract with Warner Music Philippines. Her first two studio albums produced the chart-topping singles "Jealous", "Foolish Heart" and "Make You Mine", and earned her the Favorite New Artist award on both Awit Awards and MTV Pilipinas Music Awards. She established her position in the local music industry in 2005 after releasing her third album Nina Live! which was certified diamond by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI). The album yielded her most successful single, "Love Moves in Mysterious Ways", and her biggest solo concert to date.
Heaven is the debut studio album by Filipina singer Nina, released in the Philippines on August 20, 2002 by Warner Music Philippines. The album is heavily influenced by jazzy lounge, pop-R&B and composed of songs that resemble the sound of international records at the time. Under the direction of Warner managing head Ricky R. Ilacad, foreign songwriters and arrangers from the United States and South Korea, including Shelly Peiken and Guy Roche, were hired for the production of the album. Ilacad was very impressed with Nina's submitted demo version of Steve Perry's "Foolish Heart" which they decided to re-record for the album.
Smile is the second studio album by Filipina singer Nina, released in the Philippines on December 12, 2003 by Warner Music Philippines. The album was a follow-up to the tremendous success of her debut album. It resembles the same sound from its predecessor, but only bigger and bolder in terms of incorporating urban-style to upbeat rhythmic jams and harmonic sound to powerful sentimental ballads. Ricky Ilacad, head of Warner label, assigned a few international songwriters and arrangers, including Jörgen Elofsson and Rudy Pérez, to collaborate with the label on the production of the album, which is noticeably broader compared to the first project. For the first time, Nina wrote a song, "Can't Say I Love You", which made it to the final cut. The album contains three cover versions of songs by Madonna, Baron Barbers and Cris Villonco.
Nina Live! is a live album and the third album by Filipina singer Nina, released in the Philippines on February 23, 2005, by Warner Music Philippines. The original release date for the album was scheduled on February 22, 2005, but it was moved a day later due to preparation. Nina has released two successful studio albums that are both influenced by pop-R&B, but behind all the commercial activities, she regularly performs on different bars and gigs. The label wanted to show this side of the singer the best way by releasing a live album. The live album was a commercial success debuting straight to number one on the Philippine Top 10 Albums chart. The album consists of love songs from the 1970s to the 1990s, all of which she has covered live. The live session was recorded on January 30, 2005, at PHI Resto & Bar in Metro Manila.
Nina is the third studio album by Filipina singer Nina, released in the Philippines on August 23, 2006, by Warner Music Philippines. After the success of her cover album Nina Live!, Nina released an all-original studio album as a follow-up. The album debuted at number 19 on the Philippine Albums Chart then it peaked at number 9, staying on the chart into 2007. Nina stated that the album showcases her true self as an artist. Nina recaptures the sound of her first two albums, but only bigger and broader in terms of genre. It consists mostly of "toned-down" songs that were sung in a "soft, near-whispery volume." The project marked the first time that she worked with Jim Baluyut as the new executive of the label. The production also featured international songwriters Walter Afanasieff, Matthew Gerrard and Harvey Mason, Jr.
"Heaven" is a song by Filipino singer Nina from her 2002 debut album of the same name. It was released as the album's first commercial single, and her first single as an artist, in August 2002 along with the album by Warner Music Philippines. The song was written by Brett Laurence and Gary Haase, and produced by Ferdie Marquez. The song is heavily influenced by the international urban sound, and Nina is one of the first pop-R&B artists to have entered the Philippine music scene. It was considered to be risky for Warner to release, since OPM music at that time focused on ballads and love songs, making the song a rare record during its release.
"2nd Floor" is a song by Filipino singer Nina from her 2002 debut album Heaven. It was released to radio in December 2002 by Warner Music Philippines as the album's first promo single in lieu of the album's release in the Philippines. The song was written by Arnie Mendaros, and produced by Neil Gregorio. As soon as Nina sent her demo to Warner and immediately got a contract with the label, production for her first album began. "2nd Floor" became one of the first OPM songs to feature Taglish lyrics and a pop-R&B arrangement. Nina's whistle register is very evident on the song.
"Jealous" is a song by Filipino singer Nina from her 2002 debut studio album Heaven. It was released as the album's second commercial single in February 2003 by Warner Music Philippines. The song was written by international songwriters Shelly Peiken and Brett Laurence, and it was produced by Ferdie Marquez. The song tells a story of a girl who is in love with her ex-boyfriend that has a new girlfriend. She narrates how jealous she is with the girl, and how lucky the girl is. She also promises to wait for the boy, the moment the girl leaves him.
"Loving You" is a song originally recorded by Filipino-American singer Ric Segreto for his debut album Segreto in 1982. Filipino singer Nina covered the song for her 2002 debut album Heaven.
"Make You Mine" is a song by Filipino singer Nina from her second studio album Smile. It was released alongside the album as its lead single in December 2003 by Warner Music Philippines. The song was written and produced by The 33rd, and features a rap verse performed by rapper Picasso. "Make You Mine" differed from the previous singles Nina was known for. Its upbeat groove and flirty lyrics allowed her to transcend the typical "love song syndrome" most Filipino artists are known for, and spun a reinvented image for the singer. The song talks about a girl who fell in love at first sight with a boy, and could not stop thinking about him and wants to make the boy hers.
Nina Sings the Hits of Diane Warren is the fourth studio album by Filipina singer Nina, released in the Philippines on July 25, 2008, by Warner Music Philippines. It is a cover album consisting of Nina's renditions of familiar love songs written by American songwriter Diane Warren. The idea behind the release of the album started after the success of her single "I Don't Want to Be Your Friend" in 2004, which was initially recorded for Warren's love songs compilation.
"I Don't Want to Be Your Friend" is a pop/R&B song written and composed by Diane Warren. It was first recorded by singer Cyndi Lauper for her 1989 album A Night To Remember. The song was meant to be the second commercial single released in the U.S. from that album, but after the second radio single "A Night to Remember" failed to chart highly, the label scrapped the idea. Famed songwriter Desmond Child also recorded a version for his only album Discipline (1991). "I Don't Want to Be Your Friend" was eventually a single by Filipino singer Nina, and also recorded by Dutch female singer Do in her eponymous debut album.
Filipina singer Nina has released seven studio albums, one live album, three compilation albums, one remix album and forty-three singles. In 2002, Nina released her debut album, Heaven, which became one of the best-selling albums of 2003 in the Philippines, certifying double Platinum by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI). The album earned two consecutive number-one singles on the Philippine charts, the first being "Jealous", which peaked at number one for three weeks, and was succeeded by her own rendition of "Foolish Heart". Heaven also made her the only female artist in OPM history to have five Top 5 singles from an album. In December 2003, Nina released her second album, Smile. Lead single, "Make You Mine", peaked at number one in the country, making her the first and only female OPM artist to have three number-one singles in a span of one year. Smile failed to match the commercial success of its predecessor, but it maintained her status as a platinum-selling artist.
Nina Videoke is the first ever video release by Filipina singer Nina. It is a collection of her music videos and includes one live performance, "Love Moves in Mysterious Ways", which was recorded from her live album, Nina Live!. Warner Music Philippines decided to release a video album of Nina due to the overflowing success of her live album, which has earned a Diamond certification by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI). Nina Videoke was released in May 2005, and was immediately followed by the first ever complete live DVD in Philippine music history, Nina Live!.
Renditions of the Soul is the fifth studio album by Filipina singer Nina, released in the Philippines on August 27, 2009 by Warner Music Philippines. The album contains a selection of the most requested songs from her "all-male hits special" weekly acoustic radio show of the same title, which aired on Wave 89.1 during Friday and Sunday evenings. The idea and concept of the project came from Nina herself, and she approached the station's manager to carry it out. She is co-executive producer of the album, with Warner head manager Jim Baluyut, and produced all the tracks herself. All the tracks are the actual recordings from Nina's Renditions of the Soul radio sessions.
Filipina singer Nina has released five video albums and appeared in forty-five music videos, three films and thirteen television shows. After signing a record deal with Warner Music Philippines, Nina released her first single, "Heaven," in 2002. Its music video was inspired by the cover art of her debut album of the same name where she is dancing in front of the camera while animations appear in the background. In 2003, the music videos for "Jealous" and "Foolish Heart" gained popularity in the Philippines, topping various music video charts in the country. "Jealous" featured actor Cedric Carreon, playing the role of ex-boyfriend in the music video. It won Favorite New Artist in a Video at the 2003 MTV Pilipinas Music Award. The music video for "Loving You" depicts Nina on a journey in a fantasy world to find her dream guy. All music videos from the album Heaven (2002) were directed by Avid Liongoren, except "Foolish Heart." "A Girl Can Dream," the second single from her second studio album Smile (2003) featured singer Christian Bautista as her love interest in a school-themed music video. In 2004, Nina appeared in a cameo appearance for the comedy film Masikip sa Dibdib.
"I'll Always Love You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Johnson, released in 1979 as the second single from his fifth album, Dialogue. Despite failing to chart in the Hot 100, the song became a big hit in the Philippines, giving Johnson his only gold record, where it has been covered by several local artists such as Vina Morales, Regine Velasquez, Nina, Bea Alonzo and Martin Nievera.
"(Love Moves in) Mysterious Ways" is a song recorded by British singer-songwriter Julia Fordham. Fordham was invited to record "Mysterious Ways" for the movie The Butcher's Wife, starring Demi Moore and Jeff Daniels, in late 1991. Fordham had then just released her third album Swept, at least in the UK and Japan, but the release of the album was quickly put on hold so that "Mysterious Ways" could be added to the track list. The rejigged album was released in the US in late October 1991, coinciding with the US release of the movie, and internationally. The album was also reissued in the UK, with "Mysterious Ways" - but not in Japan. There, "Mysterious Ways" was released as a 7-track EP. The EP includes the exclusive track "Melt", which Fordham had recorded for the Japanese movie The Flying Pennta in 1991.
"Someday" is a song by Filipino singer Nina from her 2006 self-titled fourth album. It was released as the album's second commercial single in November 2006 by Warner Music Philippines. The song was written and composed by Nyoy Volante, who was her boyfriend at that time, and it was produced by Warner personnel Neil Gregorio. The song tells a story of a girl who was left by her loved, but still hopes for someone better to come. It was entirely recorded using an acoustic piano by Bobby Velasco.
Stay Alive is the sixth studio album by Filipina singer Nina, released in the Philippines on November 19, 2011 by Universal Records. After a long recording hiatus, Nina started working on a new album with her new label during the second half of 2010. She described the album's sound as "sexy-soul," and stated that they wanted to show the "other side" [the dancer] of her by means of a dance album. The album covers a wide range of genres, consisting of upbeat house, dance songs, but still possessing Nina's distinctive mellow sound. Aside from keeping a close watch to the production and song arrangement, the singer also contributed to the album art when she designed the packaging together with her brother King. She described the new look as "different, slightly futuristic and edgy."
