Toni & What Love Is

Toni Gonzaga shows some sexiness on the back cover of her third album titled Love is… Toni Gonzaga but her music remains sweet and is never sappy. After all, it’s Toni’s easy-listening kind of music that has made her songs reach the charts. She doesn’t have to strain her voice to make another gold or platinum album.

“I’m trying to be bolder with this album,” refers Toni to her daring, edgy image on the promotional photos for her latest album. She is in a backless dress revealing her flawless skin and legs.

“The album, on the other hand, is a combination of original and cover songs. I also had a say in the song choices. I think my music depends on time and trends. I have to go with the flow like what the listeners want. If they prefer covers, we will give them that. As the title of my album implies, it is all about love and the listener will define for himself what love is.”

Love is… Toni Gonzaga is the follow-up album to You Complete Me and Toni Gonzaga Falling In Love. Both reached gold status with the record sales of more than 25,000 sold copies. The latter was certified platinum. Toni’s music has a market of its own that’s why Star Records is never afraid to take a gamble on her. They think Toni always delivers.

For a recording artist whose debut album started on the right foot and who surpassed the sophomore jinx, there’s no other way for Toni but to come up another one and explore her range musically.

“I’m thankful that they have entrusted me this one,” says Toni, winner of MYX Most Downloaded Artist award. “(My) success, to quote actor Anthony Hopkins, is 80 percent luck, 10 percent talent and 10 percent attitude. I think it also comes with hardwork and patience. You have to visualize what you want and focus on it. Whatever respect and success I’m enjoying now, it is something I have earned for the past years. I still have a lot more to prove myself. I have to do it year after year.”

Love is… Toni Gonzaga will show that the singer-actress can make a kill not only on original compositions but also on the songs of the other artists. If you grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s, you will have a blast listening to the carrier single One Hello, If Ever You’re In My Arms Again with Sam Milby, Take Me, I’ll Follow You, Insensitive, Steep and Someone’s Always Saying Goodbye. You can’t help but sing along the songs with Toni. Besides, these ditties are familiar tunes. But if you’re looking for the real sounds of Toni just the way she did in chart-topping singles We Belong and Catch Me I’m Fallin’, she serves you up songs like Incapable, If I Give You My Heart and I’ve Been Waiting.

What else do we look forward to in Toni’s career aside from her hosting stints on ABS-CBN’s Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition 2, Entertainment Live and ASAP? A lot.

Faces & Curves, a beauty clinic which offers cosmetic, plastic and reconstructive surgery, got her and sister Alex as its endorsers. The place, located at Suite 204 The Victoria Plaza, Annapolis St., Greenhills, San Juan, is staffed by board-certified plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, internists and dermatologists.

Toni, a regular customer of Faces & Curves, was chosen because of her wholesome image, and her versatility as singer, actress and host.

“It was Faces & Curves that reconstructed part of my face when I met an accident while shooting a TV commercial,” says Toni. “Look, you don’t notice any difference anymore, do you?”

She goes on, “I will also make a movie with Vhong Navarro.” The Star Cinema project is Toni and Vhong’s big screen teamup after D‘ Anothers. Toni adds that she is in her best element as an actress in comedies and light romances like You Are the One and You Got Me. Many think she is also perfect for the title role of Betty La Fea which has given America Ferreira Golden Globes and Emmys. Toni is a funny girl in her own right.

With the many hats she is wearing, Toni wishes to be known as a singer “who sings from the heart, and in the future, (I hope) someone will make one of my songs a cover.”