May 22, 2010

By Michael Menachem

Charice has long counted Oprah Winfrey as one of her biggest fans, but the 18-year-old captured a global audience in 2009 with her easy-listening ballad "Note to God." On "Pyramid," Charice—with help from Iyaz—delivers a radio-friendly number about defying the odds while displaying the kind of vocal range that other budding pop stars simply don't have. Written by a large group of mostly young songwriters, "Pyramid" ultimately sounds believable because of Charice's conviction in her delivery. "Pyramid, we built this on a solid rock/ It feels just like it's heaven's touch/ Together at the top, like a pyramid," she sings. An already high-charting dance mix loops Charice's "oh, oh, oh" runs to crank up the energy even further. Like any strong pop song, expect this one to scale multiple charts.

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