In 1997, Philippine female solo artist
Roselle Nava released
On Higher Ground, her first album for Star Recording. The record is dominated by passionate, easy listening love songs, a style of music quite popular in the Philippines. There isn't much variety to be heard, as ten of the album's 12 tracks are ballads. Mostly,
Nava aims for sentimentality, rather than for a well-rounded, cohesive album. In the Philippines, however, record companies earn a lot of money from sentimentality. While
Nava has some talent, it isn't abundant, and her voice isn't yet fully developed, which makes for a rather bland listening experience.
Nava doesn't sing off-key or anything like that, but there is no magic in her voice, and not much depth either. What really makes the album boring is the predominance of slow songs. The upbeat "Do You Love Me?" is a welcome respite from the slow material, and
Nava does a credible job on it, perhaps thankful for the chance to stretch out and sing something more challenging. Despite the album's dullness, the ballad "Dahil Mahal na Mahal Kita" ("Because I Love You So Much") was a big radio hit, and
On Higher Ground was a top-selling album.
Nava has a strong presence on Philippine television, and this surely didn't hurt sales.