Following the massive, overwhelming success of her milestone anniversary show, Asia’s Diamond Soul Siren, Nina, is officially set to grace the grand stage once again. Orange Magazine PH sat down with the legendary OPM icon at her press conference held at 22 Prime, Discovery Suites Ortigas, to talk about what fans can expect from NINA XX The Anniversary Concert – The Repeat, happening this September 24 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater.
For Nina, the decision to give the fans a repeat was a no-brainer. The demand from her loyal base—and those who missed out on the initial run—was simply too loud to ignore.
“It’s because probably of the overwhelming support, and ang dami rin kasing hindi nakapanood doon sa show… and ang ganda kasi nung show for me. The show was wonderful, and people wanted to—hindi lang yung mga hindi nakapanood, but yung mga nakapanood gusto nilang ulitin kasi sobra silang natuwa,” Nina shared.
Preserving the Voice and a 20-Year Legacy
Decades into her career, the public continues to wonder how Nina maintains her pristine, crystalline vocals and effortless high notes. For her, longevity comes down to basic self-care, a positive mindset, and avoiding the occupational stressors that plague many performers.
“I really take care of my voice, I really take care of myself… just be positive and just be happy, and everything will fall into place. No stress talaga for me,” she explained. She added that she strictly adheres to singer rules, like skipping iced water and ensuring she gets enough sleep to keep her voice at its absolute peak.
When reflecting on how she has evolved as an artist, Nina admits her confidence has flourished. While the pre-show jitters never truly fade, she has learned how to fully connect with her audience. “Nagbago lang is nagkaroon ako ng more confidence to sing in front of the people and to really be relaxed… before, mahiyain talaga ako mula simula… pero ngayon medyo parang nagiging relaxed na ako.”
An Emotional Setlist Built for the Fans
One of the most defining moments of the NINA XX concert series is its profound emotional weight. During rehearsals, Nina found herself completely overcome by tears right from the opening track, “There You’ll Be“—a song she holds incredibly close to her heart.
“The first song was ‘There You’ll Be,’ and iconic yung music video na yun because it is actually dedicated to all my supporters and my fans… Umpisa pa lang naiiyak na ako. Tapos nung finale talaga, nung nararamdaman ko talaga yung love—parang ang tagal na pala, pero they are still there supporting me and loving me.”
Her legendary mega-hit “Love Moves in Mysterious Ways” has also taken on a brand-new meaning for her over the years. “Before, ang dating sa akin is hindi mo alam when love is gonna come… Ngayon, it’s actually my theme song for everyone. Kumbaga, love song ko na ‘yan sa lahat ng sumusuporta sa akin, kasi sobrang misteryoso rin yung pagmamahal nila sa akin na hanggang ngayon nandiyan pa rin sila.”
80% New Experience: Insights From Director Calvin Neria
Concert Director Calvin Neria emphasizes that “The Repeat” is not merely a carbon copy of the first show. Valuing audience feedback, Neria and Nina redesigned the repertoire to feature an estimated 80% new or adjusted experience, accommodating fan requests by bringing back classic tracks from the 10x Platinum Nina Live album that didn’t make the cut initially.
“As a director, I listen to feedback and read comments online,” Calvin Neria shared. “Si Nina rin, sabi niya maglagay pa tayo ng more ‘Nina Live’ songs that we missed and yung hinahanap ng mga fans. So that’s what we’re doing in the repeat. Inaral kong mabuti yung repertoire—iba na yung takbo nung show, so parang ibang show na siya.”
Neria also highlighted Nina’s unparalleled work ethic, sharing a jaw-dropping fun fact from their May 9 run-through. During rehearsals, Nina was so intensely moved by “There You’ll Be” that she began crying right at the first line, causing her manager, Kathy Aveliana, to jokingly confront Neria.
Despite the overwhelming emotion, Nina refused to take any shortcuts. “Sabi ng mga stage managers sa akin, ‘Direk, ayaw niyang mag-skip ng song, gusto daw niya pasadahan lahat.’ At talagang sumobra yung hanga ko sa kanya… Imaginin mo, she ran the show from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, wala siyang ini-skip na kanta. Sobrang humahanga ako sa kanya,” Neria recalled.
Neria also revealed his immense confidence in the project, noting that he initially told the producers, “Huwag niyo akong bayaran pag hindi kayo nag-break even… and the moment after we announced on Monday that tickets are out, kumalahati na po yung tickets namin within one week.” Neria is even looking ahead to the future, manifesting an all-Tagalog tribute collaboration concert for Nina next year.
A Powerful, Collaborative Guest Lineup
One of the major updates making NINA XX: The Repeat a uniquely different experience from the first run is the inclusion of highly requested OPM icons. Joining the Soul Siren on stage are Romantic Balladeer Christian Bautista, Soul Supreme Thor Dulay, and Top Suzara (formerly of Freestyle).
For Nina, securing Christian Bautista this time around was a huge victory, as scheduling conflicts had previously gotten in the way.
“During the first Nina XX concert, we really wanted Christian Bautista to be one of our guests… but then he had a concert with Mark Bautista, medyo kasabay siya so hindi siya pupwede. Pero ngayon, I think yes, pwede na siya!” Nina enthusiastically shared.
She expressed huge appreciation for the updated lineup, noting how complete the stage feels: “I’m so thankful for that kasi talagang live na talaga siya dahil nandiyan na si Christian Bautista and si Thor, plus meron pa tayong special guest na si [Top].”
No Solo Spots: The Meaning Behind the Duets
While many fans might expect the guest artists to take over the stage for individual numbers while the main star rests, Concert Director Calvin Neria revealed that Nina is intentionally “greedy” with her stage time—but for a very heartwarming reason.
The guest segments have been carefully integrated into collaborative numbers. Neria and the team spent hours mapping out the perfect duets to make sure the arrangements do justice to their collective vocal power.
“Inaral din namin which songs ang nilalagay namin para doon sa duet nila,” Director Calvin explained. “Kasi nga sabi nga niya kanina, ‘madamot’ siya—ayaw niya ng may spot number yung mga guest. Hindi pa rin siya lalabas ng stage; maglalabas lang siya para magbihis during the playback of the videos. Pero ganun pa rin yung gagawin niya. Gusto pa rin niya solohin pa rin yung show kasi para sa kanya, that’s her way of thanking her fans for supporting her after all these years.”
With a flawless lineup of powerhouse vocalists and a continuous, high-octane setlist, the duets promise to be an unforgettable showcase of absolute OPM excellence.
Tickets for NINA XX The Anniversary Concert – The Repeat are officially out today via TicketWorld! Be sure to grab yours immediately to secure your spot for this historic evening of OPM magic.