Rachel talked to us about her new album, theater and "walking in Love" in an exclusive interview right before she went to onstage.

In label-crazy showbiz down where everyone is a star this or a star that, how does one call Rachel Alejandro?Pop princess does'nt seem enough,considering her vocal and emotional range. Song and dance diva,maybe?

Now, diva,is not so difficult to associate with her considering that she has this direct,in-your-face quality about her especially during her interviews we see on TV.

But up close in this interview,her voice is calm and she seems so patient.This is minutes away from her performance,her hair and face being done and the front act blasting away next door.We could barely hear each other so she talks slowly and repeats whatever needs to be repeated.Her skin is smooth and clear,is expected,and her eyes seem to get rounder as she explains.

"I've been doing regular shows at Kampo but i have'nt been appearing often on TV lately." She says this is to mark a significant break for her previos albums and her new one.

She describes her new album as "different and vocally, a lot more challenging".This is because she has a new lineup of songs with styles that go from ballads to dance to R & B.Rachel wrote the lyrics of two songs in this "very interesting album" where she was'nt able to do before.Is this a new phase in her career? "New company.new look,new songs.Under Warner(her new record label)," she declares.

Bad news for her theater fans though.Her theatrical forays will be more on producing for now as shes not starring in upcoming Music Theater Philippines productions.

In her concert, she introduced more new things.Her new band,which includes good friend Cholo Escano on percussions,cousin Nino Alejandro on guitar/keyboards and sister Barney on backup vocals.She gave a preview of her new album via the song Walk in Love.Of course,her concert wouldn't be complete without her signature songs Kay Tagal,which she says is one of her favorites ,and Paalam Na.

In the hurried,harried celluloid world of showbiz,there's something so refreshingly human about her easygoing cloness to her cousin Nino and her sister Barney and the way her backup singers congratulated her on her way out of the stage after singing the last song of the last song of the concert.Just as there's something so painfully human about the way she sings her songs of love,lost and unrequited.