title: Abu Zubaydah

text: Partly as a result of injuries he suffered while he was fighting the communists in Afghanistan, partly as a result of how those injuries were exacerbated by the CIA and partly as a result of his extended isolation, Zubaydah's mental grasp is slipping away. Today, he suffers blinding headaches and has permanent brain damage. He has an excruciating sensitivity to sounds, hearing what others do not. The slightest noise drives him nearly insane. In the last two years alone, he has experienced about 200 seizures. Already, he cannot picture his mother's face or recall his father's name. Gradually, his past, like his future, eludes him.


title: Abu Zubaydah

text: President Bush referred to Zubaydah in a speech to Congress September 2006 requesting a bill to authorize military commissions, following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in "Hamdan v. Rumsfeld" (2006) that held the tribunals as formulated by the executive branch were unconstitutional. Congress rapidly passed legislation that was signed by the president.


title: Abu Zubaydah

text: Less than one month after Zubaydah's capture, Justice Department officials said Zubaydah was "a near-ideal candidate for a tribunal trial". Several months later in 2002, US officials said there was "no rush" to try Zubaydah via military commission.


title: Abu Zubaydah

text: At his Combatant Status Review Tribunal in 2007, Zubaydah said he was told that the CIA realized he was not significant.


title: Abu Zubaydah

text: "They told me, 'Sorry, we discover that you are not Number 3, not a partner, not even a fighter, said Zubaydah, speaking in broken English, according to the new transcript of a Combatant Status Review Tribunal held at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.


title: Abu Zubaydah

text: Abu Zubaydah's lawyers, including Joseph Margulies and George Brent Mickum IV, filed a lawsuit in July 2008 challenging his detention at Guantanamo Bay detention camps after the "Boumediene v. Bush" ruling. The judge overseeing the case, Richard W. Roberts, failed to rule on any motions related to the case, even the preliminary ones. This led Zubaydah's lawyers to file a motion asking Judge Roberts to recuse himself for nonfeasance in January 2015. On March 16, 2016, Roberts retired early from the federal bench, citing unspecified health issues.


title: Abu Zubaydah

text: The U.S. government has not officially charged Zubaydah with any crimes. The Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture reported that Zubaydah's CIA interrogators wanted him to "remain in isolation and incommunicado for the remainder of his life."


title: Abu Zubaydah

text: When he assumed office in January 2009, President Barack Obama made a number of promises about the future of Guantanamo.


title: Abu Zubaydah

text: He promised the use of torture would cease at the camp. He promised to institute a new review system. That new review system was composed of officials from six departments, where the OARDEC reviews were conducted entirely by the Department of Defense. When it reported back, a year later, the Joint Review Task Force classified some individuals as too dangerous to be transferred from Guantanamo, even though there was no evidence to justify laying charges against them. On April 9, 2013, that document was made public after a Freedom of Information Act request.


title: Abu Zubaydah

text: Zayn al-lbidin Muhammed Husayn was one of the 71 individuals deemed too innocent to charge but too dangerous to release. Although Obama promised that those deemed too innocent to charge but too dangerous to release would start to receive reviews from a Periodic Review Board, less than a quarter of men have received a review. Husayn was denied approval for transfer on September 22, 2016.


title: Abu Zubaydah

text: On 24 July 2014, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Poland had violated the European Convention on Human Rights when it cooperated with US allowing the CIA to hold and torture Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri on its territory in 2002–2003. The court ordered the Polish government to pay each of the men €100,000 in damages. It also awarded Zubaydah €30,000 to cover his costs.


title: Abu Zubaydah

text: On 31 May 2018, the ECHR ruled that Romania and Lithuania also violated the rights of Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri in 2003–2005 and in 2005–2006 respectively, and Lithuania and Romania were ordered to pay €100,000 in damages each to Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Nashiri.


title: Abu Zubaydah

text: In connection with the European Court of Human Rights proceedings, Zubaydah filed suit in the U.S. seeking disclosure of information related to the matter. The U.S. government intervened, seeking to assert a state secrets privilege. The U.S. district court decided in favor of the government and dismissed the case. On appeal, the dismissal was reversed on a ruling that the state secrets privilege did not apply to information that was already publicly known. The Supreme Court reversed the appeal ruling, explaining that the state secrets privilege applies to the existence (or nonexistence)


title: Bobby Fish

text: Robert Anthony Fish (born October 27, 1976) is an American professional wrestler currently appearing for Impact Wrestling. He is best known for his tenure with WWE, where he performed on the NXT brand and was a member of The Undisputed Era. In WWE, he is a former 2-time NXT Tag Team Champion alongside his tag team partner Kyle O'Reilly. He is also known for his time with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) from 2021–2022 and Ring of Honor (ROH) from 2013 to 2017, where he wrestled as one-half of the tag team reDRagon (also with O'Reilly) and held the ROH World Tag Team Championship three times and the ROH World Television Championship once. He is also known for his appearances in Japan both for Pro Wrestling Noah and for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he held the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship twice.


title: Bobby Fish

text: Robert Anthony Fish was born on October 27, 1976, in Albany, New York, and is the youngest of three children to Richard and Ann Fish. Fish's father worked as a firefighter in Albany, and was a former U.S. Marine. He grew up near Central Avenue. Fish attended Colonie Central High School, where he played as a linebacker for the football team. He then played football at Hudson Valley Community College, before moving to Siena College during his junior year. He graduated in 2000, with a bachelor's degree in English, becoming the first member of his family to graduate from college. He previously worked as a bartender and also returned to his former high school as a substitute teacher, while working independent events on the weekends. In 2012, he was about to take a job at a Target distribution center in Wilton, until Ring of Honor offered him a contract, continuing his wrestling career.


title: Bobby Fish

text: Bobby Fish made his pro wrestling debut in 2002 after training with Tony DeVito and Harley Race. He competed for several years in the Northeast under the names Jerkin Jackson and Madden Fisher before settling on the name he continues to use, Bobby Fish. He made his debut for Ring of Honor on October 2, 2004, where he teamed with Scott Cardinal and lost to the Rebel's Army. He was utilized as a jobber for ROH for the entirety of his early appearance. Fish wrestled for Pro Wrestling Unplugged for the majority of his early career making his debut in February 2005. He formed a partnership with Scott Cardinal, whom he had wrestled many times on the Northeast indie scene. On May 20, he and Cardinal defeated three other teams to win the vacant PWU Tag Team Championship before vacating them in September.


title: Bobby Fish

text: After returning from his first tour with Noah, Fish returned to the Northeastern independent circuit and continued to compete there when he returned from Noah tours. Fish wrestled for New England Championship Wrestling regularly between his early tours of Noah. In April 2007, he defeated DC Dillinger by disqualification in a match for the NECW Undisputed Triple Crown Championship, but failed to win the title. Fish took part in Iron 8 2007, making it to the finals where he lost to Eddie Edwards. Fish returned to ROH at Reborn Again in a loss to Claudio Castagnoli, teamed with Matt Cross at Final Battle 2007 in a loss against the Vulture Squad (Ruckus and Jigsaw), and appeared in several matches on "Ring of Honor Wrestling" in 2009.


title: Bobby Fish

text: In 2009, he was announced as one of the participants scheduled to wrestle on the first Evolve Wrestling show. On January 10, 2010, he performed in the opening match at Evolve 1, in which he lost to Kyle O'Reilly via pinfall.


title: Bobby Fish

text: Fish first toured Japan in 2006 with Pro Wrestling Noah, making his debut on May 19, 2006, defeating Atsushi Aoki. For a number of years Fish toured with Noah at least once a year, sometimes enjoying several tours a year. In 2010, Fish and Eddie Edwards lost to Ricky Marvin and Taiji Ishimori in the semi final of the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship tournament. Fish participated in 2011s Global League gaining only four points. In 2012, Fish and Edwards participated in NTV G Cup Junior Heavyweight League, once again gaining four points. From April 17 to 24, 2013, Fish and Edwards took part in the 2013 Global Tag League, where they won one of their four matches, failing to advance from their block.


title: Bobby Fish

text: In 2012, Fish debuted in Ring of Honor, where he formed a tag team with Kyle O'Reilly named the "reDRagon". On March 2, 2013, reDRagon defeated the Briscoe Brothers for the ROH World Tag Team Championship. They successfully defended the championship against Alabama Attitude (Corey Hollis and Mike Posey) that same month, and retained it at Best in the World 2013 in June in a three-way match against the C & C Wrestle Factory (Caprice Coleman and Cedric Alexander) and S.C.U.M. (Cliff Compton and Rhett Titus). They lost the title to Forever Hooligans (Alex Koslov and Rocky Romero) on July 27. They regained the title from The American Wolves (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards) on August 17. Throughout the remainder of 2013, reDRagon successfully defended the championship against teams including the C & C Wrestle Factory, the Forever Hooligans, Jay Lethal and Michael Elgin, and Outlaw, Inc. (Homicide and Eddie Kingston). In 2014, they retained the championship against Adrenaline Rush (A. C. H. and TaDarius Thomas) at the 12th Anniversary Show in February, before losing the title on March 8 to The Young Bucks.


title: Bobby Fish

text: Fish and O'Reilly regained the tag team championship from The Young Bucks on May 17, at the ROH and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) co-promoted pay-per-view War of the Worlds. They successfully defended the championship against The Briscoe Brothers on June 7 and against Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian at ROH's first live pay-per-view Best in the World 2014 on June 22. On November 23, 2014, reDRagon defeated ACH and Matt Sydal, The Addiction and The Briscoes to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship and win the Tag Wars tournament. They followed up their victory with successful defenses against the Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and Kushida) at Final Battle 2014, The Young Bucks at the ROH 13th Anniversary Show, and The Kingdom (Michael Bennett and Matt Taven) at Supercard of Honor IX in March 2015. Fish and O'Reilly lost the tag team title to The Addiction (Daniels and Kazarian) at the "Ring of Honor Wrestling" tapings on April 4.


title: Bobby Fish

text: On May 13, during the second night of War of the Worlds '15, Fish unsuccessfully challenged Jay Briscoe for the ROH World Championship. On December 18, 2015, during Final Battle, Fish unsuccessfully challenged Roderick Strong for the ROH World Television Championship.


title: Bobby Fish

text: On May 8, 2016, at Global Wars, Fish defeated Tomohiro Ishii to become the new ROH World Television Champion. He lost the title to Will Ospreay on November 18. Fish was scheduled to compete in a four-way match for the Television title at Final Battle, against champion Marty Scurll, Will Ospreay, and Dragon Lee, but was forced to pull out due to a family emergency. On January 3, 2017, it was reported that Fish had re-signed with ROH. Fish was unsuccessful in an attempt to win the ROH World Championship from Adam Cole at Manhattan Mayhem VI. In March 2017, Fish announced his departure from Ring of Honor.


title: Bobby Fish

text: Through ROH's relationship with NJPW, reDRagon made an appearance for the Japanese promotion on August 10, 2014, unsuccessfully challenging Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and Kushida) for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. reDRagon returned to NJPW on October 25 to take part in the 2014 Super Jr. Tag Tournament. On November 3, reDRagon defeated The Young Bucks in the finals to win the tournament. Five days later at Power Struggle, reDRagon defeated Time Splitters in a rematch to become the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. They made their first successful title defense on January 4, 2015, at Wrestle Kingdom 9 in Tokyo Dome, in a four-way match against Forever Hooligans, Time Splitters and The Young Bucks. On February 11 at The New Beginning in Osaka, reDRagon lost the title to The Young Bucks in a three-way match, also involving Time Splitters.


title: Bobby Fish

text: reDRagon returned to NJPW on May 3, 2015, at Wrestling Dontaku 2015, where they unsuccessfully challenged for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship in a three-way match with Roppongi Vice (Beretta and Rocky Romero) and The Young Bucks. Later that month, Fish entered the 2015 Best of the Super Juniors. He finished second in his block with a record of five wins and two losses, narrowly missing advancement to the finals of the tournament. Following the tournament, reDRagon received a rematch for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship in a three-way match, also involving Roppongi Vice, but were again defeated by The Young Bucks on July 5 at Dominion 7.5 in Osaka-jo Hall. On August 16, reDRagon defeated The Young Bucks to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship for the second time. They lost the title back to The Young Bucks in a four-way match on January 4, 2016, at Wrestle Kingdom 10 in Tokyo Dome. On September 17 at Destruction in Tokyo, Fish received his first singles title shot in NJPW, when he unsuccessfully challenged Katsuyori Shibata for the NEVER Openweight Championship.


title: Bobby Fish

text: Fish made his debut in WWE's developmental territory NXT at the June 23, 2017 television tapings, losing to Aleister Black. Triple H confirmed Fish's signing on July 12. At , Fish, alongside O'Reilly (who had also signed with WWE), attacked SAnitY after they defeated The Authors of Pain to win the NXT Tag Team Championships. Later on in the night, the two assisted the debuting Adam Cole in attacking newly crowned NXT Champion Drew McIntyre, turning Fish heel in the process. The following month, the trio of Fish, Cole and O'Reilly was officially dubbed "The Undisputed Era". The trio faced the teams of Sanity and Authors of Pain and Roderick Strong in a WarGames match at . During the match, The Undisputed Era emerged victorious. On the December 20 episode of "NXT", Fish and O'Reilly defeated Sanity to win the NXT Tag Team Championship. At , Fish and O'Reilly defeated The Authors of Pain to retain the NXT Tag Team Championships. On March 4, Fish suffered a torn ACL and torn MCL in his left knee at an NXT live event. He later underwent surgery and was out of action for six months. During his absence, Fish's role as champion was filled by Cole and later on by Roderick Strong, who joined the stable at . After returning on October 17, at the stable were defeated by the team of Pete Dunne, Ricochet, and The War Raiders in a WarGames match.


title: Bobby Fish

text: Fish and O'reilly regain the titles on the August 16 tapings of "NXT". At , The Undisputed Era were defeated by Team Ciampa in a WarGames match. The next night, at Survivor Series, Fish and O'Reilly faced The New Day and The Viking Raiders in a triple threat tag team match but were defeated as The Viking Raiders won the match. Heading into 2020, Fish and O'Reilly entered the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and defeated Gallus in the first round, but were defeated by The Grizzled Young Veterans in the second round. The Undisputed Era entered a brief feud with Imperium and it was announced that the two factions would face each other at Worlds Collide. At the event, Imperium defeated The Undisputed Era. At , Fish and O'Reilly dropped the titles to The BroserWeights (Pete Dunne and Matt Riddle) ending their reign at 172 days. Over the summer, The Undisputed Era slowly turned face as they assisted Cole in his feud with Pat McAfee which culminated in a WarGames match at , where The Undisputed Era defeated Team McAfee. However, during the match, Fish suffered an injury to his triceps, taking him out of action once again. During his absence, The Undisputed Era disbanded following Cole's betrayal of O'Reilly and Strong. While Fish returned on the May 11, 2021 episode of NXT, Fish then made his in-ring return on the May 25 episode, where he faced Dunne in a losing effort. he worked on NXT until his release on August 6.


title: Bobby Fish

text: Fish was announced to appear at Major League Wrestling, where he debuted as a participant in the Opera Cup tournament at Fightland, defeating Lee Moriarty in the quarterfinal before losing to Davey Richards in the semifinal. On the same show, Fish briefly mentioned about his romantic desire with then partner Brandon Cutler in a backstage segment with Alicia Atout.


title: Bobby Fish

text: Fish made his debut for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) on the October 6, 2021 episode of "Dynamite", where he challenged Sammy Guevara for the AEW TNT Championship, but was unsuccessful. After the event, it was announced that he had signed a contract with the company. Fish reunited with his Undisputed Era stablemate Adam Cole as part of The Elite and, in December, with Kyle O'Reily, who left WWE to work for AEW. On the February 23, 2022 episode of "Dynamite", reDRagon (Fish and O'Reily) won a 10-team battle royal to earn a place in the Triple Threat match for the AEW Tag Team Championship at "AEW Revolution". reDRagon lost the match. On August 31, 2022, Fish's contract with AEW expired and his contract was not renewed, thus making him a free agent.


title: Bobby Fish

text: On September 23, 2022, at the Victory Road event, Fish made his debut in Impact Wrestling, where he was confronted by Raj Singh and Shera, and Fish managed to take both men down. Two weeks later, at Bound for Glory, Fish made his Impact in-ring debut by competing in the Call Your Shot Gauntlet match, being eliminated by Steve Maclin. On October 13 episode of "Impact!", Fish challenged Josh Alexander for the Impact World Championship, but failed to win the title.


title: Bobby Fish

text: Sporting an iconic Van Dyke beard, Fish is often seen wearing a custom mouth guard during his matches, usually with a shark-tooth design. Along with tag team partner Kyle O'Reilly, his entrance theme in both ROH and AEW is "Dance Away" by the band Damn Valentines; in NXT, he used the song "Behind Bars" by Auracle.


title: Bobby Fish

text: Fish trained with Jerrick Jones at Albany Boxing before his kickboxing debut on January 29, 2010. He had his first fight for the Cage Wars organization at the Washington Avenue Armory in Albany, New York, and defeated Justin Pierpoint by technical knockout in the third round after Pierpoint suffered a broken nose at the end of the second.


title: Bobby Fish

text: Fish made his video game debut as a playable character in "WWE 2K19". He is also a playable character in "WWE 2K20".


title: Bobby Fish

text: Fish married Erin Lane on July 17, 2022. He has two daughters from a previous marriage named Britt and Madi.


title: Riot!

text: Riot! (stylized in all caps) is the second studio album by American rock band Paramore. It was released in the United States on June 12, 2007, through Fueled by Ramen as a follow-up to their debut album, "All We Know Is Falling" (2005). The album was produced by David Bendeth and written by band members Hayley Williams and Josh Farro, with Bendeth, and fellow member Zac Farro co-writing on select tracks. The album is said to explore a "diverse range of styles," while not straying far from the "signature sound" of their debut album, with several critics comparing it to the likes of Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne. The cover of the album also resembles the cover artwork of No Doubt's "Rock Steady".


title: Riot!

text: "Riot!" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its sound, and noted its "crossover potential". The album was successful in the United States, reaching number fifteen on the "Billboard" 200 and achieving triple-platinum status on April 20, 2021, by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was also certified platinum in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry, and gold in Australia, New Zealand, Canada. The lead single, "Misery Business", reached top-thirty and forty positions in the US and is considered the band's "breakthrough" hit; credited with introducing the band to a mainstream audience. The third and fourth singles, "Crushcrushcrush", and "That's What You Get", were also successful with both achieving a platinum certification by the RIAA.


title: Riot!

text: Before work began on Paramore's next album, bassist Jeremy Davis was expelled from the band due to "his lack of work ethic and participation in things that [the rest of the band] didn't agree with," according to guitarist Josh Farro. Following his departure, Farro and his brother, drummer Zac Farro, convinced lead vocalist Hayley Williams to bring Taylor York as guitarist, although Williams insisted on Davis' reinstatement in the band. After an agreement involving the remaining three members, Davis was reinstated as bassist, and York became the band's touring guitarist only. York had been in a band with the Farro brothers before the two met Williams.


title: Riot!

text: Williams explained the album was titled "Riot!" because during the writing process their "thoughts and emotions were coming out so fast that we couldn't control them," comparing it to a riot. Williams also commented on the band's evolution with the album stating, "I think our intention for ["All We Know Is Falling"] would have been for it to be everything that "Riot!" is, but there wasn't any time to make that record back then." After being courted by producers Neal Avron and Howard Benson, Paramore opted to record the album with producer David Bendeth in New Jersey, who had previously worked with Your Vegas and Breaking Benjamin.


title: Riot!

text: The album was recorded from January to April 2007 at the House of Loud and Bennett Studios, the former was also the mixing location, while the latter was the recording place for the piano arrangements; it was produced and mixed by David Bendeth, and mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound Studios. During production, Paramore held an online contest, titled "The Last Song You'll Ever Sing", where fans submitted videos on YouTube for the opportunity to sing back-up vocals on the track "Born for This". The winner was Mary Bonney of McLean, Virginia.


title: Riot!

text: Williams classified "Riot!" as "raw energy," which she considered development of their debut album. The first track "For a Pessimist I'm Pretty Optimistic" comes from what lead guitarist Josh Farro reflects as "putting your faith in someone and they blow it." Farro composed the music for the song and gave the demo to Williams to write the lyrics. The origins of "Misery Business" came from a message Williams posted on the band's LiveJournal, asking fans to post about what they were ashamed of. She found out that most of them "were reaching out to someone to spill their guts to," which she recalled being an inspiration for the honest songwriting of the song.


title: Riot!

text: Williams recounted that "Hallelujah" is one of the band's oldest songs, but they felt it fit better in "Riot!". She described the song as "a claim of victory for both ourselves and our fans." The eleventh track "Born for This" contains the line "we want the airwaves back", from the song "Liberation Frequency" in the album "The Shape of Punk to Come" by the influential Swedish hardcore band Refused. Williams has explained that this song was written "about the fans" and "that the whole pre-chorus is actually inspired by that one line of the song."


title: Riot!

text: Ian Cohen of MTV Hive described the album as "classic alt-rock with a distinctly Fueled By Ramen edge." Cam Lindsay at "Exclaim!" characterized it as "high-energy/high-emotion pop punk," while AllMusic's Jason Lymangrover states "[Williams] fills the majority of her punk-pop tales with emo angst and declarations of boy woes." It is also declared as one of 2007's most popular emo pop albums by Andrew Leahey of AllMusic. Jonathan Bradley at "Stylus Magazine" labeled it as "irrepressible power pop". Alternative Press wrote "Paramore...have created 11 more-than-competent pop-rock numbers."


title: Riot!

text: On March 13, 2007, it was announced that guitarist Hunter Lamb left the group to focus on family. On April 13, "Misery Business" was made available for streaming. A week later, the album's cover art and track listing was revealed. In April and May, the band went on headlining tour of the U.S. They were supported by the Almost, This Providence, Love Arcade and Quietdrive. "Riot!" was released through Fueled by Ramen on June 12, following the debut of "Misery Business" on the radio. From late June to late August, the band went on the 2007 edition of Warped Tour. In October and November, the group went on a co-headlining US tour with the Starting Line. Set Your Goals opened the first half of the tour, while the Almost opened the second half. The album was re-released in late 2007 as a MVI CD/DVD, which includes the ability to remix "Crushcrushcrush" and "Misery Business" using the program U-MYX and includes music videos as well as live videos, lyrics and digital liner notes. The album has yielded four singles, with "Misery Business" being the first. The album's second single was "Hallelujah". The album's third single was "Crushcrushcrush", released on January 15, 2008, in the US and January 23 in the UK.


title: Riot!

text: The album's fourth single, "That's What You Get", was released just over a week after Paramore cancelled their European tour to work on "personal issues", amidst media speculation of the band breaking up. For the single's video shoot, Williams explained that, given the fragile state of the band, they all thought it best if they kept things low-key, surrounding themselves with their friends and family and keeping it simple. Williams added, "We had tons of friends there, and it really just felt like a hangout session. And Marcos [Siega, the director] was so cool about it. He said, 'Bring your friends.' We shot it in some of our friends' houses, and it just felt so real... and I think it's the first time in a video you're gonna get to see who we really are." Williams had stated "We're hoping to do one more tour across the States before we really get started with all the (European summer) festivals. Of course, I want to do more Warped Tour dates, 'cause it's, like, my favorite tour ever. We'll see what works out and hopefully just have another great year." In early April, the band appeared at the Bamboozle Left festival. In April and May, the band went on a co-headlining US tour with Jimmy Eat World. In July, the band performed on the 2008 edition of Warped Tour for a week. In July and August, the band went on a US tour with Jack's Mannequin, Paper Route and Phantom Planet.


title: Riot!

text: "Riot!" received generally positive reviews from music critics. According to Metacritic, the album holds a score of 67 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews" based on 8 reviews. Jason Lymangrover of AllMusic stated "Filled with crossover potential, the songs are consistent and zippy with catchy hooks in the vein of Boys Like Girls fronted by a young Shirley Manson." At "Stylus Magazine", Jonathan Bradley opined that ""Riot!" is immediately appealing because it focuses on sounds that have been neglected by the genre's front-runners. This is an uncomplicated album of strikingly uncomplicated music, entirely lacking in 15 word song titles." Bradley also compared it to the "better songs" from Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne. Gareth Dobson at "Drowned in Sound" observed "At 38 minutes long, it's mercifully brief, but still manages to feel like a double album for those who endure it. That is, those who don't manage to forget that it's on the stereo at all. People, get your pop-punk thrills somewhere else. At least somewhere where there are actual thrills to be had."


title: Riot!

text: IGN's Ed Thompson stated "This is by no means a must have album and is not going to be remembered as the band's defining moment by any stretch of the imagination. But what "Riot!" will do is serve as a foundation from which the kids can continue to learn, grow and improve." Thompson also commented that it shows more maturity compared to similar bands. Lewis P. at Sputnikmusic described it as the best pop punk album of 2007, commenting "Paramore might not be tapping into anything new, but it has finally hit its stride, making pop-punk anthems that match the praise." "Alternative Press" writer Scott Heisel commented "considering the median age of the band, the musicianship shown on Riot! is mightily impressive...while the record as a whole may not be a home run, it’s solid stand-up double that keeps Fueled By Ramen’s inning alive for their next clean-up hitter." Justin Mabee at Jesus Freak Hideout declared "While this new album may lack some of the spiritual depth that rocked their debut, the whole record retains a very positive feeling to it" Mabee commented that the band "has come a long way" with the album since they have formed.


title: Riot!

text: The album was included in "Rock Sound"s 101 Modern Classics list at number 10. The album was included at number 16 on "Rock Sound"s "The 51 Most Essential Pop Punk Albums of All Time" list. "Stylus Magazine" listed it at number 49 in their top 50 albums of 2007.


title: Riot!

text: "Riot!" entered the U.S. "Billboard" 200 albums chart at 20 in late 2007. "Riot!" sold 42,000 albums in the U.S. in its first week and three months later the album hit its peak at 15 on the "Billboard" 200. The album was certified triple-Platinum on April 20, 2021. The album achieved some success in the UK reaching #24 on the albums chart sales and selling 250,094 copies to date. In New Zealand, the album peaked at number 15, and was certified Gold on February 1, 2009, shipping over 15,000 copies. "Misery Business" became a hit, spending 22 weeks at #3 on Alternative Songs chart. The song has been certified quadruple-Platinum by the RIAA.


title: Riot!

text: All tracks are written by Josh Farro and Hayley Williams, except where noted. All tracks produced by David Bendeth.


title: Sonya Blade

text: Sonya Blade is a fictional character in the "Mortal Kombat" fighting game franchise by Midway Games and NetherRealm Studios. She debuted in the original 1992 game as the roster's sole female fighter. Inspired by martial artist Cynthia Rothrock, she is a military officer with the Special Forces.


title: Sonya Blade

text: In the storyline of the games, Sonya becomes involved with the eponymous Mortal Kombat tournament through pursuit of her archenemy, the criminal leader Kano. She subsequently joins the warriors defending Earthrealm and establishes a government agency dedicated to battling otherworldly threats. The series' rebooted timeline also depicts her as the love interest to martial arts actor Johnny Cage and the mother of their daughter Cassie.


title: Sonya Blade

text: A mainstay of the franchise, Sonya has also appeared in various media outside of the games. Reception to the character has been generally positive, with respect to her role as one of "Mortal Kombat"s primary female fighters.


title: Sonya Blade

text: Sonya Blade is one of the main heroes of the "Mortal Kombat" series. Hailing from Austin, Texas, she is a second-generation United States Special Forces officer who followed in the footsteps of her father, Major Herman Blade. Her impulsive personality is catalyzed by her superior and good friend Major Jackson "Jax" Briggs. Sonya also has a long-standing feud with the criminal leader Kano, who stands for everything she despises.


title: Sonya Blade

text: In the original "Mortal Kombat" (1992), Lieutenant Sonya Blade and her team pursue Kano, leader of the Black Dragon international crime organization. After he jumps aboard an old junk in order to escape capture, Sonya and her comrades follow him to a remote island where Shang Tsung's Mortal Kombat tournament was underway. Upon arrival, they are ambushed by Shang Tsung's personal guard and Sonya is forced to compete in order to spare her companions' lives. Shang Tsung, however, had no intention of fulfilling his end of the bargain and has her unit killed. After he is defeated by Shaolin monk Liu Kang in the final battle, Sonya teams up with movie star Johnny Cage and Kano to fight off the Shokan Prince Goro. During the battle, the island begins to crumble and she and Kano are sent to Outworld as Shang Tsung's prisoners to appease the Outworld emperor, Shao Kahn. However, Sonya is able to send a signal to Jax from Outworld and, during the events of "Mortal Kombat II" (1993), he travels there to find her. Jax makes contact with the other Earthrealm warriors and together they learn of Shao Kahn's scheme to invade Earth. Before and during their imprisonment meanwhile, Sonya and Kano are forced to put their differences aside and work together to survive in Outworld. She is later freed by Jax, who arrests Kano, but as soon as they pass through the portal to Earthrealm, Kano escapes and flees back to Outworld.


title: Sonya Blade

text: Sonya appears as one of a few selected Earthrealm warriors whose souls were not taken following Shao Kahn's invasion of Earth in "Mortal Kombat 3" (1995). She re-encounters Kano on top of a skyscraper near his fortress and after a fight, hurls him off the roof to his apparent death. In "Mortal Kombat 4" (1997), after her journey into Outworld and Shao Kahn's near destruction of Earth, Sonya becomes a member of the U.S. government's Outer World Investigation Agency (OIA). However, she continues to have conflicts with the Black Dragon, especially after its last known member, Jarek, fled to Edenia while Sonya was chasing him. This leads her and Jax to team up with Liu Kang and thunder god Raiden to free the realm from the fallen Elder God Shinnok's grasp and to prevent him from coming to Earth. After Shinnok's defeat, in which Jarek had reluctantly participated in to save himself, he tries to kill Sonya, but Jax intervenes and drops him off a cliff. After returning to Earthrealm, Jax and Sonya find the cyborg Cyrax malfunctioning in a desert. The two bring him back to OIA headquarters, where they are able to restore his humanity before helping him join the agency.


title: Sonya Blade

text: In "" (2002), while on an assignment in the East, Sonya learns the OIA had been destroyed by an accomplice of the titular alliance of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi. Not long after, Raiden seeks out her aid against the Deadly Alliance and instructs her to meet with his other chosen warriors on Shang Tsung's abandoned island, where she develops a rivalry with Frost. To earn the right to pass into Outworld, each warrior has to defeat a representation of his or her adversary. To Sonya's surprise, hers is a stranger with a red dragon on his back. She is killed in battle against the Deadly Alliance's Tarkatan forces, but their victory is short-lived as the Dragon King Onaga reclaims Outworld and defeats them in turn. With his ability to raise the dead at will, he resurrects Sonya and her fallen comrades to serve as his slaves until their souls are freed by Liu Kang and Shao Kahn's enforcer Ermac during "" (2004).


title: Sonya Blade

text: In "" (2006), Sonya returns to Earth after Onaga's defeat, with the intention of continuing her assault on both the Black and Red Dragon clans, only to be forced to focus on a newly established threat. In her absence, the Tekunin cyber ninja clan had grown powerful enough to disrupt Earth civilization and violated the laws of Mortal Kombat by engaging in illegal interdimensional alliances with unknown parties. Sonya succeeds in downing the Tekunin's flagship, helmed by their Grandmaster Sektor. She sent in a team led by Jax to hunt for survivors, but they mysteriously vanished. Fearing for Jax's safety, she tracks the signal of a homing beacon placed on Tekunin prisoner Taven, who escaped thanks to her intervention, and eventually confronts him in Arktika to interrogate him, only to be beaten. Sonya later fights alongside her friends in the Battle of Armageddon in Edenia, only to become one of its many casualties; torn apart by an unknown opponent.


title: Sonya Blade

text: In the "Mortal Kombat" reboot game (2011), an alternate-timeline retelling of the first three games, Sonya teams up with Jax in his mission to bring down the Black Dragon, succeeding in seizing many of their weapons caches. However, after their key informant, Kano, is discovered to be a high-powered member of the organization, Sonya and Jax focus solely on his capture following the deaths of many of their comrades in subsequent ambushes. This leads them to the Mortal Kombat tournament on Shang Tsung's uncharted island, where Jax is captured and imprisoned, forcing Sonya to participate in the tournament in order to spare his life; during which she unwillingly becomes acquainted with Johnny Cage after repeatedly rejecting his advances. Sonya soon encounters Shang Tsung himself, but Raiden, whom she had not met yet in this timeline, intervenes before she can fight him. He enables Sonya to free a wounded Jax, but Shang Tsung destroys their extraction transport and presents Kano to Sonya as a challenge. While she emerges victorious, she is forbidden to take him prisoner. Raiden reappears and heals Jax's injuries, causing Sonya to become aware of both his presence and her crucial role in defending Earthrealm alongside his chosen warriors. After Liu Kang's victory over Shang Tsung in the first tournament, Sonya is abducted and held captive in Outworld before being rescued by Jax, but after his arms are obliterated in a confrontation with Ermac, she transports him back to Earthrealm for medical attention; missing the second tournament entirely. Sonya and Jax reunite with the other Earthrealm warriors as they assemble to fight Shao Kahn's invasion of Earthrealm but most of them are massacred by his wife, Queen Sindel; leaving Sonya and Cage among the only survivors after the Kahn's demise and Raiden accidentally killing Liu Kang.


title: Sonya Blade

text: Sonya returns as a playable character in "Mortal Kombat X" (2015). Two years following Shao Kahn's death, Shinnok and his forces attack Earthrealm, but General Sonya Blade, along with Johnny and Kenshi, aid Raiden in imprisoning Shinnok in his own amulet. The two later track down Quan Chi, Shinnok's second-in-command, and defeat him; restoring Jax as well as Sub-Zero and Scorpion to normal. Over the following 25 years, Sonya and Johnny marry and have a daughter, Cassie Cage, but the two later divorce; allegedly due to Sonya frequently putting work before her family. However, after Cassie defeats Shinnok and saves Earthrealm, she, Sonya, and Johnny become a family again.


title: Sonya Blade

text: In "Mortal Kombat 11" (2019), Sonya, Cassie, and Jax's daughter Jacqui lead a Special Forces strike team in storming the Netherrealm before they can attack Earthrealm. After being trapped under debris, Sonya sacrifices herself to ensure the mission's success and her allies' escape, devastating Johnny and Cassie. When the keeper of time Kronika causes temporal anomalies amidst her plot to reset time, younger versions of Sonya and Johnny are brought to the present. Upon learning of what happened to her older self, she is initially outraged that she had a child with Johnny and that Cassie apparently left her behind. Just as she learns her older self ordered Cassie to do so, she is captured by the present and past versions of Kano and forced to fight for the Black Dragon's entertainment before the Special Forces rescue her. During the ensuing fight, Sonya kills Kano's younger counterpart, erasing his present self from existence. Following this, she begins to warm up to her version of Johnny and reconciles with Cassie.


title: Sonya Blade

text: Sonya appears as one of the warriors representing the Mortal Kombat universe in the non-canonical crossover game, "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe" (2008). In the story mode, Sonya is investigating the dimensional imbalance caused by Shao Kahn and Darkseid's inadvertent fusion into Dark Kahn. After defeating Catwoman, Baraka, Captain Marvel, and Green Lantern, Sonya and Jax return to their base to use a teleportation machine in an attempt to reach the DC Universe. When she finds Jax with Green Lantern, Sonya once again challenges the latter, only to be defeated and imprisoned before she and Jax escape again. When Earthrealm's heroes and Outworld's villains join forces to fight invaders from the DC universe, Sonya reluctantly teams up with Kano to track a foreign energy signal, but they are confronted and defeated by the Joker and Deathstroke. When both sides meet for one last battle, Sonya once again fights Catwoman. In the end, she is knocked unconscious while Raiden and Superman defeat Dark Kahn and separate their universes.


title: Sonya Blade

text: There were originally no plans for Sonya's inclusion in "Mortal Kombat", which was supposed to feature only six characters, and she was added only when the president of Williams gave the development team an additional six weeks (adding to its already ten months of production) and told them to polish the game. At first, the additional character was actually Jax/Stryker; when the developers decided they need a "female fighter", Sonya was created and his story was applied to her. The early "Mortal Kombat" series' character designer and writer John Tobias said he created "characters like Liu Kang or Shang Tsung, who represented the more mystical sides of the story, and Johnny Cage, Sonya or Jax, who came from places grounded more in reality...[Sonya and Kitana] were both important pieces of the game's fiction and archetypal structure of characters. But, player demographic was primarily a hardcore male audience and so the look and design of our female characters pandered to them back then just as they do today."


title: Sonya Blade

text: Sonya was named after one of the sisters of co-designer Ed Boon, as confirmed in Tanya's biography card in the special edition of "". The character was inspired by martial artist and actress Cynthia Rothrock, who claimed, "they contacted me when I was in my prime in terms of my career, and I was too expensive for them. When I do conventions I do have a few people recognizing me for her, but I really had nothing to do with it. (...) It was a raw deal and I could have sued, but I'm not that type of person." Sonya's original actress, Elizabeth Malecki, was recruited by Daniel Pesina at a fitness club where she worked as an aerobic instructor and had no idea about video games. She also was the only one of the cast who was not a martial arts expert, but had a dance and athletics background. She said: "Sonya was supposed to be special forces and a martial artist, so I decided to pull in the army green tights. And since I was into aerobics, I gave her the thong that was so popular back then for women to wear in exercise classes." Her Sonya had some special moves like a roundhouse kick that were filmed but did not appear in the game. Malecki and some other "Mortal Kombat" actors later filed an unsuccessful lawsuit against Midway Games over unpaid royalties from the home versions of the game and the unauthorized use of her likeness in its sequel (in Judge Robert Gettleman's ruling, the character's name is misspelled as "Sonja").


title: Sonya Blade

text: Sonya and Kano were the least popular characters of the first game and so the team decided to replace them, saving image memory space and time for the new characters. Producers said Sonya was "chucked out" from the game in favour of the palette swapped Kitana and Mileena as part of revamping the game, so it would better compete against "Street Fighter II" and its popular female character Chun-Li"." Sonya and Kano were promptly dropped for the first sequel and appear in "Mortal Kombat II" only in one of the backgrounds, chained in Kahn's Arena. At the time, Tobias said: "We still wanted to include them in the story line, so we had them captured. I don't know where or when or in what form, but Sonya and Kano will be back." However, they both soon returned as playable characters in the very next game and Sonya proved to be one of the most popular of the "Mortal Kombat" characters. According to Midway's Mark Turmell, Sonya's "Mortal Kombat 3" actress Kerri Hoskins "started getting phone calls from kids at home because we'd published her name." Hoskins, whose martial arts training consisted of "some Tang Soo Do and a past of WWF wrestling and gymnastics," said she was asked to join the cast of "MK3" after establishing a working relationship at Midway with the producers of "NBA Jam". She later also voiced Sonya for "Mortal Kombat 4". Sonya's later voice actresses included Beth Melewski ("MK:SM"), Dana Lyn Baron ("MKvsDCU", "MK2011"), Tricia Helfer ("MKX"), and Ronda Rousey ("MK11"). Her motion actor during the "Deception"-"Annihilation" era was Carlos Pesina.


title: Sonya Blade

text: The action-adventure spin-off game "", which was eventually released in 2000 following delays, had been originally planned to star Sonya and to have both Jax and her (with a codename of "Panther") as playable characters, but Sonya's part was dropped again due to deadline issues exacerbated by Tobias's sudden departure from the company. For the abortive project with a working title of "Mortal Kombat 8" (which was cancelled in favor of "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe"), Sonya's look was considered to be "dramatically revamped" and she was to be given more character backstory, described as "the daughter of a Texas Ranger". The 2011's reboot's producer Shaun Himmerick wrote: "I love how we use Sonya in the game, I think it is really a great reference to "MK" and should be fun for the fans." NetherRealm Studios art director Steve Beran said: "When you look at the version of Sonya or Scorpion from the first "Mortal Kombat", it's almost laughable how simple their costumes were. You have to give fans the recognizability of their favorite characters, but make it not look like Sonya's wearing a leotard and workout clothes" (as in the early games). Nevertheless, Sonya's original outfit did appear in "Mortal Kombat X" via downloadable content.


title: Sonya Blade

text: Sonya's original special move is "Leg Grab", a handstand leg throw that was an idea of Malecki's (with a similar cartwheel kick since "Mortal Kombat 4"). Her signature Fatality is the "Kiss of Death" (an idea of Daniel Pesina's), a finishing move that makes the defeated opponent burn alive into a charred skeleton. At , Sonya is one of the tallest female characters and she stands out because of her long legs. For her initial appearance in the original "Mortal Kombat" game, "SNES Force" described her as having "the best jumping skills of any character — her air punch and flying kick work well against most opponents. Her force wave is excellent for long range battles giving her a good all round performance, though she is fairly weak." According to "Nintendo Power", Sonya could be a "juggling demon" in "Mortal Kombat Trilogy" when in hands of an experienced player. "Total 64" opined she "is a nifty little fighter" in "Trilogy", whose only weakness is that her attacks are lacking power when compared to some of the other characters.


title: Sonya Blade

text: Kerri Hoskins also portrayed the character in the theatrical show "" that emphasized getting young audiences into the martial arts, while the actors would travel to schools to give motivational speeches to students. Hoskins enthused that her experience in the" Live Tour" "was a riot" and that she felt "like a rock star." In the show, Sonya takes part in the search for the powerful Dragon Amulet, until she is taken hostage by Shao Kahn at the end the first act in Outworld, motivating Jax and Liu Kang to save both her and the world in the second act.


title: Sonya Blade

text: Bridgette Wilson-Sampras was cast as Sonya in the first "Mortal Kombat" movie after the filmmakers' original choice, Cameron Diaz, injured her wrist during martial arts training and dropped out. During production, Wilson was given the nickname "RoboBabe" by director Paul Anderson, and performed her own stuntwork. The character's stern personality and storyline in the film were faithful to the games, as was the depiction of her vendetta against Kano for murdering her (unnamed) partner. Kano baits her into boarding Shang Tsung's ship, where she encounters Cage and Liu Kang for the first time and engages in a standoff with Sub-Zero. Shang Tsung had conspired with Kano beforehand in arranging for him to fight Sonya at the tournament in anticipation of her defeat, which fails as Sonya defeats and kills Kano. She is later abducted by Shang Tsung and taken to the Emperor's castle in Outworld where she is challenged by Shang Tsung to final combat, which she staunchly refuses to do just before the arrival of Liu Kang, Cage and Kitana. According to the film's official magazine "Mortal Kombat: The Ultimate Battle for Humanity", Shang Tsung intended for Sonya to become his queen after successfully conquering Earthrealm. Sonya was also one of the main protagonists, alongside Cage and Liu in the 1995 animated film "", a prequel to the movie wherein she was voiced by Jennifer Hale.


title: Sonya Blade

text: For the 1997 sequel, "," Sandra Hess replaced Wilson-Sampras as Sonya (Kerri Hoskins had too auditioned for the role, but did not "make the last cut of three girls" due to having no acting experience). In the film, Sonya is devastated by the death of Johnny Cage, who is killed by Kahn after saving her life. She then grudgingly joins Raiden in locating Jax, whom she rescues from, and helps him fight off, an extermination squad led by Cyrax. However, they later come into conflict with one another due to her sustained grief over Cage's death and her refusal to fill Jax in on the details of the Earthrealmers' mission, and they temporarily split apart as a result. They ultimately reunite with Liu Kang and Kitana and succeed in stopping Kahn from bringing Earth to ruin. Sonya has two fight scenes in the film, first defeating Mileena by breaking her neck in a mud pit after splitting from Jax, then squaring off against Ermac at the climax, during which Noob Saibot spawns from his chest and they assault her with repeated attacks until Jax intervenes to defeat Noob Saibot, enabling Sonya to regain the upper hand and emerge victorious against Ermac. Hess hated the mud scene due to the freezing cold, and said her favourite was the Cyrax fight. In Brent V. Friedman and Bryce Zabel's screenplays for "Annihilation", Sonya forcibly drowns Mileena in deep mud in the first draft and kills Mileena with her own sai in a revised script.


title: Sonya Blade

text: Sonya was one of the lead characters in the 1996 animated TV series "", for which she was voiced by Olivia d'Abo. She is again Jax's partner and was given a signature catchphrase ("Kombat time!"). She is a wild and impulsive character who often has personality clashes with Raiden, while her impetuousness in combat sometimes yielded consequences for her teammates. Her vendetta against Kano was explained and was explored further in two separate episodes, in which Kano was shown to have killed her partner, Wexler, who was named after Threshold writer and producer Joshua Wexler. In storylines exclusive to the show, she worked with Kitana to retrieve a pair of magical swords and befriended Kabal after learning of his disability and the subsequent prejudice he experienced. The official character guide describes her as "completely unrestrained and volatile, a la Mel Gibson in "Lethal Weapon"." Following the loss of her previous two partners, Sonya "has built a wall around herself to protect herself from getting hurt again and feel the guilt and pain of watching those around her perish."


title: Sonya Blade

text: For "", director Kevin Tancharoen's 2010 short film that served as a pitch for a feature-length reboot for Warner Bros., Sonya, played by Jeri Ryan, is a lieutenant in the fictional Deacon City Police Department who makes a brief appearance during Jax's interrogation of Hanzo Hasashi (Scorpion). Ryan reprised the role for the first two episodes of Tancharoen's 2011 web series "", in which Sonya again works with Jax to bust the Black Dragon, but her obsession with Kano leads to her capture, forcing Jax and Stryker to conduct a raid on the warehouse where the Dragons are carrying out their operations. While Sonya manages to free herself during the fracas, Jax later suffers massive damage to his arms after protecting her from an explosion. Ryan was slated to return for the second season but was forced to turn it down due to her ongoing work on "Body of Proof". Ryan said that she was familiar with the series but had never played the games and took the role as a favor for a friend, and that she was probably the only cast member who was not a martial artist. Ryan described her Sonya as "significantly more dressed than the video [game] version" and "a badass broad" that was "fun" to play, and was probably more believable and real world grounded in this version. It was the most physical acting she did since her role in "" a decade earlier; she noted her fight scenes were shorter than the others since she did not have much time to train, but she was helped by the fight choreographer and by Sonya's use of firearms. Tancharoen stated that Ryan could possibly return for the third season before the series ended with his departure.


title: Sonya Blade

text: Sonya Blade was one of the lead characters in the 2020 animated movie "", who was voiced by "Dexter" star Jennifer Carpenter. Carpenter reprised her role in the sequel "".


title: Sonya Blade

text: Jessica McNamee portrays Sonya for the 2021 reboot film "Mortal Kombat". Blade is a veteran who has spent years researching the Mortal Kombat tournament and its related dragon markings, but is missing one herself. Though frustrated by her rival Kano gaining a dragon marking through sheer murder, she is forced to work with him along with Earthrealm's champions to escort Cole Young to Raiden's temple. Blade earns her dragon marking and abilities after ultimately killing Kano after he betrays them, and uses her new abilities to perform a fatality on Mileena. McNamee defined her role in the movie as "the voice of reason" with a degree of "playfulness and lightness", and expressed interest in exploring her relationship with Johnny and Cassie Cage in potential sequels.


title: Sonya Blade

text: In the Malibu Comics licensed "Mortal Kombat" series, Sonya appeared with all of the characters from the first game (minus Reptile) in the 1994 "Blood & Thunder" miniseries, the first issue of which borrowed liberally from John Tobias' comic in detailing her dogged pursuit of Kano alongside her Special Forces comrades, and his escape onto Shang Tsung's junk that is en route to the tournament, the difference being that she voluntarily enters the island grounds to question Shang Tsung directly about Kano, rather than being captured and forced to fight per the first game's storyline and the official comic by John Tobias. Her lone partner in the series was an original character named Lance, who sported a cybernetic arm (similar to Jax's metal arms in "MK3") and also participates in the tournament, but in the second issue he is killed by Kano in one of only two organized fights that commenced in the entire Malibu run. In the fourth issue, when the characters are stranded in Outworld, Johnny Cage encounters the ruler of a small village who looks exactly like Sonya, and brazenly kisses her; the woman (named Aynos; "Sonya" spelled backwards) immediately sentences him to death for the infraction before the real Sonya intervenes and teams up with Cage to defeat the imposter, which sparks a friendship between the two combatants. In issue six, she handily overpowers Kano in battle but is then not seen again for the rest of the comic, and in the "Tournament Edition" wrap-up of the miniseries, Sonya is victorious over Mileena in a fight that begins with Mileena stabbing her, and the storyline concludes with Sonya and Jax leaving with Kano in custody. In the second six-issue miniseries, 1995's "Battlewave", Sonya learns of a brutal attack on Jax, and enlists Cage's help in her investigation, but convinced that only someone from Outworld could inflict such injury, she returns to Shang Tsung's island on her own, only to be attacked by Kintaro and taken to Shao Kahn's tower. She is brainwashed by Reptile into marrying Kahn, but in the "Battlewave" finale, the Earth warriors disrupt the ceremony and Sonya snaps out of the trance on her own. The issue featured an additional short story titled "Every Dog Has Its Day", which explored the relationship between Sonya and Cage after she is cast in his latest movie. In the 1995 two-issue miniseries "U.S. Special Forces", she and Jax work to capture an original Black Dragon character named Rojack. Sonya was the only character throughout the entire Malibu series who never referred to themselves in the third person.


title: Sonya Blade

text: The first film's novelization by Martin Delrio includes a detailed opening scene of an unsuccessful joint mission of arresting Black Dragon members by the Special Forces and an international task force, which culminates in Kano killing the task force's lieutenant who is designated therein as Sonya's murdered partner. Sonya also has a fight scene with Jade that she wins before it officially begins after she fatally kicks Jade in the head after Jade returns her bow. Sonya was described in this scene as wearing "an Army-issue T-shirt" and "tightly-laced combat boots." She also spares Kano's life in their fight, refusing to fall prey to Shang Tsung's scheme while declaring that nobody "owned" her.


title: Sonya Blade

text: In Jeff Rovin's 1995 non-canon "Mortal Kombat" novel, Sonya infiltrates the Black Dragon by working undercover as a criminal named Gilda Stahl. Her mission was to let them lead her to Shang Tsung—who had hired them to find an amulet hidden somewhere in China—although she had a personal interest in apprehending Kano as he had murdered her fiancé several years earlier. Both the journey and her mission go south after the unexpected intervention of Raiden, Shang Tsung, and Goro, resulting in the loss of her cover and her being abducted by Shang Tsung, but she escapes captivity after foiling a ritual sacrifice presided over by Baraka, then inconclusively fights Kano near the conclusion before he evades arrest.


title: Sonya Blade

text: In Jerome Preisler's novelization of "Mortal Kombat Annihilation", Sonya strangles Mileena to death following a hard struggle.


title: Sonya Blade

text: Malecki appeared dressed as Sonya on "GamesMaster" to promote the first game in 1992. Hoskins dressed as Sonya from "Mortal Kombat 3" for a workout video featured in Threshold Entertainment's "The Ultimate Guide to Mortal Kombat" CD-ROM release in 1995 as and as Sonya from "Mortal Kombat 4" for the E3 1998 trade show. In 2011, British model Carly Baker dressed up as Sonya for both a live-action trailer titled "Sonya Blade Kasting" and an official photoshoot, alongside two other women costumed as Mileena and Kitana; all three also made appearances at "" that year.


title: Sonya Blade

text: Action figures of Sonya were released by Hasbro (1994), Toy Island (1996), Infinite Concepts (1999), and Palisades Toys (2000). A 1/6 scale limited-edition statue of Sonya in her primary outfit from "MK2011" was released in the Mortal Kombat Enchanted Warriors line by Syco Collectibles in 2012; another, larger statue in her alternate costume was released in 2013. To promoted MK11, Ronda Rousey shows up in her Sonya Blade gear against Ruby Riot at WWE Elimination Chamber.


title: Sonya Blade

text: Critical reaction to Sonya Blade has been positive, with commentators noting the character's sex appeal and toughness. Brazilian magazine "SuperGamePower" featured her in the article about the "muses" of video games, stating that "more realistic than Chun-Li and Cammy, Sonya has reigned" between 1993 and the introduction of Lara Croft in 1996. Marcin "Gulash" Górecki of "Secret Service" ranked her as the second-best female fighter in the genre's history in 1996 while a 1997 article in "Ação Games" ranked her as the 12th overall best female video game character yet. A 1998 article in "Saturn Power" mentioned among the female fight game characters that can be more deadly than their male counterparts. In 1999, actress Tamala Jones chose Sonya and "Soulcalibur"'s Ivy Valentine as the game characters she most identified with. GamesRadar later chose Sonya as one of the iconic video game "babes" of the early 1990s era and "Retro Gamer" included her among the classic "strong lead female characters". In 2016, Game Revolution included her among ten best female characters in video games, stating she had "stood the test of time."


title: Sonya Blade

text: However, Sonya and Kano were the least popular characters among the players of the original "Mortal Kombat", with Sonya herself soon surpassed in popularity by Kitana and Mileena. "Hyper" also reported a minor "controversy over the character Sonya Blade in the first "Mortal Kombat". Some men complained they didn't want to kill her, and not just because they were fond of her big breasts and long legs - they just didn't feel they could hit a girl." Fan rumors surrounding Sonya in later games included a secret possibility to fight her in "Mortal Kombat II" and her having a "Nudality" finishing move in "Mortal Kombat 3".


title: Sonya Blade

text: Sonya Blade and her actress Kerri Hoskins were both given the special award "Best Videogame Babe" by "Game Players" in 1995. GameDaily had her featured among "the next wave of video game babes" in 2008, further showcasing her as one of the "hottest" blondes in the video game world in 2009. She was included in Unreality's Queen of the Iron Fist Tournament, winning against Anna Williams but losing to Ivy Valentine. Sonya also shared eighth place with Kitana and Mileena on the list of the "hottest" women in video games" by "Complex". MTV ranked her as the second "best babe" in video games of 2011, stating that "few gaming babes portray raw sexuality better and more effectively." That same year, UGO ranked her as the third "foxiest fighting female to be ever pixelated," stating that "in her early appearances, Sonya Blade wasn't quite as sexy as other women on this list, but her moveset more than made up for it." GameFront's Ross Lincoln ranked her bust in the new game as the 32nd finest in gaming history. MSN included her among the 20 "hottest women in video game history", stating, "independent, tough, and willing to put herself on the line for her friends, Sonya Blade is the embodiment of the modern woman. Well, except for the part where she can sometimes rip your head off." In 2014, she was ranked as the 69th best looking video game woman by Brazilian GameHall's Portal PlayGame.


title: Sonya Blade

text: Game Rant included her on their 2011 list of ten "most awesome" "Mortal Kombat" characters, stating that "while not nearly as unique as some of the other kombatants on the list, Sonya Blade is integral to some of the more interesting story-threads in the Mortal Kombat universe", citing her pursuit of Kano. In 2012, "the hot, butch" Sonya was given eighth place on UGO's list of top "Mortal Kombat" characters. That same year, she was at seventh place on Cheat Code Central's list of top "Mortal Kombat" "kombatants", along with a comment that "the badass army chick was all the rage back in the 1990s, but now she's part of a dwindling number of female characters that really kick ass." Her "Double Split" in the 2011 game was included by "FHM" on their list of nine most brutal Fatalities in the game. Sonya placed 18th in a 2013 Dorkly poll for top "Mortal Kombat" characters, noted as one "of the more grounded and strong-willed characters in "MK" history." In 2014, GamesRadar called her ""Mortal Kombat"'s leading lady". Similarly, including her as the only female in his 2015 list of ten most iconic "Mortal Kombat" characters, GameRant's Jason Gallagher opined that Sonya, "with all due respect to Kitana, Jade, and Mileena, is still the most recognizable female character in franchise history today. She's played a large role in various ongoing storylines, and is one-half of the reason Cassie Cage exists today. The Special Forces crew has expanded greatly over the last two decades, but it was Sonya that started it all."


title: Sonya Blade

text: Sonya's fight with Kano in the first "Mortal Kombat" film was rated as the 19th best cinematic fight scene by UGO in 2010. Ranking this scene as the best in this film, UGO also commented that "Sonya Blade has always been sort of an also-ran character in the "Mortal Kombat" franchise, taking second place to the busty ninja sisters Kitana and Mileena. But the movies gave her a chance to shine." In 2011, "Complex" ranked Wilson's role as Sonya at 12th place on the list of "hottest women in video game movies", but with likeness factor of only 29% (as compared to Sonya's later appearance in the video game "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe"). On the other hand, 1UP.com's Retronauts opined Wilson was miscast and not convincing in the role, and Leonard Pitts cited Sonya being captured and taken hostage in the first film as a prime example in his 1995 article alleging that "sexism still prevails in action movies."


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez ( ; born April 22, 1970) is a Filipina singer, actress, and record producer. She is considered one of the most influential figures in Philippine popular culture and is known for her vocal range and belting technique. She had unorthodox voice training during her childhood, where she was immersed neck-deep in the sea. Velasquez rose to prominence after winning the television talent show "Ang Bagong Kampeon" in 1984 and the Asia Pacific Singing Contest in 1989. Under the name Chona, she signed a recording contract with OctoArts International in 1986 and released the single "Love Me Again", which was commercially unsuccessful. The following year, she adopted the stage name Regine Velasquez for her debut studio album, "Regine" (1987), under the guidance of Viva Records executive Vic del Rosario and producer Ronnie Henares. She explored Manila sound and kundiman genres on her second and third studio albums, "Nineteen 90" (1990) and "Tagala Talaga" (1991).


title: Regine Velasquez

text: After signing an international record deal with PolyGram Records, Velasquez achieved commercial success in some Asian territories with her fifth album "Listen Without Prejudice" (1994), which sold more than 700,000 copies and became her highest-selling album to date, aided by its lead single "In Love with You". She experimented further with jazz and adult contemporary genres on "My Love Emotion" (1995), while she recorded covers on "Retro" (1997). After she left PolyGram to sign with Mark J. Feists MJF Company in 1998, she released the R&B-influenced album "Drawn". Velasquez's follow-up record, "R2K" (1999), was supported by remakes of "On the Wings of Love", "I'll Never Love This Way Again", and "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", and was subsequently certified twelve-times platinum by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry (PARI).


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez played leading roles in the romantic comedies "Kailangan Ko'y Ikaw" (2000) and "Pangako Ikaw Lang" (2001), and received the Box Office Entertainment Award for Box Office Queen for the latter. Her performance as an intellectually disabled woman in an episode of the anthology series "Maalaala Mo Kaya" (2001) earned her a Star Award for Best Actress. She later starred in the prime time television series "Forever in My Heart" (2004), "Ako si Kim Samsoon" (2008), "Totoy Bato" (2009), "Diva" (2010), "I Heart You, Pare!" (2011), and "Poor Señorita" (2016). Velasquez also won the Golden Screen Award for Best Actress for playing a document forger in the comedy film "Of All the Things" (2012). She expanded her career into reality television talent shows as a presenter on "Star for a Night" (2002), "Pinoy Pop Superstar" (2004), and "The Clash" (2018), and as a judge on "StarStruck" (2015) and "Idol Philippines" (2019).


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Having sold more than seven million records domestically and 1.5 million in Asia, Velasquez is the best-selling Filipino music artist of all time. Her accolades include two Asian Television Awards, two MTV Asia Awards, 22 Awit Awards, 16 Aliw Awards (including 3 Entertainer of the Year wins), 22 Box Office Entertainment Awards, and 14 Star Awards for Music. Referred to as "Asia's Songbird", she has consistently been credited with inspiring a generation of Filipino singers.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez was born on April 22, 1970, in Tondo, Manila, to Teresita (née Ansong) and Gerardo Velasquez. She has three sisters—Cacai, Diane, and Deca—and a brother, Jojo. Her family moved to Hinundayan, Southern Leyte, where Velasquez spent the early years of her life. At age three, Velasquez became interested in music after listening to her father's lullabies. She would listen to her mother play guitar and piano while her father sang, and cited Sharon Cuneta's "Mr. DJ" as one of the first songs she learned.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez started singing at age six; she underwent intensive vocal training with her father, who immersed her neck-deep in the sea and had her go through vocal runs. She credits this unorthodox method for strengthening her core and stomach muscles, and developing her lung capacity. Velasquez placed third in her first singing competition on Betty Mendez Livioco "The Tita Betty's Children Show".


title: Regine Velasquez

text: When Velasquez was nine, her family moved to Balagtas, Bulacan, where she attended St. Lawrence Academy and competed for her school at the annual Bulacan Private Schools Association singing competition. In 1984, at fourteen, Velasquez auditioned for the reality television series "Ang Bagong Kampeon". She qualified and became the show's senior division winner, defending her spot for eight consecutive weeks. Velasquez won the competition and was signed to a record deal with OctoArts International.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: In 1986, Velasquez initially used the stage name Chona and released the single "Love Me Again", which failed commercially. At the recommendation of another OctoArts recording artist, Pops Fernandez, she appeared on "The Penthouse Live!" While rehearsing for the show, Velasquez caught the attention of Ronnie Henares, a producer and talent manager who signed her to a management deal. Velasquez adopted the stage name Regine at the suggestion of , Fernandez's husband and "The Penthouse Live!" co-host.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez signed with Viva Records and released her debut album "Regine" in 1987. Henares served as an executive producer and worked with songwriters Joaquin Francisco Sanchez and Vehnee Saturno. Three singles were released in 1987: "Kung Maibabalik Ko Lang", " Urong Sulong", and "Isang Lahi". During this period, Velasquez appeared on the ABS-CBN television shows "Triple Treat" and "Teen Pan Alley". Two years after "Regine"'s release, Velasquez represented the Philippines in the 1989 Asia Pacific Singing Contest in Hong Kong and won, performing the songs "You'll Never Walk Alone" from the musical "Carousel" and "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from the musical "Dreamgirls".


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez released her second studio album, "Nineteen 90", in 1990. She worked with Louie Ocampo on the album's lead single "Narito Ako", which was originally recorded and performed by Maricris Bermont and written by Nonong Pedero for the 1978 Metro Manila Popular Music Festival. Later that year, she headlined her first major concert at the Folk Arts Theater. She recorded "Please Be Careful with My Heart" with Jose Mari Chan, who released the track on his album "Constant Change"; she also sang backing vocals on Gary Valenciano's "Each Passing Night", which appears on his album "Faces of Love".


title: Regine Velasquez

text: In 1991, Velasquez made her North American concert debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City, a first for an Asian solo artist. British theatrical producer Cameron Mackintosh later invited Velasquez to audition for the West End production of the musical "Miss Saigon". She received a letter from the production offering to train her in London, which she declined: partly due to her lack of experience in musical theater, and also because she wished to remain with her family.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez's third studio album "Tagala Talaga" was released in October 1991. It includes cover versions of recordings by National Artist for Music recipients Ryan Cayabyab, Lucio San Pedro, and Levi Celerio. The album's lead single, titled "Buhay Ng Buhay Ko", was originally recorded by Leah Navarro and was written by Pedero, with whom Velasquez had worked on "Nineteen 90". Other notable singles from the album include "Anak" and "Sa Ugoy Ng Duyan".


title: Regine Velasquez

text: PolyGram Far East announced a joint-venture licensing deal in the Philippines in July 1993 with the formation of its subsidiary PolyCosmic Records. Velasquez recorded a duet titled "It's Hard to Say Goodbye" with Canadian singer Paul Anka, which became the new label's first release. The single was later included on her fourth studio album "Reason Enough". David Gonzales of AllMusic described the album as "more attuned to international ears" and said Velasquez's vocals are "thin and unimpressive". One of its singles, "Sana Maulit Muli", won the Awit Award for Best Performance by a Female Recording Artist in 1994.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez released her fifth studio album "Listen Without Prejudice" in 1994. She worked with songwriters, including Glenn Medeiros, Trina Belamide, and John Laudon. The album was released in several countries in Southeast and East Asia, including China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. The album's lead single "In Love with You" features Cantonese singer Jacky Cheung. Gonzales commended the record's themes and said, "Cheung's presence on the duet had much to do with the overseas success". The album had sold more than 700,000 copies worldwide, including 100,000 in the Philippines, making it the best-selling album of Velasquez's career to date.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez's sixth studio album "My Love Emotion" was released in 1995. The title track, which was written by Southern Sons vocalist Phil Buckle, was described by Gonzales as a "triumph [and] an outstanding vehicle, containing a strong melody and hook in the chorus". The album made a combined regional and domestic sales of 250,000 copies.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: For her seventh studio album "Retro" (1996), Velasquez recorded cover versions of popular music of the 1970s and 1980s from artists including Donna Summer, Foreigner, and The Carpenters. The album's only original track, "Fly", is credited to Earth, Wind & Fire members Maurice White, Al McKay, and Allee Willis because the song interpolates the melody of their single "September". Velasquez left PolyCosmic in 1998, and signed a six-album contract with the MJF Company. That year, her ninth studio album "Drawn" was released. MJF head Mark J. Feist wrote and produced most of the tracks, including the lead single "How Could You Leave". "Drawn" sold more than 40,000 copies and was awarded a platinum certification within two weeks of its release.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez produced most of her next album "R2K", which was released on November 27, 1999. She recorded remakes of Jeffrey Osborne's "On the Wings of Love", Dionne Warwick's "I'll Never Love This Way Again", Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", and ABBA's "Dancing Queen", among others. Gonzales criticized the record's "infatuation with Western popular music" and called Velasquez's singing "self-assured [but] also unimpressive". Commercially, "R2K" sold more than 40,000 copies in its second week of release, earning a platinum certification, and was certified four times platinum a year later. "R2K" has since been certified twelve times platinum, becoming the highest-selling album by a female artist in the Philippines. On December 31, 1999, Velasquez was a featured musical act in "2000 Today", a BBC millennium television special that attracted a worldwide audience of more than 800 million viewers with its core program broadcast across the world's time zones, which began with Kiribati Line Islands and ended in American Samoa.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez headlined and directed the at the Araneta Coliseum in April 2000, which won her Best Female Major Concert Act at the 13th Aliw Awards. Ricky Lo from "The Philippine Star" was generally impressed with the production and complimented Velasquez's "boundless energy and creativity". She also performed a concert at the Westin Philippine Plaza that year, which spawned the release of her first live album "" in December 2000. Although it was criticized for its audio mixing, the album was certified six times platinum.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez worked with Filipino songwriters for material on her eleventh studio album "Reigne". The album and its lead single "To Reach You" were released in December 2001. Other singles were Tats Faustino's "Dadalhin" and Janno Gibbs' "Sa Aking Pag-iisa". Gonzales called the album "an adventurous set" and praised the quality of the songwriting.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez won the inaugural MTV Asia Award for Favorite Artist Philippines in February 2002. She performed "Cry" with Mandy Moore to promote the theatrical release of Moore's film "A Walk to Remember". In March, Velasquez hosted the first season of "Star for a Night", which is based on the British talent show of the same name. In April, she headlined a benefit concert called One Night with Regine at the National Museum of the Philippines, which was a collaboration with ABS-CBN Foundation to benefit Bantay Bata Foundation's child abuse response fund. The show won Best Musical Program at the 7th Asian Television Awards.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: At the 2003 MTV Asia Awards, Velasquez won her second consecutive award for Favorite Artist Philippines. In May 2003, she embarked on the with Nievera. The following month, Velasquez returned to host the second season of "Search for a Star". That November, she had a concert residency named Songbird Sings Streisand, a tribute to American singer and actor Barbra Streisand, at Makati's Onstage Theatre.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: In February 2004, Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid co-headlined a concert, The Songbird & The Songwriter, at the Araneta Coliseum, and they embarked on a North American tour that April. At the 17th Aliw Awards, she won Best Female Performance in a Concert and was nominated for Entertainer of the Year for the collaboration. Velasquez hosted the reality talent show "Pinoy Pop Superstar", which began airing on GMA Network that July. In October 2004, she released "Forevermore", the lead single from her twelfth studio album "Covers, Vol. 1". Its songs were originally recorded by Filipino male artists, and it was her most expensive cover album to produce due in part to the cost of securing licensing rights for songs by local songwriters, including Ariel Rivera's "Minsan Lang Kita Iibigan", Basil Valdez's "Say That You Love Me", and Nonoy Zuñiga's "Araw Gabi". The album has since been certified six times platinum.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Later in November and December 2005, Velasquez had an eight-day concert residency named Reflections at the Aliw Theater. The sequel album "Covers, Vol. 2" was released in February 2006. Unlike its predecessor, it contains songs by foreign artists, including Alanis Morissette's "Head Over Feet", Blondie's "Call Me", and Elvis Presley's "Blue Suede Shoes". "Manila Bulletin"s Jojo Panaligan was generally impressed with Velasquez's "versatility" and the album tracks' "jazzy and blues-y interpretation". In October 2006, she performed a concert titled Twenty at the Araneta Coliseum, which won her Best Female Major Concert Act and Entertainer of the Year award at the 20th Aliw Awards. In 2007, she became co-host of the reality television show "", an interactive music competition based on the eponymous original US show.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez developed other television projects in 2008. She appeared in "Songbird", a weekly late-night musical television show that featured performances by musical guests. She also featured in the musical television special "The Best of Me", which was filmed at her residence in Quezon City. Velasquez signed a deal with Universal Records and released an album titled "Low Key" in December 2008. The album consists of cover versions of international songs that she described as "more relaxed, laid-back and restrained". It includes tracks such as Billy Joel's "She's Always a Woman", Dan Fogelberg's "Leader of the Band", and Janis Ian's "At Seventeen". The "Philippine Daily Inquirer" praised the album's maturity and wrote, "[Velasquez] no longer shrieks and shouts as much as she used to". The album sold more than 25,000 copies within two months of its release and was certified platinum. In May 2009, she appeared on the television documentary "Roots to Riches", which chronicles her personal and professional struggles, and includes musical performances filmed in her hometown Malolos. Later that month, she hosted the television talent show "Are You the Next Big Star?".


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez's next album, a double CD set called "Fantasy", was released in December 2010. The first disc is composed of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) recordings and the second includes covers of international singles such as Madonnas "Papa Don't Preach", Torontos "What About Love", and the Eagles' "Love Will Keep Us Alive". The "Philippine Daily Inquirer" called the album "vocally sumptuous" and was generally impressed with Velasquez's vocals and range. "Fantasy" received a platinum certification and earned three nominations at the 3rd Star Awards for Music. After receiving the Magna Award at the Myx Music Awards 2011, and the confirmation of her pregnancy, Velasquez took a hiatus from public engagements. She returned to television on October 6, 2012 with "Sarap Diva", a weekly lifestyle talk show. On November 16, Velasquez performed a concert titled Silver at the Mall of Asia Arena, which was cut short after she lost her voice due to a viral infection.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: After Silver's cancellation, Velasquez restaged the concert on January 5, 2013. The concert received generally favorable reviews; "Manila Bulletin" Jojo Panaligan called it a "redemption of reputation", while Dolly Anne Carvajal of the "Philippine Daily Inquirer" said Velasquez did not fail to make up for the initial cancellation of the show. The following month, she co-headlined in Foursome alongside Alcasid, Fernandez, and Nievera. For both shows, Velasquez received four nominations at the 5th Star Awards for Music, winning Best Female Major Concert Act for "Silver" and Concert of the Year for "Foursome".


title: Regine Velasquez

text: In November 2013, Velasquez's album "Hulog Ka Ng Langit" was released; it received a platinum certification for two-week sales of 15,000 copies. She won Best Inspirational Record for "Nathaniel (Gift of God)" and Best Christmas Recording for "Hele ni Inay" at the 27th Awit Awards, while "Hulog Ka Ng Langit" won Album Cover of the Year at the 6th Star Awards for Music. In 2014, she worked with Nievera in a one-night show titled Voices of Love, with Gloc-9 on "Takipsilim", and with Vice Ganda on "Push Mo Yan Teh".


title: Regine Velasquez

text: In February 2015, Velasquez appeared alongside Nievera, Valenciano, and Lani Misalucha in a concert titled Ultimate at the Mall of Asia Arena. She received accolades at the 47th Box Office Entertainment Awards, 7th Star Awards for Music, and 5th Edukcircle Awards for the production. In the same year, Velasquez served as a judge on the sixth season of the reality talent television show "StarStruck". In November 2015, Velasquez headlined a four-date concert residency called Regine at the Theater, which featured songs from musicals.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: For a third consecutive year, Velasquez appeared in a co-headlining concert at the Mall of Asia Arena in February 2016. The two-night show, Royals, reunited her with Nievera and also features Angeline Quinto and Erik Santos. Due to the concert's positive critical reception, Velasquez won Best Female Concert Performer at the 48th Box Office Entertainment Awards and Most Influential Concert Performer of the Year at the 6th Edukcircle Awards. In December 2016, "People Asia" magazine included Velasquez on its annual People of the Year list.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez hosted "Full House Tonight", which ran from February to May 2017. The following month, she announced that she had returned to Viva Records and that she had begun production of a new studio album called "R3.0". In August 2017, a cover of Up Dharma Down's 2010 song "Tadhana" was released as a promotional single. An original track called "Hugot" was released as the album's lead single the following month. In November she headlined the R3.0 Concert at the Mall of Asia Arena, and two months later, with Alcasid, she played a four-date U.S. concert series titled "Mr. and Mrs. A."


title: Regine Velasquez

text: In 2018, Velasquez hosted the television talent show "The Clash", served as a judge on ABS-CBN's revival of the "Idol" franchise series "Idol Philippines", and hosted the musical variety show "ASAP Natin' To". In November, she staged a three-date concert series titled "Regine at the Movies" at the New Frontier Theater.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Sharon Cuneta and Velasquez co-headlined a concert, Iconic, in October 2019. For the show, Velasquez won the awards for Best Collaboration in a Concert and Entertainer of the Year at the 32nd Aliw Awards, having won the latter honor in 2007 and 2009. The following month, she released a collaborative single with Moira Dela Torre called "Unbreakable", which was recorded for the soundtrack of the film of the same name. Velasquez appeared as the face of Australian beauty brand BYS and released the promotional single "I Am Beautiful" for the brand's "Be Your Own Expert" campaign. She released the soundtrack singles "Ikaw Ang Aking Mahal" for the action television series "The General's Daughter" (2019) and "Mahal Ko O Mahal Ako" for the drama series "Love Thy Woman" (2020).


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez organized virtual benefit concerts in support of relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. She curated One Night with Regine, a collaboration with ABS-CBN to support Bantay Bata Foundation's COVID-19 response fund in April, and appeared in Joy From Home, which raised funds to support Jollibee Groups food aid program in June. On February 28, 2021, she was featured in an online streaming concert titled Freedom.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez made her cinema debut with a minor role in the 1988 comedy film "The Untouchable Family". Its soundtrack includes her single "Urong Sulong". She continued to appear in a series of supporting roles in comedies, including "Pik Pak Boom" (1988) and "Elvis and James 2" (1990).


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez began working with composer Ryan Cayabyab in 1995 on the musical theater version of José Rizals "Noli Me Tángere", where she played the female lead, María Clara. Vic Del Rosario, head of Viva Entertainment's film production arm, saw Velasquez in one of her performances and offered her a starring role in a film. Her first leading role was a music teacher in the romantic comedy "Wanted: Perfect Mother" (1996). Nievera and Ocampo co-wrote the song "You Are My Song" for the film's soundtrack. Later in 1996, she starred alongside Donna Cruz and Mikee Cojuangco in the musical comedy "Do Re Mi". Velasquez continued to play leading roles in romantic comedies, appearing in "Honey Nasa Langit Na Ba Ako" (1998) with Janno Gibbs and "Dahil May Isang Ikaw" (1999) with Aga Muhlach. Her first television role came in 2000 in an episode of the IBC-13s weekly drama series "Habang May Buhay" as Piolo Pascuals cancer-stricken love interest.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: A key point in Velasquez's film career came when she was cast in Joyce Bernals "Kailangan Ko'y Ikaw" (2000) opposite Robin Padilla. Film critic Noel Vera criticized the film's formula as "the nth variation of "Roman Holiday"", but wrote that Velasquez "[brought] her own public persona and charisma and sense of humor to the role". Her next film role was in "Pangako Ikaw Lang" (2001), which reunited her with Bernal and Muhlach. Vera was impressed with the film's direction and writing, and described Velasquez's performance as "sunny good nature [with a] light comic touch". "Pangako Ikaw Lang" became the highest-grossing Filipino film of 2001. Velasquez was awarded the Box Office Queen title at the 32nd Box Office Entertainment Awards due to the film's commercial performance.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Her next television appearance was in an episode of ABS-CBN's weekly drama series "Maalaala Mo Kaya" (2001), playing a woman with autism. The role won her the Best Actress award at the 16th Star Awards for Television. She portrayed a mundane and undesirable mail sorter in the drama "Ikaw Lamang Hanggang Ngayon" (2002) opposite Richard Gomez, while "Pangarap Ko Ang Ibigin Ka" (2003) reunited her with Christopher de Leon of "Wanted: Perfect Mother", premiering at the Manila Film Festival in July 2003. In December, Velasquez next starred alongside Bong Revilla in the superhero film "Captain Barbell".


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Although Velasquez did not make any film appearances in 2004, she made her prime time television debut in the drama series "Forever in My Heart", in which she was reunited with Gomez, and worked alongside Ariel Rivera. She next starred in romantic dramas, reuniting with Padilla in "Till I Met You" (2006) and with Pascual in "Paano Kita Iibigin" (2007). For the latter film, Velasquez received FAMAS and Luna nominations for Best Actress. In 2008 she returned to television, playing the titular character in the comedy series "Ako si Kim Samsoon", an adaption of a South Korean television show. Velasquez also voiced the eponymous character in the animated film "Urduja" (2008).


title: Regine Velasquez

text: During 2009, Velasquez made cameo appearances in the comedies "Kimmy Dora", "OMG (Oh, My Girl!)", and "". In March 2010, Velasquez appeared in the musical television series "Diva" as a facially disfigured ghost singer. The following year, she collaborated with Dingdong Dantes in the television series "I Heart You, Pare!" (2011). She left the show for health reasons and was replaced by Iza Calzado.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: In the 2012 film "Of All the Things," Velasquez worked with Bernal and Muhlach for the third time. Philbert Dy of "ClickTheCity" called the film a "tedious, unfocused mess that forces chemistry where none really exists". Despite the film's negative reviews, Velasquez's performance won the 10th Golden Screen award for Best Actress. She next starred in the independent film "Mrs. Recto" (2015), a comedy-drama set principally on Recto Avenue. She then portrayed a socialite who is stripped of her wealth in the television comedy series "Poor Señorita" (2016). Her only acting appearance in 2017 was a supporting role in "Mulawin vs. Ravena", the sequel to the 2004 television series "Mulawin".


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez played a widow obsessed with a pop star in Nigel Santos' independent film "Yours Truly, Shirley". The film premiered at the 2019 Cinema One Originals Film Festival. In January 2020, she briefly appeared in the iWant comedy series "My Single Lady".


title: Regine Velasquez

text: As a child, Velasquez enjoyed listening to her father singing classic songs to lull her to sleep; she was drawn to traditional songs rather than nursery rhymes because of this routine. Since her childhood, Velasquez has considered Sharon Cuneta a role model and credits Cuneta as a key inspiration who led her to pursue a musical career.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez's music is influenced by artists such as Sheena Easton, Angela Bofill, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey in her early years. She admires Houston for her "style and R&B influence" and Carey's songwriting. On several occasions, Velasquez has cited Barbra Streisand as her main influence and musical inspiration, saying, "I look up to [Streisand] not just because of her enormous talent, but because of her fearlessness and dedication to excellence, her willingness to take risks and to be different." Streisand's music has frequently featured in Velasquez's repertoire throughout her career, including a series of concerts paying homage to Streisand, which Velasquez described as "a pleasure" to perform. Velasquez has also been influenced by many Filipino artists; early in her career, she cited Kuh Ledesma, Joey Albert, Gary Valenciano, Martin Nievera, and Pops Fernandez as her role models. She has also paid tribute to Filipino songwriters, including George Canseco, Rey Valera, Basil Valdez, Ryan Cayabyab, and Willy Cruz.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez's early-career music includes elements of traditional OPM love songs. She described how she developed her musical style, saying, "I was only 16 and people didn't know what to do with me. When they want me to sing love songs, they had to explain to me what it meant because I didn't know the feeling yet." Her debut album "Regine" includes ballads and bubblegum pop love songs; its themes revolve around feelings of "excitement and uncertainty", as well as "missed chances and regrets". Elvin Luciano from CNN Philippines wrote: "During her [initial] phase, she proved that Filipino love songs don't have to come pre-packaged in the kundiman-rooted love ballad." Her later releases, including "Nineteen 90" and "Tagala Talaga", capitalized on her popularity; they are dominated by Filipino love songs. Velasquez began working with foreign songwriters while planning her first regional album "Listen Without Prejudice", which according to AllMusic is "oriented towards easy-listening love songs with adventurous, contemporary touches". The album features tracks with syncopated backbeats and hip-hop influences.


title: Regine Velasquez

text: During the mid-1990s and the early 2000s, Velasquez's albums consisted primarily of cover versions of international material because of its commercial viability, and Filipinos' preference for American music. According to CNN Philippines, "Regine has a knack for choosing songs which at first, may not fit her, but eventually become her own." Many of her songs, particularly in "Retro", "Drawn", and "R2K", contained R&B, soul, and hip-hop elements. "Reigne" is an OPM album that she described as "songs influenced by the music, artists, and genres that I enjoy listening to," and included tracks that are melancholic, sensual, and poetic. Her crossover to film saw significant use of contemporary love ballads in her catalog of soundtrack themes, describing the music as "straightforward, earnest, and lyrically simple".


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez is known for her use of vocal belting, and credits the vocal training she received from her father as a child:


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez is a soprano and is often praised for her range and technical ability. Luciano of CNN Philippines complimented her "trademark and sometimes melismatic vocals" while Gonzales adds her singing is "strong, emotive, and confident". She has often been criticized, however, for the excessive use of belting and oversinging. Gonzales described Velasquez's timbre as "thin, unimpressive and unappealing at times", and said her singing is "aiming for a higher [note], [which] she did all too often". Velasquez said, "I don't mean to make any songs hard. It's just that when I'm on stage, with the adrenaline rush and all, you get excited. I do try to hold back [because] otherwise I'd be screaming the whole show, that's not good."


title: Regine Velasquez

text: Velasquez's vocal style and singing ability have significantly impacted Philippine popular and contemporary music. Critics have called her "Asia's songbird" and she is often cited as one of Filipino music's most influential artists. According to Allan Policarpio of the "Philippine Daily Inquirer", "Regine needed only to open her mouth and that celebrated voice would come out. She could sing seated, lying down or hoisted up in the air with a harness—no problem. And even when she was so sick she couldn't speak, she could still sing." Velasquez has also been recognized for playing a pivotal role in creating the "blue print" for becoming a "singing icon". Many critics complimented her work, often singling out Velasquez's influence. Luciano, writing for CNN Philippines, described her "legitimacy" as "enough to secure a space in pop culture" and said her musical career "continues to influence generations of OPM patrons and songbird wannabes up to this day", while according to "The Philippine Star", "If one were to go by records and distinctions made, Regine Velasquez would win, hands down". She has often been regarded as a powerhouse for her performances and musical content.