DEEP within her, Zsa Zsa Padilla believes that the universe has its own rhythm that makes things unfold at their predestined moments. "Too many times, I've gone against the normal flow of things just to realize that it simply won't work. The more I push, the stronger the resistance," she intones.

It's been 16 years since Zsa Zsa had her first taste of the show biz spotlight as vocalist of the '80s band, Hotdogs.

She was spotted by Johnny Manahan and tapped to guest in a concert that featured Christopher de Leon, Johnny Delgado, Edgar Mortiz and the late Jay Ilagan.

Then came offers to record albums, and she chose to sing songs that have become timeless--George Canseco's "Hiram" and Willy Cruz's "Kahit Na." These two songs catapulted Zsa Zsa to singing superstardom.

But despite her success, she was struggling to save a marriage that was doomed from the start, so she says. Padilla got pregnant even before she could get a university degree. The marriage eventually hit rock-bottom and Padilla became one of the members of the ex-wives club.

She also appeared in films and met comedy king Dolphy in 1989 when they shot "Mga Anak ni Facifica Falayfay." They fell in love despite the public's disapproval of their liaison.

It was tough, but Padilla is glad that she hang on. "It made me rethink many things--what's really important and what will really make me happy," she reflects.

Her singing career took a back seat to the movies, where Zsa Zsa proved that she was an outstanding actress. Then she decided to stage a comeback in the recording field.

She risked everything and came out with an album, at a time when there was no sure-fire formula to guarantee a hit. "The band scene was saturated, the solo artists were scared, lakasan lang talaga ng loob," she recalls. But Padilla trusted her instincts, and she was proven right.

"We're All Alone" rose to the top of the charts and Padilla bounced back with a vengeance. She became in demand again for concerts and TV shows.

Now that the album has reached almost quintuple platinum, Padilla is releasing a fitting follow-up, a new album titled "Sentiments."

There are 14 tracks (six revivals and eight originals) and Padilla says most of the songs talk about love and other emotions.

We are all familiar with "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" and Padilla describes the song as comforting. "This is the most vocally challenging piece in the album and Dolphy says this is his favorite version."

"Refrain" is a Jose Mari Chan original. Kenny Rogers' "Through the Years" is Zsa Zsa's personal declaration of love in this album. "You have to be familiar with my love life to really understand why this song has to be included," she smiles.

Her advisers at Viva Records agreed with her decision to include more original songs than cover versions. "Hopefully, one or two will go the way of 'Hiram' or 'Kahit Na,''' she wishes. Padilla co-wrote two of the originals.

One of them is "Got To Let You Go," composed by Vic Joseph, with lyrics by Zsa Zsa. "This song is heart-breaking because it's about knowing when a relationship is over, but you still have so much love for the person," she says.