#Foodspotting: The Best Om Nom Apps Every Malaysian Foodie Should Have

Feeling adventurous on your food hunt? Dying to discover a new place to eat? Or are you suddenly inspired to test out a new recipe? The problem is, Malaysia is a melting pot of various cuisines and hunting down an eatery or a cafe may prove to be quite a task – especially if you’re completely new to the restaurant or its surrounding areas. Also, not everyone, aspiring MasterChef or not, have recipes on hand to cook up a storm with as and when they like.

We’ve found some top food apps that you can use to satiate the epicurean in you, be it if you need to order-in food, hunt for an eatery, get great food bargains/discounts, or brandish your cooking skills. Best of all, most of these apps are mobile-friendly and already localised. You probably wouldn’t have known that you needed them until you had ’em ;)

Not entirely new to the om nom scene, Foodpanda is a one-stop food delivery service that allows you to tap, choose, and enjoy yummy meals from many restaurant in your neighbourhood. On a rainy day, within the hour, whether it’s for lunch or dinner in the office or at home, you can have the food of your choice delivered right to your doorstep. With only few taps, you can order from restaurants like KFC, Pastamania, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Sakae Sushi, or any other of your favourite cuisines, and sometimes, there are even exclusive discounts and promotions!

Great deals ahead! Offpeak is an online platform that helps diners save money and time when booking great restaurants online. Once a restaurant is available in their directory, you can simply book and enjoy unlimited discounts on your favourite restaurant, every day, anytime. No more waiting for the right deal or coupon to come by. It’s easy to book and instantly confirmed. So start enjoying great dining discounts, because with Offpeak, every hour is off-peak hour.

Navigate your way to awesome food discounts via their mobile web here or better yet, download the app for Android or iOS.

Singapore-based food app HungryGoWhere launched in the Malaysia in 2013 and set a Guinness World Record with the longest line of “Nasi Lemak Bungkus“. The app positions itself as your “kaki makan”, with dining recommendations from over 35,000 restaurants in Malaysia, to help you decide what and where to eat by allowing you to search and discover the best (recommended or not) restaurants and dishes, and locate them with ease. Best of all, if you’d like, you can even share your latest foodie adventures and review your meals for other app users as well.

Foodspotting was started in 2009 when the developers realised that there were many restaurant reviews, but no easy way to find or rate specific dishes. Based in San Francisco, the visual guide to good food and where to find it has since built a worldwide community of foodspotters who love to find and share interesting dishes wherever they go. Instead of reviewing restaurants, you can recommend dishes and see what other foodies, friends, and experts recommend. So wildly popular, probably because it looks like an Instagram app for food, it has since been featured on “The Today Show” as well as earned a spot in TIME magazine’s “50 Best Apps“.

Nevermind sharing food reviews and good spots to gorge down your favourite dishies, My Resipi is a great recipe-sharing app that allows you to hone your cooking skills. Launched in 2012, the app has been specifically designed for browsing and navigating latest recipes, as well as giving you the option to share your own. With My Resipi, you can create a recipe of your own, add ingredients, cooking specifications, and serving information. Currently, it has about 165,000 registered members and best of all, it’s Malaysian through and through!

Although Burpple is Singapore-based, the app is quite popular in Malaysia these days. For starters, it connects you to other foodies with good spots to eat in more than 3,300 cities from 115 countries. To date, over 1,000,000 people have used it to find and recommend restaurants, cafes, bars, desserts, street food, and even hidden gems. As a user, you can be sure that there’s good food right at your fingertips, in which you can organise and save in lists to rummage through again later. Handy!

Why “OpenRice”, you ask? The app originally started in Hong Kong in 1999, which explains the name. Fast forward to 2015, OpenRice is now quite a reputed Asian culinary guide. With over 22,000 restaurant tucked neatly under its belt, you can search for restaurants by using keywords, cuisines, areas, districts, landmarks, dishes, type of restaurants, price range, etc. Other special features include seeing what is nearby, saving your favourite restaurants and redeeming mobile coupons from various restaurants. After which, it allows you to navigate to the eateries with GPS.

This app from award-winning food site Epicurious.com offers delicious, professionally tested and created recipes from renowned magazines such as Gourmet and Bon Appétit, popular cookbooks, top chefs, and leading restaurants. Packed with free features and more than 30,000 of the highest-quality recipes, there’s a reason why home cooks and aspiring MasterChefs have downloaded it more than 10 million times to date. We love how it allows users to store favourite recipes across all devices with their recipe box and shopping list, and then go hands-free in the kitchen by using voice to control the app with “Cook Mode”.

Download the app for Android, iOS, or Windows.

Do you have a favourite food app too? Were there any equally popular ones that we’ve overlooked in the list above? Let us know in the comments box below and we’ll add them in! Until then, happy food hunting/food-a-huntin’ ;)

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#ZoukKLGoesBig: #ZoukKL Drops New Superclub Launch Date, Set For 21st August

Time to take your dancing shoes off the shelf and put them on once again as the much-awaited, new RM38 million home of Zouk Club Kuala Lumpur is launching in just a couple of weeks! This follows the recent 2-part farewell parties (11th and 25th July) at its former club space at Jalan Ampang, where Zouk KL has been located since 2004.

The new Zouk KL will open at TREC, Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur’s first and largest purpose-built entertainment and lifestyle enclave, along downtown Jalan Tun Razak.

The search for Zouk KL’s new home began 3 years (2011) prior to its land lease expiry on Jalan Ampang. At a staggering 106,000 sq ft, the newly built, 2-storey Zouk KL comprises 11 venues – of which 3 are new concepts – which occupy a total of 60,000 sq ft of built-in space. This is twice the entire size of the previous club complex at Jalan Ampang. The new Zouk KL’s underground car park (for 150 cars) makes up the remaining 46,000 sq ft.

It’s lavishly outfitted with a state of the art lighting and sound equipment, set against a kaleidoscope of soundscapes from EDM, house, electro, open format, trance, techno, trap, R&B, hip hop to indie and nu-disco. And now stands poised to become the new landmark at its new along the bustling Jalan Tun Razak.

Here are some things you need to know about the 11 venues, a series of interconnected rooms created to provide unique, new experiences for clubbers:

Check out the pictures of the venues in the gallery below:

And now, the golden question. When will the new Zouk KL open its doors to the public? The new multi-room complex will open 9 venues on 21st August, after its private preview for invited guests on 20th August, and the remaining 2 venues (Imperial and Balcony Deck) will open on 4th September.

Get a sneak peek their August roster (Tritonal! Miss Nine!) here.

Zouk KL will be located at 436 Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur. To make reservations, e-mail rsvn@zoukclub.com.my or call them at 03-21711997 (12 – 6pm) or 016-63323191 (after 6pm).

For more information, visit Zouk KL’s website or Facebook page.


Smirnoff Ice Now Available in Malaysia!

GAB, Malaysia’s leading brewer, has launched the world’s No. 1 Ready-To-Drink beverage SMIRNOFF ICE, a refreshing and crisp pre-mixed cocktail with a lemon flavour that packs a punch.

SMIRNOFF ICE will appeal to increasingly discerning Malaysians who want more out of their drink. Served in a chilled and convenient bottle, SMIRNOFF ICE is a crowd favourite the world over, particularly amongst younger working adults who have a keen sense of curiosity and are seeking new drinking experiences.

“Consumers are always looking for exciting new flavours. We are expanding our portfolio into the Ready-To-Drink category by bringing the world’s No. 1 most popular pre-mixed cocktail to Malaysians. Whether you are a happy-hour barfly or a casual clubber, Smirnoff Ice is ‘Exclusively for Everybody’,” said Bruce Dallas, Marketing Director of GAB.

To introduce SMIRNOFF ICE, the deliciously unpretentious drink that everybody drinks, GAB threw a launch party that demonstrated the brand’s manifesto: a celebration of honest, effortless, good times. Some 400 guests arrived at a chilled out backyard barbecue and was treated with awesome surprises throughout the night. But the party really levelled up, when organisers unveiled an indoor club pulsing to tunes from electropop go-to-guy Darren Ashley and DJ trio Indiego & Co.

Check out our gallery to see what went else down:

For more information, visit their Facebook page.

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Thailand Rewards People For Hunting Down Smog

As of recent, smog has spread widely over our neighbor, Thailand’s Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son, with many residents in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district forced to put on face masks and sunglasses to protect their eyes and noses. To that effect, Thailand’s Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency has been assigned to explore technical solutions to the problem, which also disrupts transportation and deters tourism in the North.

Interestingly, they’ve also launched their “Hunt the Smog” campaign – a project that involves the public’s participation and a reward system.

According to Thailand’s Science Minister Woravat Auapinyakul, who stated the following during the launch of “Hunt the Smog”:

We have found that most forest fires and started by people. We will take tough action against those lighting fires in forest zones to clear land for farming. Fires cause smog, which endangers the health of others.

Anyone who takes a photo of a forest fire and sends it to the authorities will be rewarded with Bt500 (about RM52) in cash. If the said picture leads to the arrest of arsonists, the reward will jump to Bt5,000 (about RM524). If the picture was among the first 10 submissions, the reward will double up to Bt10,000 (about RM1,048).

As for the arsonists, if caught, they will face a fine of up to Bt50.000 (about RM5,240) and up to six years in jail.


Hype’s Now Playing: HyunA Ft. BTOB’s Ilhoon – Because I’m The Best

HyunA fans, the moment that you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived.

The sexy 4Minute rapper has released the official music video for “Because I’m the Best”, the title track off her solo comeback!

Titled “A+”, the mini album consists of 5 tracks, and it looks like HyunA contributedly greatly to more than half of “A+”. She wrote the lyrics to “Run & Run”, “Ice Ice” (featuring “Unpretty Rapstar” rapper Yook Ji Dam), and a secret love song titled, “Peace”.

She has also enlisted the help of BTOB’s Ilhoon for her title track, “Because I’m the Best” while 10cm’s Kwon Jung Yeol will be featured on the remaining track, “Get Out of My House”.

For the first of the music videos off “A+” (we’re hoping that there’ll be more), HyunA is seen sporting the sexiest of outfits, popping and shaking to the fiercest choreography. Of course, like icing on a cake, BTOB’s Ilhoon is also featured as a sexy bad boy alongside HyunA.

Watch the super badass music video below:

HyunA’s “A+” will be released today (21st August).

For more comeback teasers, stalk her via Instagram.


(UPDATE) #MadDecentBoatParty: Partygoer Believed To Have Jumped From Party Ship

A partygoer is believed to have jumped off a Norwegian cruise chip that is hosting the “Mad Decent Boat Party“. In case you’ve never heard of the party, it features acts such as Major Lazer and Skrillex.

All was going well and the party was already halfway through (it sails from 11th -15th November) when suddenly, Twitter exploded with reports that a passenger “has fallen overboard”. Moments later, more tweets streamed in to say that the partygoer (female) actually jumped from the ship.

According to Your EDM, US Coast Guard received a call from the ship around 7pm local time while 22 miles off the coast of Cuba, reporting a woman had fallen overboard.

wow someone just jumped off the ship at Mad Decent Boat Party…

— Albert Maloof Berdellans III (@EDMsnob) November 12, 2015

so someone jumped off mad decent boat party cruise ship and now they're searching for them in the pitch black darkness of the Atlantic ocean

— Kayoh (@KayohOfficial) November 13, 2015

Lifeboats just went out, but holy shit it's dark pic.twitter.com/JhU9UmSmL8

— zethus (@zethussuen) November 12, 2015

3 rescue boats in the water, 2 addt'l nearby cargo ships active in search as well. US Coast Guard & Cuban auth on alert/en route.

— zethus (@zethussuen) November 13, 2015

Coast guard cutter (sp?) ship directed towards our area as well as a Coast Guard rescue plane w/ estimated arrival ~1hr.

6 Boats in the water. Coast guard plane still 45 minutes out. PA announcements to happen every 30m instead of 15m.

The ship has since executed rescue maneuvers including a turn around and deployment of lifeboast. And a search and rescue is currently ongoing as we speak.

Meanwhile, the “Mad Decent Boat Party” stages have been closed for the time being while the search is conducted with passengers asked to return to their staterooms while a headcount is conducted.

As at time of writing, the organiser has yet to release an official statement regarding the above matter. But we’re keeping our fingers crossed and hoping for the best.

Kaylyn Sommer. That’s the name of the female passenger that jump off the “Mad Decent Boat Party”, according to Inquisitr. The 24-year-old married her husband on the “Mad Decent Boat Party” last year and has a young daughter, NBC Miami reported.

It is unclear why Kaylyn jumped off the ship, but the search and rescue mission is still ongoing. The US Coast Guard says that they are still investigating the circumstances that led up to the woman going overboard from the ship.

The “Mad Decent Boat Party” organiser has since released an official statement via their Facebook page regarding the incident:

Sources: EDMTunes, Your EDM, Billboard, Inquisitr, NBC Miami, US Coast Guard Twitter.

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#Kingsman2: Channing Tatum All Suited Up & Looking Snappy On Set In London

So “Magic Mike” star Channing Tatum decided that it’s time to cover up his chiseled abs with a snazzy suit and tie!

The actor was spotted filming the highly anticipated “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” in London last week and from the looks of it, the movie’s dapper tradition will continue.

A month ago, Tatum surprised his fans when he announced on Twitter that he was joining the cast of the sequel. In his post, he wrote, “I’m about to get all up in that Golden Circle”.

Though his character is still unknown, netizens are assuming that he will play an American agent because the image he shared contains the phrase, “My momma always told me the British gave us Southerners our good manners”. The term, “Southerners”, may refer to him because the actor grew up in Mississippi.

Aside from “Kingsman”, the 36-year-old star is currently also working on the 23 Jump Street/Men In Black crossover movie, “MIB 23”, and the X-Men spin-off film, “Gambit”.

I'm about to get all up in that Golden Circle. #Kingsman pic.twitter.com/LqCPJ6monO

— Channing Tatum (@channingtatum) April 14, 2016

The sequel will see Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (played by Taron Egerton) and Merlin (played by Mark Strong) make their way over to America to work with the Statesmen which is a secret organisation (with headquarters that are disguised as a whiskey distillery) led by a woman named Ginger (played by Halle Berry) and a “swaggering, sharpshooting cowboy” known as Jack (yet to be cast).

“Kingsman: The Golden Circle” is set to be released on 16th June 2017.

Sources: Screen Rant, Coming Soon / Featured image: Coming Soon.


Interview: Calum Scott Is Single & Still Searching For Love

Mention Calum Scott to anyone and his soulful voice immediately comes to mind. When the 32-year-old opens his mouth to sing, it’s simply magical because we feel and believe every lyric that comes from him.

Following the success of his debut album “Only Human”, the British singer-songwriter is back with another personal single “Biblical”. Recently, we managed to join in on the Calum Scott Southeast Asia Press Conference where he delved deep on his journey to making his second album, personal and artistic growth, as well as finding love.

1. How have you changed and are there some realisations you made that gave you the rise in your music?

I feel like my time away was a real reckoning of who I want to become. I feel like the first album for me, was me kind of finding my feet and finding what I wanted to say to people. And this is crazy, I’m releasing a song, now I’m releasing an album, and I’m touring. So, it’s all a bit crazy. Whereas this time, writing the second album gave me some tranquility and some peace to just discover who I am and what I want to say as an artist. As opposed to somebody who’s been given an amazing opportunity, now I feel like I have responsibility to my fans to create music for people to feel seen and heard and represented, for people to listen to it and feel that it takes them to different place that makes them happy and allows them to cry. All these emotions that we have to have. So, that was my biggest realisation I think from the second album.

2. This is regarding the music video of “Biblical”. At the end of the music video, you were floating alone, does it mean that love is unreachable to you?

The music video is kind of tragic. It is the same as “You Are the Reason” where I feel like I have met somebody and then I am like ‘Oh, it’s not for me.’ And then it is the same in “Biblical” where I am in this water then I find myself alone. I think it speaks more to the fact that in my past, I have not found love for myself. Just yeah, the search goes on. I think that would be my sort of representation that I am still searching for love. In the meantime, it helps me write all these lovely songs. So, I don’t mind being alone if I can write beautiful music for people. For sure, I am still waiting for that love of my life. But maybe I will find it in the next music video [laughs].

3. What is the interpretation of the song titled “Biblical”?

“Biblical” to me means unquantifiable. I was saying to some of the guys yesterday, for me, “Biblical” is like unfathomable amounts of love. I think the reason why we wanted to shoot the music video in the water is because if you think how much water there is, you can’t even measure it. You won’t be able to say, ‘Oh, it’s one billion, trillion gallons of water.’ It is infinite, you know. And I feel like that is how I see “Biblical”. It is the love that I have for my friends, my family, my fans. I can’t say that I love my fans [gesturing] this much because I love my fans [big gesture] this much you know.

So, it is hard to be able to put into words how much love I feel for friends, family, fans, those closest to me. So, “Biblical” for me was about trying to describe the love in that way. One thing that I want people to take away from the song is when you hear the lyrics ‘I wanna have all with you’, you know that in your mind, you see that person, your friends, you family, your loved ones, your partner. Whoever it is that love that you have for that person is just unquantifiable. That would be my interpretation of “Biblical”.

4. You mentioned that coming back with new music could be daunting. Why did you say that and did this happen during the process of “Biblical”?

I think it’s always going to be daunting for an artist to bring out new music especially after some time away because I am so passionate about my fans, I am thinking are they gonna like what I make? Are they gonna enjoy? You know when you were in school, and you do a painting for your mom and bring it back and you hold it up to her? When you were a kid, you just go, look, I have done it. When you are an adult you go, will they like it? Is it going to be good enough? So, I kind of feel like that with my music. I put my heart and soul into these songs, and I desperately want people to love it the way I love it.

So, it was incredibly daunting, but I think I am always going to be nervous because I care so much. So, I feel like that happened during “Biblical”, it happened during album one, it happened when I was singing and dancing on my own for the first time. I just care so deeply which is why I get so nervous. But as soon as I released it, and I saw people reacting to it, and enjoying it… I was just in the meeting room, in the Zoom call, when “Biblical” debuted and I saw all these guys coming in like, wow, and I was like, they make me feel so much better. I am just so grateful that everybody likes the song and yeah.

5. Why does this song speak to you, as an artist and as Callum personally?

Because “Biblical” was made during lockdown, I think everybody knows how it feels, to have love stolen from them. We have had not to be able to see our loved ones, we have to be in isolation, lockdown. Tragically, people have lost their lives and they have not been able to be with their loved ones in their final moments. It is awful but I think in there, it sets the scene for being able to speak about love in such a huge way. I think that is what speaks to me personally as Callum.

I think as an artist, again, I was searching for a song like this when I was writing the album and I felt that even, I spent all of 2019 writing the second album, and during the end of 2019, I thought I’ve got some beautiful songs but I was still looking for songs like ‘You Are the Reason’, and ‘Dancing On My Own’. When we found the song, I was just like, this is it. This is what I want to go singing to every corner of the world, over and over and over again. So, I think as an artist and as a person, it speaks to me very deeply.

6. Are there any special features we can expect from the upcoming project? Such as featured musicians, or producers and why did you choose this song as your comeback?

Well, this song was written with the incredible James Bay. So, he is part of the song. There will be other songs that I have written with other artists and very well-known producers. I have gone back to work with my producer Fraser T Smith from my first record. And going back to write with Jon Maguire who wrote ‘You Are the Reason’. I think the second album is the chance for me to go back to my favourites and discover if I can write even better with the people that I have wrote amazing songs from the first record. For now, there are no collaborations, but not to say that there won’t be in the future.

So, I feel like “Biblical” represents this growth in my performance, and in my vocal delivery, my lyrics and sets the scene for the album. So, that is why I want it to be the first thing the people hear when I come back.

A post shared by Calum Scott (@calumscott)

7. How personal is “Biblical” to you and why do you consider this song as a rescue song?

When I was in lockdown and isolating by myself, I didn’t see any friends and family for at least two months. So, I kind of felt imprisoned in my own home. I mean, I am an artist, so I’m used to travelling and meeting all these people and hugs and kisses and being there with people. I have been performing to fans for the last five years now. When we had to lockdown, everything shut off and I was being really hard on myself. I found myself looking through the stuff I have written for the second album, and tearing them up, throwing them in the bin. This isn’t very good, that is not very good, and I just did not feel like I was good enough, anymore. When I was in lockdown, my producer, Jon Maguire, sent me the song, he said, ‘Look I have this idea, I think this will be perfect for your second record’.

In that moment, I just felt so uplifted, and I sat on my chair, thinking that is a sign of a really beautiful song. I played it for my mom and sister, and they were crying. I think if you manage to find songs that can do that to people, that’s magic. That is Harry Potter kind of magic, you know. So, I felt that this song really spoke to me, and it definitely was a rescue song, you know from a pretty dark place.

8. Most of your songs are about love and relationships, do you prefer sad songs or happy songs? And why?

“Watermelon Sugar” was my jam through the summer, but I don’t think that I can write a happy song. I guess it is in my nature to be the sad guy and I am okay with that. I wouldn’t say “Biblical” is a sad song that is emotional and powerful. It speaks of love in its enormity. So, I would probably sing more sad songs and leave the professionals to do the happy songs.

9. Back in 2015, you received the Golden Buzzer from Simon Cowell in “Britain’s Got Talent”. If you can name another event that could mimic the same feeling, what would it be?

There has been several moments during my career where I have been blown away. And I think one of them was definitely when I released my first album because I got to tour around the world. When I physically held my own album in my hand, I was like, Calum Scott, oh my God, this is my album, this is crazy. That was definitely one of my favourite moments.

Every time I go on stage, I would always have that moment where I was like, you know, just take a breath because these people are there to see you and that is beautiful. I am so grateful for every individual person that stood there, singing the songs back to me. There was a moment when I sang ‘You Are the Reason’, in Indonesia and I stopped singing, and allowed the crowd to sing the song and I just openly cried because I couldn’t believe that people knew this song, the song that I have written, and singing all the words. Its very overwhelming. And I think that is never going to change.

10. How have you changed compared to the Calum Scott three years ago when “Only Human” was released?

I feel like I have grown and matured since the first album. I think ‘Only Human’ was Calum Scott in his infancy stage. I was thrown into this career and I was rolling with the punches, kind of surfing the waves and trying to catch up with all the fires that were burning all across the world. I didn’t really have a moment to sit back and go wow, this is crazy. I would be on a flight, then I was in a hotel room, then I was doing press conferences, and then I was singing for thousands of people, and then I was on a flight again, and the cycle continued. I think it was just so crazy that I did not have time to sit and think.

2018 was my live year where I performed across Southeast Asia. When that finished, the label told me to go and write the second album. It got me thinking, like what is it that I want to say now? I have talked about my journey, I have talked about my childhood, I have talked about my relationship with my family, my friends, partners, heartbreak, I have talked about everything that I have experienced in life so far.

So, I felt like I had to mature, and I had to kind of grow up a little bit, I just felt like I had to really strap myself in and say okay, this is not just me going wow, I get to write an album now, but what do you want to say? How do you want to say it? Who do you want to work with? I think that empowered me as an artist. I am not just the guy from “Britain’s Got Talent”. I am not just the guy who sang a cover of “Dancing on My Own”. I feel like I am an established artist now. I feel like I have a mission to continue to show love and appreciation to the fans that have kept me on this path. I think the second album definitely gave me an opportunity to put my big boy boots on. It is like the boy to man thing, literally.

11. How has the pandemic and many lockdowns challenged or offered you a breakthrough in the creative sense?

I think the pandemic and the lockdown had definitely broken my motivation. It definitely stifled my creativity because as a person and as a human, I experience things in life whether that’s travel, or heartbreak, friendships, jealousy, triumph, sadness all these things that we go through which kind of suits the first album being human, we go through these emotions. The difference for me between the first and second album was that I was not able to experience these things because we were in lockdown and I was looking to release the album in 2020 and start touring. I had all these plans and it’s been two years since I released music.

It was not until “Biblical” where I was like, maybe I should be writing about love and you know, when we get out of this, we are going to see the opportunities, what we are going to do when we leave the lockdown. So, two of the songs that I feel like probably my strongest well-written in the lockdown, so as much as I said that it stifled my creativity, I think it pushed me to write something beautiful as well. So, it was kind of like a bit of both. I know many artists who had gone through the same thing where they said, I just didn’t want to write. Because as a creative person, you want to be free, you want to travel, you want to live and enjoy. I think the lockdown kind of stopped that. Hopefully, we are looking to come out of this lockdown. Hopefully, soon.

12. What can we expect from your second album? How is it different from your first one?

I think the second album is going to be me 2.0. I feel like I have elevated my song, my music, my lyric, my performance. I feel like I have time to grow up and I have never been more Calum Scott than I am today. Because Calum Scott is not just the guy from England, in Yorkshire. He is the artist, he is the songwriter, he is the storyteller. I think the second album will be a step up, there are definitely some songs in the second album that will be less sad and a little bit more like happy and make you feel confident, make you want to go and seize the day when we get out of this lockdown. So, yeah, I think it is going to be a well anticipated second album.

13. Tell us the story behind the visuals of “Biblical”. Were you behind the visuals as well? And what was it like from the conceptualisation of the filming of the music video?

It’s funny because when I was visualising the music video for “Biblical”, I kind of visualise that in space, so I  kind of thought it would be cool to have two people, couples, like the violin player or the ballerina, whoever it was, who is going to play a role in the music video. And have them be weightless, and dancing in space. When we collaborated with directors, Franklin and Marchetta, they said to me, ‘We see the music video being on the water’. And I was like, huh, because I have the same idea of that weightlessness, and they were like, that is really cool. We joined heads and we spoke about the idea, and we just wanted to demonstrate these moments of love in like slow motion, but more held in suspense, you know zero gravity, just feeling of weightlessness. Because that is how love makes you feel sometimes. It gives you the butterflies, and it makes you feel like you were just held in suspense, just beautifully held there.

I am almost the observer, that is there, looking into the surreal world and be like, wow, these moments of affection like, it is a biblical moment, unquantifiable amount of love. And then I go ahead and smash through, thinking that I am going to find love. There I am, on my own, in the water. So, I think it is everything that we could have wished for. And the video is doing so well, and everybody is commenting that the YouTube video is just so gorgeous, so lovely. So, I am extremely happy with how it came out and I just hope that everybody else loves it as much as me.

14. When is the album dropping? Can you specify when exactly it is coming out?

I have been sworn to secrecy so I cannot tell you that. But I can tell you that we have listed the tracks. We are looking at the artwork. I am writing my thank you notes. So, it is in the pipeline. It is going to come. I cannot tell you exactly when, but it will be sooner than you think.

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5 Characters Likely To Die In The Fifth & Final Season Of “Stranger Things”

Actor Noah Schnapp, who plays Will Byers, has confirmed that shooting for the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things” will begin as early as May this year! This means that the writing for the season will be essentially be finished by then, the story will have been set and all that’s left to do is bring it to reality. Fans can expect to see the series return to Netflix sometime in 2024. At the end of the fourth season of “Stranger Things”, we saw that a giant hole has been opened in the middle of the town of Hawkins. Vecna is wounded but still alive and is gathering the forces of the Upside-Down to storm our world. All this is done at the behest of the true master of the hellish dimension, the Mind Flayer. We saw the return of some old fan-favourites like Murray Bauman and Jim Hopper but also the loss of our dear Eddie Munson.

Throughout the series, death has been constant, whether it be used to redeem characters, develop character arcs or just give us a nice, cathartic kick. With the final season approaching, you can expect the death count to rise. The question is: Who is on the chopping block? We’re here to break down our top picks for characters most likely to die this season!

While Vecna may seem near-god-like throughout the fourth season, we very much know that Henry Creel can in fact be wounded. His main weakness proves to be his inability to fully protect himself when he uses his telepathic abilities to enter into the mind of a particular victim. This means that as long as he’s adequately distracted, he won’t be able to see an attack right in front of him until it’s too late.  By no means is it going to be an easy fight though. With the Mind Flayer being able to exert its will on Hawkins more easily, Vecna will definitely have a power boost.

The Mind Flayer seems to be the hive mind in charge of the entire Upside-Down but Vecna is merely a mortal extension of his will. Just like how Demogorgons can be destroyed by Eleven’s psychic powers, Vecna can be too. Vecna is by far the most interesting villain we’ve seen thus far in the series but we’re confident that by the series finale, he’ll be dust in the wind.

With the death of the insane Martin Brenner, the series is going to need another human antagonist to step up and get in the way of the Hawkins Gang. As of now, the only candidate seems to be Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan. Unlike Brenner who wished to harness Eleven’s psychic powers for his own ends, Sullivan simply wishes to eliminate the girl. He believes that she’s responsible for all the horrifying supernatural murders that have been going on in Hawkins. So unless the kids manage to convince Sullivan that she’s innocent and Vecna is the true threat, he’ll continue to hunt them…which would eventually lead to his death.

Another scenario is that Sullivan finally sees reason and does help the Hawkins Gang, leading the U.S. army in a war against the Upside-Down. This would also lead to his eventual death at the hands of the various monsters of the Upside-Down as well. Sorry, Sullivan but if we’ve learned one thing about the Duffer Brother’s world is that military personnel are nearly always cannon fodder for our heroes to beat, or for monsters to eat.

Whether you love it or hate it, “Stranger Things” has a habit of killing off minor characters just as you started to warm up to them. They did it with Eddie Munson in the fourth season and Billy Hargrove in the third. And of course, they killed off sweet, sweet Bob Newby in the second season of the series! That’s right, we’re still sore over Sean Astin’s character being taken out before he had a chance to be a real father figure to Will and Jonathan Byers. He and Joyce would have made a great pair.

Why are we bringing this up? To let you know that Dmitri “Enzo” Antonov could be the Duffer Brothers’ next victim. Enzo survived the fourth season along with Hopper, and he’ll probably be returning to help his American friend and Joyce in their battle against the Upside-Down. If actor Tom Wlaschiha will reprise his role as Enzo, you can bet he’s going to die fighting off monsters like Munson.

Alright, now we’re getting into the main cast now, namely the adults. We know Jim Hopper won’t be killed off in the final season because they already did a fake-out death for him in the third. So to have him die again would be redundant. The show certainly won’t kill Joyce Byers because they’re setting up Joyce and Hopper to be a couple. So the only viable death that will have a massive impact on the fanbase without upsetting any of the relational dynamics and character arcs would have to be Murray Bauman’s.

From recurring fan-favourite to being one of main the characters in the series, Murray has played a pivotal part in defeating the Americans, the Russians and the forces of the Upside-Down. His quirky personality and quick thinking have won us over but we believe that his plot armour will soon run out. He’s been a faithful friend to Hopper, Joyce and the kids but his devil-may-care attitude is bound to get him killed. Let’s just hope he goes out swinging.

We know all you #Jancy shippers are probably yelling at the screen right now but hear us out. We initially loved the idea of Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler together as a couple but the series just hasn’t done much to develop their relationship. In fact, it seems to go to great lengths to imply that both of them don’t quite want the same things in life. Then in the fourth season, we see Nancy and Steve Harrington catching feelings for one another again. We know the Duffers aren’t going to kill off Steve because of his connection to Dustin Henderson, who has already lost an older mentor figure in Eddie Munson.

So, what’s the most logical way to have Nancy and Steve end up back together without having her seem like she’s cheating on Jonathan? Kill him off. That’s the not only reason we think Jonathan is going to be getting the axe though. Charlie Heaton’s character has also been relegated to a backseat role thus far. Meanwhile, Joe Kerry’s Steven Harrington has been getting plenty of development with characters like Robin Buckley and Dustin. Having Jonathan die would deliver one of the most heart-wrenching moments in the series while also closing a chapter on Nancy and Will’s relationship.


Hype’s Exclusive: Nervo All Set For Thirst 2013

Models turned musicians, songwriters Nervo is made up of two beautiful Australian twin sisters, Mim and Liv Nervo. The duo first appeared in the music industry as hit songwriters for Ke$ha, Kylie Minogue, David Guetta, Pussycat Dolls and more. The duo also remixed songs from Katy Perry, 30 Seconds to Mars and Cobra Starship that are topping club charts worldwide.

Currently one of the most sought after DJ duos, the Australian-born twins are globetrotting with their irresistible mix of chunky, sexed-up electre-house beats. Now heading to Malaysia this December for Thirst 2013, Nervo will is part of the lineup that includes David Guetta, Afrojack, W&W, Example and many more!

Hype.My speaks to Mim of Nervo in conjunction with Thirst 2013.

Prior to becoming DJs, you girls were models yes?

It’s a little bit of an urban myth. Haha. We were with a modelling agency but I can’t say that we graced the covers of anything fabulous. Music was always the focus and now we use modelling for our music.

Australia has a very healthy electronic scene and we moved to London when we were nineteen and within the first year of living in London, we discovered Ibiza which is the island for club music and that really took us by storm, we got addicted. We were writing pop music in the studio every single day during weekdays and clubbing on the weekends so we decided to mix the two together and we started working more with EDM artists, DJs and then we got a record deal and here we are now.

Fantastic! I mean it hasn’t all been peachy, there were some dark years where we were waitressing and barely getting by with just music. But we persevered, we work hard and we’re getting there. We’re still not there yet but we are getting there. Hahaha.

What to you is the best part of the job?

Too many great parts. We love to travel, meeting all the different cultures, hearing music from all the different parts of the world, tasting different food and we love just doing what we love. For many years, we didn’t survive financially on music alone and it’s nice to be surviving financially solely of music, it’s a dream come true.

What is it like playing at huge festivals?
Festivals are always  a little bit nerve wrecking because we’ve got an hour to wow the crowd. We need to showcase old records, the records we love at the moment that aren’t ours and new records. It’s a little different from club nights but we love it.

Out of all the celebrities you’ve met, who is your favourite and have you met all the celebrities that you’ve wanted to meet?

Oh no, we definitely want to meet more people. We really loved working with David Guetta and Ke$ha obviously. Because Ke$ha has been in the scene for many years and the same with David and we have I think his first number with him, so it’s a big journey we’ve had together. And of course, Kylie Minogue! She’s Australian from the city that we are from and we all live in London so it was a great moment connecting over that.

Speaking about David Guetta, how did that connection happen?

We were working with Kelly Rowland in the studio on When Love Takes Over and we delivered it to her record label but they didn’t like the record, they passed on it. And three months later David called us and he said he loved the record and that he wanted to release it and we did. Then we work more and more with David on his album and it’s been a great journey ever since.

Out of all the events you’ve played for, which one do you find the best?

That is an impossible question. Hahaha. I would say we definitely loved playing at Tomorrowland and Tomorrowworld because that was pretty epic for us. We played at Burning Man this year which was pretty special. Ibiza is given, always. We love playing at festivals.

How do you guys feel now that your music is playing worldwide?

We are pinching ourselves. Haha. We feel very thankful to be doing what we love and to be touching people. The best feeling ever is to get feedback from your music and to know that your music is touching people around the world. And if we can give anyone any moment of happiness with our music, that makes us very happy.

What can we expect from you at Thirst 2013?

We’re testing a lot of new records at the moment because we are working on our album so you will definitely hear a few unreleased tracks, new mixes and there will be a lot of special little treats in there. Haha!

Any expectations from the Thirst 2013 crowd this December?

Hmm. When we play in Asia, we tend to play less of an electro set and more of a progressive set so I am excited to see the crowd and see what they respond more to. It’s always challenging to play for a new crowd but it’s also always exciting. So I really can’t wait to see what goes down over there in Malaysia.

Catch Nervo live at Thirst 2013. Information to the event are as follows:

Early Bird: RM118 (Available from October 11th – 13th, 2013 at Rock Corner, The Curve, Mutiara Damansara Only)

Pre-Sale: RM148 (Available October 14th, 2013 onwards)

VIP: RM248 (Available October 14th, 2013 onwards)

For those interested, tickets are available at all Rock Corner outlets and on Boxtix Asia. For more information please visit the official website or Facebook page.

Heineken Thirst 2013: Second Lineup Revealed

Heineken Thirst 2013: Third & Final Official Lineup Revealed

Hype’s Exclusive: W&W Invades Thirst 2013

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The Comedy Club KL: Awesome August

Fresh off their Ramadhan sabbatical, the Comedy Club Kuala Lumpur is back with a cracking new line up that is going be a sure fire hit, featuring newcomer Brian Tan who has taken the open mic scene by storm with his witty one liners, it marks his first time on the Comedy Club Stage.

Singaporean bad boy Fakkah Fuzz also joins our line-up as our regional act. A stellar performer who has performed numerous shows in Singapore, Malaysia and even in Australia. Fuzz is sure to get the crowd going with his witty Singaporean/Malaysian comparisons. And last but not least our headliner Peter Benner who has been involved in the Australian comedy scene since the 1990s, having and successful stints on Television as well as Australia’s Triple M Radio station.

So come on down this 20th and 21st August for a night of fun and laughter brought to you by The Comedy Club Kuala Lumpur!

Date: Wednesday and Thursday, 20th & 21st August 2014

Price: RM50 (entry fee only, additional RM3 for TicketCharge)

For tickets and table bookings, please email bookings@thecomedyclubkl.com or call 03-62055350. Alternatively, you could visit their website or their Facebook page for more information.


Dan Reynolds Adresses Depression Mid-Concert, Says It’s Not A Weakness

Depression has no mercy. It taken the lives of many, including mega-stars like Linking Park’s Chester Bennington and comedian/actor Robin Williams. Depression knows no race, religion, or gender – everybody is a victim.

Imagine Dragons’ frontman Dan Reynolds is no exception. During the band’s debut concert at the Malawati Stadium in Shah Alam, Malaysia, Reynolds took a few minutes to talk about his struggle with depression.

“I was diagnosed with depression many years ago. It’s been part of my story and part of my life. But it has not controlled me, it has only been a part of my story.” Reynolds confessed to the crowd.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s not a weakness. If anyone of you is suffering from depression or anxiety, I just want you to know that I am here with you. I want you to know that life is always worth living.”

“Seek help, speak to someone, go see a therapist. I have a therapist – it’s not a strange thing. In fact, I think it’s incredibly wise and strong to be humble, and to seek help.” he added.

Reynolds then serenaded the crowd with the poignant “Demons”, which was inspired by his struggle with depression, and how he overcame and defeated the demons inside him.

Watch his full speech about depression here:


PANTHEPACK: Get To Know The Members Of Jackson Wang’s New Group

If you’ve been a following Jackson Wang (王嘉爾), then you must know that the musician has been focusing solely on his solo activities under his own record label Team Wang, after deciding not to renew his contract with JYP Entertainment.

In a surprise announcement posted on his Instagram earlier this week, Jackson had officially unveiled the formation of the project group under his label called PANTHEPACK. Not only that, it was also revealed that the GOT7 member has joined forces with some of the biggest names in Chinese music!

A post shared by Jackson Wang (@jacksonwang852g7)

So why the name PANTHEPACK? As stated by the label, they chose the name because it sounds like the word “panda”, in addition to the fact that the animal is representative of China. Turns out, the co-ed group had “quietly” made their official debut earlier this year with the singles “DNA” and “Transmit” – which were released back in April and May respectively.

“I didn’t want to push it and to have it exposed before our announcement. We just thought it would be interesting to throw songs out,” Jackson clarified to NME. The idol also noted that fans might have “low-key” known about the group members’ involvement in the project. He said, “It’s kinda like a puzzle for the audience to find out, like, ‘Oh, what is this about?’ and being curious about it.”

For those who are interested, we’ve compiled some fun facts on the remaining members of PANTHEPACK. Check it out:

Take a listen to their latest song “Buzz” here:

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Porter Robinson Mixes Things Up On His New Single “Flicker”

(Featured image via Porter Robinson on Facebook)

“Flicker”, is the last before Porter Robison’s album Worlds is release. This latest single, is an eclectic blend of downtempo, soothing synths accompanied by Japanese vocals. Stepping away from his previous works, Robinson’s “Flicker” goes from funky to downtempo, to a little progressive house, to some innovative dubstep.

“Flicker” makes for one of Robinson’s most creative and unique singles that he has released up until now. Though it’s not exactly my favourite when I first heard it but the track slowly grows on you and it gets addictive.


#THG Mockingjay Part 1: “Unity”

Mr President Snow has spoken again and this time around, there are a few unexpected surprises in the Snow’s second Panem address!

Titled, “Unity”, Panem’s new official address by President Snow featured a surprise appearance by Johanna, the female victor from District 7.

Flanked by Peeta and Johanna, President Snow is seen giving his speech to the citizens of Panem before it was interrupted by unusual static in the video. The feed then cuts into a short clip of Beetee broadcasting from District 13 and delivering a message of hope: “The Mockingjay Lives”:

Uh-oh. What is Beetee trying to do? And why are the Capitol releasing these propaganda posters?

Looks like we’re about to see the biggest rebellion in Panem soon!


Create Without Limitation With HP’s Newly Launched Spectre & ENVY Series Laptops

Many people started their online content creating career during the lockdown but as their follower count starts to grow, they’ll be needing the right tech to create even better quality content and creating content without limitation is exactly what HP is all about.

On Thursday (28th July), HP Inc. Malaysia officially launched their best kept secret which are two laptops from the HP Spectre series and the HP ENVY series! Both laptops are built with the flexibility to create and live seamlessly in today’s hybrid world. Let’s find out more:

It’s hard to live without technology these days and as content creators, you’re definitely going to need great quality devices to produce the best content for your followers. HP’s new tech are definitely not exclusive to the people in front of the camera but as well as for those who work behind the scenes.

“With more professionals following their passions through their side hustles, they need devices that enable them to develop relevant and engaging products and services that delight customers wherever they are. This is why HP has launched a spectacular lineup of Spectre and ENVY PCs, as well as peripherals that will empower them to capture every idea, collaborate with anyone and create with no limits,” said Alex Tan, Managing Director of HP Inc. Malaysia.

Without going too deep into the laptops’ specs, here’s all you need to know about the new HP Spectre x360 and the HP ENVY 16. Both laptops will allow you to create in a smooth, seamless, and collaborative way. These devices are built with features like:

The two new devices actually offer a whole lot more than what’s listed above. If you’re wondering about prices, we got you covered. The new HP Spectre x360 is available for purchase at HP.com at RM7,19, while the HP ENVY 16 laptop is available for purchase at RM6,999.

If you wish to know more about the HP Spectre and HP ENVY lineup and what they have to offer, then be sure to head on over to their website and follow them on social media for the latest updates.


#FiftyShadesFreed: Jamie Dornan & Dakota Johnson Show Off Beach Bods While Filming Honeymoon Scene

Things sure look steamier than ever on the set of the latest “Fifty Shades” film. Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson were spotted soaking up the sun while filming their honeymoon scene on a pebbled bay in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France, earlier this week.

Dornan, who portrays Christian Grey in the BDSM-filled franchise, revealed his chiseled six-pack abs in a pair of blue swim trunks. His costar, Johnson, who plays his love interest Anastasia Steele, was sporting a teeny yellow bikini with a pair of brown cat-eye sunnies to match.

The 26-year-old actress was seen wearing a diamond wedding band on her ring finger, thus giving us the impression that Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey might have already gotten married prior to this beach scene. If so, the gorgeous beachside serves as the perfect setting for a romantic honeymoon.

In between takes, the onscreen lovers were also shown to be taking a dip in the ocean with Dornan’s wife, Amelia Warner. The real-life couple, who recently welcomed their 2nd child, left their daughters at home. Despite potential awkwardness from her husband’s racy sex scenes, Warner was seemingly unbothered by it and was candidly chatting with Johnson.

As you may know, “Fifty Shades Darker” and “Fifty Shades Freed” were shot back-to-back. After “Fifty Shades Of Grey” was criticised due to Dornan and Johnson’s obvious lack of chemistry with one another, these behind-the-scenes snapshots from the set are giving us hope that the next 2 films could be better than the 1st film.

The sequel will follow Christian’s fight to win back Ana’s heart after their bitter breakup. Well, it looks like the savvy businessman was successful in winning her over – by putting a ring on it ;)

“Fifty Shades Darker” is slated for release on 10th February 2017 while “Fifty Shades Freed” will hit theatres on 9th February 2018.

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Girls’ Generation’s Tiffany Young On The Dark Side Of K-pop Industry

With the release of new single “Over My Skin”, Tiffany Young is set on making her mark as a solo American singer in Hollywood.

Formerly known as Tiffany Hwang Mi-young (티파니), the 29-year-old pop star first signed on to SM Entertainment at 15 and later made her debut in Girls’ Generation (소녀시대) when she turned 18. After spending a decade in one of the biggest K-pop girl groups, she’s now ready to explore beyond the world of Hallyu.

As seen in her “Over My Skin” cover artwork, it’s a metaphor showcasing the artist peering through a tear in the blush-hued plastic wrapped around her. The flirty dance pop track is essentially about sexual liberation, self-actualisation, and embracing a newfound confidence.

“I really want to be an unpredictable artist versus being super polished. After finishing 10 years in Korea and getting all that love and support and then starting again, it made me even more certain that I wanted to walk back in with confidence and a story of empowerment. I think now more than ever it’s important to have something to stand for,” she told Dazed.

During a recent appearance on the “Zach Sang Show”, Tiffany not only recalled back on how she got her start in the K-pop industry, but she also delved into the juggernaut that is the Korean entertainment industry.

Most K-pop idols (“idols” is a term Tiffany isn’t fond off) in the industry have little to no control over their creative freedom. These stars are often required to sing the tunes assigned by big-name studios.

It’s refreshing to hear a successful K-pop star talk about her experience in depth and from an American perspective. Regardless, even if you’re not an SNSD fan, nor a Tiffany fan, this interview offers a chock-full of information about the K-pop industry and its open secrets.

It’s 51 minutes of good stuff right here:

To echo a commentator on Reddit, not only was Tiffany able to cross that line but interviewer Zach Sang got her to walk a little further over.


(UPDATE) #THG Mockingjay Part 1: Lorde’s “Royal” Twist For The OST

Lorde will never be a “royal” and she knows it, which is why she’ll be curating a soundtrack album for all the districts in the hit sci-fi fantasy film, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1”!

After releasing a series of propaganda posters and teaser trailer of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1”,  Lionsgate announced that the Grammy award-winning artiste Lorde has been chosen to curate the soundtrack album for the film.

This isn’t the first time Lorde has sung for the film as the 17-year-old singer has previously covered the classic song “Everybody Wants to Rule The World” that was featured in the soundtrack album of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”. The cover caught the attention of the media as she put a modern twist on the song with her hauntingly beautiful voice.

As both a songwriter and performer, Lorde is known to constantly challenge herself and thus, jumped at the chance to curate the soundtrack album for the film. The album came via her unique relationship with her music publisher, SONGS Music Publishing who was the key architect of the deal.

On working on the soundtrack album, she said:

The cast and story are an inspiration for all musicians participating and, as someone with cinematic leanings, being privy to a different creative process has been a unique experience. I think the soundtrack is definitely going to surprise people.

Director Francis Lawrence also praised the artiste for “her immense talent and keen understanding of Mockingjay’s characters and themes”, which helped her create songs that “completely captures the film’s essence”.

“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1” is the final instalment in “The Hunger Games” trilogy and stars Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, and Woody Harrelson. The soundtrack album will be released via Republic Records prior to the release of the film on 21st November. Guess we can expect to hear more Lorde awesomeness soon!

Following the release of Lorde’s first music video for the soundtrack album she curated for “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay  – Part 1”, the full track list of the album has also been released on the official soundtrack page:

The Grammy Award winning artiste has curated 14 songs in total for the soundtrack album, 4 of which are contributed by Lorde herself. Major Lazer has collaborated with Ariana Grande for a track called “All My Love” while The Chemical Brothers has collaborated with Miguel for another track called “This Is Not A Game“.

Lorde herself will be featured in a track from Stromae, alongside Pusha T, Q-Tip and Haim. Simon Le Bon is also set to be featured in a track from Charli XCX. Other artistes that have been included in Lorde’s soundtrack album includes CHVRCHES, Raury, Bat For Lashes, XOV, Tinashe, Tove Lo and Grace Jones. It has been reported that Kanye West will do a special rework of Lorde’s already released hit single “Yellow Flicker Beat” too.

Just few days after the release of the music video, Lorde’s “Yellow Flicker Beat” has already garnered over 1,000,000 views on YouTube. The song even soared to #1 on the Soundtrack Top Songs Chart when it was released on iTune store. “Yellow Flicker Beat” also made history for being the #1 Most Added song at Alternative Radio and become one of “Most Adds on a Female Artist in Mediabase History”.

For more information, visit Lorde’s Facebook page or Twitter and stay tuned for other updates on her Instagram account and Tumblr.

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Believe It Or Not, We Malaysians Are The World’s Largest WhatsApp Users

Well, this doesn’t come as a complete surprise because most Malaysians have WhatsApp on their smartphones. But the sheer number of Malaysians on WhatsApp is quite an eye-opener! The Digital News Report 2017 says that Malaysians are the world’s largest users of WhatsApp at 51%. In fact, the use of WhatsApp for news is starting to rival Facebook in Malaysia.

In his blogpost, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak wrote that the report also mentioned Malaysians as getting 86% of their news feed online, 45% from publications, 54% from television, and 15% from radio.

As seen in the Digital News Report 2017 infographic above, smartphones are still the main device for Malaysians (65%), followed by computers (45%), and then tablets (18%).

According to Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak, previously, a study made by TNS Global found that Malaysians are the largest group of WhatsApp users (77%) and Facebook Messenger (41%).

Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak said that WhatsApp was the main choice for consumers because of its many advantages such as simplicity and speed in communication and information sharing, and effective interfaces within an organisation as every instruction or alert could be sent without time restriction, and saves cost. He added that WhatsApp also helped the ordinary businessman to promote his (or her) endeavour without spending a lot of money, and widely used as an effective political campaign tool.

“Just imagine a WhatsApp group with 200 members. If someone has 10 WhatsApp groups, in a short time he can share information with 2,000 people,” he explained.

On a related note, other social media platforms that are popular with Malaysians are Facebook (58%), YouTube (26%), WeChat (13%), and Instagram (13%).

Source: Bernama, Digital News Report, Salleh Said Keruak / Featured image: idownloadblog.com.


“Heavenly King” Jacky Cheung To Hold 3 Concerts In Malaysia This January?

Word on the street is that one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of Hong Kong, Jacky Cheung (张学友), is bringing his “A Classic Tour” to Malaysia! Over the weekend, Cantopop fans went into a frenzy when local concert organiser Star Planet (星艺娱乐) shared a photo featuring a man’s silhouette, with the caption, “Guess Who?”

According to Sinchew, Cheung is set to bring his “A Classic Tour” to Malaysia. And that’s not all, he’ll be holding hold 3 concerts at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil from 26th to 28th January 2018.

Dubbed the “God of Songs” of Hong Kong, the 56-year-old crooner is known for his rich baritone voice and has released numerous hits such as “Everlasting Love” (只想一生跟你走), “Goodbye Kiss” (吻别), and “Your First Name, My Last Name” (妳的名字,我的姓氏).

His most recent album, titled “Wake Up Dreaming” (醒著做夢), which was released in December 2014. It achieved spectacular sales records, topping iTunes chart within one week of its release. The physical album was sold out in Malaysia, resulting in additional orders from recording label, Universal Music Malaysia. Furthermore, it consists of 10 tracks including “The Rest Of Time”, “It’s Not Too Late”, and “Tears Of Time”.

For an update of his concert details, go here.

Sources: Sinchew, Nanyang / Featured image: Sands Style.


Tech Review: We’re Head Over Heels With The PICO 4 VR Headset!

Virtual reality and virtual reality headsets have been around for roughly a decade now, and they have granted many people their dreams of actually living out their fantasies of stepping into a new world, instead of experiencing it vicariously through a named character. Many people have been wanting to experience this adventure for some time now, but, one way or another, they were deterred from dipping their toes into this new experience. However, 2023 is a big year for VR headsets, with many already released and many more to come later in the year.

If you’re hesitant about spending thousands of Ringgit on something you might not even be into, then this article might be for you. Here’s a review of the latest kid on the block: the PICO 4. We’ll be discussing our first-hand experience with the headset and giving our honest thoughts about it to see if this is for you or not.

There’s a lot to unpack here, because of what PICO has done to the headset formula alone. The most common criticism levelled at VR headsets is their overall weight and bulk. Some can be heavy, with all their weight placed on one side, causing some level of discomfort to users. However, the PICO 4 is the only headset that solves this problem. Thanks to their complete redesign of the whole system, they were able to make a counterweight at the back without too much bulk, clocking the entire weight at only 586 g.

This is possible because of PICO’s proprietary Pancake optical lenses. This revolutionary lens technology also allows the PICO to have a wider field of view and clearer images than most headsets on the market. It also has a comfortable fit, as the straps are easy to slip on and be adjusted to the shape of your head right after. The padding for the face is super-soft, but it places a lot of pressure on the forehead, which caused us to remove the headset from time to time to take breaks. Additionally, the padding is a few millimetres too short, as sunlight can enter from the side and ruin the view. The included glasses spacer and the padding are magnetised, so there’s no need to worry about breaking anything.
The headset also has a fantastic speaker setup that offers superb sound quality and significantly enhances immersion. If it’s too much for you, there’s also a volume rocker on the straps of the headset. Unfortunately, using headphones without an adapter is not possible, as there are no audio jacks available, and Bluetooth is not an option either, as there is a considerable delay between what you see and what you hear.

Lastly, the performance. For its range and price, the PICO 4 demolishes those that share the same weight class by having a 4K resolution and a 72Hz to 90Hz refresh rate. This also allows native games to run smoothly without any stutter and with crystal-clear quality. The PICO 4 also supports VR on PC, such as Steam, via a cable connection or Wi-Fi. However, both connections compress the output, reducing the quality of the video. This is not a deal breaker, though, as some VR headsets share a similar trait. PICO provides a desktop app that links directly to Steam VR and allows you to fine-tune your preferences. Perhaps, with future updates, this can eliminate the quality issue altogether.

The controllers feel phenomenal when in use, as all the button placements are located where you’d naturally grip the controller, eliminating the problem of awkward hand placements. Additionally, the controller is fairly large, allowing for better and easier grip.

Tracking is super accurate, allowing for precise gameplay. It also has sensors built in, allowing for super-accurate hand placement and positioning. However, it seems to be a tad too sensitive. Even a millimetre adjustment to the wrist is enough to throw off your accuracy, which is critical for shooters.

The controllers are powered by AA batteries, which is a bit unfortunate, as a rechargeable version would have been a better option, but the batteries provided showed no signs of running out soon, so you can rest easy on that. The controllers’ rumble feature is extremely powerful and can be adjusted to taste, which explains the need for replaceable batteries.

Upon using the device, you are entitled to ten (10) free games. The games have plenty of replayability, but over time, you might start looking for more. This is where you will encounter one of the PICO 4’s major flaws, which is its limited game library.

PICO has some titles that will keep you interested, but it lacks big-name games that are associated with VR like Beat Saber, Among Us VR, or Resident Evil 4 VR. With this being an overall new console on the market, PICO is doing their best to add more games in the future.

It’s a great mid-range VR headset; despite its flaws, the PICO 4 delivers and even overperforms in many aspects. For the asking price, it has some overloaded features such as its lightweight form factor, beautiful display and graphics quality.

However, if you already have a Meta Quest 2, then we suggest you refrain from purchasing this as an upgrade as you have to spend more just to play the same games. Additionally, the small library is underwhelming to say the least. If a new wave of games will make its debut, and PICO decides to release a better, more comfortable padding for the headset, then we’ll happily redact our statement as those are the only things holding this otherwise exceptional device back.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.

The headset is an affordable and easy to use piece, but the limited game options and the painful padding has plenty of room for improvement.


Should The Government Abolish The Touch ‘N Go Monopoly? Here Are 10 Reasons Why:

One of the many reasons why many would choose to balik kampung early for the holidays is to avoid traffic. Many would agree that sitting in your car for hours on end is torture. There are many factors that cause these congestions and one of them is the highway tolls.

There have been many complaints about the toll stations as well as the Touch ‘n Go monopoly. Not everyone can afford to reload their cards every time nor is it convenient to reload. Even the former CEO of the Kota Buku Corporation, Mutalib Uthman has something to say about it.

Recently, Mutalib Uthman took to Facebook to express his frustration over the Touch ‘n Go monopoly. In the lengthy post, he urged the government to abolish it saying, “Out of all the monopolies out there, the Touch ‘n Go monopoly should be the first thing the government should eliminate”. The MUDA political party member listed down 10 reasons why the system should no longer be used in Malaysia. In his words, he said:

Netizens weigh in on the issue by commenting on the Facebook post. Scrolling through the comments section, many seem to agree with Mutalib’s statement regarding the Touch ‘n Go monopoly issue. At the time of writing, there has been no response from the government nor from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

What do you think? Should the Touch ‘n Go monopoly be abolished?


“Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse” Review: This Masterpiece Is The Darkest & Grandest Spider-Man Story We’ve Seen!

2018’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” was a major gamble on Sony’s part. Disney gets to parade out their live-action version of the character and you choose to potentially play second fiddle to them by going animation? It could have easily backfired…but it didn’t. Instead, they delivered one of the greatest Spider-Man films of all time; plus winning an Oscar! A fresh, fun, meta-laden rendition of the Spider-Man origin story through the eyes of a young, intercity teen, Miles Morales. Thanks to a distinctly trippy art style, a fantastic host of colourful personalities and clever writing, the film far escapes the shadows of its Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) counterpart to mark out its own territory and identity within the genre. They’ve beaten the MCU to the punch to be the first Marvel comic-book film to introduce the concept of the multiverse to a mass audience.

Half a decade later, we’re finally getting the long-awaited sequel, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”. A sequel that promises to go bigger and deeper as we see touch heavy themes of identity, sacrifice, determinism and free will. So will “Across the Spider-Verse” set a new bar for the franchise? Or has it swung a little too close to the sun this time? Let’s find out!

Picking up where its predecessor left off, “Across the Spider-Verse” once again follows the struggles of Miles Morales to be the hero his city needs him to be and the son his parents long for. The scars of “Into the Spider-Verse” linger and they begin to seep into Miles’ personal and superhero life as he struggles with the loss of his Uncle Aaron. Writers Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and David Callaham have seen the clear road laid out for a character like Miles and have decided to take a significantly more thoughtful and mature route instead.

Beyond simply using the shared trauma of Spider-Man as merely a cheeky wink to the audience, they have deconstructed the trope and weaponised it against the character to profound effect. This theme of the death of the tragic-hero romance is epitomised in the character of Oscar Isaac’s Miguel O’Hara, who cynically challenges Miles’ place in the grand scheme of his life and the very multiverse itself. The Miles Morales we see stepping into the film is a very different one by the end of it all. Don’t let the art style and the myriad of colourful characters fool you, “Across the Spider-Verse” is easily the darkest and grandest Spider-Man story we’ve seen thus far. The film ends on a hell of a cliffhanger that can be best described in the words of Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio: now that’s an Avengers-level threat!

In spite of the multiversal hoopla of it all, “Across the Spider-Verse” never trades its heart for the scale of its narrative complexity. Once again, the film completely flips the script by having the narrative focus be on how Miles and Gwen Stacy use their great power and great responsibility as a flawed coping mechanism to deal with their turbulent domestic situations at home. It’s a poignant and heartfelt analysis of how the role of Spider-Man can perpetuate a toxic cycle of both chronic self-sacrifice and relational entitlement. In many ways, it’s both a love letter and a repudiation of the cliche.

That being said, the script takes full advantage of the diversity and absurdity of the more outlandish aspects of the genre to poke fun left, right and centre! Whether it’s Daniel Kaluuya’s Spider-Punk giving the finger to fate or Andy Samberg just oozing with pathos as the melodramatic Ben Reilly, the film has thoroughly snapped its neck with its endless nods to Spidey fans. And without giving too much away, let’s just say that one particular appearance in the film will have MCU fans on the floor.

Vastly improving upon the already stellar work of “Into the Spider-Verse”, “Across the Spider-Verse” incorporates a dizzying array of art styles that are colour-coded and aesthetically unique to not just particular characters but the very space they inhabit. Where Miles’ Ben-Day dot-ridden world of the familiar city neighbourhoods is marked by chunky earthen colours, Gwen’s reality bleeds and ever changes between a shifting spectrum of cool colours depending on the mood. Now imagine that level of detail…extended to multiple Spider-People! This intricacy is also woven into high-octane action sequences, from dazzling high-speed web-slinging to visceral, close-quarter melees. Some uncanny scenes of live-action goofiness occasionally pull away from the grandeur of it all but it never crosses the threshold of being grating.

Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld shine as kindred spirits Miles and Gwen as the two teens navigate through the avalanche of youthful ennui and survivor’s guilt. There are some fantastic moments of dialogue in which the two of them switch from heartrending heart-to-hearts to well-timed quips to smouldering romantic tension. Some standout performances from newcomers include Daniel Kaluuya as the hilarious, anti-establishment Hobie, the Spider-Punk, and Karan Soni as Pavitr Prabhakar, Spider-Man India.

Whenever Miguel O’Hara makes it on screen though, Oscar Isaac absolutely steals the scene. He brings an earnest ferocity to the character that just teeters between menacing and noble. Jason Schwartzman’s The Spot, a bitter C-lister trying to earn the respect of his nemesis, is mostly played for laughs, so when it’s time for the eventual reveal of his multiversal potential, the dramatic weight doesn’t quite land. Then again, he’ll have a lot more time to grow on us in the next film.

While never failing to engage, “Across the Spider-Verse” does step a little too lively in its pacing. Stacking little woes upon greater and greater calamities, there’s little respite for the audience to soak and drink in the beauty and weight of it all, especially when it reaches its third act that sees Miles eventually clash with Miguel and his Spider-Society. It would have been nice to have seen Miles have a few more meaningful engagements with his multiversal variants beyond the occasional visual gag before all hell breaks loose.

Sony’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is a quantum leap forward for the franchise. Like Miles Morales, it refuses to be boxed in a corner within an already crowded market and chooses to do its own spectacular dangerous thing, with effortless style! If the film has accomplished anything, it’s threatened the privileged position of live-action films over 3D animation within the genre. Directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson’s film has broken new web-laced ground in animation and has cemented its place as the Best Spider-Man Film of This Generation!

You can now catch “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” in theatres today!

For those looking to find out how the MCU and the Spider-Verse are linked, be sure to check out our breakdown.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.

Sony's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is a quantum leap forward for the franchise. Like Miles Morales, it refuses to be boxed in a corner within an already crowded market and chooses to do its own spectacular dangerous thing, with effortless style! If the film has accomplished anything, it’s threatened the privileged position of live-action films over 3D animation within the genre. Directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson's film have broken new web-laced ground in animation and have cemented its place as the Best Spider-Man Film of This Generation!


#EXO: SM Ent Drops Album Release Date; Kai Hints On Comeback Concept

EXO-Ls can start spazzing out again soon enough because SM Entertainment just announced that EXO’s 3rd full-length studio album will be released in slightly more than a week.

To be more specific, 9th June. So be sure to mark that down on your calendars ;)

On Monday (30th May), SM Entertainment said that the K-Pop idol boy group will be making a comeback as a full group in June, marking the first time in a while that the members will appear together again for promotions.

In fact, the last time we saw them was back in March when they were in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as part of their EXOluXion concert tour. And in the fast-paced K-Pop time, that’s considered a long time ago!

According to soompi, as part of the promotional activities for their new album, EXO will be holding “an impressive grand scale comeback showcase” on 8th June at the Olympic Hall in Seoul. Said to be the group’s biggest promotional activities since their debut, this will be followed by the boys’ daily broadcasts throughout the month of June via Naver V app‘s Naver V Live+. The SM Entertainment and Naver collaboration will also allow the idols to talk to fans via the app.

What about their concept, you ask? During a recent fan event in Shanghai, Kai (EXO member with mad swag and dancing skillz) casually dropped hints about their comeback’s concept when he said, “Rather than something light, we’ve prepared an intense performance. I think fans can safely look forward to (this comeback) because an awesome performance awaits them.”

Okay, that tells us nothing. What does he mean? Will they be going for a more mature sound this time around? More importantly, how do we even begin to hide our excitement? :D

Meanwhile, EXO just celebrated their 4th anniversary recently and to commemorate the occasion, well, this happened.

Sources: SBS, soompi, International Business Times.


Netizens Think Kedah Will Be The Next Wakanda Following RM62Bil Mineral Discovery

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor recently announced the discovery of a rare earth element (REE) in the state, which could be worth up to RM62bil.

The mineral, which is said to be found in abundance in parts of the state, has caused netizens to compare Kedah with the fictional city of Wakanda from “Black Panther” following the discovery.

It was reported that the state has made an agreement with a Kuala Lumpur-based joint venture company to mine for the REE. According to Sanusi, the deal between the state government and the company has been made. However, he refused to name the mineral nor the company involved.

Earlier on, Sanusi stated that the discovery is a gift from God to the state, and it will bring a change to the people of Kedah. He went on to say, “The REE was not radioactive and was found in Sik, Ulu Muda and Baling, and I hear in some parts of Lenggong, Perak too. It has been common knowledge to geologists for the past 20 years.”

He explained, “We have approved a venture permit for the new mineral in Kedah and according to a study, this mineral is worth RM62 billion (and is) stored under our land.” According to FMT, Sanusi hopes that the federal government will alter its policy on minerals, where it will benefit locals instead of outsiders garnering the resources.

Following the revelation, #WakedahForever started trending on Twitter after netizens joked around that Kedah has the same potential to be the real-life Wakanda from Marvel’s “Black Panther” franchise. The similarities are uncanny, since Wakanda is known to be the richest city in the Marvel Universe due to having a supply of Vibranium, which is one of the most-recognised fictional minerals.

I'm moving to kedah 😭😭😭😭 nak cari kerja gali mineral#wakedahforever pic.twitter.com/Mah9PHwYar

“Kedah temui mineral baharu dianggar bernilai RM62 Billion”

Kedah in 2030 #WakedahForever pic.twitter.com/V3iFNE6mRy

— Faizal Rosly (@ijaicool) December 3, 2020

Hilarious i must say #WakedahForever https://t.co/kw9BC5brIk

If this is really happening, let’s hope we’ll get to see a real-life Black Panther suit soon enough. Wakedah Forever! ?♂

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#Waze: Drive Like A “Pilot” With AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes As Your Traffic Controller

If you are a frequent user of Waze, the free real-time traffic and navigation app, you can now have Tony Fernandes, co-founder and Group CEO of AirAsia, as your navigator ;)

But what’s so unique about Fernandes’ voice? Apparently, the man himself will act as your “air traffic controller”, which means drivers will be able to experience “what it’s like to fly high in the sky” while driving on the road.

In a press release, the CEO said, “A lot of people ask me what it’s like being an AirAsia pilot. Now you can experience what it’s like to fly high in the sky interacting with me as your air traffic control. And like real air traffic control, I can’t make any promises about the congestion but I can promise that with Waze, we will get you there the quickest and least boring way possible.”

In speaking of having Fernandes’ voice in Waze, the app’s Malaysian Sales Manager Edward Ling said that the new voice prompt will make users feel like a real pilot.

“We’re thrilled to bring Tony Fernandes’ voice to Waze, guiding Wazers along a route from tower control. Voice prompts are one of our most popular features and a great way to bring a brand to life within the context of a drive,” he said.

Once you installed Waze from the iOS or Android app stores, select the “Menu” option, then click on “Settings”. Under “Settings”, select the “Sound” option and select “English (UK) – Tony Fernandes”.


#GEM: Spice Girls’ Reunion Song Has Leaked & Fans Are Going Cray!

Spice Girls fans rejoice! We’ve been blessed with a brand new song from the iconic girl group.

When Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, and Mel B announced that they were reuniting for a secret project under a 3-piece subunit called GEM (the first letter of each of their names) back in July, excitement was high. A new song was leaked yesterday (Tuesday, 22nd November) and fans are losing it.

The demo, “Song For Her”, is nostalgic as is it cheesy, but we have the pop trio singing about their favourite topic – girl power. The song is definitely uplifting thanks to the chorus that goes: “This is a song for her/You know you light it up/You know who you are/Stand up, stand up/She’s got that boom boom pop/That’s something they can’t stop.”

Loyal fans who have been following the career of the world’s greatest girl band, even after they disband, were overcome with joy upon listening to the track for the first time. Check out some of their tweets below:

Can't stop listening to the new #SpiceGirls music #SongForHer. It's brilliant & perfect pop! @GeriHalliwell @EmmaBunton @OfficialMelB ❤👍🏼😄

— Kaladhar Battepati (Kal) (@KaladharB) November 23, 2016

Let's Spice up our lifes again! #SongForHer is stuck on my mind!! #SpiceGirls #GirlPower

— Lucas Cunha (@MrLCCunha) November 23, 2016

#SpiceGirls #GEM new song #SongForHer is amazing.😍 and I know people is pissed cause Mel C and V are not in it but can we just enjoy things?

— Alessandro (@Alessandro9017) November 22, 2016

Just listened to #songforher by 3 members of the Spice Girls. It's catchy. But likely not a single. Still praying for a 5-Spice reunion!

Although “Song For Her” is a decent song that could pass off as a “Spiceworld” B-side at best, Twitter user JC Irwin is right in assuming that it won’t be played on the radio. Emma Bunton herself had already confirmed this news way back in July.

Here’s what she previously said: “You know, us girls love creating stuff. We went and had a laugh in the studio. It’s not a single, it’s just we were creating. It’s just a demo and somehow it has got out there.” “Song For Her” may just be a cute demo, but judging from the fan reaction, Christmas came early!

Word on the street is that the 3 singers have been in the studio recoding new music, so hopefully we’ll see the return of Girl Power pretty soon.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


34-Year-Old Sugarbook Founder Darren Chan Arrested By Police

Darren Chan, who is the founder of Sugarbook (the biggest “Sugar Daddy-Sugar Baby” dating site in Asia), has been arrested.

The 34-year-old, who is from Penang, was detained yesterday evening (Wednesday, 17th February) around 4:30pm at his plush condominium in Icon Residence on Persiaran Dutamas, Mont Kiara.

Selangor police CID chief SAC Datuk Fadzil Ahmat confirmed the arrest, saying that the man was being probed under Section 372 (B) of the Penal Code for the solicitation of prostitution and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) for abusing network facilities.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had blocked access to Sugarbook.com earlier on Monday. However, on Tuesday, Sugarbook created an alternative website that instructed users how to get around MCMC’s ban.

Sugarbook came under scrutiny after naming the top 10 public and private universities as having the most student candidates who have opted the sugar baby lifestyle by looking for sugar daddies to finance their lifestyle.

Sunway University topped the charts. The university’s CEO Elizabeth Lee later came out with a statement, expressing disappointment “with a recent article about a company that challenges the moral fabric of our community and of our youth, while aiming to promote and profit from immoral and possibly illegal activity“.

Despite the recent controversy, Sugarbook’s spokesperson said: “Sugarbook.com is only affected in Malaysia. Over time, we would have to invest more in SEO but at this moment, our extensive PR presence online makes up for it.”

Having said that, the company has plans to branch out into other countries with high average revenue per unit.

Before Darren Chan got arrested, he tweeted out a statement, apologising to the patrons of Sugarbook “that we’re not in a position to do more at this time. We have a responsibility to help you with building modern relationships. We believe that our Malaysian government knows what’s best for the people.”

Sources: The Sun, Marketing Interactive.


Contest: Win An Autographed Copy Of EXO’s Album #EXODUS

Shhh…hear that? It’s the sound of fangirls collectively screaming because EXO has finally made their long-awaited comeback with “EXODUS”.

A series of mysterious videos titled “Pathcode” were released prior to their comeback. The members were all featured in the videos as they can be seen flaunting their fictional superpowers.The videos certainly helped building anticipation for their comeback because the official music video for their latest title track “Call Me Baby” has already gained more than 24,000,000 views on YouTube.

Despite being named the most influential celebrity by Forbes Korea, EXO continued to stay humble by revealing in our recent interview that they’re just thankful that to be able to stand onstage to greet their fans again.

Just like you, we’re glad that the boys have successfully made their comeback and continued to stay on top of the game. We can only expect greater things to come from the boys, who have been working hard for their passion in music.

But if you think you are the biggest EXO fan in the world, then you’re in luck!

All thanks to our friends from M.E Malaysia, we’re giving away ONE “EXODUS” album signed by EXO themselves! Yes, that’s pretty exclusive ;)

Easy, isn’t it? After you’ve shared your post, e-mail the link/screenshot of your shared post with your details (Name, IC, Contact number) to submit@hype.my.

Our album giveaway will run from 15th May to 22nd May. Good luck!

For more information, visit EXO-K’s Facebook page or EXO-M’s Facebook page.

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CCTV Footage Shows 2 Women Vandalising Murals Of Our National Leaders

It was revealed that the viral murals of our national leaders in Shah Alam were vandalised earlier on Monday (20th July). The faces of our Agong, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, and Health DG Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah were sprayed with red-coloured spray paint.

Soon after the news made headlines, another Twitter user @amrlfazreq uploaded a CCTV footage of the incident. Much to everyone’s surprise, the irresponsible act was apparently committed by two women – not men!

Scrolling through the replies, many social media users expressed their shock upon coming across the clip. Additionally, others pointed out that the footage can definitely help the investigation by combining it with other CCTV footages at other premises nearby the location.

Following that, one of the mural artist Suhaimi Ali took to his Facebook to address the case. He wrote, “Thank you for supporting my talent and allowing me to showcase it to everyone. And I’m sorry, no more murals in U12 for the public to come and snap pictures. The heroes are gone.”

Following the unexpected incident, the Shah Alam city council took swift action by painting the mural wall with white paint. The identity of the 2 culprits have not been revealed yet, as investigations are still underway.


Adele To Make Oscars Appearance!

Since the birth of her baby boy last October, we haven’t heard a peep from British songstress Adele. Except for maybe some occasional piece of news, getting fined for not registering her baby, and that one time she wrote the theme song for “Skyfall“. But today, we hear that there’s a good chance she will make her highly anticipated comeback to the spotlight!

It has always been rightfully hers anyway.

Come February 2013, Adele is likely to grace the 85th Annual Academy Awards (read: Oscars) stage to sing the theme song for “Skyfall”. Said to be one of the best James Bond theme songs in recent history, it made the short list of 2012’s 75 original songs to be considered for an Oscar nomination, as seen in Marie Claire.

We all already know that singer-songwriter Adele is arguably one of the best artistes in the music industry today. Judging from her record-breaking album sales and streak of multiple award wins. She’s also likely to be nominated for “Best Original Song“. So it’s only fitting that she gets to perform “Skyfall” live at the awards:

[youtube id=”7HKoqNJtMTQ” width=”600″ height=”350″]

We also hear that the Oscars will be paying a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film. Hence, let’s face it, there wouldn’t have been a better way to celebrate the occasion.

The nominations for the Oscars will be announced on 10th January 2013 (Thursday) by the shows’ host, Seth MacFarlane and actress Emma Stone. Now, excuse us while we clutch our hearts and wait with bated breaths for it!


#Kesha: Sony Music Confirms That New Music Will Be Released Sooner Than Expected

It appears that a new album from the singer is well on its way and fans will be able to hear some new music soon, at least that’s what Sony Music Entertainment is hoping for.

Despite her ongoing legal battle with Dr. Luke, Kesha has been consistently working on new music and submitting new tracks to Sony’s Kemosabe Records (which contractually mandates 3 more albums). The pop star can only move on once she fulfills her multi-album deal.

Although a new single may be released in the coming months, a full length album will no doubt require more time. “Creating a new album takes time, and everyone’s goal is to deliver a high quality album consistent with Kesha’s past releases,” said Sony Music in a statement. “We hope to share exciting new music with Kesha’s fans soon.”

It’s been more than 4 years since Kesha last released a full LP, but the 29-year-old singer was able to release a new track titled “True Colours“, a collaborative track with producer Zedd.

A new single from Kesha is long overdue. Hopefully, we get to hear it soon ;)

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Pavillion Bukit Jalil To Open In Q4 2021; A List Of Stores To Expect

If you like leaving the house but still prefer the indoors as compared to the outdoors, then you’ll probably feel more comfortable at shopping malls. We’re not judging; it has air-conditioning, food, places to chill and different forms of entertainment— what’s not to love?

Well, we have some good news for you. The highly-anticipated Pavilion Bukit Jalil will be opening sometime in 2021!

What’s so special about this mall? To begin with, it will have over 1.8 million square feet of retail space. The mall promises a haven of endless food and beverages options, with entertainment and leisure on the side. There will be different kinds of entertainment facilities such as an ice rink, karaoke and even a Dadi Cinema. That’s probably enough for you to spend a full day there, without getting bored.

Their website states Pavilion Bukit Jalil will be a lifestyle shopping destination connected with best-in-class retail, dining and leisure. It’s also in an accessible and convenient site, just 12km from the Kuala Lumpur City Centre. Truly a haven for shopaholics!

Aside from the aforementioned, here are the confirmed anchor tenants so far: Parkson, Food Republic, The Food Merchant, and Harvey Norman superstore. Other food and beverage outlets that will open there will include Starbucks, Chatime, as well as Secret Recipe.

Currently, the mall seems to still be under construction. Although there is no news concerning their official opening date, it’s been confirmed that the Pavilion Bukit Jalil is on track to open in Q4 2021. It will be the new social haven and epicentre for exciting events and immersive lifestyle.

Its mega event spaces such as the 28,000 sq ft Piazza is the first-of-its-kind outdoor venue covered with an impressive 35m high canopy for outdoor entertainment, concerts, and events. The 4,500 sq ft centre court can be expected to host grand festivities and year-long activities while consumer fairs and exhibitions will thrive at the 47,000 sq ft exhibition centre.

Here’s a sneak peek at the upcoming mall’s exterior:

Check out their Facebook and website for more updates!


WINNERS: Exclusive “The Last Stand” Merch

Thank you for all the e-mails! We must say, we were truly impressed with some of the submissions by our readers/followers. So much so that it was hard to pick just three out of a lot of the most creative “I deserve to win the official ‘The Last Stand’ merchandise because” entries. So, here are the lucky winners of our exclusive “The Last Stand” merchandise contest:

Congratulations, you three! Also, special thanks to our friends from NEF for making this contest happen.

Kindly collect your prizes from our office from 4th March 2013 (Monday) onwards. Remember to bring your IC for verification purposes. Also, we need to stress that prizes are strictly are strictly nontransferable. Hype Malaysia reserves the right to refuse the collection of prizes for those who attempt to transfer it from one contest winner (in whose name it is registered) to another person.

B-19-4 Northpoint Office Suites, Mid Valley City,

Our office hours are 10am to 6pm (Monday to Friday only).


#UberKUCING: Uber To Deliver Kittens In KL For Charity On 14th September

Now is your chance ’cause Uber is partnering with PAWS (Paws Animal Welfare Society) and PetFinder.my to deliver kittens in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow (Wednesday, 14th September). The UberKUCING campaign allows Uber users to enjoy 15 minutes of furry playtime with just a RM30 “snuggle fee” (donation).

The same movement (#UberKittens) also helped over 300 kittens find permanent homes in the US.

Interested in ordering kittens to your office/home? Just make sure to turn on the Uber app between 11am to 4pm and request the “Kucing” option. If you are keen to adopt, adoption info will be left behind after each visit.

But do note that the kittens are subject to availability. If you can’t get the kittens to your doorstep, you can always visit PAWS or browse PetFinder.my.

On a side note, the ride-hailing app will be launching its uberX services to its 6th Malaysian city – Kuching, Sarawak – tomorrow, the same day as UberKUCING. Well played Uber, well played.

Payment for Uber in Kuching can be made via cash or credit card, and the fare structure is as below:

For more information on UberKucing and Uber’s launch in Kuching, visit Uber’s Newsroom.

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