#MH370: Debris Found On Reunion Could Be From Missing Boeing 777

A French aviation expert, Xavier Tytelman, believes he may have found the wreckage of MH370 – the Malaysia Airlines flight which disappeared off the coast of Malaysia in March 2014. The debris, found in the western Indian Ocean on Wednesday, appears to be part of a Boeing 777, the same model as the MH370.

The source said there is a unique element to the Boeing 777’s flaperon, a wing component, that Boeing observers believe they are seeing in photos.

The debris was found Wednesday off the coast of Reunion Island, a French department in the western Indian Ocean. It is being examined to see if it is connected to flight MH370, a member of the French air force in Reunion said Wednesday. Officials conducted an initial assessment of the debris using photographs.

The source said stressed the observations are preliminary.

Mr Tytelman believes that the Indian Ocean location makes sense for wreckage of the plane to have washed up. “The French police are now looking at it, and the Australians – who are in charge of the search – are interested too,” he said. “We don’t know how long it will take to get confirmation or a definite denial. But it’s an intriguing development.”

Similitudes incroyables entre le flaperon d'un #B777 et le débris retrouvé ce matin à #LaReunion… #MH370 ? pic.twitter.com/GDkzRLwi2h

— Xavier Tytelman (@PeurAvion) July 29, 2015

The Malaysian government has dispatched a team to Reunion Island to investigate the debris, Malaysian Minister of Transportation Liow Tiong Lai said in New York.

“We need to verify. We have wreckage found that needs to be further verified before we can further confirm if it belongs to MH370. So we have dispatched a team to investigate on these issues and we hope that we can identify it as soon as possible,” the minister said.

For reference, that's off the coast of Madagascar, very far from any previous #MH370 search. https://t.co/WRQyUfhbrH pic.twitter.com/VJKY1MbQx7

— Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) July 29, 2015

CNN analysts say there are indications that the airplane part could be from a Boeing 777, and if that’s the case, it’s likely from MH370. Making the determination should be “very simple” because the serial numbers riveted to numerous parts of the plane can be linked to not only the plane’s model, but the exact aircraft, said CNN aviation analyst Les Abend, who flew 777s during his 30 years as a pilot.

This means crash investigators may be able to figure it out from photographs of the part – which could be an aileron, a flap or a flaperon – even before arriving on the island, he said.

There are at least 3 elements of the discovery that are consistent with MH370, said CNN safety analyst David Soucie. The first is that the part appears to have been torn off of the aircraft.

“This is from a sudden impact, it looks like to me,” Soucie said. There also is a seal on the top of the part that “is consistent with what I would see on an inside flap on a triple 7,” he said, and the barnacles on the part are consistent with the “parasitic activity” that would take place from being under water so long.

However, the part appears to be coated in white paint, which would run counter to Soucie’s other observations in that the 777’s parts would be coated in zinc chromate, not paint. Soucie acknowledged, however, that the part could be coated in something from the ocean.

“If it is a part from a triple 7, we can be fairly confident it is from 370 because there just haven’t been that many triple 7 crashes and there haven’t been any in this area,” said CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, with 239 people aboard, disappeared after a late-night take off from Kuala Lumpur on 8th March 2014, bound for Beijing. It was declared lost with no survivors on 24th March 2014.

We’ve hit some speedbumps before, could this finally be it? Hang in there while we update you with more details as soon as we get ’em.

Sources: CNN, Xavier Tytelman’s blog, Telegraph, BBC, The Verge / Featured image from AFP.

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#StarWarsMY: Life-Sized X-Wing Fighter On Display At Mid Valley Megamall

There’s a “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” event happening at Mid Valley Megamall and it is every “Star Wars” fan wet dream come true.

A scaled replica of the X-Wing Fighter from the epic space opera franchise “flew” from a galaxy far, far away into Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The “Star Wars” exhibit is part of Disney‘s global marketing campaign for J.J. Abrams’ upcoming space opera “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.

From today (18th November) onwards, members of the public can view the scaled replica of the X-Wing Fighter that was used by the Rebel Alliance in the original trilogy. They can also board the X-Wing Fighter and take a picture in it. Several other “Star Wars” memorabilia will be displayed at the event as well.

In addition, the latest “Star Wars” products are available for purchase at the event. Members of the public can also hang out at the “Star Wars: Battlefront” booth and try their hands at the new game that is set to be launched in mid-December.

Participants can stand a chance to win a PlayStation 4 and the game itself at the “Star Wars: Battlefront” challenge during the weekends.

Meanwhile, a “Star Wars” exhibit is also being held at Singapore’s Changi Airport as part of annual year-end festive celebrations. The exhibit did not only feature a life-sized Resistance X-Wing replica, but also the First Order TIE Fighter replica. The exhibit will be held until 5th January next year.

In anticipation of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, the All Nippon Airways R2-D2 Jet also made its grand entrance at Changi Airport recently. The plane is first commercial aircraft in the world to be decorated with a Star Wars livery and it made a brief 2-night stop at Changi Airport.

Written by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is set around 30 years after the events of 1983’s “Return of the Jedi”. Newcomer Daisy Ridley is starring in it as a character named Rey while John Boyega will play Finn. Adam Driver is portraying Kylo Ren, a new villain who wields the much-discussed “tri-saber”.

“Game of Thrones“ star Gwendoline Christie will portray Captain Phasma aka the chrome Stormtrooper while Oscar Isaac, who will be seen next as Apocalypse in “X-Men: Apocalypse“, is portraying Poe Dameron, an elite pilot who has been sent on a mission.

“12 Years a Slave” star Lupita Nyong’o will play a character named Maz Katana, which will be brought to life using CGI based on her performance capture work. Her character is a pirate with no allegiances to either the Resistance (aka the Rebel Alliance) or the First Order (the new Empire). It was rumoured that she was in possession of Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber. Harrison Ford and Peter Mayhew are returning to reprise their respective roles as Han Solo and his old friend Chewbacca.

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is set to be released on 17th Dec 2015.

For more information, visit the movie’s official website and Facebook page.


Gravity Club KL Presents Sidney Samson

It’s time to get dirty, dirty Dutch that is.

Legendary icon and no stranger to Malaysia, the man who brought “Riverside” to the world is making his way back to Kuala Lumpur once again! Having come a long way since “Riverside”, Sidney Samson has travelled across the globe to play at massive music festivals and at some of the world’s most famous clubs.

Having also produced songs with Shakira, Pitbull, Lil Jon, Martin Garrix, Steve Aoki and Will.I.Am, Sidney has also remixed songs for Kylie Minogue, David Guetta, Kelly Rowland, Martin Solveig and many more. Not to forget his recent club bangers “Move”, “Magic” featuring Yves-V, “Thunderbolt” featuring with Justin Prime and “Torrent” featuring with Martin Garrix.

Currently on tour, Sidney who was last in Malaysia for Future Music Festival Asia in 2013, will be making his way back to Kuala Lumpur this April to give fans a much needed dirty Dutch night. Event details are as follows:

Reservations / Inquiries: 011-2639 5797 ( before 6pm ) 016-3067777 ( 6pm onwards)

For more information, hit up the Facebook event page.

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#F1: 2017 To Mark Malaysia’s Final Grand Prix

If you’ve always been a fan of Formula 1 races, this is your last chance to catch the racing championship in Malaysia.

After this year’s final Grand Prix on 1st October, F1 and the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) will officially stop hosting the event once the agreement expires in 2018. As such, both parties are determined to give the nation’s Grand Prix a fitting finale.

“It’s always sad to say goodbye to a member of the Formula 1 family. Over nearly 2 decades, the Malaysian Formula 1 fans have proven themselves to be some of the sport’s most passionate supporters,” F1’s commercial chief Sean Bratches said in a statement.

The announcement follows word from the Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz late last year when he shared that the Cabinet had decided to end its contract. The decision was made due to poor ticket sales and the costliness of hosting the race.

For almost 2 decades, Malaysia has played host to F1. The great fanfare at Sepang has been been a fixture of the calendar since 1999. Despite the loss of the Malaysian event after 2017, F1’s new owner, Liberty Media, is still looking at expanding the sport.

“We have big plans for bringing our global fan base closer to the sport than ever before, providing an enhanced digital experience and creating new events. We’re looking forward to talking more about these plans as the season progresses,” Bratches added.

He continued, “We will have 21 exciting events to look forward to in the 2018 calendar, with the additions of the French and German races. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the Sepang International Circuit for their hospitality and professionalism over the years, and their ongoing commitment to motorsport.”

Tickets for the 2017 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix are available here.


The Passion Of The Christ 2 Is In The Works; Will It Be Banned In Malaysia?

Here’s an exciting piece of news that just broke a few hours ago.

According to a report by USA Today, actor Jim Caviezel has confirmed that he’s getting ready to reprise his role as Jesus Christ in an untitled sequel to Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”.

Caviezel claims that he and Gibson have had numerous discussions about the project and he’s confident in Gibson’s vision.

“There are things that I cannot say that will shock the audience. It’s great … I won’t tell you how he’s going to go about it, but I’ll tell you this much, the film he’s going to do is going to be the biggest film in history. It’s that good.”

The sequel will, of course, be about the resurrection of the son of God, following the brutal events that transpired in the first “The Passion of the Christ”. Many wondered why the sequel wasn’t made all those years ago, after all the first movie did come out more than a decade ago, in 2004. Perhaps Gibson being a giant racist asshole and an alcoholic had something to do with it, and so, was ostracized by Hollywood for a good 10 years. He finally made a triumphant return in 2016 with “Hacksaw Ridge”.

If what Caviezel says is true, then the much-awaited sequel may be coming sooner rather than later. He went on to say:

“Braveheart, that’s a film that took a long time to be able to crack. The same thing for Passion. And the same thing for this. He’s finally got it. So that is coming.”

The question is, will this potentially GREAT film even be screened in Malaysia? Or will our awesome censor board — Lembaga Penapis Filem — ban it? Back in 2004, our censor board allowed “The Passion of the Christ” to be screened on the big screens, but “for Christian eyes only.” Sounds like a f**king joke, right? Well, that literally happened.

Tickets could only be bought by Christians (as if there’s a way to prove one’s religion), at churches and whatnot. In other words, nobody gave a sh*t about this dumb rule. Like my parents, who just got their friends to buy the tickets for them. But this rule did achieve one thing, though: It made Malaysia look like a joke in the eyes of the rest of the world, something that we’ve proven to be exceptionally talented at.

Recently, the Lembaga Penapis Filem banned the popular Indian film, “Padmaavat”. According to the popular Indian website, The Hindu, The chairman of National Film Censorship Board (LPF) Mohd Zamberi Abdul Aziz had this to say:

“The storyline of the film touches on the sensitivities of Islam. That in itself is a matter of grave concern in Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country.”

Interestingly enough, the censor board in PAKISTAN — a country with a 95-98% Muslim population — has cleared the film and it’s set to be screened without any cuts, with a ‘U’ certification.

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Fans Counted Stars With One Republic in Malaysia

5000 fans rocked out to an epic performance by One Republic live in Malaysia yesterday. The concert that took place at Surf Beach, Sunway Lagoon was presented by JS Concert and Hotlink, the prepaid service of Maxis Berhad. The event was also supported by Malaysia Major Events (MME), a division of Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), an agency under Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

The two-hour long concert saw One Republic performed a total of 18 songs including 2 encores. Last night’s set list is as follows:

9. Apologize (with Cry Me A River snippet)


#SquirrelGirl: What Anna Kendrick Would Look Like As Marvel’s Great Lakes Avenger

We reckon that the Marvel Cinematic Universe could use another superhero and the latest candidate in line is none other than Doreen Green, aka Squirrel Girl.

Shortly after it was reported that Anna Kendrick was keen on taking on the role of fan-favourite Squirrel Girl in an upcoming Marvel movie, a fan had already put together a mock up of what the actress would like as the hero before anyone can say “who’s Squirrel Girl”.

“My brother sent me a Squirrel Girl comic because he thinks I should [play her]. I don’t know what Squirrel Girl does other than be half squirrel, but I could be half squirrel!” Kendrick told Net-a-Porter while promoting her latest film, “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates”. Although the 30-year-old star was clearly joking, fans now want to see this happen after seeing the fan art.

According to Matt Wood, Squirrel Girl first started out as a comical joke but later morphed into a smart, self-aware Marvel character throughout the years. Also known as Doreen Greene, she’s basically the Spider-Man version of squirrels. As such, she has all the powers of a squirrel, which includes agility and speed, increased senses, as well as the ability to communicate with the loveable creatures.

Squirrel Girl was co-created by comic book legend Steve Ditko and Will Murray with the intention of giving fans a more lighthearted superhero, given that many comic tales in the 90s were turning dark and tragic. She made her 1st debut appearance in 1992 and has been a part of several superhero teams, namely the Great Lakes Avengers (Marvel’s D-List comic relief team) and New Avengers.

The character was most recently seen unleashing her army of squirrels on Wolverine in the “All-New Wolverine” comic. Screen Rant also reported that Doreen was the nanny to Luke Cage and Jessica Jones’ daughter while the rebooted comics storyline sees Squirrel Girl borrowing some tech from Tony Stark in order to take on Galactus.

So how many nuts would you pay to see Kendrick playing Squirrel Girl on screen? She’s definitely got our vote and we can totally see her blowing this part out of the water.

Sources: Comic Book, Cinema Blend, Movie Web (1)(2).


Kris Wu Responds To Bot Accusations On U.S. iTunes

Following the drama between Kris Wu, Ariana Grande, Scooter Braun, and their fans, Kris Wu has finally responded to the issue in an interview with Californian radio station, Hot 103.5.

DJ Freeze started to bring up the issue saying how Americans are shocked that the former EXO member managed to perform so well on the iTunes chart. “This guy sells so many albums and get so many streams that the American companies were like ‘What?'”

Kris who has been staying on lowkey during the whole drama finally voiced out his thoughts and admitted that the issue angered him a bit. “My fans are real people. They were supporting me every single day. Not bots, not that type of shit. That gets me mad.”

“Just because they’ve never seen a Chinese artist on top of the charts, doesn’t mean that it’s not gonna happen. I’m gonna stay humble and respectful. It’s all good,” Kris said at the interview.

It has been explained that the reason Kris Wu’s new album “Antares” get so many streams and purchases on the U.S. iTunes is because the release was held back in China.

So his fans from China and all across Asia used whatever method they have, including VPN manipulation, to get their hands on the album, which is why his album sales skyrocketed on iTunes.

But now, iTunes decided to not count the sales as it was acquired “fraudulently”.

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Everything You Need To Know About The Upcoming San Diego Comic-Con 2022

Warner Bros. Discovery has announced its line-up of panels for this year’s San Diego Comic-Con! From 21st until the 24th of July, the media giant will present a series of can’t-miss panels, behind-the-scenes conversations, activations, and more to celebrate new and fan-favourite live-action and animated television series.

Divisions of the company such as Adult Swim, HBO, Cartoon Network Studios, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Television and many more are joining forces to mark the first in-person presence in three years at the world’s premiere comic book and popular arts convention. Check out the highlights that will fly this year at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con!

1. SDCC’s Hall H welcomes “House of the Dragon” and “The Sandman”.

HBO will unveil the original series based on “Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, “House of the Dragon” with its panel. Warner Bros. Television returns with panels for “The Sandman,” followed by a special presentation by the stars and producers and a Q&A session afterward. “House of the Dragon” sets to debut on HBO and HBO GO on the 22nd of August and the 22nd of August on HBO GO. “The Sandman” will premiere on the 5th of August on Netflix.

Additionally, Warner Bros. will sponsor the official Comic-Con 2022 collectible bag for the 11th year. Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC, Jim Lee, has created two designs for this year’s must-have collectible swag holder. The designs feature more than 50 characters from across the DC Multiverse, and two QR codes will be embedded in the bag, which will unlock special surprises for fans.

2. Join DC line of panels with Jim Lee, “Dark Crisis”, “Gotham”, and more!

DC Publisher and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee will discuss some top-secret comic books coming from DC with his colleagues. DC Executive Editor Ben Abernathy will moderate a discussion with a panel of comic book creators and writers such as Tini Howard (“Catwoman”), Ram V (“Detective Comics”), and many more to explore the world of Gotham heroes, anti-heroes and super-villains.

Following these panels include details on “Dark Crisis” from critical members of the talent behind the event, 2022 Eisner Award Nominees Tom King & Tom Taylor discussing their works and plans, and also highlights of comics and graphic novels across the DC Multiverse by Daniel Warren Johnson and Juan Gedeon (“Jurassic League”), Kami Garcia (“Constantine: Distorted Illusions”), Becky Cloonan & Michael Conrad (“Batgirls”), and more!

3. Take a look inside Warner Bros. Games

The videogame team will get into the upcoming open-world action RPG “Gotham Knights,” which is set to release worldwide on the 25th of October for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Get behind the scenes of “MultiVersus” too, the all-new free-to-play platform fighter videogame featuring beloved personalities and heroes such as Batman, Superman, Harley Quinn, and many more!

4. There is something for the whole family

Take a look at all the latest from the Loony Tunes Loon-iverse with the new season of “Looney Tunes Cartoons,” the latest series of “Bugs Bunny Builders,” and the upcoming “Tiny Toons Looniversity” with bonus surprises to look forward to! Of course, you can also stick around for sneak peeks, giveaways, and exciting looney games. Cartoon Network will give the first looks, sneak peeks, and more inside scoops on “Craig of the Creek,” “Teen Titans Go!”, and “We Baby Bears,” followed by a panel of the cast and crew of “Gremlins: The Secrets of the Mogwai,” and “Sesame Street Mecha Builders” which will be moderated by Alan Muraoka from “Sesame Street.”

More discussions and Q&As by Adult Swim for “SMILING FRIENDS,” the second season of “Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal,” and the third season of “Tuca & Bertie,” and “Rick and Morty: The Vindicators,” including the screening of the digital series. TBS’ “AEW: Dynamite” and TNT’s “AEW: Rampage” will take the San Diego Comic-Con stage for the very first time to give a ringside perspective of the popular wrestling promotion. Finally, “Green Lantern: Beware My Power” debuts on the 26th of July digitally, and season three of “Harley Quinn” will have its advance screening for the first two episodes at the convention.

Warner Bros. will sponsor the official Comic-Con 2022 collectible bag this year for the 11th time. Jim Lee has created two designs for this year’s must-have collectible swag holder. The designs feature more than 50 characters from across the DC Multiverse, and two QR codes will be embedded in the bag, which will unlock special surprises for fans!

Anis Sharina contributed to this article.


Hype’s Movie Review: Why “Captain America: Civil War” Is Easily One Of The Best Marvel Studios Films

The time has come to choose a side peeps. Either you agree with us that “Captain America: Civil War” is right up there with “Captain America: Winter Soldier” and “The Avengers”, or you’re against us. And yes, by all means, go ahead and pick either Team Cap or Team Iron Man.

The build up to Marvel’s mightiest heroes going head to head in a superhuman smack-down has been irresistibly enticing. The fact that it arrives on the heels of last month’s letdown in DC’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” feels all the more satisfying because “Civil War” delivers on its promise of the title. In a huge way.

An opening action sequence sees Cap, Falcon, Black Widow, and Scarlet Witch on a mission in Africa to stop the scarred mercenary Crossbones and his squad of Hydra operatives. Things go as planned, until they backfire. Yet again, innocent blood is spilled and governments around the world want the Avengers accounted for.

A United Nations resolution proposes that Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are put in check as Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross presents the team the chance to sign the Sokovia Accords: a document that would decide exactly when and where the Avengers are needed on the field. However, not every Avenger is ready to submit.

Tony Stark – driven by guilt after being confronted by a woman whose son died in Sokovia – is in support of Ross and the Accords. Remember, it was Stark’s mistake that Ultron was set loose on the world. This is a guy with a lot of remorse but it’s still the same Stark we know and love. He’s just a tad jaded.

Steve Rogers on the other hand, is pretty much against it after his last experience of working for an untrustworthy organisation that left a bitter taste. Rogers believes that the superheroes should be left alone without the government interfering in their affairs. This in turn, forces the rest of the Avengers to pick a side.

The film does a commendable job in justifying the conflict between these characters. To quote Carl Greenwood, “It makes sense that the Avengers split, it makes sense why Iron Man and Captain America are literally at each other’s throats. It makes sense in a real way, far more than a ‘Oh you knocked down my building saving the world, so I should probably strap on a green rock and kill you’ type logic.”

The dispute here flows seamlessly, and the violence is just as emotional as it is physically. We see Rogers caught between 2 friends. He’s a good man who is forced to make difficult choices, and the film never offers him an easy way out. Stark certainly has his good reasons for sticking to his ideologies and their differing views is essentially the crux of “Civil War”.

In the words of Helen O’Hara, “You can come out of this thinking that Rogers and Stark were both in the right, or neither, but you can’t dismiss the viewpoint of either out of hand. This film also has the enormous good sense to show intelligent characters trying to talk things out before they get to the super-punching – and sometimes even during.”

“Civil War” doesn’t just revolve around a singular impressive performance. There are a total of 12 superheroes included in this epic clash, and it’s a comic book fan’s wet dream to see a wide range of powers, abilities, and characteristics on display here. We see Scarlet Witch’s inner turmoil; Vision coming to terms with being “human”; Black Widow finding herself torn as the Avengers are forced to pick sides; and Hawkeye who isn’t retired anymore.

In the midst of all these established giants, 3 new recruits are thrown into the mix. T’challa aka Black Panther, who has a serious grievance against Cap’s bestie, the Winter Soldier. Actor Chadwick Boseman cleverly lays down the ground work here for Black Panther’s solo outing. Even Ant-Man receives more than a short cameo.

But it is Spider-Man who almost steals the show. Tom Holland’s version is the youngest Spider-Man we’ve seen in the cinema so far. Wide-eyed and not quite in control of his powers yet, Holland nails Peter Parker’s combination of eager adolescence and witty characteristic. It’s probably too early to call the young actor the best Spider-Man (let’s wait for his “Homecoming” film first) but his performance is promising.

Bucky Barnes remains as blank and frosty as he was in “The Winter Soldier”. The audience will buy into why Barnes is worth saving because Sebastian Stan and Chris Evans sell their life-long bromance properly. Their friendship, which stretches back to the first “Captain America”, is what makes “Civil War” feel like the 3rd instalment of the “Captain America” film series rather than “Avengers” 2 1/2.

Too often, blockbuster films are ruined by big villains and unoriginal final acts. Yet, an equivalent of Loki or Ultron is nowhere in sight. There’s not even a whiff of Thanos in this movie. There is however a meddling manipulator in Helmut Zemo who takes advantage of the Avengers’ existing fracture. Without giving too much away, pay attention to what Daniel Bruhl’s character says throughout the movie.

Then again, who needs a big baddie when you’ve got Captain America and Iron Man going head to head? Both protagonists and antagonists. With “Civil War”, you get Ant-Man v Spider-Man, The Winter Soldier v Black Panther, Hawkeye v Black Widow, Scarlet Witch v Vision, and of course, Captain America v Iron Man; all these extraordinary supers rolled into one.

There’s no doubt that the big battle scene between all of the Avengers at the airport is the ultimate superhero brawl ever with every character getting a moment to stand out. If you’re going to twist, break, or manipulate the laws of physics, you should aim for it to be creative and engaging.

So who prevails between Team Cap and Team Iron Man? The real victory here obviously goes to Team Marvel.

P/S: If you didn’t already know, stay back for 2 extra bonus scenes post credits. Don’t say we didn’t tell you ;)

“Captain America: Civil War” is already showing in local cinemas.

For more information, hit up the movie’s website.

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Proton Intends To Introduce Flying Cars To Malaysians In 2019

If someone said that there will be flying cars, we would probably have dismissed as pure fiction. However, it looks this is about to become a reality soon.

Thanks to the cutting edge technologies today, several companies have been building future flying car prototypes. According to Li Chunrong, the CEO of Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn Bhd (Proton), the company hopes to introduce the first flying car to the Malaysian market in 2019.

In addition to the future flying car, Proton’s upcoming 3 high-tech models will also include self-driving cars and fully electronic cars. It was reported a few months back that Proton will collaborate with China’s Zhejiang Geely (who purchased flying car developer Terrafugia) to build “concept of a passenger vehicle that flies like an air plane in the air and drives like a car on the ground”.

“Flying cars can be seen as an ‘ultimate solution’ to traffic problems and this concept can sound particularly appealing to (the urban crowd) who are often struggling with serious traffic congestions during peak hours,” said managing director with Automotive Foresight, Yale Zhang.

He added, “Although it will take many years for makers of flying cars to achieve commercial success, it makes good sense for Geely to first go in and acquire the know-how for their long-term agenda.”

Besides the highly-anticipated Proton Boyue SUV that is expected to launch by the end of 2018 or early 2019, Proton is also looking to upgrade 8 models that are already in the market. There are also plans to change Proton’s Chinese name from “Pu Teng” (Pu means ordinary) to “Bao Teng” (Bao means treasure).

We can’t wait for the day when urban commuters can finally take to the skies in their vehicles.

Sources: Free Malaysia Today / Featured image: Livemint.


#FSOG: Inside Scoop + Full Cast + Release Date + Teasers

We’ve talked about being excited every time we hear that a successful novel/novel trilogy/novel series has been picked up and will be turned into movie/series e.g. “The Fault in Our Stars“, “The Hunger Games“, “Games of Thrones“, etc.

For “Fifty Shades of Grey”, the erotic romance novel by British author E.L. James, we couldn’t be more anxious. Nevermind that it has been labelled “mommy porn”, the prospect of being able to see how director Sam Taylor-Johnson intends to turn it into something watchable minus the overload of explicit scenes aka “raunchfest” (bondage, discipline, dominance, submissions, BDSM) should prove to be interesting.

With a screenplay by Kelly Marcel, Patrick Marber, and Mark Bomback, “Fifty Shades of Grey” initially cast Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson in the leading roles of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele respectively. However, a month after the announcement, Charlie Hunnam pulled out of the project and was quickly replaced by Jamie Dornan.

How’s the production of “Fifty Shades of Grey” coming along, you ask? Eloise Mumford (who plays Katherine Kavanagh) said that director Sam Taylor-Johnson is handling everything just right:

She’s such a great director. I knew right away it would be tasteful and artistic. And the cinematographer is Seamus McGarvey. He did Anna Karenina. It’s going to be beautiful. In the end, the story really is a romance and a love story so it’s about that more than anything. I wish I could (give more details) but as you know, we’ve all been sworn to secrecy.

Don Johnson, on the other hand, who is the father of 24-year-old Dakota Johnson (who plays Anastasia Steele), has expressed his support for his daughter’s biggest role yet:

It will be a blip on her career because she’s going to be a significant actress for many years to come. This is what we do, and I am absolutely certain that Dakota will take a piece of material and a character which a lot of people might imagine could be inappropriate in some ways and turn it into something spectacular. Speaking like a proud father and a seasoned professional, I can tell you that she is a gifted, gifted actress, and this will just be one part in a long line of tremendous performances in her career.

However, in the same breath, he also said that he hasn’t picked up a copy of “Fifty Shades of Grey” because “he wouldn’t read that”.

In addition to not wanting to read the book, he also has no desire whatsoever to see the film. “It’s not something that I would go to anyway. I probably will not see it just because it’s not a movie I would see. I’ve never seen ‘The Vampire Diaries.’ I’ve never seen ‘Twilight.’ It’s in a category of films that I just wouldn’t be interested in”, he said.

Whoops? Meanwhile, “Fifty Shades of Grey” is slated for a Valentine’s Day 2015 release. Apt date much?

For more information, visit the film’s official website. “Fifty Shades of Grey” film is also on Twitter to follow them for more timely updates!

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#Supercolor: adidas Originals Pres. Rainbow-Coloured Collab With Pharrell Williams

A true superstar knows the importance of individuality.

It’s not about following the pack, or telling someone else what to wear. You cannot impose a style on a superstar – nor a trend, or a colour. This is the ethos behind the adidas Originals Supercolor release, which sees the iconic Superstar silhouette transformed via a spectrum of 50 different colourways.

Pharrell Williams knows that the most empowering thing you can give a superstar is the freedom of expression. In collaboration with the creative and entertainer, the adidas Originals Supercolor Superstar pack offers a choice like never before.

The Superstar is such an iconic shoe and one that has lasted for such a long time, so I felt maybe I would do something I hadn’t seen before. I chose 50 different colors of Superstars – tone on tones. When you do 50 colors scattered all over the world, the natural thing is to connect with people – that excites me.

Supercolor is a celebration of equality through diversity. With 50 colours of the Superstar, everybody will be able to select his or her colour. It is more diverse than any pack ever before and therefore it is more individual than any pack ever before With every shoe treated exactly the same, all colours are equal. No matter what colour you choose, you can be part of Supercolor. Choose your colour.

Done in premium leather, the Superstar Supercolor will be available in Kuala Lumpur from 20th March 2015 onwards in 11 color variants

It retails at RM350 a pair at the following adidas Originals Concept Stores:

More color variants are available online at shop.adidas.com.my


Welcome 2019 With Yuna At Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast NYE’s Party

Can you believe it? 2018 is almost over! We now have less than 2 months to welcome the year of 2019, and Hard Rock Hotel has just the party to celebrate the occasion.

Celebrate New Year’s Eve with Malaysia’s very own international sensation Yuna at the brand new Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast on 31st December 2018 in a tropical glitz and glamour setting.

A post shared by Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast (@hrhdesarucoast)

The hotel will be hosting a New Year’s Eve countdown party for you to celebrate your way into 2019 at the Desaru Coast Conference Centre. The event will start at 8pm until midnight complete with countdown and fireworks display, so it is definitely an event that you wouldn’t want to miss!

Apart from Yuna, the dinner party will also feature DJ Kenji and local rock band Overnight Band, who will be readying the dance floor and sending guests off into the new year with nothing but good music and good vibes.

Tickets are priced at RM68 per person. Tickets are available via airasiaredtix.com.


A New Era With The Launch Of VERTU TI

Vertu, the world’s leading provider of luxury mobile phones, has launched VERTU TI in Malaysia. Said to be their fastest smartphone ever, it’s based around a titanium case that has been used for its strength, elegance, and low weight.

A class of luxury on its own, the VERTU TI also uses leather accents as well as the largest sapphire crystals screen ever engineered at 3.7 inches. Yes, all 3.7 inches of virtually scratch proof-ness that has been tested to be four times stronger than other smartphones in terms of impact and resistance.

The VERTU TI is powered by Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich OS), backed by a 1.7 GHz processor, coupled with an 8MP rear camera with auto focus and twin LED flash and a 1.3MP front facing Skype compliant camera. It’s also packed with a 64GB internal memory and secure near field communication (NFC) technology.

Interestingly, each VERTU TI is handmade in England by a single craftsman at Vertu’s state-of-the-art HQ in Hampshire.

It is then signed by that craftsman on completion of rigorous testing and detailing process before being shipped to buyers via one of over 500 stores around the world.

A class of its own? We think so. Of course, smartphones like the VERTU TI comes with a hefty price tag. The variants and pricing of the new VERTU TI are as follows:

For more information, visit their official website.

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#WINNER: YG’s Idol Boy Group To Make A Comeback In November

Remember when YG Entertainment‘s CEO Yang Hyun Suk hinted at the triumphant return of its idol boy group WINNER?

Well, it seems like the group will make their comeback sooner than expected.

According to akp, citing Korean media outlet MyDaily, the boy group will be making a comeback next month (November). They were said to have filmed their new music videos in Stockholm, Sweden for their highly anticipated comeback.

This was further confirmed by a few fans who spotted the boys in Stockholm:

[FANTAKEN] 151016 WINNER spotted at Stockholm, Sweden http://t.co/hSllj2MqmZ pic.twitter.com/wp3l58n7J4

— move acc @_yanse (@chaisalin) October 17, 2015

It seems like the boys are going to film 2 music videos as the report stated that they will be having a double title track promotion with “BABY BABY BABY” and “Sentimental”

It is unclear when exactly they will make their comeback, but their label mate iKON, will drop their official debut album, “WELCOME BACK” on 2nd November.

Together, both boy groups will invade the South Korean entertainment scene with their respective music styles.

So, Inner Circle (as fans of WINNER are lovingly known), are you guys excited for WINNER’s comeback? What do you think their comeback concepts would look like? Sound off in the comments box below.

For more information, visit YG Entertainment’s Facebook page or WINNER’s Facebook page.


(Videos) The Most Epic Parties, Premieres & Presentations We Attended This Week!

From watching a fashion show to a game show, hanging out with Song Ji Hyo to Mira Filzah – we went everywhere this week… and we LIVED!

Monkey Shoulder gave us a night full of funky tunes, delicious cocktails and fun activities during its awesomeballz Rewrite The Night event. Staying true to its DNA of being a 100% malt whisky made for MIXING, the free-spirited, fun-loving brand brought some of the city’s best DJs, bartenders and F&B brands together for an epic and unforgettable party.

We even got a premium cocktail demo by the one and only Brendon Khoo, the Regional Brand Ambassador of Monkey Shoulder, who taught us how to make a DELICIOUS Monkey Shoulder cocktail using household items and ingredients that most of us already have in our fridge!

A post shared by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy)

We couldn’t wait for the arrival of The World of Tim Burton exhibition – and after travelling the globe, it finally arrived in Kuala Lumpur. We were chuffed to be invited to its premiere at the Toybox Projects pop-up museum at Pavilion Bukit Jalil recently – and we oohed and aahed at Tim Burton’s personal archive of over 500 drawings, paintings, photographs, sketchbooks, moving-image works, and sculptural installations of familiar characters you may remember from his visual artworks and films.

The World of Tim Burton exhibition’s details are as follows:

Clark’s recently introduced its new Spring/Summer collection collaboration with the one and only Daiyan Trisha and we were there to witness the launch at Mid Valley Megamall!

Apart from the tasty refreshments the store provided us, we were treated to the Malaysian singer talking about the new “Born to Charm” collection – and we couldn’t help but agree that the shoes are to die for. The new collection consists of 10 designs to suit every style, preference, and aesthetic.

The inclusive range of designs equips ladies with the strength to stand confidently in their unique charm and be their best authentic selves – all while in the most comfortable and stylish footwear! Click on their website for more info on the collection!

We recently got up close and personal with Mell by Melinda Looi – the famed designer’s first Raya collection – during its launch at Parkson Elite at Pavilion KL, and needless to say, we were in love! By combining two unlikely elements, denim and heritage style, Melinda had created denim-effect traditional, unisex attire which encourages wearers to get creative with their outfits.

Melinda herself proved how versatile her collection was as she dazzled us with her own ensemble in the store! Actresses Bella Rahim and Maya Karin, as well as influencers Fiqrie (@fiqrieisme) and Dr Ben Gee (@drbengee), were also in attendance at the launch, all boasting pieces from the collection. Check out her website to see the full collection!

Spend enough time on the internet and there’s no way you’ve not heard of Steve Harvey and the iconic gameshow, “Family Feud”. Well, have we got news for you. “Family Feud” is going to be adapted in Malaysia by Astro! We aren’t kidding when we say it’s shaping up to be quite the show. After all, we got to attend a live showing of the game!

The show is hosted by Nabil Ahmad, Douglas Lim and Dr. J. Ram in their respective languages (BM, English, and Tamil), and the three comedic men gave us a taste of their humour and what the game show will be like, Malaysian-style. With guests like Michael Ang and Lan Solo spicing up the programme, we can happily say that we are looking forward to watching it on Astro.

Currently, the BM version is set to premiere on Astro Ria (Ch 104) on 27th March. “Family Feud Malaysia” in Tamil and English will be showing in May and September respectively on Astro Vinmeen (Ch 202) and PRIMEtime (Ch 704).

We did lunch with Swarovski at EQ Hotel recently, and witnessed the unveiling of its Hari Raya 2023 campaign as well as its new face, Mira Filzah, along with its amazing Raya collection!

Swarovski’s Hari Raya selection is filled with powerful colours and extraordinary designs perfect for dressing up or for gifting to others. The glamorous, wearable pieces include necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, and watches from the Constella, Matrix, Dextera, Gema, Chroma, and Millenia families. Available in gold-tone and rose gold-tone finishes, the pieces are easy to style and layer for elegance or opulence. Honouring the traditional green hues of Ramadan, the Millenia family features delicate new styles with deep green crystals, while in the Iconic Swan family, the Swarovski swan is reimagined in vibrant green pavé crystals that shine like the moon and twinkle like the stars.

The Hari Raya selection is available to purchase exclusively at Swarovski Malaysia stores and online at Swarovski.com.

We made a beeline for APW Bangsar recently, where the House of Sephora had opened its doors, allowing us to discover all the latest products that the beauty industry has to offer. Back with a fresh, new and stronger identity, Sephora promises a celebration of the golden moments in makeup, skincare, and haircare. The event venue saw a dedicated space celebrating famed and favourite beauty products that went viral on TikTok. From new brands to exciting launches, it was a haven for lovers of all things beauty!

Take a look at our reel to experience everything that went down during the event!

A post shared by my_songjihyo.81❤ (@my_songjihyo.81)

We attended the official launch of Watsons’ first-ever K-Beauty Festa at Sentul Depot, recently. The ceremony featured appearances by Watsons ambassadors: actress Sweet Qismina and Phei Yong; as well as Korean star, Song Ji Hyo, whom we were able to meet up-close. The “Running Man” star was representing the skincare brand Glutanex.

The event was filled with a variety of K-Beauty-themed activities, with up to 19 top Korean beauty brands participating. We were also treated to skincare and makeup tips and tricks from top-notch experts.

Calling all fans of indie and rock music – get ready to rock on with iconic local bands Hujan, Bunkface and Masdo, Insomniacks during a special, one-night concert called “Jiwa Kacau Showcase 2023” this June! We attended the press conference for the upcoming concert, and judging from the lineup, we can only promise you one thing –  a fantastic night of superb music by epic musicians. We got to hang out with the bands during the event – watch our reel below to witness the fun!

We got to PARTY the house DOWN with DBE Malaysia for their Glorious Gloria Party @Luuma! From an endless supply of BULLDOG London Dry Gin, to fabulous drag queens slaying the stage, to a ballroom POSE dance competition – it was certainly a night to remember. There was also a best-dressed competition where winners got to win a Gillian Hung MMG sweater worth RM900 and a Tangoo crown!

We sashayed to The Perfect Party by Marc Jacobs Fragrances at the Wet Deck @W Kuala Lumpur to commemorate the launch of the new Marc Jacobs Perfect Eau De Toilette. From cherry-themed cocktails to an adorable photo booth section to a fantastic DJ set – let’s just say it was the perfect way to end the day.

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#Viral: Malaysian High School Students’ “Engagement” Video Goes Viral

A video consisting of 2 high school students getting “engaged” has gone viral and spread like wildfire all over Facebook.

Social media users have all chimed in with their thoughts and perceptions towards the specific clip.

The video was uploaded by a Facebook group known as “1TAMILANZ SANGAM”.

It began with a female student running outside of the school towards a male student who is known to be her significant other. The boy was waiting on bended knee holding a small gift. Later, the 2 love birds hugged and the male student ended his proposal by giving the girl a kiss.

It is unclear if the “engagement” was for marriage or just for the couple to be considered as boyfriend and girlfriend.

Tonnes of Facebook users have made comments which had employ to cyberbullying and name calling. However, there are some who defended the couple by telling critics to mind their own business.

They can love each other. You got (sic) a problem with that? as long as they study and do well … thats good enough.

“Nice love story … love it,” added Arasi Gasolina Thiyagu. The video has been shared 550 times within 2 hours the video was posted up. You can watch the video here.

Regarding the video, The Star Online reported that the Education Ministry is in the midst of identifying which school did the incident take place.

“I have not seen the video myself nor am I looking forward to watching it,” said Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan. “But it has come to my attention as some have highlighted the issue,” he added, after visiting candidates sitting for the SPM English paper in SMK Pasir Gudang 3.

What are your thoughts on the video? Let us know in the comments box below.

Sources: The Star, The Rakyat Post (1) (2)


#StrongWomanDoBongSoon: Park Bo Young & Park Hyung Sik To Meet Fans In Singapore!

Any fans of K-Drama “Strong Woman Do Bong Soon” out there?

The main cast of the popular drama, Park Bo Young and Park Hyung Sik, will be meeting fans in Singapore this month. The meet and greet is held in conjunction with Korea Tourism Organisation’s (KTO) travel fair.

“Strong Woman Do Bong Soon” started airing in 24th February on JTBC and has since garnered a large following. It tells the story of Do Bong Soon (played by Park Bo Young) who was born with superhuman strength but wants to become a willowy and elegant woman. She was hired as a bodyguard for rich heir Ahn Min Hyuk (played by Park Hyung Sik) due to her strength and the pair begins their unlikely love story.

Event deets for their meet and greet are as follows:

Apart from seeing them in the event, fans will also stand a chance to take a group photo with the main cast and obtain an autographed poster. All you have to do is join KTO’s contest here.

Here’s a video of the couple inviting you to meet them:

Korea Travel Fair 2017 will be held from 28th to 30th April at Plaza Singapura from 10am to 9:30pm daily. B-boy crew Drifters Stage, Jeongdong Theatre-Lotus, Chef Park Mi Sook, and more will also be putting on special stages for the audience.

For more info, visit Korea Travel Fair’s official website and KTO’s Facebook page.

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Interview: HONNE On What They Like Best About Working With NIKI

When it comes to electronic music, there seems to be a wide range of artists taking this genre up to greater heights but nothing could come close to the accomplishments of popular duo, HONNE!

This group, which consists of James Hatcher and Andy Clutterback have recently made waves with their collaboration with Indonesian singer, NIKI on the song, “Coming Home”. We’ve had the opportunity to talk to them about working with NIKI and inspiration behind the lyrics itself.

With the amount of emotion conveyed throughout the song, be it in the lyrics or the beats, was the song dedicated to a certain someone? If not, was there anyone who inspired you to write the song?

Andy: It’s my wife. She’s the muse for every song, basically. So, we’ve been together for 14 years, if not more.

The lyrics of the song seem to be on a sombre and melancholic note with the feeling of longing encompassing the entire song. What was the thought process behind writing the lyrics?

Andy: At that time, we were out in Los Angeles and I just happened to think about being away from people and from my wife, in particular — the feeling of not being able to be there to look after her came to me. In the song, there was sort of a happy ending that we do end up coming home and that we’d always get back to see each other. That became the pay off which was a nice thing.

Since the theme of the song is oriented towards the feeling of longing towards someone, how would this relate to the current pandemic where loved ones are forced to be separated due to travel restrictions?

James: Andy wrote it about his partner and missing them. But, it has definitely taken on a whole new meaning with the pandemic, such as not being able to see our family who were in the same country. Normally, I’d see my family maybe once a month for a couple of days. Then, there was that period of 6 months where we could not see anyone at all. There are definitely people with worse situations than myself especially, with family members being in different parts of the world.

As a follow up to the previous question, in your opinion, do you think your listeners would resonate with the feeling of longing and missing someone?

Andy: I think maybe it’s happening more with things like the internet but people are connecting online more and they can use applications to connect with one another. I think it’s true that people are forming more relationships online and therefore, may not be in the same location. Therefore, they have a long distance relationship.

James: It’s not hard for someone to live in England and have a relationship with someone from Germany since it’s very easy to stay in touch online and fly to each other. The world has indeed gotten a lot smaller.

Looking back at the previous collaboration with NIKI, how did the collaboration start in the first place?

Andy: Both collaborations happened at the same time when we were back in Los Angeles. It was a complete coincidence that we were working in the same studio as NIKI and we managed to bump into each other. We both had a mutual love for each other. Well, we’ve tried to message her for a while but she had been ignoring us. But while we were there at Los Angeles, we chatted, played some music and she ended up recording her verse on “Coming Home”. On the same day, we said that we wanted to write something random and fresh hence, the verse, “I love you more than I could say” came out as well. It was a productive day.

With two different genres of music for both collaborations, in your opinion, how different was the previous collaboration and the current one? And which was the better one?

James: “More Than I Can Say” was quite the unusual one. The clip that we ended up using was the whole song that we wrote. We just have that one bit with the beat and we just messed around with that — using it at the interlude. Even if NIKI is obviously credited, we didn’t announce it because we had “Coming Home” in the bag and we knew we wanted to release that in the future.

Andy: We just put “More Than I Can Say” out and we didn’t fully announce it because we wanted “Coming Home” to have a proper moment.

What was it like working with NIKI for the second time?

Andy: Fantastic. 10/10. Highly recommended.

James: She’s really funny, knows what to do, what she wants and what she likes. She’s been really nice to deal with and it’s also nice to work with someone as committed as her.

In the era of the pandemic, how different do you think live performances will be moving forward?

James: It’s really hard to know because I went to a festival in England the other day. It looked like a normal festival, actually. Other than that, there were hand sanitisers at the toilets. Since it was outside, there isn’t much of a difference. Indoors, in England, they’ve started playing gigs again and if you’ve been fully vaccinated, you’re allowed to go and treat it like a normal gig. So, I hope at some point, we can come to a situation where it is normal and safe to have gigs worldwide.

What has been the biggest takeaway from 2021 so far?

James: For the first time since the pandemic, we played with our touring band. So, the biggest takeaway is that I actually love playing with the band. It’s really amazing being out for tour and being with our band. They are such lovely people. Friends are really important as well and they really lift me up and give me energy and a lot of happiness. So, I’d try and see as many people as I can and make the most out of socialising again after a long time staying indoors.

What do you like and respect about each other’s artistry and what have you learnt from each other throughout your music career?

James: Andy is one of the best melody and lyric writer that I’ve ever met. He’s really been able to take a feeling and write it concisely in a cute way and produce a really memorable melody.

Andy: I think James is a unique individual. Not all artists can be good creatively and be very good in things like admin work and playing stuff. He is not only an amazing musician, songwriter and producer but he has this other side where he’s determined and gets stuff done. He’s persistent in a good way and that is a winning composition.

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#UnitedWeAre: Hardwell Delivers Debut Album

Over the past few years, Hardwell has become a household name for aspiring electro and progressive house producers, for his influential role in the ever-growing EDM scene.

Voted the world’s Number #1 DJ for the second year in the row, the 27th year old Dutch superstar is also known for his esteemed Revealed Recordings imprint, spectacular live performances, and out of this world originals.

To maintain his elite status in the dance music world, Hardwell has been working hard for the past two years on his debut album, “United We Are”, and it is finally here!

Hardwell’s “United We Are” features some star-studded collaborations including Jason Derulo, Mr. Probz, Tiësto, W&W, Fatman Scoop and many more. The variation in artistes shows the assortment of different genres contained within the 15-track album. “United We Are” is full of both club heaters and festival anthems to set the perfect mood for this year’s festival season.

Check out the “United We Are” mini-mix below and be sure to purchase a copy of the album on iTunes.


Hype’s Now Playing: Jon Bon Jovi – The Moon Represents My Heart (Teresa Teng Cover)

Oh gosh we don’t know about all y’all but our worlds have got to stop colliding for at least a couple of days!

Recently, rock superstar Jon Bon Jovi decided to send a shock through our systems with the release of a “new” song.

We say “new” but we really mean a cover of a popular classic – and a Mandarin one, at that, originally by Teresa Teng.

The evergreen Chinese song (even we know how to sing it!) titled, “Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin”, which can be translated into, “The Moon Represents My Heart”, was made famous by legendary singer Teresa Teng sometime in the 70s. Her singing, described as “soft, sweet, often whispery and restrained”, was considered the “ideal” in gangtai music at that time because striking contrast to the then officially-sanctioned songs in mainland China which were often revolutionary songs.

She became so popular that “within months the country was literally flooded with (her) songs”. “The Moon Represents My Heart,” however, is often cited as one of her best-known or most popular pieces.

Now, Jon Bon Jovi may be known for many things, but singing in Mandarin? Really? There has to be a sound reason behind his surprising decision to cover “The Moon Represents My Heart”, right?

Yup. Jon Bon Jovi decided to take on the challenge as he will be kicking off Bon Jovi‘s first shows ever in China this September. But prior to the shows, he thought it’d be sweet to offer a special gift to his Chinese fans to celebrate the Chinese Valentine’s Day!

Did he ace the “The Moon Represents My Heart” cover? Listen to it here:

Don’t forget! Bon Jovi will also be staging a concert at Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur on 19th September.

Sources: The Straits Times, “The Moon Represents My Heart” Wiki.


Your 411 On St Jerome’s Laneway Festival Singapore 2014

Mark your calendars festival goers for Indie Rock Festival – St Jerome’s Laneway returns to Singapore for its forth year in a row! After receiving such great response last year, the festival will once again take place at The Meadow at Gardens By The Bay, Singapore on January 25th, 2014 (Saturday).

Presenting the most diverse and compelling line up to date, Laneway Festival Singapore 2014 is bound to give festival goers an experience they will never forget. Be prepared to rock out to:

Laneway Festival Singapore 2014′s details are as follows:

Venue: The Meadow at Gardens By The Bay, 18 Marina Gardens Drive, Singapore

*Ticket price excludes $3 booking fee per ticket

Tickets are available online at Sistic and can be collected from the following places:

Make your way to Singapore come January 2014 for an experience like no other! For more information on Laneway Singapore, visit their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter.

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Hype’s Now Playing: Armin van Buuren & W&W – If It Ain’t Dutch

Hailing from that small, picturesque country known for having delivered a huge number of electronic music pioneers to date, Armin van Buuren and W&W are at the forefront of the industry they’ve helped shape.

Continually paving the way for up-and-coming artistes to walk the road to glory, they have perfected the craft of creating everlasting and timeless sounds, making crowds roar and festival grounds tremble.

Preceded by previous collaboration “D# Fat”, their new and monstrous joint effort underlines the importance of all that they’ve brought to the table till this day.

Watch the “If It Ain’t Dutch” snippet below:

Like it? Link to purchase/download or stream here.

Don’t forget to check out our exclusive interview with Armin van Buuren right before his IMS Asia-Pacific 2015 keynote interview here ;)

For more information, hit up Armin van Buuren’s website or Facebook page.


Joe Brooks, Unplugged

When he first posting up his music on his MySpace account, he certainly didn’t expect getting 30,000 plays a day. Much less getting an encouraging amount of response from people from all over the world. At that time, he was only 17 years old. Before long, Joe Brooks became one of the UK’s highest-ranking unsigned artistes.

Currently, Joe is based in Los Angeles and at 25 years of age, he has not only captured new ears with his unmistakable talent but he has also successfully sold out shows worldwide. And now, two weeks before he comes to Malaysia as part of his Asia tour, we speak to him in an exclusive interview organized by our friends from Sony Music Malaysia:

Hi Joe! Where are you right now and what are you currently up to?

“Hi! I’m in Los Angeles watching a little bit of Netflix with my girlfriend”

What were your first thoughts when you heard that you were coming to Malaysia? What have you heard about Malaysia so far and do you have anything specific in mind that you’re super looking forward to?

“I’m beyond excited. I’m excited to bring my full band this time because the last time it was just a trio. So this time we’re really going to rock out and I’m excited for everyone to see it! It’s gonna be a little bit of a different vibe. And the last time, we stayed on a beach for a week and that was really cool. We did a lot of shopping and then we played the show, which was interesting. What would you recommend?”

“Isn’t it a little spicy there? I remember the last time..we had some McDonald’s – it was good! But yeah I’ll definitely keep that in mind, trying Malaysian food.”

So, we know you’ve probably been asked this question a lot but what was the initial push for you to upload your music onto the Internet?

“I was 16 at that time and it was a really new thing to upload music onto the Internet. I was just making demos in my bedroom and I decided to put them up online. And then I started getting comments from people in Australia and in Asia – it was just amazing. So it kinda snowballed and it went from there, and I began to took it more and more seriously. Here I am now eight years later still doing the same thing! (laughs)”

MySpace or the Internet rather, is quite a free-for-all space to promote your music. Now that you’ve signed on with a label, how does it work differently for you? Do you still have creative control over your music?

“Oh, absolutely! I’m an independent musician but I distribute through Sony Music but that, for me, works great. Because Sony Music does fantastic from their end of the market, to record, and to bring me out to Malaysia. But at the same time, I still have creative control when it comes to creating the control. So, yeah I’m really enjoying that mix.”

Where do you usually draw inspiration from when you write music and what’s your songwriting process like?

“It differs every time. Every song, well..for some songs I start with the lyrics because I want to write about a specific thing or because I have an idea in my head. Sometimes, it’s through a chord progression or a riff on the guitar or on the piano. For me, there hasn’t really been like just one way.”

Let’s talk about “The Boy & The Broken Machine”. How’s that coming along and how do you think it’s different from “Constellation Me”?

“It’s basically finished. I’m preparing to master it very soon and it will be coming out really, really shortly. I’m a little behind schedule on it because I want it to sound absolutely perfect so I’m working very hard on it. The concept behind it is basically finding the fight in yourself to follow your dreams and to achieve what you want to achieve in life. It’s more mature than ‘Constellation Me’, it has got more honest lyrics, and it’s extremely eclectic. There’s strings, there’s a banjo, there’s a harmonica, there’s opera, and there’s a hip hop beat..you know, just really eclectic. I’m excited about that!”

[youtube id=”QbRopWBOgLM” width=”600″ height=”350″]

If you weren’t playing music from the acoustic genre, what genres of music would you most likely be dabbling in?

“Probably Americano rock. I like that idea. Like a Counting Crows or a Kings of Leon type of sound.”

Are there any artistes from other genres that you hope to someday collaborate with?

“You know what, I’ve always wondered about mixing a kind of chilled rap or a hip hop beat with acoustic. I don’t know much about rap. Oh, and I think it would be nice to collaborate with someone like Taylor Swift. I can’t say that I listen to her a lot but I do think that she’s very talented. She also seems very sweet!”

Do you have any music listening guilty pleasures? What’s currently on your playlist now – you know, music that would shock your fans if they knew that you were listening to it.

What advice would you give to the talented young ones who want to put their music out there but are afraid to do so? How would you teach them best to follow your footsteps?

“I would say that there are no reasons to be afraid. Be prepared for both positive and negative feedback, but take it with a pinch of salt. At the end of the day, only do it if you’re going to enjoy doing it, otherwise there’s no point. You gotta do it for yourself first and then..hope that other people enjoy it!”

Don’t forget to catch Joe Brooks live at The Bee, Publika on 20th May 2013. For more deets, click!

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Gravity: DAY6 To Bring World Tour To 5 Asian Countries

DAY6 (데이식스) is set to kicked off their “Gravity” world tour starting next month.

Consists of Jae, Sungjin, Young K, Wonpil and Dowoon, the 5-member K-pop/rock group will not only be touring America but also Asia.

Since debuting under JYP Entertainment in 2015, DAY6 has released 3 studio albums and 4 EPs. Their upcoming EP, titled “The Book of Us: Gravity” is set to debut on 15th July 2019. It’ll no doubt mark the beginning of a new era for the boys.

Their “Gravity” world tour will kicked off in South Korea on 9th August where they are scheduled to perform in Seoul, Daegu, and Busan. In addition, here are the other Asian countries that have been added to their pitstops:

Too bad, the group decided to skip Malaysia :(


HyunA Discharged From Hospital, Given Time To Fully Recover

A week ago, K-Pop idol girl group 4 Minute’s HyunA suddenly fainted and was admitted into a hospital in Seoul. It was said that she was suffering from a high fever and dehydration. The rumour was then confirmed by a Cube Entertainment official, who revealed via a phone interview:

HyunA was preparing for her schedule on May 6 when she suffered from high fever and dehydration. Her fever was still high early this morning so she went to the hospital. Her fever went down a lot now. The doctor thinks it’s from overworking. It might be too much to immediately start working after she gets better so we’ll focus on her recovery after receiving a thorough medical examination.

Following which, Cube Entertainment announced that they planned to let the singer recover fully before taking on any rigorous activities. Hence, the other four members of 4Minute continued on with their “What’s Your Name” promotions without HyunA. Here they are performing without her:

[youtube id=”aj9gwPT5Kz8″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

But all is well. We hear that HyunA have since been discharged from the hospital over the weekend after receiving a basic medical check-up. However, Cube Entertainment is taking precautions to make sure that the foxy K-Pop idol is fully recovered before taking on any activities at the moment.


VIXX’s Leo To Perform In Malaysia For K-Performance Show 2019

Korea Tourist Organisation (KTO) Malaysia will be bringing several music artists and performers from South Korea to Malaysia this month for K-Performance Show 2019.

Leo (real name, Jung Taek-woon) who is a member of boy group VIXX will be performing as a solo artist in Malaysia for the first time at the event. The singer-songwriter last came to Malaysia in 2017 for a VIXX fanmeeting tour.

Leo will be joined by rookie k-pop group The T-Bird, art group The Painters, martial art comedy group Jump, and dancers SACHOOM and EDM.

K-Performance Show 2019 will take place on 27th and 28th July (Saturday and Sunday) at KLCC Plenary Hall.

KTO Malaysia is delighted to invite you to the K-Performance Show 2019 on 27 – 28 July 2019 at KLCC Plenary Hall. A total of 10,000 tickets will be given away for FREE through our official ticketing partner: @klookmy , media partner: @astromalaysia. SIGN UP FOR TICKETS NOW: bit.ly/K-PerformanceShow2019 Hope to see you there and let’s enjoy the show together! This event is also supported by: @malaysiaairlines and @SamsungMalaysia

A post shared by  Korea Tourism Organization MY (@kto_malaysia) on Jun 30, 2019 at 10:23pm PDT

A total of 10,000 tickets will be given away for FREE through the official ticketing partner, Klook and media partner, Astro.

There is also a photo contest held during the 2-day event where visitors can stand a chance to win either a Samsung A30 or Samsung A50.

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Fans Swoon Over Lee Chong Wei’s Heartfelt Post On His Son’s Convocation

Datuk Lee Chong Wei recently took to his personal social media to share with his fans a few pictures of his eldest son Kingston Lee’s kindergarten convocation.

In the post, the 37-year-old retired athlete came up with a lengthy caption to express his words of pride for Kingston. Check out the post below:

31 years ago. I had no mortarboard. No robe. No flowers. Just a six-year-old me, wearing my torn out shoes going in front of the class to receive a certificate for completing my kindergarten studies. I didn’t even know what happened. At that moment, I just wanted to get over it and go out to play with my friends. I remembered some kids are crying. I was not. Only that I was laughing at them. Suddenly I was given a friendly slap at the back of my head. It was my mum. Pulling my ear to one side, telling me not to be such a rascal. She said some of them cried because their parents couldn’t make it. Only then I appreciated my family for being there, even though it was just a simple end of year prize giving ceremony. Certainly not a convocation. I went home. With my cert at one hand. And a 10 cent Popsicle on the other hand. It was a gift from dad. That’s all. We went home happy. Today I went to my son’s kindergarten ‘convocation’. If I wasn’t careful, I thought my son graduated with a bachelor’s degree already. Full graduation robe. Rehearsals. Performances. And most kids coming down from stage were given flowers. Maybe the time has changed. But me and my wife had the same smile like when my parents had for me 31 years ago. Kingston did me proud. He got two awards. Haha, despite not significant, an award is still an award. He is certainly better than me when I was his age. He got an award for spelling. I couldn’t even spell ‘spelling’ when I was six. Joke aside. Seeing him went up stage to collect his award gave me goosebumps. I never had a chance to graduate with a university degree. I hope one day, I can live to see my two sons wear the real mortarboard . #gratefultoteachers #gratefultoheadmistress #gratefultoschool 今天是大儿子Kingston的幼儿园毕业典礼，现在的学习环境和30年前真的不一样了，那个物资匮乏的年代，没有鲜花没有四方帽，很多家长甚至忙着工作没有时间出席孩子的毕业典礼，而我们就这样长大了。 如今，时代进步，看着孩子们在一个更为健全的教育制度和环境下学习很是欣慰，嘉谦这个好动的孩子可以拿到听写奖和表现优秀奖，真的觉得很骄傲，感谢校长、班主任、各位老师循循善诱的指导。?

A post shared by  Datuk Wira Lee Chong Wei (@leechongweiofficial) on Nov 16, 2019 at 12:45am PST

In the post, he opened the caption by reminiscing his younger days. According to the world champion, he remembered on how he was such a “rascal” back in the day. “Today I went to my son’s kindergarten ‘convocation’,” Chong Wei wrote, before jokingly adding, “If I wasn’t careful, I thought my son graduated with a bachelor’s degree already.”

Additionally, he pointed out that he is super proud to have an intelligent son like Kingston. “Kingston did me proud. He got two awards. Haha, despite not significant, an award is still an award,” shared the badminton legend.

Chong Wei further added that Kingston is “certainly better than me when I was his age. He got an award for spelling. I couldn’t even spell ‘spelling’ when I was six.” At the time of writing, the Instagram post has received over 69,000 likes.

The comments section has been flooded with congratulatory messages by Chong Wei’s followers. In addition, a few cybernauts have came forward and posted various hilarious reactions to highlight the fact that Kingston’s parents are popular public figures.

“Imagine telling your friends that your father is THE Lee Chong Wei,” one netizen wrote. Another user responded by writing, “And your mother is Wong Mew Choo, fuhh.” Check out other comments here:

Congratulations to Kingston for graduating! We hope you will be able to make your family proud with your further achievements ahead.


#TheMartian: Sebastian Stan, Chiwetel Ejiofor & Mackenzie Davis Join Cast

Director Ridley Scott just won’t stop giving us surprises with his film adaptation of the best-selling novel “The Martian”! And what’s the surprise? The star-studded cast, of course.

Scott has now added Sebastian Stan, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Mackenzie Davis to the star-studded cast! No details were given about their roles but they will be filming alongside the other heavyweight actors such as Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Michael Peña, Jeff Daniels, Sean Bean, and Donald Glover.

“The Martian” is based on Andy Weir’s sci-fi thriller novel of the same name and the story revolves around an American astronaut, Mark Watney (played by Matt Damon) who is stranded alone on Mars and must struggle to survive until NASA can rescue him. The author’s literary agent David Fugate described “The Martian” as “Apollo 13” meets “Castaway” when he sent the story to Julian Pavia at Crown.

Best known for his sci-fi films “Alien” and “Prometheus”, Ridley Scott is set to direct the adaptation while screenwriter Drew Goddard will pen the script based on the novel. 20th Century Fox also hired Simon Kinberg and Aditya Sood as the producers of the film and the production will begin in Budapest in November.

“The Martian” is slated for release on November 25, 2015.


The Last Adventures of Joe’s Left Foot: Hilarious Yet Inspiring Photo Series

It would have been pretty devastating if one were to lose any part of their body. However, this 23-year-old man proved that losing his left foot is not to be the end of the world when he decided to create a funny yet inspiring photo series about his left foot before it was amputated!

Joe Pleban, who created this creative series of photo, had been suffering from a very rare bone/joint disease called Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis (PVNS), which arises in a form of large benign tumour at the knee joint.  However, his condition did not stop him from doing extreme sports including snowboarding, wake boarding, and playing rugby. In fact, he only found out about his joint disease 6 years ago after a wake boarding incident.

He received his first radiation treatment at 21 years old but unfortunately, it didn’t lessen his pain. As the pain worsened day by day, Joe finally opted to have a below-the-knee amputation to get rid of the bone spurs and the pain. Joe’s sister explained that he had degenerative arthritis as well and that his ankle will have zero cartilage left after the amputation.

Before his leg was amputated, Joe stayed positive about his condition and even made a fool out of his left foot by taking pictures of how people could probably do the surgery themselves. He even went as far as getting a tattoo on his left foot with a cheeky description “Please Cut Here” and took pictures of it with his friends, family, and even his favourite bands!

During the Firefly Music Festival, he got his chance to take a picture with New Orleans-based band “Royal Teeth” as well as electro-pop duo “Cherub” after the bands heard about his story.

Two weeks ago, Joe finally has his leg amputated but of course, he didn’t have his sense of humour amputated as well. While taking post-amputation shots, he put on his beard and jokingly said to the nurses, “What took you so long? I’ve been waiting here forever!”

Titled, “The Last Adventures of Joe’s Left Foot”, the photo series became one of the most talked about topics on Reddit after it was uploaded by Joe’s sister (username lightlysaltedtarak). Due to the overwhelming response, he even opened a  “Ask Me Anything” thread to talk about his story with other Reddit users who have been giving him support and encouragement.

Now that he is “right-footed”, the Reddit users who were moved by his story have started a fund-raising campaign and even contacted UNYQ to buy him a prosthetic cover. The company eventually started a Crowdtilt fund for him and will match whatever contributions made by Reddit users. They even decided to give him another prosthetic cover for free if the donation was enough to cover the cost of one prosthetic cover.

Joe’s positive outlook has inspired a lot of people who suffered from the same disease as well as some orthopaedic surgeons. He said his surgeon even showed a picture of his tattoo during a conference in London and that picture somehow became the hit thing at the conference.

Want to know more about this amazingly good sport? Check out his story on the AMA thread on Reddit as well as his Facebook page. Don’t forget to give him some words of encouragement too, while you’re at it!

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Tech Review: 5 Reasons The Jabra Elite 5 Earbuds Are Totally On Point!

In a world where everyone is on the go, we often find ourselves looking for distractions. And for most people, we find that solace in music. Of course, it would then make sense that we’re always on the lookout for the perfect pair of earbuds.

Well, perfection is hard to come by, but we can definitely say the Jabra Elite 5 is the best we’ve experienced! We were given the chance to test out these music-worthy, lifesaving earbuds for ourselves, and here’s what we loved the most about them.

1. Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) Feature

While our earbuds attempt to offer us solace in a loud and busy world, it doesn’t always work out. Sounds from the outside can still seep in and it often feels like we’re using music to compete with the rest of the noise. But, with Jabra Elite 5’s Hybrid ANC powered by the Qualcomm QCC3050 Bluetooth chipset, that isn’t a problem anymore.

The Hybrid ANC feature reliably suppresses a wide range of noises and it works whether you’re on call or just listening to music or a podcast. It uses feedback microphones on the inside of your ear, and feedforward microphones on the outside, which makes it less sensitive to the positioning of your earbuds.

Regardless of where you are, how noisy and crowded it is, the Hybrid ANC can make you feel as though you’re standing alone in a crowd. But, you of course have the ability to turn this function off as well. And, if you need to hear the outside world but don’t want to remove your earbuds, the Adjustable HearThrough feature is also available to help you reconnect with the world temporarily.

One worry we do have with wireless earbuds is, unfortunately, their battery life. No one wants to be caught outside with a dead pair of earphones and nothing to listen to. Thankfully, the Jabra Elite 5 has that covered too! These earbuds have a battery life of 7 hours and with the case, it’s a full 28 hours. That’s more than enough time to enjoy your music, videos and podcasts.

Not only that, the Jabra Elite 5 are comfortable and they don’t leave your ears feeling sore by the end of the day. It certainly helps that the earbuds themselves are a compact fit. They also come with different sized silicon ear gels to help you find a more secure fit and to ensure all-day wearing comfort. And, there’s no worry about exposing them to rain or shine, as these little buds boast an IP55 durability rating.

Switching earphones or earbuds between two devices can be a little tiresome. Thankfully, the Jabra Elite 5 has come up with a solution for that. Using Bluetooth Multipoint, you can connect the Jabra Elite 5 to two devices simultaneously and switch seamlessly between the two. Simply pause one audio and play the other. Also, you don’t have to worry about your earbuds taking an age to pair. With Google Fast Pair and Microsoft swift pair, it only takes seconds to get yourself set up.

The Jabra Elite 5 has been built to give you the best experience, whether you’re on call or just listening to music. Thanks to their 6-mic call tech, you can take a call from anywhere and it will give your voice a helping hand by making it crystal clear. No need to yell over the phone anymore! And, with its 6mm speakers, you’ll also be able to hear your music, or whoever you’re talking to without having to strain your ears.

While most of us may share a love of music, our tastes and preferences will definitely differ. But that’s okay. With the Jabra Elite 5’s customisable equaliser (found in its Jabra Sound+ app), you’ll be able to tweak your music levels to your perfection. Not only that, you can be instantly connected with everyone’s favourite music app, Spotify, with Spotify Tap!

Your wireless Jabra Elite 5 earbuds may be perfect for listening to music. But, they can also call on your preferred voice assistant without you having to use your hands. Simply say the word, and your Google Assistant or Alexa can be activated with your voice.

So, this wasn’t exactly included in the list, but we personally felt like we had to give it a shout out anyway. This feature got us really excited when we tested it. Mainly because the Jabra Elite 5 buttons allow us to access everything with the touch of a finger. Literally.

They have the usual functions. Play/pause, skip a song, etc. But our personal favourite is the fact that you can not only skip a song, you could also restart the song or go back a song. And, your music volume can be easily controlled with the Jabra Elite 5. So, yes, we love it. Very much.

With all that said, we sincerely recommend the Jabra Elite 5 as a worthwhile buy. It truly suits people who need to stay immersed in music, while remaining connected to the world. And it comes in two classy colours: titanium black and gold beige!

The Jabra Elite 5 is priced at RM699 and is available at selected retailers nationwide. It can also be found on Jabra’s Official Shopee and Lazada stores, as well as authorised retailers. For more information, check out their website here.

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Here's what we thought about the Jabra Elite 5.


Furious 7: Film Destroys Box Office Records With US$143.6 Million Debut, #ForPaul

“Furious 7” raced to the top of the domestic box office, picking up a massive US$143.6 million in its opening weekend.

That establishes a new high-water mark for the month of April, blowing past the US$95 million debut of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” as well as marks the highest grossing kick-off for any film in the “Fast and Furious” franchise. It also ranks 9th among the top 10 openings in history.

Audiences flocked to see star Paul Walker in one of his final roles. The actor died in a 2013 car crash at the age of 40 and his work on the film was completed by using digital technology and a series of stand-ins.

BoxOffice.com vice president and chief analyst Phil Contrino said of the high octane 7th “Fast & Furious” instalment:

This is a bittersweet installment in the franchise. Paul Walker’s passing made this movie more intriguing for people who hadn’t seen some of the installments. It raised awareness and its success is a tribute to him.

Universal Pictures spared no expense in bringing the latest chapter in the fast cars and gravity-defying-stunts series to the big screen, shelling out US$190 million on the production.

Even if it meant having to engage the late Paul Walker’s brothers to stand-in for the actor and utilising CG in post-production to “fill in the blanks” for the film.

It unspooled in 4,003 North American theatres, earning US$14 million on 365 Imax screens and US$11.5 million from premium large format screens. Going into the weekend, most analysts estimated that the film would open in the US$115 million range.

Foreign numbers have yet to be released, but they promise to be steroidal. Internationally, the film rolled out across 10,500 screens in 63 territories.

“Furious 7” was released worldwide on 3rd April. Maybe it’s high time for you to go catch it in a cinema near you too, eh? We did already ;)

Meanwhile, check out some “Furious 7” fun facts here.


Hype’s Exclusive: Bihzhu Talks About Performing For Urbanscapes 2013!

Local artist Bihzhu is best known for her soulful and melancholic voice that paints the picture of your favourite Sunday morning records, seamed in sweet caramel-coated harmony in your mind.

Apart from winning the award for Song of the Year at the 2013 Voice Independent Music at the VIMA Music Awards, Bihzhu also took home the award for the Vox Pop Cabaret Song category at the international stage for the 2013 Independent Music Awards (IMA). This 28-year-old singer from Penang has a voice that is so rich and soulful, she sends chills down your spine.

The journey of her musical career has seen her grace the stages of major festivals such as Penang Island Jazz Festival, Roots Nights at Palate Palette, No Black Tie and Melbourne’s Miss Libertine. This musical powerhouse will be playing at Urbanscapes 2013 this year and she speaks to Hype.My in an exclusive interview about her musical journey.

When did you first decide to pursue a career in singing?

I started a band called Rhapsody when I was in college, but decided to go solo only in 2011.

What do you think of the current music industry in Malaysia?

I think, like everywhere in the world, it’s challenging. Many musicians can’t afford to dedicate themselves to music head-on simply because it’s not sustainable. But having said that, it’s encouraging to see the amount of music venues, events and young musicians springing up. Hopefully, the momentum keeps going.

What kind of music did you listen to growing up?

I listened only to my dad’s tapes, so it was full of bands like Peter, Paul & Mary and The Brothers Four.

I wrote a poem called ‘So Scared’, my band mate Ywenna put it to music and voila, our first song was born.

It was about unrequited love. So cliché!

Are your songs usually based on personal experiences?

Almost always. I find it hard to be emotionally honest about something I haven’t personally lived. It’s just like life, really–you can read all about something but it doesn’t mean a thing until you’ve experienced it.

Very important, because I started out as a lyricist and didn’t write melodies until I became a solo artist. And it’s often the first point of inspiration.

Who is your favourite songwriter and why?

I don’t really have a favourite, but I have favourite songs: Sham A Ling Ding Dong by Jesse Winchester for its simplicity and tenderness; Love Rain by Jill Scott and Mos Def for its evocative rhymes – it’s pure genius.

Am currently obsessed with Laura Mvula and Lianne La Havas, but my all-time faves are the lead singer from Fat Freddy’s Drop and Caetano Veloso.

If you could collaborate with one artist, who would it be?

It’s a hard choice between Fat Freddy’s Drop and Caetano Veloso, but I think the latter, if only for the fact that he’s older.

What is your favourite thing about performing?

Getting to share all of me with the audience. It’s like telling the whole world you love it and then hearing it say it loves you right back.

Tell us more about your style of singing and why you chose this genre.

I consider myself a genre-straddler and I just love how different sounds help you express all the different facets of yourself. So as long as I can, I’m going to keep exploring.

How excited are you to be performing at Urbanscapes 2013?

What can fans and our readers expect from you at Urbanscapes 2013?

Who are you looking forward to seeing perform at Urbanscapes 2013?

I try not to have any expectations and am sure I will be happily surprised by all the acts.

Apart from Urbanscapes, what’s next for you?

I’ll be performing on the main stage of the 10th Penang Island Jazz Festival in December, and am working on my second album.

Where can our readers listen to you/watch you perform?

I host a monthly online concert and they can catch it (and previous shows) at new.livestream.com/Bihzhu.

For regular updates on Bihzhu, check out her social media sites – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Here’s something from Bihzhu for you to enjoy, don’t forget to catch her at Urbanscapes 2013!

You might also like:

Hype’s Exclusive: Kyoto Protocol Set To Rock It At Urbanscapes 2013

Hype’s Exclusive: They Will Kill Us All At Urbanscapes 2013

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


#MadMax: Director George Miller Teases More Details On Sequel

Despite not being able to top the weekend box office in its debut frame, George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” is slowly making its way to become one of the best blockbuster films this summer.

With critics and fans alike calling it “the best action movie of all time”, the demand for a sequel is only getting higher.

After leading actor Tom Hardy revealed that he has signed on to reprise his role a few more times, Miller has disclosed more information regarding the sequel in a recent interview on “The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith“.

As you may already know, “Fury Road” has been in development hell for almost 25 years and it was originally slated to film in 2001. The director was also forced to recast Max when original actor Mel Gibson was in his well publicised meltdown. As such, Hardy was chosen to replace Gibson in the movie.

Though “Fury Road” is said to be the sequel to the original “Mad Max” franchise, Miller considered it to be the first of a trilogy as producer Doug Mitchell said that a script has already been written for its sequel.

It was rumoured that the sequel will focus on Charlize Theron‘s character, as it was tentatively titled “Furiosa”. It should also be noted that Miller revealed that he was originally planing to make an anime based on Furiosa’s backstory.

When asked about the sequel, Mille said:

We’ve got one screenplay and a novella. It happened because with the delays (on “Fury Road”), and writing all the backstories, they just expanded.

However, the filmmaker also said that the sequel now has a new title – “Mad Max: The Wasteland”. This spurred confusion among fans, as it is unclear whether the screenplay has been rewritten or remains unchanged. It certainly aroused curiosities as to whether a spin-off movie based on Furiosa will be developed instead.

No matter what the sequel will be called, we hope that it will be as good as the original. In fact, we hope to see more Max and Furiosa in it!

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments box below.


PUMA Parties For The “Evolution of Suede”

Sportlifestyle company PUMA celebrates the Suede’s 45 years of evolution into a street icon with “Evolution of Suede” celebration at Black Box, MAP Gallery, Publika. The event is reminiscence of a hip hop street party and brings PUMA enthusiasts down a walk in memory lane on the evolution of dance and hip hop, with ample displays of the PUMA Suede.

With drinks sponsored by Tiger Beer, the evening brought together the hip and trendy, plus prominent personalities from the urbanite movement to bring fellow PUMA enthusiasts together and remember the age of street hip hop. Guests include Ben from Fly FM, Jin from JinnyboyTV, dance groups Elecoldxhot & Kartoon Network, and TV host, Rina Omar were seen enjoying the event together with other PUMA supporters.

The main highlight of the party was the four eight-feet 2058 Future Suede that were envisioned and designed by eight individuals from different subcultures. After an evolution of dance routine by Elecoldxhot, Andrew T Crum, Sueann Chong, Miranda Yeoh, Twilight Action Girl, and Newba, the eight-feet 2058 Future Suede designers,were called upon to share the inspiration behind their designs.

PUMA also collaborated with Raising The Bar to bring the hip-hop vibe to the night. An MC showdown by DJ Fuzz and H3, along with a DJ showdown added to the hiphop atmosphere that relates to the history of the Suede.

An Instagram contest was held during the party where media and guests posted live feeds to the PUMA hashtag, #ForTheStreet, #MY, and tag @Puma on Instagram. Blogger Bok Chou Loong emerged triumphant with his creativity and walked home with a pair of PUMA Suede. The Instagram contest that happened during the party is an ongoing contest to continue building the hype towards the finale party.

The four giant 2058 Future Suede designed by the eight individuals will be exhibited at Publika from 28th February 2013 to 11th March 2013.

For more pictures from the launch, click! For more information, hit up PUMA Malaysia’s Facebook page.

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#Fuel: RON95 & RON97 Unchanged, Diesel Price Up By 5 Sen Effective 1st March

Phew! If fuel prices aren’t going down, then the next best thing we can hope for is to remain unchanged.

Petron petrol dealer Datuk Alang Zari Ishak has confirmed that petrol prices will remain the same as February. Unfortunately for diesel users, the price of diesel by 5 sen per litre.

Starting today (Wednesday, 1st March), the new retail price for diesel has also been adjusted to RM2.20 per litre (up 5 sen) and Euro 5 diesel at RM2.30 per litre (up 5 sen). As aforementioned, prices for RON95 and RON97 stand at RM2.30 and RM2.60 per litre respectively.

For the past 2 months, fuel prices have consistently increased – 20 sen in January, and 20 sen again in last month. However, it has been announced that motorcyclists will be given free petrol from April onwards.


#BeforeYouExit: Pop Band To Visit Malaysia, Singapore, & Philippines For Asia Tour

Any fans of Before You Exit out there? ‘Cos we’ve got news that will brighten up your Wednesday!

The pop band will be making their way to South East Asia for an exclusive tour, and will visit Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong in February and March next year.

The group was formed in 2007, and consists of members Riley McDonough, Connor McDonough, and Toby McDonough, who are also brothers. Their first extended play was released in 2009, titled “A Short Story Long”, and they also auditioned X Factor USA, but dropped out as they felt that the competition wasn’t for them.

In March this year, Before You Exit made their “biggest announcement ever” and revealed a new EP, “All The Lights”. The tracks “Model” and “When I’m Gone” was featured in the album, which was met with positive response from fans.

To promote their latest album, they’ll embark on an Asia tour, which will kick off in Manila on 24th February. They’ll then perform in Malaysia before heading to Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Deets for their Malaysian leg of the concert are as follows:

Ticket sales will begin on 5th December at 10am, and fans will be able to snag them via Ticketpro’s website.

Unfortunately, ticketing prices hasn’t been released yet, so remember to check this post for updates!

For more info, visit Before You Exit’s official website and Facebook page.


Zedd Wants You To Stop Smoking/Not Smoke At All

Oh, you know, it’s just Zedd‘s intense stare, telling you not to smoke.

The Real Cost, an anti-smoking organisation, recently released a series of anti-smoking videos. One of them featured our very own electronic dance music darling, Zedd. There are 2 videos that feature him – one of them is a full interview with Zedd while the other features an exclusive instrumental performance of Zedd’s hit single, “Stay The Night“:

In the interview, Zedd talks about his childhood, how he got into music (look out for that one because he tells a cute story about his parents), and where he draws his inspirations from. He also says:

I need to feel inspired, and I need to have energy… for that to happen, you need to sleep, eat, and try to be healthy. You have to know for yourself; what’s right for you, what’s wrong for you, what you would be sacrificing by smoking. What I would be sacrificing is my health and potentially not being able to do what I love, which is making music, for as long as possible, and I don’t want anything to take away from that.

So, you ready to check out the interview? Here:

We’re just like, “Take my money!” even if there isn’t any to be taken. Such a cutie!

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TOUS Malaysia Opens Its Flagship Store In Bangsar Village II

If you love contemporary and classy jewelries, then you’re probably already a fan of TOUS Malaysia. Good news ladies, cause the company has recently launched its first ever flagship store!

With two kiosks already up and established in Pavillion Kuala Lumpur and Sunway Pyramid shopping mall, now a bigger and a more exclusive retail store opens in Bangsar Village II.

Offering more than just jewelries in their brand new 721 square feet store, TOUS Bangsar offers you handbags, leather products, watches, scarves, and perfumes as well. Each and every collection are made with full of attention and goes back to the roots of the brand’s style while keeping in mind of the stories each piece tells. All the jewelries were crafted in 18k gold, 925 sterling silver, and vermeil silver to give off an exclusive look and feel.

With the exclusive store completed by the luxurious interior that is utilised to every corner, you can browse and experience their wide-ranged products showcased on display. You can walk around and let your eyes feast before you swipe that card. What’s even better is, the spacious area encourages physical and social distancing, so you can shop with peace of mind.

They also offer you their latest collections in their store; the Valentine collection of “Express Yourself” and the Crossword collection for their jewelries, while for leather goods they have their TOUS Damas, TOUS Empire, TOUS Empire Cotton, and TOUS Funny in store up for grabs.

So, what are you waiting for? Head over to TOUS Bangsar and indulge yourself in exclusivity today!

Location: Bangsar Village, 2. 2, Jln Telawi 3, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur