5 Reasons Why The New Gundam Live-Action Movie Will Probably Fail

Japan’s most famous mecha anime franchise, “Gundam” is getting a Hollywood live-action treatment by Legendary Pictures along with Sunrise Inc, the animation studio of said anime.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the announcement of the collaboration was made on Thursday at Los Angeles’ 2018 Anime Expo, and the project will be overseen by Cale Boyter on behalf of Legendary with the Sunrise creative team.

Details of the upcoming movie adaptation are scarce, but here is a brief synopsis for the premise of the original anime series.

“The original Gundam series, which began in 1979, is set in the Universal Century, an era in which people have emigrated to space colonies because of a growing population on Earth. Eventually, the people living in the colonies seek their autonomy, and launch a war of independence against the people on Earth. Battles are fought by piloting robots known as mobile suits.”

So “Gundam” is one of the most popular anime franchises in Japan and also around the world, spawning numerous television series, OVAs, films, manga, novels, video games, and not to mention that it has a huge following as well.

With that being said, making a live-action out of this beloved franchise is a huge risk and we’re pretty sure that the anime-turned-movie format never works out well.  That is why, we got a feeling that Legendary’s upcoming adaptation won’t turn out as decent as many would have hope for, and here are 5 reasons why.

Over the years, Hollywood has experimented with plenty of popular anime titles and most of them turned out to be horrible. Some examples include “Dragonball Evolution”, Netflix’s “Death Note”, the 1995 “Fist of the North Star”, The Wachowski Brothers’ “Speed Racer”, and last year’s “Ghost in the Shell”. None of the films mentioned got a decent score by film critics and all of them are box office flops.

Legendary Pictures is also the same company behind another giant robot franchise, “Pacific Rim”. While the first movie is a huge success as it received generally positive reviews and huge box office returns, the sequel “Pacific Rim: Uprising” didn’t do quite as well. Furthermore, Cale Boyter is also one of the producers for the “Pacific Rim” sequel.

Since this is Hollywood, we don’t think Legendary would get an all-Asian cast for this huge project, at most, the studio may cast only 2 to 3 Asian for some key roles, while the other characters may either be changed, omitted, or replaced so that white, black and possibly Latino actors can play some roles in the movie. Also, previously there is Canadian movie adaptation of “Gundam” called “G-Saviour” in 2000, and it was pretty bad.

When you’re adapting a film from another source, it is impossible to stay completely true to it – especially a popular anime series which got like hundreds of episodes. So this part may be a bit unavoidable. Plus, if point number 3 does happen, all the more reason for the studio to change its plot.

There’s a chance that the studio might hire an all-Japanese team to make the film work (Though we feel that is highly unlikely), but if they do, the film would work out either way, because even the Japanese couldn’t make a decent live-action anime film. Some examples are “Attack on Titan”, “Fullmetal Alchemist”, “Tokyo Ghoul”, “Blood: The Last Vampire”, and more. Nevertheless, there are a few rare ones that are somewhat enjoyable like “Rurouni Kenshin”, “Death Note”, “Oldboy”, “Nana”, but they’re still lacking compared to the originals.

In conclusion, we understand that adapting a popular source is not easy – be it an anime, novel, TV series, or remaking an iconic film – because the studio would need to meet the expectation of thousands of fans.

But Legendary Pictures already has the knowledge and experience of creating a giant robot franchise, and the first “Pacific Rim” is actually quite good. So, we do hope that for the upcoming “Gundam” movie, the studio would put effort to hire the right director and cast, and also work closely with the original Japanese animators and team to make this highly-anticipated adaptation as good or better than “Pacific Rim” franchise.

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Making A Comeback! Sheila Majid Announces One-Night-Only KL Concert In 2023!

You’ve heard her on the radio, you’ve seen her on TV, and you might even have enjoyed her IG Live jamming sessions during the lockdown. Now is your chance to see her live on stage as the legendary, incomparable Dato’ Sheila Majid just announced her next big project coming next year in 2023!

History will definitely be made so don’t miss your chance to be part of it. The music icon is launching her comeback with a mega concert titled, “Sheila Majid BIG BAND Live in Kuala Lumpur 2023”, which also marks the singer’s first solo concert since 2017.

“Dato’ Sheila Majid is a legend in the music industry. Together with Altus ProHouse and our production partners, Level Up, we at JioBuddy will do our best to reward her fans with the best possible experience,” said Sean Ng, CEO of JioBuddy during the press conference held yesterday (Wednesday, 7th December). He added that the mega concert symbolises the revitalisation of Malaysia’s music scene since the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was also announced that the upcoming concert will take place on 18th March 2023 at Dewan Merdeka at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL). What makes this concert special is that 23 talented musicians will be onstage invigorating Sheila’s performance with their jazz instruments. The 13 horn players, 7 band members, and 3 backup singers will be led by celebrated music director, Mac Chew.

When asked why the upcoming concert will be held for one night only, the “Sinara” songstress answered that it’s about seizing the moment. “To me, it’s a moment that will only be captured for one night only and then no more. I prefer to do my shows for only one night and then you’re going to have to catch me somewhere else,” she said. The singer also revealed that they’re currently in the middle of selecting the songs for the setlist and fans can expect new arrangements for many of her hits.

“The ‘Sheila Majid BIG BAND Live in Kuala Lumpur 2023′ is a way for me to reconnect with my fans and entertain them once again with my songs. Their strength has supported me throughout my career. I promise to make this concert an unforgettable experience for us all,” said the legendary singer.

Tickets are priced at RM288 (Bronze), RM488 (Silver), RM588 (Gold), RM688 (Platinum), RM888 (Diamond), and RM1,288 (VVIP), and can be purchased at www.Jiobuddy.asia starting at 11am on 12th December! Those who purchased the VVIP tickets will be entitled to have an individual photo session with Sheila Majid so hurry before they’re sold out!

Dato Sheila Majid will return to the stage for her 1-night-only “Big Band” Concert in 2023! #datosheilamajid #sheilamajid #sheilamajidbigband

♬ original sound – hypemalaysia – Hype Malaysia


#ShrekTheMusical: DreamWorks’ Award-Winning Broadway Show Comes To Malaysia!

“Shrek The Musical”, based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film is coming to Malaysia for the very first time as part of its first ever international tour!

The show, organised by Base Entertainment Asia, is described by USA Today as a “BIG FAT HIT!”, and will be playing at Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur for a limited season only.

This award-winning musical will bring the well-loved characters from the animated series to life, in a hilarious and spectacular production – direct from Broadway to Kuala Lumpur.

This live adaptation of the popular animation film Shrek brings the hilarious story of everyone’s favourite ogre to the stage. In a far away kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an ogre – not a handsome prince – shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey that does not keep quiet, a villain with a short temper, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand and his name is Shrek.

With more than 60 scene changes, 60 moving lights and stage setup cost of more than USD 300,000, Malaysians can definitely anticipate a world class production, jam-packed with laughter that will have audiences believing in happily ever after at the end of the show.

*Excludes the ticketing fee of RM4 per ticket

Tickets go on sale today via www.ticketcharge.com.my or via Ticket Charge Outlets (Chamber Music, Eden Ultimate, Rock Corner, Vistoria Music Centre, Speedy, Neway Karaoke Box, 1Shamelin, PJ Live arts, The Mines).

“Shrek The Musical” features a book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize® winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole, Good People), music by Olivier Award-winner Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Caroline, or Change). “Shrek The Musical” is choreographed by Chris Bailey and directed by Stephen Sposito who served as Associate Director of the Broadway revival How to Succeed in Business starring Daniel Radcliff. Costumes are the Tony Award® winner designs by Tim Hatley (Private Lives, Spamalot).

This production of “Shrek The Musical” is produced by Broadway Entertainment Group FZ LLC and NETworks Presentations, LLC and presented by BASE Entertainment Asia.

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Risqué Movies That Might As Well Have Been Porn, Seriously

We’ve done the B-movies, both bad and good, now here’s a list of some mainstream feature films that left noticeable impressions with audiences around the world because, well, these movies were so risqué, they could possibly easily be mistaken for porn. So it’s safe to say that some of these movies, even if they made it into the Malaysian cinemas, would’ve been censored till kingdom come, of course. Also, most of these even had A-list Hollywood stars e.g. Tom Cruise, Shia LaBeouf, Christian Slater, Sharon Stone, just to name a few, in the casts.

What’s more surprising is that there were even a few that claimed that they had scenes in which were no way staged or simulated. By that, we mean that some of the scenes (read: sex) were real, for “artistic” purposes, they claimed. Which ones? Time for you to find out in the below list of “near-porno motion pictures”:

Basic Instinct is a 1992 American neo-noir and erotic thriller film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, and starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone. The film is about a police detective, Nick Curran (played by Michael Douglas), who is investigating the brutal murder of a wealthy rock star. During the investigation Curran becomes involved in a torrid and intense relationship with the prime suspect, Catherine Tramell (played by Michael Stone), an enigmatic writer. The most popular scene in Basic Instinct was Sharon Stone’s police interrogation scene which involved a provocative leg-crossing move. Pretty sure anyone who has watched it remembers that one, the most paused moment in cinematic history.

Showgirls is a 1995 American drama film written by Joe Eszterhas and directed by Paul Verhoeven. It stars former teen actress Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, and Gina Gershon. The film centres on a “street-smart” drifter who ventures to Las Vegas and climbs the seedy hierarchy from stripper to showgirl. Significant controversy surrounding the film’s amounts of sex and nudity preceded its theatrical release. In US, the film was rated NC-17 for “nudity and erotic sexuality throughout, some graphic language and sexual violence.” Showgirls was the first (and to date only) NC-17 rated film to be given a wide release in mainstream theatres. Distributor United Artists dispatched several hundred staffers to theatres across North America playing Showgirls in order to ensure that patrons would not be sneaking into the theatre from other films, and to make sure the film-goers were over the age of 17.

Wild Things (also known as Sex Crimes) is a 1998 American erotic thriller film starring Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell, Kevin Bacon, Denise Richards, and Theresa Russell. It was directed by John McNaughton. The story centres on a Miami area high school guidance counsellor, Sam Lombardo (played by Matt Dillon), is accused of rape by two female students, the wealthy and popular Kelly Van Ryan (played by Denise Richards) and poor outcast Suzie Toller (played by Neve Campbell), and hires lawyer Kenneth Bowden (played by Bill Murray) to defend him. Wild Things gained notoriety for featuring several sex scenes – in particular, one involving a man and two women simultaneously – that were more explicit than is typically seen in mainstream, big-budget Hollywood releases. The film has a MPAA rating of R for “strong sexuality, nudity, language, and violence”.

Eyes Wide Shut is a 1999 American erotic thriller film loosely based upon Arthur Schnitzler’s 1926 novella Dream Story. The film was directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick. The story, set in and around New York City, follows the sexually charged adventures of Dr. Bill Harford (played by Tom Cruise), who is shocked when his wife, Alice (played by Nicole Kidman), reveals that she had contemplated an affair a year earlier. He embarks on a night-long adventure, during which he infiltrates a massive masked orgy of an unnamed secret society. Eyes Wide Shut was highly popular because Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, an item in real life at that time, engaged in intimate scenes.

Jan Dara (Thai: จัน ดารา) is a 2001 Thai erotic-period-drama film directed and co-written by Nonzee Nimibutr and co-starring Hong Kong cinema actress Christy Chung. It is based on a novel by Utsana Phloengtham. The film premiered at the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival. In Thailand, the film was controversial because its sex scenes tested the censorship bounds of the 1930 Film Act. However, it went on to win a Thailand National Film Association Award for Best Art Direction (for Ek Iemchuen) and Best Cinematography (for Nattawut Kittikhun). Jan Dara was also nominated for best screenplay and best sound.

The Brown Bunny is a 2003 American independent art house film written, produced and directed by Vincent Gallo about a motorcycle racer on a cross-country drive who is haunted by memories of his former lover. The film stars Gallo and Chloë Sevigny in the two central roles, as well as a cameo performance by American former model Cheryl Tiegs. It was filmed on handheld 16 mm cameras in various locations throughout US, including New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Missouri, Utah, Nevada, and California. The Brown Bunny garnered a great deal of media attention because of the explicit and unsimulated sex in the final scene between director Gallo and actress Chloë Sevigny, who were an item in real life at that time. The film had its world premiere at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.

NYMPH()MANIAC is a 2013 2-part drama art film written and directed by Lars von Trier. The film stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgård, Stacy Martin, Shia LaBeouf, Christian Slater, Connie Nielsen, Jamie Bell, Uma Thurman, and Willem Dafoe. The story centres on Joe (played by Charlotte Gainsbourg), a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac who is discovered badly beaten in an alley by an older bachelor, Seligman (played by Stellan Skarsgård), who takes her into his home. As he tends to her wounds, she recounts the erotic story of her adolescence and young-adulthood (portrayed in flashback by newcomer Stacy Martin). There were rumours at first that Shia LaBeouf’s sex scenes with Stacy Martin were unsimulated but those rumours were later debunked because although their sex scenes were real, they performed by porn body doubles. The film was originally supposed to be only one movie, but because of its 4-hour, length Lars von Trier made the decision to split the project into 2 separate films. NYMPH()MANIAC has been nominated for the 2014 Nordic Council Film Prize.

Sure, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here because the film adaptation of Fifty Shads of Grey will only be released in February 2015. However, if you’ve read the books and if the movie is going to be anything like the books, well, then it’s not exactly rocket science that it probably won’t make it into Malaysian cinemas. Fifty Shades of Grey is a 2011 erotic romance novel by British author E. L. James. It is the first instalment in the Fifty Shades trilogy that traces the deepening relationship between a college graduate, Anastasia Steele, and a young business magnate, Christian Grey. It is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes featuring elements of sexual practices involving bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, and sadism/masochism (BDSM). The second and third volumes, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, were published in 2012. Fifty Shades of Grey has topped best-seller lists around the world, including those of the UK and US. The series has sold over 100 million copies worldwide and been translated into 52 languages, and set the record as the fastest-selling paperback of all time.

Got anymore that you’d like to add to the above list? Let us know in the comment box below!


#IKEACheras: Second IKEA Store In Malaysia To Open On Thursday, 19th Nov 2015

Get ready for the biggest housewarming party ever because the opening of the second IKEA store in Malaysia is confirmed to take place on Thursday, 19th November 2015.

Located at Jalan Cochrane, Cheras, the new store reigns as the biggest IKEA store in Malaysia. Featuring a 42,000 square-metre shopping space, which is 20% bigger than the Damansara store, it is complemented with 780 restaurant seats and 1,762 parking bays.

Leading up to the opening, IKEA released a music video inviting Malaysians from all walks of life to join the celebration at IKEA Cheras. The video spotlights a series of iconic IKEA products dancing to a catchy tune titled, “Get Cheras to IKEA Cheras”.

Of course, it goes without saying that there’ll be exciting and fun in-store activities for the whole family. After all, it’s a highly anticipated celebration as it marks a significant milestone for IKEA Malaysia since the opening of its first full-concept store 12 years ago ;)

IKEA Cheras is easily accessible via the city centre and major highways including MAJU Expressway, SMART, and MEX highways. Shoppers can also take advantage of the Cochrane MRT connectivity come 2017.

For more information on the IKEA Cheras store opening, visit their microsite.

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Malaysia Scores Big Time With Newest Sports Portal, Fourth Official!

Would you consider yourself the world’s biggest fan of the UEFA Champions League? So much so that you even hang on to every word during the post-match analysis? Do you follow the Formula Grand Prix 1 so closely that you can almost smell it when the race cars smoke each other on the tracks? Does Malaysia winning the Thomas Cup mean much more than just a public holiday to you?

Then you need FourthOfficial.com in your life.

At FourthOfficial.com, you won’t find your regular game analysis, neither will you want your customary injury updates. What you will definitively find is the truth, completely unfiltered, presented to you by raw and opinionated threads, in the most transparent manner.

Equipped with a fine mix of renowned Malaysian journalists and a select number of highly acclaimed international sports writers, FourthOfficial.com is definitely the place to be for the absolute truth on all things sports including football, motorsports, badminton, tennis, and even basketball.

Their football team is unique, with each and everyone of them coming from a unique background, within the sports media industry. Moreover, they have also secured the services of world famous journalists in the form of Uli Hesse, James Eastham, and Paolo Bandini. Football will be the primary focus for now but the presence of other sports will slowly grow within the site as we move forward. But one thing’s for sure, their articles will offer unique perspectives that aren’t available anywhere else. See, they don’t beat around the bush. The only thing they do with sports, is call it as it is.

Seriously though, why go to multiple sites for the latest all things sports when you can find all of it in one place? Exactly!

For more information, visit their website or their Facebook page.


MTV Asia To Broadcast The “2019 One K Concert” Via Twitter

The 3rd edition of One K Concert was held at the National Assembly Building in South Korea on 1st March 2019.

For those who were unable to catch the full showcase, you can now watch it via MTV Asia who will be broadcasting the concert on its Twitter account.

A post shared by One K 글로벌 캠페인 (@onekcampaign)

Being the 1st cable broadcaster of the concert in Southeast Asia, MTV Asia is partnering with Twitter to stream the “2019 One K Concert” to help as many fans as possible to get their dose of Kpop.

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of a movement towards independence in South Korea, over 20 Kpop stars lent their voices in this concert that signifies the message of “One Dream, One Korea, One World”.

“The 2019 One K Concert as well as our weekly live airing of music variety programme, The Show, allow fans to catch performances by new bands, well-known artists, and rising stars from the Korean music industry,” said Abhishek K Rao, Senior Director, MTV Brand, Southeast Asia.

Hosted by boy band Astro’s Cha Eun Woo and girl group Gugudan’s Kim Se-Jeong, the star-studded lineup includes Ha Sung Woon, OH MY GIRL, MONSTA X, APRIL, ASTRO, SF9, (G)I-dle, LABOUM, SONAMOO, CLC, DREAMCATCHER, KARD, ONF, TRCNG, DUETTO, Kim Jo Han, Baek Ji-Young, Jung In, ALi, Cheetah, BEN, Seo JiAn, Gilgu Bonggu, and Juniel.

The “2019 One K Concert” airs tomorrow on 26th March 2019 at 10.40pm on MTV’s official Twitter handle @mtvasia. The repeat linear telecast will be on 27th March 2019 at 10am as well as 4pm.

“This collaboration is part of Twitter’s ongoing collaboration with Viacom International Media Networks to bring more of their premium content to Twitter,” said Carl Cheng, Head of Entertainment Partnerships, Twitter, Southeast Asia & Greater China.

“This also provides #KpopTwitter fans around the region the unique experience to enjoy the concert and join in conversations about their favourite music and musicians,” Cheng continued.

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10 Awesome 90s Boy Bands That We Still Very Much Love

In today’s time, the world of boy band begins and ends with One Direction. Yet, if you go back to the late 80s all the way to the early 2000s, you’ll notice that it was during that period in time where boy bands ruled the music industry. With their synchronised dance moves to utterly ridiculous outfits, these boy bands sold millions of records and toured across the globe.

Now, you may fondly remember some of these boy bands while not remembering the rest at all. Unfortunately for us, the boy band era ended as we saw Nick Lachey sign a reality television deal and Justin Timberlake moving into acting while most of the other band members waited in the wings, ready to jump on a comeback whenever opportunity presented itself.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane and look at 10 of our most loved boy bands who, at one period in most of our lives, had a poster on our bedrooms walls and held a special place in our hearts.

Made up off A.K. McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell, the Backstreet Boys were one of the biggest boy bands back in the 90s. Just you try to dispute that!

Formed in 1993, they were the first group to send 7 albums straight to top 10 on the Billboard 200 since Sade. Apart from a trio of number #1 albums, the Backstreet Boys also tallied up six Hot 100 top 10 hits including some of their most loved tunes like “I Want It That Way” and “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart).” Some of their most popular songs include “Shape Of My Heart”, “Larger Than Life”, “Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely”, “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)”, and “Incomplete.”

Made up off Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, and Lance Bass, ‘N Synce was arguably one of the most famous boy bands despite having one of the most short-lived boy band careers. Having sold more than 1 million copies of the second album No Strings Attached in a single week, the Grammy-nominated band disbanded in 2002.

Band member Justin Timberlake then moved on to launch a very successful solo and acting career.

American R&B vocal group, Boyz II Men are best known for their emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. With 4 Grammy awards and 22 years under their belts, the crooners of this boy band are some of the most successful in boy band history. Apart from scoring a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Boyz II Men has earned multi-platinum status on over 10 different albums, scored a list of Hot 100 Number #1s including “End Of The Road”, “On Bended Knee”, and “One Sweet Day” featuring Mariah Carey.

English boy band 911 consisted of Lee Brennan (boy, was he cute), Jimmy Constable, and Simon “Spike” Dawbarn were formed in 1992.

Their debut single “Night To Remember” was released in May 1996 and was soon followed by their debut album, “The Journey”. In their 5 years together, 911 scored ten UK top 10 singles, sold 10 million singles and 6 million albums around the world. Some of their most popular hits include “A Night To Remember,” “The Day We Find Love,” and “A Little Bit More.”

Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen, and Robbie Williams (yes, THAT Robbie Williams) made up British boy band Take That. Throughout their boy band career, the boys had 27 top 40 singles and 16 top 5 singles in the UK alone, 11 of which peaked at number #1 as well as seven number #1 albums.

Robbie Williams left Take That in 1995 while the 4 remaining members completed their world tour and dropped their final single before going separate ways in 1996. The band however made a come back in 2005 before Robbie Williams rejoined them in 2012. The reunion was short lived as Jason Orange left the band in 2014.

Also initialised as NKOTB, American boy band New Kids On The Black was formed in 1984 by producer Maurice Star.

Made up of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Dannie Wahlberg and Danny Wood, NKOTB rode the crest of the boy band mania in the late 80s, left the scene and made a comeback in 2008. With 7 studio albums, NKOTB has taken home 2 American Music Awards, hit the Hot 100 13 times, and had 9 albums on the Billboard 200. Their 2008 comeback lead to them teaming up with Backstreet Boys in 2011 as supergroup NKOTBSB.

Sean Conlon, Ritchie Nevill, Scott Robinson, Abz Love, and Jason “J” Brown made up English boy band Five, stylised as 5ive. Known for their hit single “When The Lights Go Out”, “Got The Feelin'”, “If Ya Gettin’ Down”, 5ive have sold a minimum of 1.5 million albums and 2 million singles in the UK alone.

The boy band split up on 27th September 2001 after selling 20 million records worldwide.

With lyrics such as “For better or worse, till death do us part, I’ll love you with every beat of my heart”, All-4-One’s “I Swear” was the song that everyone waited to dance to at their high school prom with their teenage crush.

Harmony-driven pop-meets-R&B boy band All-4-One saw most of their success in the mid 90s. Driven by their first 2 albums and with one slow jam number #1 mega-hit “I Swear”, All-4-One earned a Grammy award and stayed comfortably at the Hot 100 for 11 weeks. They are known for hit singles “I Can Love You Like That”, and “So Much In Love.”

Made up of brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zan Hanson, the brothers earned 3 Grammy nominations and 22 weeks on hot 100 chart for their hit single from the highly successful debut album, “Middle Of Nowhere”. The brothers left Def Jam Records to form their own label in the early 2000s and has sold over 16 million records worldwide. They have also had 8 top 40 albums and 6 top 40 singles in the US, as well as 8 top 40 singles in the UK throughout their career.

Ohio-born boy band consisting of brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre, and Jeff Timmons, was formed in Los Angeles. Unlike most boy bands, 98 Degrees formed independently and were signed to Motown to release their first album in 1997. After going on hiatus in 2002, Nick Lachey scored a reality show gig with ex-wife Jessica Simpson and the group reunited in 2012 for a one-time performance at Mixtape Festival. Some of their most popular songs include “My Everything”, “The Hardest Thing”, “Invisible Ma”, and “I Do.”

Ahh listening to all these songs from these boy bands has had us reminiscing on the good ol’ days. If you were big into boy bands in the 90s and if your favourite didn’t make our list, share it with us by sounding off in the comments.

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#S2OFestival2016: Bangkok & Asia’s Biggest Songkran Music Festival Returns

Songkran, known for its iconic water festival, is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year from 13th – 15th April. In a month’s time, Bangkok and Asia’s biggest 3-day Songkran music festival, S₂O, will return with its 2nd edition at the heart of the capital at party central Show DC Oasis Arena.

Last year’s 4-day S₂O festival attracted a total of 34,00 people. Of whom, 20% were revellers from Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, and Indonesia.

Organiser Woody World is anticipating a spike of some 36,000 fun-seekers over 3 days, with 12,000 on each night this year.

S₂O 2016 packs a punch compared to last year’s (S₂O 2015 main draw were Deadmau5 and Afrojack) as it promises to wow revellers with an even more elaborate staging and impressive line-up of international acts – headliners Afrojack, Nicky Romero, Deorro, and MAKJ – alongside Apster, D-Wayne, Oliver Rosa, Quintino, Ravitez, Soda, Tony Junior, VINAI, Wolf Pack, and YVES V.

Day 1 will see American superstar DJs Deorro and MAKJ’s first ever festival show in Thailand while Day 2 will be headlined by Nicky Romero (NL), alongside VINAI (IT) and YVES V (BE). Day 3, which is the finale of S₂O, will see Dutch DJ Afrojack present his curated programme – JACKED – for the first time in
Thailand on 15th April (5pm – midnight).

On top of that, some of the new water features that will provide for an even better Songkran party experience this year include:

Last but not least, while fun-seekers will be wet, they certainly won’t be hungry!

There will be dozens of Bangkok’s best food trucks and hawker food stalls camping out on the festival ground, serving everything from Thai favourites, ramen to comfort food, and burgers, with prices starting from US$1 (35 THB).

Tickets are available for purchase here.

For more pictures from last year’s event, check out the gallery below:

For more information, visit S2O Songkran Music Festival’s website or Facebook page.


#Malaysia: “Melaka”, Not “Malacca”, From Now On, Says State Government

“Malacca” will be known as “Melaka” from now on.

According to the Melaka state government, the English spelling of Malacca will no longer be used in official state correspondence. Instead, they’ve decided that the name “Melaka” should be used instead.

Melaka state secretary Datuk Naim Abu Bakar said that all media outlets – either Bahasa Malaysia, English, or other languages – should use the name “Melaka” in writing or when mentioning the state their publications. “The move is intended to standardise the use of the name Melaka either in written or verbal forms, in all media, particularly the English media,” he said.

As at time of writing, Google still draws up “Malacca” results for the “Melaka” keyword.

What do you guys think of the change? Is it absolutely necessary?

Source: Bernama / Featured image: malacca.ws.

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The Manufacturing Price For The iPhone X Is Roughly RM1,700

Pre-orders for the iPhone X doesn’t go up until 27th October but people are dying to get their hands on it even though it’s the most expensive Apple smartphone.

Thanks to Lowyat.Net, who got their information via Chinese tech industry publication named ichunt, we now know roughly how much it cost to manufacture an iPhone X. For the iPhone X 256GB unit, the price is $412.75 (approximately RM1,700).

The bill of materials (BOM) for the iPhone X details the breakdown of each individual part for the high-end smartphone. That includes the display, chipset, and the iPhone X’s stainless steel frame. A quick glance through at the graph (pictured below) will show you that the most expansive component for the iPhone X is the 5.8-inch OLED display, which costs $80 (RM335).

The 2nd highest component is the iPhone X’s chasis, which consist of the stainless steel frame and “glass hyperbolae”. Together, they come up to $53 (RM220). Meanwhile, the 256GB NAND memory, acquired from Toshiba, goes for $45 (RM190).

The retail price for the iPhone X 256GB model is $1,149 (RM4,800). Although there is an estimate difference of RM3,100 between the retail price and the manufacturing price, do take into consideration that miscellaneous costs such as R&D, marketing, and even taxes, hasn’t been factored in yet.

For those of you on a tight budget, perhaps you should consider purchasing older iPhone models. Apple Malaysia has recently reduced prices (up to RM450) for 10 iPhone models, ranging from the entry level iPhone SE to the iPhone 7s Plus.

Source: Lowyat.Net/ Featured image: Trusted Reviews.


CCXP: 5 Things Marvel Revealed At Comic Con Experience In São Paulo

A host of studios were in attendance at CCXP in São Paulo, Brazil last weekend. This, of course, was to promote some of their upcoming projects for films and television shows.

One of those in attendance was Marvel, who revealed some juicy new information regarding their upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe projects. So without further ado, here are 5 things Marvel revealed in CCXP 2019.

Two official new photos from #TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier have been revealed!

— MCU – The Direct (@MCU_Direct) December 7, 2019

No concept art this time, as both Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan are dressed casually in the first look of the series. “The Falcon & The Winter Soldier” will be the first among a number of MCU series coming to Disney+, with the show’s release date being set around August of 2020.

Here’s the first official on-screen look at Elizabeth Olsen and @Paul_Bettany in the #WandaVision series! pic.twitter.com/Y7WTBPfnT9

Wanda Maximoff will finally be referred to as the Scarlet Witch in the #WandaVision series, confirms @MarvelStudios president Kevin Feige! https://t.co/MNKG0ImTBU pic.twitter.com/5xeECX02Bu

— MCU – The Direct (@MCU_Direct) December 8, 2019

Marvel also gave audiences a first look into “WandaVision”. The image shows Wanda and a very human-like Vision sitting on a couch in a heavily 1950s sitcom inspired setting. This almost confirms that Wanda has created something like a pocket dimension, where she was able to connect with her long lost love. The show will also be connected to upcoming Dr Strange movie “Dr Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness”.

"I’m done running from my past." Watch the new teaser trailer for Marvel Studios’ #BlackWidow. In theaters May 1, 2020. pic.twitter.com/Q1BxUz63Dk

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) December 3, 2019

The new #BlackWidow footage shown at #CCXP revealed that @DavidKHarbour's Alexei Shostakov had previously been married to Rachel Weisz's Melina! More footage details here: https://t.co/VW13quzaws pic.twitter.com/5ZNIqtzpa9

A new “Black Widow” poster was revealed at CCXP, along with an extended “Black Widow” trailer. The extended scene showed humorous interactions between Melina Vostokoff aka Iron Maiden (played by Rachel Weisz), Alexei aka Red Guardian (played by David Harbour) and Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson). In addition, the extended clip showed some action scenes with Taskmaster, but it didn’t add anything more to the plot.

A romance between @gemma_chan's Sersi and Richard Madden's Ikaris was seemingly hinted at in the first footage from #TheEternals shown at #CCXP! https://t.co/VW13quzaws pic.twitter.com/DTT3KIaQAo

Exclusive first footage of “The Eternals” was shown at CCXP by Marvel, with Marvel head Kevin Feige taking to the stage. In the footage audience saw, the cast members were in full costumes, located in different locations, to showcase the diversity and international casting found in the film. Noteworthy scenes include Ajax fighting a horde of monsters and the romance between Sersi and Ikarus.

Feige teased after the footage that “The Eternals” will be “unlike anything you’ve ever seen before” and “What’s going to happen to redefine and change the MCU in Phase Four.” “The Eternals” will be arriving in cinema on 5th November 2020.

When Feige was on stage, he talked about the possibility of another grand team-up in the same vein as “Avengers: Endgame”. He assured fans that the plans for the idea are already on the way, but, noted that the company is committed to providing exceptional stories for each of its movie release.

“The MCU is all interconnected, but we really focus on one movie at a time,” Feige said. “We’re going to make the best ‘Black Widow’ movie we can possibly make, the best ‘Eternals’ movie we can make, the best ‘Shang-Chi’, the best ‘Doctor Strange’, ‘Thor’, ‘Captain Marvel’, ‘Black Panther’…and keep evolving their stories.”

He then concluded, “Then, yes, it is always fun to see them come together in a master plan. Which is, I promise you well-underway.”

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Ohrwurm Series #10 Returns To Nagaba With Victor G & Alam

Ohrwurm Series presents 5 hours of Victor G & Alam!

Ohrwurm Series — a concept that features some of the most talented acts in the party scene is making its way back to Nagaba, Changkat. This Friday, partygoers will be treated to a 5 hour back2back set by local heroes Victor G and Alam.

The night will also be the official launch of Victor G and Alam’s duo collaboration. Individually, both DJs have been prominently active in the industry for years, but it it only until recently that they have established their own distinctive sound.

This partner up has been known to break dance floors across town, all of which received great feedback. This Series #10 will feature the duo showcase an exclusive extended set from the start of the night, right up to closing. Ohrwurm’s Kenny Substance will warmup the night with some selective grooves to get partygoers ready for Victor G and Alam.

Venue: Nagaba, 31, Jalan Mesui, 50200 Kuala Lumpur


#Contest: Win Invites To Providence KL’s First Anniversary Party

Providence KL is turning one this November and to give back to their loyal patrons who have supported them throughout the year, Providence KL will be throwing a Project X party to celebrate this milestone. The party will feature DJ Jesse Marco (Official Project X DJ) also known as Mr. Project X himself.

Jesse Marco, the 23-year-old New York native has quickly made a name for himself as one of America’s premiere DJs. As a teenager, Marco, was heavily influenced by his parents’ vast record collection and he then began to fuse rock, punk, soul, and funk with the hip-hop of his generation.

In 2012, Marco organised a College Dropouts Tour, on which he and nightlife photographer Kirill Was Here crashed the ten best college party in America, headlining the Fall ClASHic Tour alongside Asher Roth, performing with Kid Cudi at Rock The Bells, and an eleven-city Vice Magazine-sponsored tour with Pusha-T and Machine Gun Kelly to promote the blockbuster film Project X in which Jesse had a staring role.

Sounds, pretty epic no? As part of Providence KL’s first anniversary, fans and clubbers will get to be part of an epic party whilst enjoying a free flow of drinks which starts from 10pm onwards. Of course, free flow only goes on for as long as stocks last. Event details are as follows:

Providence 1st Anniversary: Project X featuring Jess Marco

Cover charge (inclusive of 1 drink): RM50 (Ladies) / RM70 (Men)

For reservations, please call: Mark – 6010 252 7678 / Wee Lee – 6016 444 5781 or email to popbottles@providencekl.my

Now, with much thanks from our buddies at Providence KL, we will be giving away 10 pairs of invites to the party. All you’ve got to do to win invites are as follows:

Email your answers to the questions above, along with your personal details (Full name, IC number, phone number) to submit@hype.my by 3pm on November 6th, 2014 (Thursday). Winners will be notified via email by 5pm on the same day.


#ZoukClubKL: Zouk KL Presents Hardwell (Official After Party)

Oh, now this is a pleasant surprise! Guess who’s playing at Zouk Club Kuala Lumpur after his KL Live show this Friday (1st April)? Yuh huh. It’s none other than one of our favourite EDM heroes, Hardwell :D

Limited advance tickets are available at Zouk Club Kuala Lumpur now so if you don’t want to miss out on what would be an epic Hardwell party, go grab ’em now.

*Event is applicable to 21 yrs old and above only

As Hardwell always says, “Go Hardwell Or Go Home!” so see you guys at the club :)

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

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Body Found: Is It #WilliamYau?

Hours ago, a severely decomposed body of a fair-skinned, young boy was found floating in a river near Klang. South Klang OCPD Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Mat Yusop said the body was fished out by villagers near the jetty of Sungai Sireh, near the Sri Perantau flats.

However, at time of writing, the police said they could not confirm if the body was that of six-year-old William Yau Zhen Zhong, who has been missing since 16th January 2013.

“Based on the height, the boy is either six or seven years old. He was wearing a yellow t-shirt and shorts and has fair skin. The T-shirt had the words ‘Active Group’ in white and ‘Best Team’ in blue on it. The boy also had an injury mark on his head but we are not sure if he was bludgeoned or hit by a boat”, he told reporters at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital.

William Yau’s parents, Yau Kok Kang and Goh Ying Ying were informed of the incident and arrived at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital’s mortuary to identify the body. They arrived at midnight and left about 30 minutes later. Mohammad Mat Yusop also urged the public not to speculate until post-mortem and DNA tests, scheduled for Friday morning, were completed.

At 11am today, the parents of William Yau arrived at the hospital to give samples for DNA testing to help determine the identity of the body. Both of them were escorted into the morgue by the police and then escorted out around 1:40pm. They left without talking to the press and his mother was seen sobbing.

The post mortem has been completed and a Bukit Aman forensic team was seeing leaving the hospital morgue around 1:30pm. Authorities will most likely wait for DNA results (which will take a few days) before making a conclusive identification.

Subang Jaya OCPD Assistant Commissioner, Yahaya Ramli, said that the police are 75% sure that the boy is William Yau. He also added that post-mortem results did not ascertain the cause of death but showed the boy had been dead for a week.


Turned It Up This Halloween With E.D.T

That’s right! You’ve heard it. E.D.T is back with their annual Halloween Party!

This Halloween makes for E.D.T’s fourth consecutive Halloween party and Hype Malaysia decided to speak to the masterminds behind the event for the inside scoop of what partygoers can expect from this year’s party!

E.D.T is actually made up by a trio of Dj Edz, DJ taKa and Denesh D’maniac. We are three friends who share a love and interest in partying. Always out looking for a good time or a good party, we decided to put our creative minds together and come up with our very own events because we love to party and so we know what would be expected of a party.

What is special about your Halloween party?

Well as mention, we love to party so we know how to give revellers a good time. Our Halloween event is actually an annual event which started four years ago. It started off as a very small party where it only consisted of thirty of our friends partying away in a hotel room. In the following year, we decided to do it on a bigger scale and we had the Halloween party in a pub in Taman Tun Dr Ismail where we drew a crowd of at least a hundred people and to us that was a huge accomplishment because we went from a room party of thirty people to a proper party of a hundred people. Our last Halloween party which took place at a club in Mont Kiara last year is our biggest to date as we pulled in a crowd of two hundred people.

Where will this year’s Halloween party be held?

Our main objective apart from giving people a good time is to bring the party closer to town. A place that is not secluded per say but one that is nearer for most people, one where there is less traffic and ample parking space which is why, we are having our Halloween party at Bar Tres, Sunway Giza this year and the party falls on October 26th, 2013 (Saturday) from 10.00pm till late.

What can revellers expect from the night?

It will be a fantastic night of good music, great atmosphere with people dressed up in their favourite costumes and a whole lot of fun! As we do every year, E.D.T will also be awarding an attractive prize to the person who is best dressed so come dressed your best!

We normally plan two annual events to keep the hype and exclusivity going but for next year we are actually looking at throwing events on a quarterly basis. For now, our DJs are doing their own thing – DJ Edz is the resident DJ at The Butter Factory and DJ taKa is busy playing for events around the country.

For more information on this year Halloween Party, check out E.D.T’s event page here.

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Get Free Movie Tickets At The Brand New TGV Central i-City

In conjunction with the opening of TGV’s brand cinema at the Central i-City, the cinema chain is giving away free movie tickets to selected movies from 23rd to 31st March 2019.

Some of the films that you get to watch for free include “Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse”, “How to Train Your Dragon 3”, “Black Panther”, “Paskal”, “A Star is Born”, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Aquaman”, “Munafik 2”, and more.

A post shared by Central i-City (@centralicity)

Not only that, you can also get a free regular popcorn combo as well as free limited edition movie premiums from TGV.

To get the premiums, all you need to do is post a photo at TGV Central i-City with the hashtag #TGVCentraliCity on social media, and you can get yourself exclusive movie drinking cups.

So for those who’ve missed some of the box office movies, now is your chance to catch them!

For more info, visit TGV Cinemas website.


#2NE1: Leader CL To Make US Solo Debut In 2015

Blackjacks, rejoice! Seoul’s “baddest” female aka 2NE1’s CL is going to make her US solo debut soon!

2NE1 was long rumoured to make a US. debut after working with Black Eyed Pea’s will.i.am for his new track “Gettin’ Dumb” last year. However, the group debunked the rumour during an interview with Billboard, stating that “there are no official plans to crossover”.

But now, 2NE1’s CL will be the first among the members to make a US solo debut under Scooter Braun next year.

According to our source, CL has already started working on various tracks that will be included in her upcoming album. A single will be released prior to the release of her US solo album as well.

After managing PSY’s debut in America, the talent manager Scooter Braun will be managing CL’s debut as a solo artiste in America. It is a highly anticipated debut as Braun also manages other international artistes including Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen, Martin Garrix and so on.

It was reported that Braun decided to manage CL’s US debut as he was impressed by her unique fashion sense and rapping abilities.

We must say, her US solo debut came as no surprise to us because CL is already well-versed in English, having performed alongside Rita Ora. She’s also a friend to some international DJs and artistes such as Skrillex, Pharrell, Muse, and so on.

CL is expected to make her solo debut in early Spring 2015.


#MRT: Road Closure Along Cheras-Kajang Highway This Friday (3rd June 2016)

We’ve got some bad news for the folks who live and work in Cheras and Kajang.

On Friday night (3rd June), a portion of the Cheras-Kajang Highway will be closed for 6 hours. This is to facilitate the installation of the Sri Raya MRT Station pedestrian link bridge.

MMC-Gamuda KVMRT (PDP) Sdn Bhd released a statement yesterday to say that the closed roads will affect motorists on both Kuala Lumpur and Kajang-bound routes. The affected stretches are KM13.2 –KM 14.2 (Kajang-bound) and KM15.4-14.2 (KL-bound).

The road closure will take effect from 11pm on Friday to 5am on Saturday (4th June).

As an alternative to access Kajang, motorists coming from Kuala Lumpur are advised to use Exit 703 (Telekom Interchange) slip road to re-enter the Cheras–Kajang Highway by going across Jalan Hulu Langat. The same goes for those who are heading to the city centre from Kajang.

Meanwhile, motorists from Taman Kota Cheras heading to Kajang and Kuala Lumpur will not be diverted.

This is not the first time that motorists are affected by MRT constructions this year. It was reported that a 63-day closure on Jalan Cheras, which lasted until 26th April, caused severe traffic jams and impacted many motorists travelling back and forth between Kajang and Kuala Lumpur.

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“Unbecredible!”: Paul Ogata To Perform At PJ Live Arts

Hawaiian comedy darling Paul Ogata is known for his edgy and quick improvisational prowess onstage as he takes audiences for a wild ride on his train of thoughts.Paul has been featured on Comedy Central, The Late Late Show, and US networks CBS, NBC, PBS and TBS ever since his victory in the 32nd Annual San Francisco International Comedy Competition. Prior to his career-making win, he was a top-rated radio personality in Honolulu.

He will be performing “Unbecredible!”, a one-night only show at PJ Live Arts, Jaya One.  Don’t miss Paul Ogata’s one night only performance as he brightens Malaysia’s mid-week blues with sunny Aloha-haha power from Hawaii!

Venue: Theatre @ PJ Live Arts, Level 1 Block L Palm Square @ Jaya One, 72A Jalan Universiti, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Admission: RM40 (RM35 early bird / LIVE Cardholders)

Box Office: +6017 2-BUY-TIX | +6017 2289849 (12pm – 7pm daily) www.tix.my (24hours)

For more information, visit PJ Live Arts’ Facebook page or follow them via their Twitter account.


#ShieldFive: First Film To Be Released On Instagram & “Aired” Throughout February

We’ve all seen what DJ/producer Avicii could do with Instagram, when he turned something that’s seemingly “static” into an interactive game.

But we bet you’ve never imagined that someone would eventually think of releasing a movie on Instagram now, have you?

A short film called “Shield 5” is set to be released on the popular social media platform over the month of February. Dubbed “social cinema” and a groundbreaking way to engage audience online, “Shield 5” it comprises of 28 15-second episodes.

“Security driver John Swift (played by Christian Cooke) is arrested for his involvement in a diamond heist and subsequent death of a colleague. Determined to prove his innocence, he finds himself on the run from both the police and those he believes have framed him. Embroiled in a perilous game of cat and mouse, he tries to evade capture long enough to uncover the truth.”

Each 15-second episode will be accompanied by a photograph that also will be an intrinsic part of the story. “Shield 5” is specifically designed to be consumed in episodic form even though that it will add up to a total of 7 minutes.

?1: JOHN SWIFT #shieldfive #instamovies #movie #filmmaking #indiefilm #webseries #shortfilm #christiancooke #episode #thriller #storytelling

A video posted by @shieldfive on Feb 1, 2016 at 9:00am PST

Created and directed by Anthony Wilcox (Hello Carter), the film also stars Elliot Gleave, also known as the musician Example. “Shield 5” will be published on Instagram every day at 5pm (GMT).

Join in on the fun via its official hashtag, #shieldfive. For more information on the Instagram film, hit up their official website.

Sources: The Express Tribune, Deadline, BBC.

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Le Petit Chef Review: Explore Cuisines From Around The World

The Grand Hyatt Malaysia’s iconic restaurant, Le Petit Chef, has elevated its average dining experience into a grand theatrical show! Presented in a unique form of dinner with a visual production, this restaurant is taking us on a culinary journey exploring the Silk Road.

Le Petit Chef’s dining show includes a lavish 6-course meal, where patrons can feast on multiple international cuisines. Additionally, thanks to an avant-garde 3D mapping performance, patron’s can also watch a show projected right onto their dinner tables. This uncommon combination of dinner and a show is nothing short of spectacular, as it excitingly pleases both the eyes and the taste buds.

Replicating Marco Polo’s travels, the 90-minute dining experience explores the rich tastes found along the Silk Road gliding through Asia. Patrons will be served dishes representing each destination located along this historic route, while a visual story complimenting each course will unfold right in front of your eyes. The courses in this meal explore cuisines from France, Arabia, India, Himalayas and China.

The six course meal comes in three variations, namely Marco Polo’s Expedition (RM599), Marco Polo’s Journey (RM399) and the Kids’ Menu – Marco Polo’s Little Voyager (RM199). Each menu variation offers the same theatrical experience and cuisine selection, with differences only in the type of dish or ingredients.

The kids’ menu has dishes that are more suitable for a child’s palette, while the visual 3D show itself is a hit amongst the young ones! These variations in the dining show’s menu makes it ideal for both couples and families.

The dinner and 3D visual story starts off in France, where patrons will first be introduced to the world’s tiniest chef. This tiny yet adventurous chef is set to explore the Silk Road, and is eager to take us along with him. To kick start the journey, patrons will be served a light bouillabaisse in France before setting off to explore the rest of the world.

Together with the bouillabaisse, we were also served poached seafood, dill sour cream and saffron foam. If you opt for the Expedition menu, you will also receive some tastefully delicate avruga caviar with the bouillabaisse as well.

Next, Le Petit Chef takes us to the Arabia region. This destination’s visual presentation showcased dates and deserts, while we were given a delicious cod fish kofta to savour. Kofta is typically made with meat, but Le Petit Chef clearly doesn’t do anything ordinary, and reinvented the dish to make it stand out. This little twist made it our favourite dish of the night.

The Arabia course was also accompanied by a beetroot and truffle hummus, tabbouleh, muhammara and seaweed pita. The hummus was instantly eye-catching, as the use of beetroot gave it a vibrant purple colour – in contrast to the plain white hues we usually see in hummus.

Furthermore, the artistic use of Arabian dining ware, along with the deliciously colourful food items, gave this course a stunning visual appearance.

The chicken cafreal recipe was introduced by the Portuguese when they occupied the western parts of India to use it as a spice-trading hub. And thus, the succulently soft chicken cafreal in this course was aptly filled with spice and flavour. This main item was also accompanied by grilled potatoes, pickled onions and crispy papadam.

For those who opted for the Expedition menu, the chicken was replaced with a juicy king prawn cafreal. Every bite of the prawn oozed with the rich flavours of India, making it quite a delectable experience.

Before diving into the main course from China, we were given a kaffir lime sorbet to cleanse our palettes from the strong flavours enjoyed in the previous courses. To be honest, while the tangy goodness of the lime sorbet was refreshing, it is the theatrics that came with this dish that we loved the most.

Once the sorbet was served onto our tables, diners were asked to pour water into a dry ice holder that rested under the sorbet. As soon as we followed these instructions, a cloud of smoke rose from the dry ice to beautifully envelope the sorbet that stood on its pedestal.

To say this moment felt like magic would be an understatement.

Le Petit Chef arrives in China to defeat a dragon and feed us a steamed king garoupa. In China, surplus (余) shares the same pronunciation with fish (鱼), hence the significance of fish is said to be a must-have dish for auspicious occasions in this part of the Orient. Luckily, we got the chance to indulge in this must-have dish at Le Petit Chef’s dinner show.

Salt and spice were tactfully combined in this course, as the garoupa was basked in a tangy soy sauce while also accompanied with a side of preserved radish and chili. For the Expedition menu, diners were served a 8-head abalone, braised black angus short rib, radish, mushroom, siew pak choy and the THIRTY8 signature XO sauce.

For the final course in this culinary journey, Le Petit Chef serves a dessert that draws inspiration from all the ingredients picked out on his travels along the Silk Road. This tiny chef also commemorates the beautiful country we are currently in by choosing the Pahang chocolate as the primary ingredient for this course.

In the grand finale, the Pahang chocolate is enriched with essences of cardamom to replicate Arabic flavours, chili for its common use in South East Asia, and kumquat to remember the taste of China.

What better way to end such an encompassing dining experience, than with a dish that ingeniously incorporates all these flavours.

A post shared by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy)

To sum up the entire dining show, all we need to say is that it was truly nothing like we have ever experienced before. To be able to watch your table come to life with dazzling colours and designs, while also being able to indulge in such innovative dishes, is exciting in every sense.

Le Petit Chef’s culinary experience not only took us on a journey exploring the world, but it was also out of this world!

For more information on Le Petit Chef’s dining show, click here.

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#DITMalaysia: Watch & Dine From The Best Seat In The House At MotoGP 2016

Dinner In The Sky, the Belgian-based novelty dining service, is bringing its unique sky-dining experience back to Malaysia once again.

Having previously conquered Menara Kuala Lumpur and Penang’s ThirtyTwo At The Mansion, the event will come together with Sepang International Circuit this October to host a special attraction entitled, “Watch The Race From The Sky”.

Dubbed as one of the top 10 most unusual restaurants in the world by Forbes, Dinner In The Sky Malaysia will be making its world debut for the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix 2016 at Sepang International Circuit.

This spectacular dining experience will be a 3-day event, with several meals served from 28th October till 30th October. In Sepang, this thrilling experience will be hoisted at the South Paddock of Sepang International Circuit, giving diners a spectacular view of the MotoGP race and a 360° view of the track.

To complete this experience, diners can expect to just not marvel at the view but take their gastronomically journey to a whole different level with the exquisite cuisine served by celebrity Chef, Sherson Lian of Kitchen Mafia.

For those of you who are concerned that the afternoon sessions at Sepang International Circuit may be too sunny for you, fret not, because Dinner In The Sky Malaysia will also be debuting their new shaded roof. There will also be mini fans on the table to keep you cool ;)

This not-to-be missed experience that engages all of your 5 senses is priced starting from only RM299 per person.

For bookings, hit up www.dinnerinthesky.my. For more information, visit their Facebook page.


JJ Lin’s Rare Watch Costs A Whopping RM2.8 Million!

JJ Lin (林俊杰) caught the attention of netizens when he wore a fancy and expensive-looking accessory. The 38-year-old singer returned to Singapore for Chinese New Year from Taiwan and has recently posted photos of himself on a bike outing.

Lin was wearing bicycle gear, which includes a colourful orangey and red cycling shirt, a helmet, and protective glasses. But what grabbed the attention of netizens is the fancy-looking watch that’s probably worth more than a typical-looking house. The watch is an RM 11-03 Ultimate Edition created by Franco-Swiss luxury watchmaker Richard Mille and is worth RM2.8 million.

The watch is extremely rare since it is the Ultimate Edition. This model only has a few units in the market, and the one Lin is wearing is probably the last of them. The RM 11-03 watch is designed to be virtually unbreakable, as the case is assembled using Carbon TPT (Thin Ply Technology).

This material is incredibly strong, which is why Richard Mille’s watches stand out. If Lin himself were to fall off his bike, there probably wouldn’t be any scratch marks on his watch at all. Certain athletes including tennis star Rafael Nadal, professional golfer Bubba Watson, and Formula One racer Felipe Massa all have worn watches made by Richard Mille.

Lin also wore the RM 11-03 watch when he attended the Golden Melody Awards last year in October 2020. The Singaporean Mandopop singer was also seen wearing the same watch when visiting Spotify’s regional office on 1st March, where he had a room all to himself.

On 3rd March, the musician wore the watch again on an outing with his mother to Jay Chou’s favourite bubble tea chain located in Taiwan, Machi Machi, bringing his flex once again. Lin even gave a shout-out on Instagram to his friend Ang Jun Yang, who is a producer, songwriter, and someone who co-owns the Singapore outlet.

Looking at his IG feed, it’s pretty obvious that JJ Lin loves watches and has a whole collection of them.


RiRi’s Back With Chris Brown Despite Abuse

Four years ago, Chris Brown beat Rihanna aka RiRi into what looks like a bloody pulp. It was something that shook the entertainment industry and eventually served Chris Brown his five years’ probation period. Until today, pictures of RiRi’s bruised up face can still be found just about anywhere and in every nook and cranny of the interwebs.

So who would’ve ever guessed that the duo would ever think of renewing their tumultuous romance?

In an exclusive interview with Rolling Stones, RiRi opens up about getting back together with Chris Brown:

I wasn’t going to let anybody’s opinion get in the way of that. Even if it’s a mistake, it’s my mistake. I decided it was more important for me to be happy. I wasn’t going to let anybody’s opinion get in the way of that. Even if it’s a mistake, it’s my mistake. After being tormented for so many years, being angry and dark, I’d rather just live my truth and take the backlash. I can handle it. We don’t have those types of arguments anymore. We talk about s–t. We value each other. We know exactly what we have now, and we don’t want to lose that. He doesn’t have the luxury of f–king up again. That’s just not an option. I can’t say that nothing else will ever go wrong. But I’m pretty solid in knowing that he’s disgusted by that. And I wouldn’t have gone this far if I ever thought that was a possibility.

Hmm. As far as second chances go, one thing’s for sure – this will definitely be Chris Brown’s final chance because it sounds like RiRi will bolt right out the door if there was even the slightest hint of abusiveness. We wish them all the best!

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#Waze: Arnold Schwarzenegger Gives Directions In His #Terminator Voice

“Come with me if you want to go to D6 Sentul East.”

Did you switch your Waze app on at all today? We just tinkered with it when we read that actor and former California Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger will provide turn-by-turn directions as his titular character from the Terminator franchise.

First reported by USA Today, the stint is a part of the promotion for the upcoming “Terminator: Genisys” film.

In addition to directions, drivers can expect an Austrian-accented “Hasta la vista, baby” at the end of each trip, along with some other classic Arnie phrases. He apparently an hour’s worth of studio time to record the automated prompts so don’t expect him to be saying “Changkat Bukit Bintang” or any random Malaysian street name.

Of course, this isn’t the first time Waze has worked with famous voices: Kevin Hart, promoting “Ride Along” and Terry Crewes, promoting “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, have both worked with the navigation company.

To land Schwarzenegger, Waze formed a partnership with Paramount Studios. This means we could very well be hearing more celebrity voices in the near future! Driving around with the navigation app on has never been more fun ;)

Watch the trailer for “Terminator: Genisys” below:

The Terminator feature will last through mid-July and “Terminator: Genisys” is slated for a release come 1st July 2015.

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


Affected By Ampang/Sri Petaling LRT Line Closure? Here Are Some Alternate Travel Options

Just when you think the LRT issues can’t get any worse, it does. Following the news of the LRT Ampang Line disruptions until September, it was recently reported that LRT service operations at six stations on the Ampang/Sri Petaling Line involving Bandaraya, Sultan Ismail, PWTC, Titiwangsa, Sentul, and Sentul Timur will be suspended from 2nd April.

In an official statement released by Rapid Rail, the LRT trains no longer fit the criteria in order to remain operational and have been taken out for safety purposes. “This is following the structural and runway damage near the Bandaraya LRT station, which has resulted in trains not being able to return to the Ampang LRT Depot to undergo maintenance works since 27th January,” they said.

Unfortunately, it was not mentioned in the statement exactly how long the suspension will take place. However, while this may be bad news to many, Rapid Rail has provided some solutions for affected passengers to continue to commute. Here are 2 travel options you can consider:

It was said that Rapid Rail will provide free LRT 13 and LRT 14 Express Bus services starting this Sunday in addition to the existing LRT 11 Bus service. A total of 40 buses will be deployed with a frequency of between 10-15 minutes during peak hours depending on the current traffic conditions.

According to the official statement, passengers who want to go to Hang Tuah can take the Monorail Line via Titiwangsa Station. While those who want to go to Chan Sow Lin can take the Putrajaya MRT Line via Titiwangsa Station.

Apart from these two solutions, LRT passengers are also encouraged to use the PULSE application to plan their journey and follow Rapid KL’s social media pages to get the latest information. Rapid Rail ended the statement with, “We apologise for any inconvenience caused. We thank and appreciate the passengers’ patience.”

At the time of writing, there is still no update on when these 6 stations will resume operation. For more information on alternative routes and transport, you may visit the RapidRail website or follow their socials to get the details.

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#Singapore: “Music Bank” To Hold First Overseas Show In 2 Years; Irene & Park Bo Gum To Host

Attending a music show has always been a K-Pop fan’s dream. Imagine having the chance to see not 1, not 2, but at least 5 or more groups perform in front of you. Now, it’s time to fulfill your wish.

KBS’ “Music Bank” will be having their first overseas show in 2 years, and it will be held in our neighbouring country – Singapore. The announcement was made by the broadcasting channel on Friday (28th April).

Aside from having former hosts Red Velvet’s Irene and actor Park Bo Gum host the show, the festival will see a plethora of K-Pop artistes put on a show for their fans. Confirmed groups include SHINee, CNBLUE, BTS, MAMAMOO, and of course, Red Velvet. More artistes will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Singapore edition of the show will be broadcast on KBS 2TV and its global channel KBS World at the end of August.

“Music Bank” will also bring its global tour to Jakarta, Indonesia, although the date and venue hasn’t been announced.

The “Music Bank World Tour” first kicked off in 2011 in Tokyo. It has also been held in cities like Paris, Hong Kong, Viña del Mar, Istanbul, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, and Hanoi. Stars like TVXQ, SNSD Girls’ Generation, KARA, 2PM, BEAST (now known as Highlight), 4Minute, Wonder Girls, INFINITE, and more have attended the previous editions.

KBS also revealed that the previous overseas concerts have attracted more than 180,000 K-Pop fans.


#NoraDanish: Malaysian Actress Slammed By Netizens For Asking Tax Exemption To Look Beautiful

It’s not cheap maintaining one’s beauty, especially when you’re in the entertainment industry.

As such, Malaysian actress Nora Danish reckons that celebrities like her should be given tax exemption for the amount of money spent to appear attractive in the public eye.

According to a report by Malay daily Utusan Malaysia, Nora had apparently requested the Inland Revenue Board (IRB, or Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri) to consider her proposal in hopes to ease the burden of artistes.

“For me, as Malaysians, it is our responsibility [to pay taxes]. But what I hope is for a little exemption for celebrities like us,” the local actress told the publication before adding, “It is just that, in the current times we are paying a lot for our appearances. So, this is part of our career and perhaps it can be counted as our occupational cost.”

Nora’s remark, however, did not sit well with many netizens, who in return lashed out at the fashionista for her “entitlement”. “Exemption from taxes? Who the hell does she think she is? A religious institution? People pray to her face?” Shafiqah Othman tweeted.

“How about educators (lecturers and teachers) who rely on their brains to keep their jobs? Shouldn’t they be given tax exemptions, too? How about doctors who rely on their experience to keep their jobs? Shouldn’t they be given tax exemptions, too? How about the factory workers who rely on their hands to keep their jobs? Shouldn’t they be given tax exemptions, too?” asked Facebook user Ashley Greig-Momin.

Since the news had gone viral yesterday (Monday, 7th November), Nora has taken to social media to respond on the backlash in regards to her request on tax breaks.

Her Facebook post reads (translation): “There are still many that don’t comprehend the difference between tax relief and tax exemption. An artiste’s application differs from the standard tax form. There is also a category for expenditure on appearance. All I’m asking is for the percentage in the category to be raised.

“As a celebrity, I have the right to speak for my peers, just like how other Malaysians have the right to voice their opinions. Why should I be penalised for stating my opinion on tax breaks?”

Meanwhile, the actress also commented on Instagram that her statement in Utusan Malaysia was “twisted” and “manipulated” for the sake of a sensationalised headline.

Nora concluded her post with the hashtags #haruslahbayarcukai and #sayabayarcukai — which means “should pay tax” and “I pay tax” in Malay.

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Twisties Takes Historic Flight To The Edge of Space

Twisties made history over the weekend as the first snack in Malaysia to be launched into the edge of space. This was a culmination of the successful “Click to Launch” campaign that received over 100,000 pledges from Malaysians to support the momentous feat.

The campaign was launched in early October with the target of garnering 100,000 online pledges before the new Twisties packs were launched into the edge of space. Fans took part by pledging their support via the specially created “Click to Launch” app on Twisties Malaysia’s Facebook page.

The Facebook application also provided an interactive Twisties-themed photo booth for social media lovers to add a twist to their photographs taken, and of course, share their creative photos with their friends and family.

In line with the spirit of Twisties taking flight, Twisties also created a short film detailing the exploits of a budding Malaysian “astronaut” who aspires to take off as well! It was premiered at a launch event at Sunway Pyramid last Sunday:

[youtube id=”YXx3rHmAY-I” width=”600″ height=”350″]

At the event, Twisties also unveiled redesigned packs for all six Twisties flavours – this includes the perennial favourites BBQ Curry Dude, The Big Cheese, Yo Chicken, Duh Tomato and the newer Spicy Sausage and Honey BBQ Wings:

Twisties embarked on the feat to launch the packs into the edge of space because it embodies the brand’s theme of “Life’s Better Twisted” that aims to rally youths to challenge themselves to break free from the norms and conventions of life today.

For more information on Twisties’ “Click to Launch campaign”, please log on to the Twisties Malaysia Facebook page.


#Badminton: Goh V Shem – Tan Wee Kiong Pair Ranks 1st In Superseries Standings

Can they make Malaysians any more prouder?

After winning a silver medal in 2016’s Rio Olympics, the badminton men’s doubles pair of Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong has reached another milestone in their career – obtaining the number 1 spot in the Superseries standings list.

The ranking was officially announced last Friday (14th October), and the top Malaysian pair was elevated to number 1 status by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) following the removal of the names of Korean pair Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong. This is due to Lee’s retirement from the sport.

When contacted by Star Sports, V Shem expressed his surprise and delight.

“This is the 1st time that Wee Kiong and I have been ranked 1st. It has been a mixed season for us this year. We will go all out to maintain the number 1 position by staying consistent in Europe. We want to go to Dubai as the top-ranked pair.”

While the pair hopes to do well in the upcoming Superseries tournaments (Denmark Open and French Open), they admitted that they haven’t been performing up to par recently. The world No. 7 pair’s best performance was reaching the semi-finals in 3 of the tournaments – the All-England, Indian Open, and Korean Open.

They managed to reach the quarter-finals of Indonesian Open but could only scratch early round appearances at the Malaysian Open, Singapore Open, Australian Open, and Japan Open.

The Goh – Tan pair is slated to make an appearance in the Denmark Open, which starts from 18th October, and French Open, which starts on 25th October. They are expected to join the China Open (15th November – 20th November) and Hong Kong Super Series (22nd November – 27th November), and will hopefully compete in the BWF World Superseries Finals as the number 1 seed in Dubai from 14th to 18th December.

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#GSoul: JYPE’s Longest Trained Trainee To Debut After 15 Years

Contrary to popular belief, 2AM‘s Jo Kwon and miss A‘s Min weren’t the longest trained trainees under JYP Entertainment because there’s G.Soul, a trainee who was brought into the talent agency as a trainee 15 years ago.

After 15 years of patience and hard work, G.Soul is finally going to make his debut on 19th Jan this year. JYP made the announcement on his official Twitter account, detailing the journey he has been through with G.Soul in an essay form:

15 years of passion In 2001, I met a boy so shy he could barely even look into peoples’ eyes. He was only in (cont) http://t.co/5smwgEgWl3

According to JYP, G.Soul was once a shy 6th grader who met JYP for the first time in 2001. Despite his shy personality, G.Soul wasn’t afraid to show off his talent and impressed JYP with his soulful voice. Thus, JYP decided to bring him to America to train him and allow him to learn true R&B /Soul music.

Although he was young, he worked hard for his music career and was almost ready to make his debut as an Asian R&B artiste in America. Unfortunately, the project eventually fell apart as JYP explained that all the risky projects were dropped due to “the US economy crisis caused by Lehman Brothers”.

A post shared by GSoul aka Golden aka 지현 (@g_theprince)

Major entertainment companies including JYPE aborted their projects in America and returned to Korea, but G.Soul insisted to stay. JYP explained in the tweet that he had suggested for him to debut in Korea but G.Soul decided to spend another few years in the US to “learn and further develop his craft”. After 5 years of developing and mastering his music through the New York underground music scene, the golden boy decided to return to Korea and is now ready to debut with an album this month.

The new album will consist of 20 self-composed songs written by him when he was in the US. The album and a music video for one of his songs, “Coming Home”, are set to be released on 19th Jan.

Check out the teaser video for “Coming Home” below:

Although the album was delayed but hey, it’s better late than never! At least G.Soul is given a chance to shine on stage ;)

For more information, visit G.Soul’s official website and follow him on Facebook or Twitter.


#GFriend: Source Music Releases Teaser Images Of New Girl Group

SONAMOO isn’t the only girl group that will be making their debut this month as talent agency Source Music, (home to GLAM, Kan Miyoun, 8eight, and Lee Hyun) has revealed that G-Friend, a 6-member girl group will make their grand entry onto Korean music scene soon.

According to Soompi, the 6-member girl group was supposed debut towards the end of last year. At that time, only 4 members were revealed: Shinbi, Eumbi, Yerin, and Sowon. Not much details were revealed about the group too, except for the fact they are the members of the 2nd girl group from Source Music.

On January 4th, the agency took to various social media platforms to announce that G-Friend is now officially a 6-member girl group.

The agency also released both individual and group photos of G-Friend, revealing the face of the newly announced members of the group. Eunha and Yuju are the newly announced members and it has been revealed that Yuju will be G-Friend’s main vocalist.

As seen in the group photo, G-Friend will make its debut on 15th Jan. Best known for his works on Orange Caramel’s and Ailee’s songs, songwriter Lee Ki Yong Bae will be working with the girls on their first-ever album.

Just like Woollim Entertainment’s Lovelyz, G-Friend is considered one of the youngest K-Pop girl groups because the average age of the group is 18 years old. Born in 1995, Sowon is surprisingly the oldest member of the group while SinB and Umji, born in 1998, are the youngest members of the group.

So far, Source Music has only announced the group’s debut date and some fun facts about the members.

G-Friend is expected to drop the title track of their album on their debut date but no details about the album have been announced yet.

Wait no longer, K-Pop fans! The first teaser video for G-Friend’s “Glass Bead” has been released!

We don’t know about you but we think it seems like girl groups are into the uniform trend again. Check out the teaser video below:

For more information about G-Friend, follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

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#JessicaJung: Former SNSD Member To Make 10th Anniversary Comeback

Golden Stars (as Jessica’s fans are affectionately known), rejoice! Jessica Jung (제시카) will be making a comeback to commemorate her 10th anniversary since her debut.

In a statement, an employee Coridel Entertainment said, “Jessica is preparing to release an album commemorating her 10th Anniversary. It will be released in early August and she is currently filming music video in Korea. The album will include a song that was written to show her heart to her fans.”

Jessica debuted in August 2007 with SM Entertainment’s Girls’ Generation (소녀시대). Unfortunately, she had to depart from the group in September 2014 due to conflicting schedules. She officially parted ways with SM Entertainment in August 2015. In March 2016, she signed with Coridel Entertainment and released her first solo album, titled “With Love, J”, in May 2016.

The songstress is set to perform alongside former “Running Man” star Kang Gary (개리) at the “KPOP Sensation 2017” Concert at Setia SPICE Arena, Penang this September.

In other news, SM Entertainment confirmed that Girls’ Generation will be releasing their 6th studio album in August. This will be the group’s first album after 2 years since their 5th album, “Lion Heart”.

For more info, hit up Coridel Entertainment’s Facebook page.

Sources: Soompi, Koreaboo, SBS / Featured image: Kpop Break.


#HappyBirthday: Courts Rule Birthday Song Free Of Copyright After 80 Years

“Happy Birthday” is a folk song that is traditionally sung to celebrate the anniversary of a person’s birth. It is also the world’s most popular English-language song.

However, if you’ve noticed, you seldon hear it sung on on-screen. Instead, you’ll hear the cover versions or knock-off versions of “Happy Birthday” instead because filmmakers and performers risk getting a lawsuit for featuring them or singing them on-screen.

Now, everyone can sing it without facing the risk of being sued because an US federal judge ruled on Tuesday that it is free of copyright.

According to the US District Judge George H. King, Warner/Chappell Music does not hold any legal rights to enforce copyright on the folk song.

Because Summy Co. never acquired the rights to the Happy Birthday lyrics, Defendants, as Summy Co.’s purported successors-in-interest, do not own a valid copyright in the Happy Birthday lyrics.

It was further explained in the 43-page ruling that Warner/Chappell was only granted for specific arrangements of the music, not the song itself or its lyrics.

The original “Happy Birthday” tune was composed in 1893 by 2 sisters, Patty Smith Hill and Milred J. Hill. At the time, the song was to be sung for Patty’s kindergarten students and it was called “Good Morning To All”.

The Hill sisters later gave Summy Co., a publishing company owned by Clayton Summy, the rights to the melody and piano arrangements based on the melody. “Happy Birthday To You” was then copyrighted as a work for hire in 1935. Warner/Chappell eventually purchased the rights for $25m after they acquired Birch Tree Group Limited, a successor company to Summy, in 1988.

As a result, Warner/Chappell began enforcing the copyright and charging anyone who used the song in a film, TV episode, advertisement or other public performance. They have since made around $2m a year from royalty payments, further claiming that the US copyright will not expire until 2030.

In 2013, Jennifer Nelson, who made a documentary about the history of the song, also filed a lawsuit against Warner/Chappell. At the time, a similar case was filed by musician Rupa Marya and filmmaker Robert Siegel.

The cases were joined as the plaintiffs argued that the song was in the public domain and that the music publisher has no right to ask them to pay copyright fee of $1,500 (£970) for using “Happy Birthday To You” in their film. With a nod towards plaintiffs’ contentions in the case, the judge finally ruled that Summy never did acquire copyright to the song’s lyrics.

Regarding the case, Randall Newman, an attorney representing the plaintiffs in the suit, including several filmmakers, said that “Happy Birthday is finally free after 80 years”.

Finally, the charade is over. It’s unbelievable

The next step in the case is to determine whether or not Warner/Chappell should return money they’ve collected over the years to license the song.

In response to the judge’s decision, Warner/Chappell spokesperson said, “We are looking at the court’s lengthy opinion and considering our options.”

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#Arena: Balenciaga’s New RM9,440 Bag Looks Just Like IKEA’s Shopping Bag

French luxury brand Balenciaga revealed its new bag recently and it looks extremely similar to IKEA‘s iconic blue tote bag!

The major difference is the price: While Balenciaga’s leather item costs a whopping USD2,145 (approx. RM9,440), IKEA’s crinkly FRAKTA tote is only priced at RM2.

Called the Arena Extra-Large Shopper Tote Bag, the Balenciaga bag is advertised as being made out of “blue wrinkled, glazed leather” with small, gold-stamped logos affixed to it. But aside from the material, the 2 bags are identical in colour, shape, and size.

However, IKEA doesn’t seem to mind about the imitation at all. In a statement, the company said, “We are deeply flattered that the Balenciaga tote bag resembles the Ikea iconic sustainable blue bag for 99 cents. Nothing beats the versatility of a great big blue bag!”

Who wore it better? Balenciaga or IKEA? pic.twitter.com/LCB9Qri2xN

This is not the first time the French brand has been “accused” of “copying”. Last year, one of its Fall/Winter designs was said to resemble the “red-white-blue” plastic/nylon bags that are commonly found in Asian markets.

So what are you waiting for? Time to search through your house for that IKEA bag! It’s haute couture now ;)


(UPDATE) #Taemin: SM Ent Releases Comeback Schedule For SHINee’s Maknae

It’s time – SHINee’s maknae Taemin will be making his official return as a solo artiste!

Taemin (real name Lee Tae Min, 이태민) debuted as an idol in SM Entertainment’s 6-member idol boy group, SHINee, back in 2008. A year later, he kicked off his acting career in MBC’s comedy, “Tae Hee, Hye Kyo, Ji Hyun” as Junsu. He would later go on to star in popular South Korean variety and reality shows including “We Got Married”, “Running Man”, “Saturday Night Live Korea”, “Hello Counselor” and many more.

In 2014, Taemin made his debut as a solo artiste with the release of his first EP titled, “Ace”, which contained 6 songs. Unsurprisingly, “Ace” went on to top the Gaon chart.

Rumours first surfaced in September 2015 that Taemin was preparing for a solo comeback. Taemin himself confirmed the news at a concert, and this was echoed by SM Entertainment last month. And now, the South Korean entertainment powerhouse has finally revealed the schedule for the idol’s highly anticipated solo comeback!

As seen in the schedule above, Taemin is expected to release his comeback album’s music video teaser on 17th February, followed by 2 highlight medleys (22nd and 23rd February) and 2 performance music videos (24th and 25th February).

According to soompi, Taemin’s comeback track is one that will “maximise all parts of performance” and entails a music video that was apparently filmed in secret. So you can bet that the idol, who is talented in both singing and dancing, will truly have the opportunity to shine once again.

And that’s not all! Fans will also be treated to the release of teaser images on his official solo microsite sometime a little later today. Keep your eyes wide open for those. We’ll do the same ;)

More details regarding Taemin’s solo comeback have been released!

We’ve learnt that Taemin’s album will be titled, “Press It” and it will come jam-packed with 10 songs, including the title track, “Press Your Number”. Interestingly, “Press Your Number” is an urban-pop-dance track that was composed by none other than Bruno Mars. Can’t say that we saw that coming ;)

Feast your eyes on some of the promo images below while you wait for his music video teaser to be released:

Taemin’s solo album is slated to be released on 23rd February.

Sources: akp (1), Taemin Wiki, soompi, akp (2).

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Hype’s Exclusive: Shakin’ Things Up With Malaysia’s World Class Bartender, Yinying

Launched in 2009, Diageo Reserve World Class has become the most renowned and respected mixology competition with over 15,000 bartenders taking part yearly, transforming the drinking experiences and cocktail cultures around the world.

A celebration of the world’s best bartenders and the world’s best drinks, Diageo Reserve World Class provides unparalleled guidance through partnerships with the most inspirational and highly recognised industry gurus, editors, lifestyle influences and partners at the top of their fields.

At the heart of the programme is a focus on educating and inspiring bartenders to create exceptional cocktails, service and drinking experiences; raising the standard of bartending. Diageo Reserve World Class bartenders are synonymous with sophistication, impeccable service and pushing the boundaries of contemporary and experiential cocktail culture.

Women are making headlines the world over and more ladies are winning bartending and barista championships than ever before making people sit up and pay attention not only for being women, but because they are excelling in the field. Helming the rising trend of female bartenders and mixologists is none other than young Yinying.

She was named the champion after grueling rounds of competitions in Malaysia and Singapore, impressing the panel of judges with her unique creations.

We caught up with her recently to check in on how the world of bartending has been treating her following her win. At the same time, also found out some interesting quirks about this otherwise normally soft-spoken girl.

Congratulations on winning the Diageo Reserve World Class 2014. Are you still reeling from it, has it sunk in yet?

To be honest, when I won, it was quite sudden. I really didn’t expect to win at all, especially when I was competing against others who have had so many years of experience. It’s sudden but also good at the same time.

They judge based on all kinda of aspects – skills, presentation, taste, how well you know your products, and even simple things like hygiene or if your glass has stains. Because this is more like a bartending contests so as a bartender, these are all the things that we need to take note of.

Do you remember the first time you experienced the cocktail culture? Tell us about your earliest memory.

It started when I was doing my training and I got to learn about cocktails. It seemed fun to me! It’s kinda like cooking but without the fire – with ice and spirits.

What’s the process like when you concoct something that’s of your own creation? How many rounds of taste tests do you usually put one concoction through?

It’s really hard to say. Sometimes, after 2 rounds then it’s done, but sometimes it’s more than that like 4, 5, or 6 times. Usually, I let other people do taste tests such as my colleagues or sometimes, when a guest asks for something special then I’ll make something special for them. It’s good to know their opinion as well, from a guest’s point of view.

What are some of the unconventional ingredients that you’ve used in cocktails? And why did you decide to experiment with those?

There was one challenge for the Diageo Reserve World Class 2014 finals global where we were asked to use local (Malaysian) flavours and I actually brought some ciku to do it. Surprisingly, it turned out sweet and it had a good response from the judges as well as a few people who tasted it. Non competition wise, I’d say perhaps products that are usually used in the kitchen such as like sauces such as Maggi sauce and osyter cause. Those turned out well too in the sense they’re new flavours that are unusual and savoury.

Have you ever come across some misconceptions about being a bartender, especially a female one?

That you must make good cocktails! Just because you make good cocktails, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re a good bartender.

Thanks for the chat, Yinying! Also, special thanks to our friends from Diageo Reserve for organising the interview ;)

Note: Hailing from the heartland town in Puchong, Yinying graduated from Taylor’s University College in Hospitality Management and had her first bartending stint during an internship in a resort in Port Dickson. She’s currently working as a mixologist in Marini’s on 57.

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#GravityClubKL: DJ Soda To Sweep Malaysian Fans Off Their Feet Once Again

She was just here a couple of months ago but due to popular demand, DJ Soda aka the cute Korean internet sensation will be making her way back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!

This is especially great news for those of you who didn’t get to see her the last time she was here ;)

In case you haven’t heard of her, she first embarked on a journey becoming a world class DJ in 2013, after giving up her musical acting to focus on becoming a DJ. Her background in stage performances aided her signature dance move, “The Flute Dance”, which instantly went viral and accumulated millions of views on social network sites.

We know, right? So cute! And who can say no to that bright smile, anyway? ;)

Deets for her Gravity Club KL gig are as follows:

Psst. Thanks to our friends from Gravity Club KL, we’re giving away 3 pairs of passes to catch DJ Soda’s gig! Wanna win a pair? All you need to do is e-mail us at submit@hype.my with your details (Name, IC, Contact) and tell us why you deserve to win. It’s that easy ?

For more information, visit Gravity Club KL’s Facebook page.


MAS Offers Cheap Flights For #GE13

Looking to coming home for the general election? Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is offering special fares for Malaysians returning to their hometowns to vote! It will also waive penalties for changes made to travel plans during this period.

Passengers can get all-inclusive return Economy Class tickets from Kuala Lumpur to Alor Setar, Penang, Terengganu, Kuantan, Kota Baru, Johor Baru and Langkawi from RM130 while fares for Business class are from RM713. Those flying from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu, Labuan, Tawau, Miri, Sibu, Sandakan, Bintulu and Kuching can get their all-inclusive return tickets for as low as RM300 for Economy class and RM1,713 for Business class.

Meanwhile, fares from Kuching to Kota Kinabalu, Miri, Bintulu or Sibu start at RM76 for Economy Class and at RM1,513 for Business Class while tickets from Kota Kinabalu to Tawau, Labuan and Sandakan are from RM136 on Economy Class and RM1,713 on Business Class. Booking is open from now until 28th April 2013 for the travel period between today and 30th November 2013.

Malaysia Airlines group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said the airline would waive the penalty fees imposed on passengers who wished to defer their travel plans between 27th April 2013 and 12th May 2013 and extend the travel period up to 31st July 2013.

“We would like to accommodate our passengers’ needs as we understand that they may have made travel plans prior to this. With the special fares and new cabin baggage policy in place, guests can easily plan a day trip back home to vote”, he said in a statement here yesterday.

Besides the low fares, the airline is allowing a maximum of 7kg instead of 5kg for cabin baggage in Economy Class while Business Class passengers will be permitted two pieces of cabin baggage with a maximum weight of 7kg.