Hype’s Now Playing: Nabil & BATE – Evoke

No strangers to Kuala Lumpur’s nightlife circuit, Malaysian DJ duo Ethan Curzon and Yeoh Wai Hong, known together as BATE have released their first ever original mix with Nabil. Known for bringing a different kind of energy to each and every set they play, BATE’s original mix “Evoke” is packed with energy and big room sound that will immediately have you dancing along with it.

Fitting with its title, the highly energetic set is guaranteed to evoke the inner dancers in just about everyone who listens to the track. Having played alongside the likes of R3hab, Showtek and at major dance music festivals including Future Music Festival Asia 2013 and 2014, where they shared the stage with deadmau5 + Friends, BATE currently holds a residency at Zouk Club KL on Friday night and Lust KL on Saturday.

Undeniably one of Malaysia’s hottest DJ duos, BATE are among the Malaysian music superheroes that you should be keeping a lookout for.

Don’t believe us? Listen to their original mix “Evoke” featuring Nabil below.

Also, if you missed it, BATE will be opening for Laidback Luke live at Zouk Club KL this June. Deets here.

For more on BATE, visit their Facebook page.


Jay Chou’s Favourite Liang Sandwich Bar To Open 7 New Outlets

Did you know that Jay Chou (周杰倫) has a favourite sandwich bar? It’s call Liang Sandwich Bar.

Originated from Taiwan, the food franchise made its debut in Malaysia a couple of months back. The first outlet opened in Paradigm Mall Johor Bahru on 22nd December 2017 while the second store was launched in KLIA 2 (level 3) on 9th February 2018. Six additional outlets are expected to open next month, with one opening as soon as next week.

Liang Sandwich Bar’s upcoming joints will open across Malaysia – namely Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, and Penang. Although not all seven stores have an opening date yet, foodies can expect them to open for business by the end of May.

Inspired by Taiwanese onion pancakes, Liang Sandwich Bar relies on premium grade flour and non-GMO soybean oil as its main ingredients. Scallions Sandwich, Chicken Bolognese Sandwich, Mushroom & Egg Sandwich, Chicken Ham & Egg Sandwich, Chicken Floss Sandwich, Cheese & Egg Sandwich are among the popular selections.

For more information, visit their Facebook page here.

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Toys R Us To File For Bankruptcy?

There was a time when Toys R Us used to dominate the toy market. As of late, the company is looking at potentially filing for bankruptcy due to its massive debt.

The toy retailer has roughly US$5 billion in debt, of which US$400 million will be due next year. As such, Toys R Us has hired law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP to help with its restructuring options and ways to cope with the debt.

“What Toys R Us has been doing is extending the debt as it comes due and paying higher interest rates,” Howard Davidowitz, the head of the retail consultancy and investment bank Davidowitz & Associates, was quoted as saying. However, Davidowitz said that such a strategy isn’t sustainable, explaining that “they have got enormous debt”.

Like most retailers, Toys R Us makes most of its profits (both online and in stores) during the holiday season. In recent years, the toy industry has been seeing a decline in sales due to the growing popularity in electronic gaming apps. While a company such as Toys R Us is still a valuable brand, investors may no longer be interested in investing in a sinking ship.

If Toys R Us declares bankruptcy, there is no doubt that the 34 outlets in Malaysia will be affected.

Sources: CBS, Reuters, CNBC/ Featured image: Reddit.


(UPDATE) #SoulfestAsia: Bringing Soul, Rhythm, & Groove To Malaysian Shores

Hear some of the world’s finest contemporary artistes at Soulfest Asia 2015 as Australia’s only neo-soul, jazz, and hip hop festival makes its way down to Malaysia for the first time this year!

That’s right, y’all. The inaugural Soulfest Asia will be happening :)

What is Soulfest? It’s an amazing urban music festival which debuted in Australia and New Zealand last year in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Auckland. With Aloe Blacc, Common, Mos Def, and D’Angelo as headliners, it comes as no surprise that its first appearance saw tens of thousands of music lovers come together peacefully to celebrate their passion for soul and hip hop.

The first edition of Soulfest Asia would make for a comfortable night of musical enjoyment as will be indoors and fully air-conditioned, taking place at the Mines International Convention Centre (MICC) on 17th October 2015. The vibe and ambince of Soulfest emulates the passionate rhythms attributed to soul, R&B, and hip hop music that resonates with audiophiles looking to loosen up, cut a rug, and unwind. As for who’s coming for Soulfest Asia, well, are you ready for this?

Soulfest Asia’s debut will see 3 music areas featuring the Queen of hip hop and uban music, Mary J. Blige and Grammy-nominated Jhene Aiko, as well as hip hop favourites Talib Kweli and De La Soul. As for the local front, it’ll also have Joe Flizzow and his entire Kartel family, soul singer Najwa and hip hop collective Raising The Bar live on stage. Let’s not forget that Soulfest Asia will also feature regional superstars such as Singapore’s hugely in demand rapper, Shigga Shay.

And that’s not all! Besides good music and good vibes, Soulfest Asia will also feature an expansive array of tantalising cuisine featuring authentic “Soulfood” and pop-up eateries creaed and curated by the BIG Group.

On top of that, we hear that many more international, regional, and local acts will be announced over the next few weeks. So hang tight ;)

It was just announced that hip-hop heavyweight Omarion will visit KL, West-coast style, on 17th October 2015 for Soulfest Asia, the region’s hottest neo-soul, funk, hip-hop and R&B music festival.

LOL Events will also share in the celebration of soul through a comedy room called “LOL@Soulfest”. Gina Yashere, who is one of the best female stand up comedians will be headlining the comedy sessions with the eminently likeable, criminally charming and fearlessly hilarious comedian, Jim Brewsky.

A rising star in the comedy scene for the South East Asian Region, Fakkah Fuzz will join them on stage alongside Prakash Daniel – the livewire of any party, who will also be hosting the comedy sessions, and Rizal Van Geyzel – a natural performer who stands out in the comedy scene.

Staying true to its promise to be more than just a music festival, Soulfest Asia will be supporting the Women’s Aid Organisation’s public education campaign, aimed at raising awareness for the gravity of domestic violence and the need for public support. A ceramic art exhibition entitled “Can You Keep A Secret?” featuring 12 ceramic life-sized head sculptures designed by artist James Seet will be on display, representing the various accounts of domestic violence survivors.

Soulfest Asia 2015 is presented by AirAsia BIG, brought to you by Brickfields Asia College, and supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture (Malaysia). As the official transport app partner for SoulFest 2015, GrabCar will be providing complimentary transport solutions for the “Soul Sisters” package in support of WAO.

The inaugural Soulfest Asia is a “come rain or shine” event and it’s scheduled to kick off at 3pm with the rhythm flowing all the way to midnight. Tickets go on sale on 17th August 2015 (Monday) with prices from RM198 via AirAsia RedTix and Eventopia.

For more information, visit its official website or its Facebook page.

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#JusticeLeague: Jesse Eisenberg Confirms Lex Luthor’s Return To Movie Franchise

You guys, Lex Luthor will be returning to the big screens!

According to Screen Rant, Jesse Eisenberg confirmed that the popular DC super-villain is going to star in Zack Snyder’s upcoming feature film, “Justice League Part One”.

The actor revealed the casting news at the MCM London Comic Con on Sunday (29th May). He also mentioned that Warner Bros just started filming recently.

“I don’t know what I’m allowed to say, because I feel like there’s probably some drone following me from DC, and if I say anything wrong I get, you know, picked off. But yeah I think so, and I love it, and I love everybody who’s in it. You know, it’s a really talented group of people,” said the “Now You See Me 2” actor.

Since shooting is already underway, it’s uncertain whether the mad genius will get a lot of screen time in the film. There’s also no indication the new film will explain Lex Luthor’s deleted scene titled, “Communion”.

Besides that, Eisenberg opened up about his take on the frequently re-interpreted Lex Luthor. His portrayal of the villain has received many mixed reactions from DC fans and movie critics.

He said, “What I wanted to do with the character is kind of what I want to do in this play, which is I want to humanise these people that you have seen…dehumanised. I wanted to make these people real and relatable and interesting and engaging, not just, you know, a surface bad person.”

We think he did a great job playing Superman’s long-time nemesis, don’t you?

Slated for release on 17th November 2017, director Zack Snyder’s “Justice League Part One” stars Henry Cavil as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, and Ray Fisher as Cyborg.

Sources: Screen Rant (1), Screen Rant (2).


David Tao’s Wedding Banquet, The All-Star Affair

Taiwanese R&B singer-songwriter David Tao is officially off the market!

2 years after dating his then girlfriend 29-year-old Penny Chiang, a daughter of a Taiwanese businessman, he decided that he liked it so he put a ring on it. The 45-year-old artiste held a wedding banquet on 31st August and boy, was it a star-studded event. Why? Well, let’s just say that the guest list included some of Mandopop’s biggest stars such as:

The stars attended the luxurious 55-table purple-themed banquet held at 6-star Mandarin Oriental Taipei. It was also Leehom’s and his wife Li Jinglei’s first public appearance after the birth of their daughter in July. Guests were apparently generous with wedding “angbaos” which amounted to nearly NT$600 million. A currency-counting machine was even spotted at the banquet’s reception area, reportedly provided by the hotel.

During the banquet, David Tao reportedly performed John Lennon’s “Love” while holding Penny’s hand and the newly-wed couple later sang his ballad, “Marry Me Today”.

In addition to that, Jay Zhou recently admitted that he, too, was doing research – for his upcoming wedding with model Hannah Quinlivan, which would take place before his 36th birthday in January next year.

Congratulations, David! We wish you a happily every after.

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Netizens Compare Syed Saddiq’s Bald Look To Avatar Aang

The Muar MP fulfilled his promise to have his head shaved bald after successfully meeting the contribution target of RM200,000 for his “One Family, One Laptop” campaign. For those wondering, the campaign managed to raise a contribution of RM383,000 within five days.

Malaysians were also able to witness the moment as it was broadcasted live on Astro AWANI last night. During the session, the youth icon recalled his past experience of having his mom cut his hair when he was six years old. Interestingly enough, the latter was also spotted making her special appearance, where she spent more than 20 minutes snipping and shaving his hair.

The replies section has been flooded with tons of remarks left by local netizens. In this case, a lot of them praised him for his effort in assisting the people in his constituency. Others, on the contrary, were left amused. Some even compared Syed Saddiq’s brand new look to the character Aang (from “Avatar: The Last Airbender”), in addition to other notable characters!

Take a look at some of their responses below:

When you were first running for the elections I scoffed at you thinking you were just a show off young boy who is Wannabe Politician. You have since won me over with your hard work, sincerity and sometimes dare to speak up for the people moments. Well done YB.

— alice sai (@alicesaipc) December 30, 2020

A 100 year’s passed and my brother and I discovered a new Avatar. An airbender named Syed Saddiq. And although his airbending skills were great, he had a lot to learn before he’s ready to save anyone. https://t.co/uMk27QXIrv

— Bull Masih Bull (@aimanbull3224) December 30, 2020

syed saddiq is the grown up airbender pic.twitter.com/kzT2fvK3Zb

— Zeta : Dalam hati ada taman (@SusunKita) December 30, 2020

If you can’t see your future on Syed Saddiq’s head, you probably don’t have a bright future ☹ pic.twitter.com/XpIWSbxbpv

— not typical. (@JustinTWJ) December 30, 2020

For those interested, watch the full live broadcast here:


#Zouk: 24-Year-Old Zouk Singapore & All Its Major Trademarks Sold To Genting

Zouk KL welcomes the news of Genting Hong Kong, a leading global leisure, entertainment, and hospitality enterprise, that has entered into an agreement to acquire iconic Zouk Club Singapore.

Under the terms of the agreement, Genting Hong Kong will acquire Zouk’s major trademarks along with the new Zouk Club in Clarke Quay, Singapore, scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2016. Genting Hong Kong will also continue to operate the annual ZoukOut with the next event in December 2015.

The terms of the agreement excludes the Zouk Kuala Lumpur nightspot located at lifestyle precinct TREC along Jalan Tun Razak.

As a prelude to this milestone event, Beatship, Genting Hong Kong’s beach club cruise concept on board Star Cruises, is collaborating with Zouk KL and bring the party on shore with an all new DJ event in Kuala Lumpur on 23rd October at the indoor arena KL Live.

Headlined by top ranking DJs including Grammy-nominated Paul van Dyk, Andrew Rayel, and Aly & Fila, the event marks the beginning of many more exciting events in the region with the legendary Zouk brand now part of the Genting Hong Kong family.

Upon the announcement, Zouk Club KL’s co-founder Cher Ng said, “The Zouk Club KL team and its Board welcome the news of Genting Hong Kong. We are looking forward to working with Genting Hong Kong on Zouk Club KL’s first collaborative event on 23rd October, and more to come.”

Under Genting Hong Kong, the Zouk brand will expand its footprint, extending its presence across the region. Zouk’s Brand Founder as well as Zouk Club KL’s co-founder Lincoln Cheng will hand over the reigns of Zouk Singapore.

Lincoln says, “Zouk, a world-class brand, has all along had held ambition to expand beyond Singapore and Malaysia. Genting Hong Kong will take the Zouk brand further and to greater heights together with the existing Zouk Singapore team, mapping its footprint out of Singapore and Malaysia, and into the future.”

Lincoln, who will remain as the Non-Executive Chairman of Zouk Club KL, also noted that both Zouk clubs in Singapore and Malaysia will continue to shine in their respective territories.

With Zouk Singapore set for expansion, the new Zouk KL has set the benchmark for entertainment in the Malaysian capital city.

Vice President of Lifestyle and F&B Concepts Genting Hong Kong Andrew Li added, “Zouk is a brilliant example of a local Singapore brand that has not only achieved worldwide status and recognition in the global club scene, but has truly evolved into a subculture of its own for generations of trendsetters in Asia. As Genting Hong Kong continues to expand its reach in attracting a younger and more lifestyle driven clientele, we are confident that the addition of such an iconic institution will further complement and enhance the company’s overall brands and offerings across the region.”

Following Zouk KL’s recent relocation to its new home at TREC, the 24-year-old Zouk Club Singapore will relocate from Jiak Kim Street to entertainment precinct Clarke Quay in the third quarter of 2016.

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

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(UPDATE) #Dismaland: First Look At Banksy’s Pop-Up Art Exhibition In A Dystopian Theme Park

“It’s not art unless it has the potential to be a disaster.”

That is just one of the phrases that you’ll see when you’re at Dismaland, a dystopian theme park specially designed by Banksy to hold his latest art exhibition.

Tagged as “the UK’s most disappointing new visitor attraction”, Dismaland is situated on the seafront of the legendary Weston-super-Mare in south-west England. It wouldn’t take long for anyone to realise that this “Bemusement Park” also bears a striking resemblance to the iconic amusement park, Disneyland.

Famed for his ironic murals at unexpected places, British street graffiti artist Banksy said in a statement that the show was something different as his street art had become “just as reassuringly white, middle class and lacking in women as any other art movement”. He described it as “a festival of art, amusements, and entry-level anarchism”, which was not suitable for children.

It’s not a swipe at Disney. I banned any imagery of MICKEY MOUSE from the site. It’s a showcase for the best line-up of artists I could imagine, apart from the two who turned me down.

He added, “I guess it’s a theme park whose big theme is — theme parks should have bigger themes.”

The site is filled with his satirical statements and subversive epigrams that mock centralised power, the media, Western culture, and the extreme disparities of wealth. But as usual, the secretive artist could not be spotted at the press launch.

He only features 10 of his artworks at the site. Most of the bizarre artworks that are being displayed in the dystopian theme park are created by no less than 50 artists from around the world, including Damien Hirst, Bill Barminski, Caitlin Cherry, Polly Morgan, Josh Keyes, Mike Ross, David Shrigley, Bäst, Espo, Escif, Maskull Lasserre, Kate McDowell, Paco Pomet, Dietrich Wegner, Michael Beitz, Brock Davis, Ronit Baranga, and so on.

Banksy, who reportedly grew up in Bristol, started splattering buildings with his artworks in the early 90s. His work can be found on multiple locations ranging from London and New York to the West Bank, and Gaza. He is one of the most sought-after artists in the art world he satirises and his fans include pop star Christina Aguilera and actor Brad Pitt, who paid as much as $500,000 for pieces of his work.

The authorities have routinely painted over his graffiti for almost a decade, but they also now recognise the value. The North Somerset Council said they support the exhibition, as they are mindful of a previous show in nearby Bristol that attracted more than 300,000 fans from around the world in 2009.

Council leader Nigel Ashton, who is also a member of Britain’s ruling Conservatives, said:

We were absolutely delighted to have the biggest drawing name in art here.

He was not put off by the anti-authority theme either, adding, “There’s nothing wrong with asking provocative questions.”

“Dismaland” opens today (21st August) and it’ll only be open to the public for 5 weeks.

Dismaland, “the UK’s most disappointing new visitor attraction”, finally has a trailer.

Besides the eerie art pieces, the theme park also features an hour-long programme of short films by Ze Frank, Kristen Lepore, and many more

Take a look at Banksy Dismaland theme park via the trailer below:

You can view all the short films in the list below:

For more information about Dismaland, visit its official website and Instagram.

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NCT Dream Bringing “THE DREAM SHOW 2 : In A Dream” To Malaysia & Singapore

Rejoice K-pop fans, NCT Dream (엔시티 드림) is embarking on a full world tour and have just announced the tour dates for their stops in the US, Europe, and of course Asia. After wetting our appetite when they performed at the SEEN Festival in Axiata Arena just last months, the boys will be returning to our local shores again.

Don’t worry y’all, this is not a false alarm (the previously announced Fest World Tour was suspected to be a scam). Now that we’ve got the official announcement, NCTzens (as fans are called) are gearing up for the anticipated day. NCT Dream will be performing abroad before returning to Southeast Asia for their concerts in Malaysia and Singapore.

To recap, the beloved boyband only performed 5 songs during their recent stop in Kuala Lumpur. They were “Hot Sauce”, “Beatbox”, “Glitch Mode”, “Hello Future” and “Candy”. With “THE DREAM SHOW 2 : In A Dream” world tour, concert-goers will definitely get to experience a full repertoire from their discography of music.

As of now, we know that NCT Dream will be dropping by Singapore on 1st May before coming to Kuala Lumpur on 20th May. Once the official concert organiser is confirmed, we’ll soon find out more details on the concert venue (will likely be in Axiata Arena again) and ticketing prices. Stay tuned to this space for more details.


10 Book To Film Adaptations To Look Out For In 2020

From “Harry Potter” to “The Hunger Games”, many of our beloved literature have already been adapted into blockbuster films by the studio giants over in Hollywood. However, this doesn’t mean that there’s nothing left to adapt – quite the contrary actually.

There are still millions of books out there that tell millions of stories that are ready for the big screen. So without further ado, here is a list of some of the best books to film adaptations that will be hitting the cinemas in 2020:

Based on the novel with the same name, Artemis Fowl is a 12-year-old genius and descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds. He soon finds himself in an epic battle against a race of powerful underground fairies who may be behind his father’s disappearance.

A little boy stumbles across a conference of witches while staying with his grandmother at a hotel, and gets transformed into a mouse by the Grand High Witch.

The sequel of the adaptation of the children story of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. The story goes that while Thomas McGregor and Bea are on their honeymoon, Peter Rabbit runs away from home. While on the road, he befriends a rabbit that is an old friend of Peter’s father.

Based on Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel of the same name, the story is set far into the future. Duke Leto Atreides has accepted stewardship of the dangerous desert planet Arrakis, also known as Dune. It is the only source of a drug called “the spice”, the most valuable substance in the universe as it provides accelerated levels of thought and extends human life. Despite knowing that this is a complicated trap set by his enemies, the Harkonnens, Leto still takes his young son and heir Paul, his Bene Gesserit concubine Lady Jessica, and his most trusted advisers to the planet. He takes control of the spice mining operation, even though it is dangerous due to the giant sandworms in the area. When the Atreides family gets betrayed, his son Paul leads a rebellion to restore his family’s control of the planet.

The movie follows the adventures of Doctor Dolittle, a character created by author Hugh Lofting. The doctor lives in solitude with his only companionship comes from an array of exotic animals that he speaks to on a daily basis. But when young Queen Victoria becomes gravely ill, the eccentric doctor and his furry friends embark on an epic adventure to a mythical island to find the cure.

A live-action CGI-animated adventure film based on the 1903 novel of the same name by Jack London. It follows a sled dog’s struggle for survival in the Alaskan wild. The dog is a domesticated St. Bernard/Scotch Collie named Buck, who is sold to freight haulers in the Yukon after being stolen from his home in Santa Clara, California.

A loose modern adaptation of both the novel of the same name by H. G. Wells and a remake of the 1933 film adaptation of the same name. “The Invisible Man” follow Cecilia Kass played by Elisabeth Moss where she want to start her life anew after escaping from her boyfriend, who is a rich and brilliant but violent and controlling scientist. She would later learn that her boyfriend have died and left a big portion of the wealth to her, but she soon suspect that the death was a hoax as she felt an invisible present stalking her.

Dr. Anna Fox an agoraphobic (fear of situation that cause panic, trapped, helpless and embarassed) child psychologist, saw something she shouldn’t while spying on the Russell family, the seemingly picture perfect clan that lives across the way.

A war drama based on C.S. Forester’s “The Good Shepherd”. The film takes place during the early days of World War II. In his first command of a U.S. Navy destroyer, the Greyhound, Captain Ernest Krause leads 37 Allied ships to cross the treacherous North Atlantic while being pursued by German Nazi U-boats. Along the way, he fights his self-doubts and personal demons to prove his use as a commanding officer.

A spin-off story of the popular Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan universe. John Clark, aka John Terrence Kelly, is a former Navy SEAL who is now working as an operations officer for the CIA. He is seeking revenge after a Baltimore drug lord kills his girlfriend.

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#HarryPotter: Get Ready For “Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone In Concert” This July!

Any Harry Potter fans out there? We have good news for you ;)

The “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” concert is coming to Malaysia this July! If you’re a die-hard Potterhead, we assure you, this is an event you don’t wanna miss.

The concert will be performed by the Selangor Symphony Orchestra as part of the Harry Potter Film Concert Series. The movie will be played on a 40-foot screen in high definition, accompanied by the orchestra’s rendition of the soundtrack. The orchestra will play the exact same pieces from John Williams’ original score.

CineConcerts and Warner Bros. Consumer Products announced the Harry Potter Film Concert Series early last year. The global concert tour celebrating the Harry Potter films kicked off in June 2016 and is scheduled to include hundreds of performances across more than 35 countries around the world through 2018.

“Harry Potter is synonymous with excitement around the entire world and we hope that by performing this incredible music with the full movie, audiences will enjoy returning to this world, and to the many wonderful characters and adventures that inhabit it,” explained the producer for the concert series, Brady Beaubien.

Tickets are available via Ticketpro’s website or hotline at 03-78807999.

For the latest concert updates, check out Ticketpro’s Facebook page.


Singaporean Singer Gentle Bones Talks About His Latest EP, “Michelle”

Singaporean singer-songwriter Joel Tan, who goes by his stage name Gentle Bones, has taken the region by storm after releasing his self-titled debut EP in 2014.

The 24-year-old now has 3 EPs under his belt. After becoming the first Singaporean music act to be signed by Universal Music Group, Gentle Bones released his third EP titled “Michelle”, which is named after his friend.

“This third EP is inspired by Michelle and is an open letter dedicated to and named after her. I want to bring it back to the basics and have these simple love songs be a secondhand serenade for everyone else.”

The self-composed EP includes 3 tracks, “Be My Ocean”, “You Are The One”, and “I Wouldn’t Know Any Better Than You” which has gained international acclaim since it was teased earlier in June last year. The track even charted on Spotify’s Malaysia Top 50 Viral chart.

After a successful showcase in Malaysia last year, Gentle Bones continues making waves across Asia with live performances in solo concerts and festivals in Korea, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Gentle Bones was the first youngest English music recording artist to achieve two sold-out concerts in Singapore. In 2016, he earned himself a spot at the inaugural Forbes 30 under 30 list for entertainment personalities.

Hype Malaysia recently had a quick chat with the Singaporean crooner to talk about his latest EP and his plan for 2019. Here how it went:

Hi Gentle Bones, can you tell us the inspiration behind the new EP, like why is it called “Michelle”? And how is the music different from your previous releases?

Sure. Michelle who is a friend of mine, inspired all the tracks in the new EP. I’ve been exploring many different genres over the past few years and this EP is different because the aim of it was for the track to be genre-less.

What is your favourite track from the EP and why?

“Be My Ocean” is my favourite song of the EP. It was a song that was unabashedly honest and really captured the vulnerability of the moment.

Congratulations on getting charted on Spotify’s Malaysia Top 50 Viral chart for “I Wouldn’t Know Any Better Than You”. What do you think is the selling point of the song?

It’s my strongest song to date, I am really proud of its message and it’s a song any couple can relate to.

What have you achieved last year and what do you plan to achieve this year?

I intend to perform in as many cities as possible and continue to produce better music.

Is there any Malaysian performer you’d like to perform or collaborate with?

Working with Yuna would be an absolute dream.

I spent Chinese New Year in Los Angeles, working on more singles and my debut album.

Can you give a shout out to your Malaysian fans?

I can’t wait to perform in Malaysia again soon and I hope to be able to meet everyone!

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Polycarbonate Glass Foils Shah Alam Jewellery Store (Kedai Emas Sri Alam) Robbery Attempt

Late yesterday (Monday, 24th July 2017), 4 robbers stormed Kedai Emas Sri Alam in Shah Alam with intent to make away with a big loot. Unfortunately, their attempt was foiled, thanks to the polycarbonate-laminated jewellery glass display counters.

For the uninitiated, polycarbonate is a durable material that’s up to 10 times more impact-resistant than plastic or glass. High-impact properties make polycarbonate virtually unbreakable (read: break-resistant), which makes it perfect to be used as exterior windows because of its resistance. It can be also laminated to make bullet-proof “glass”, although “bullet-resistant” is more accurate for the thinner windows, such as bullet-resistant windows in automobiles.

The jewellery store, located at AEON Big Seksyen 23, shared a 42-second long CCTV clip of the incident. The robbers can be seen wearing heavily tinted full face visor motorcycle helmets and tirelessly going at it with giant sledgehammers. When we say “tirelessly”, we really mean that it looks like hard work because the glass simply refused to give way. Much to the robbers’ dismay, we’re sure.

As at time of writing, in just 3 hours, the video has been viewed over 400,000 times, garnering more than 8,000 shares and 1,600 odd comments.

Thankfully, no one was hurt in the robbery. But in their Facebook post, Kedai Emas Sri Alam made it a point to note, “The saddest part is the fact that our jewellery glass display counters have been destroyed. We’ll be closed for 2 weeks to facilitate repairs. After the renovation is complete, we’ll be back in operation as usual.”

Not the smash-and-grab they envisioned. pic.twitter.com/z5paaDtaAL

Source: Kedai Emas Sri Alam / Featured image: Kedai Emas Sri Alam.


This “High School Musical 4” Fan Trailer Will Give You All The Feels

We’re not gonna lie, Zac Efron’s Troy Bolton and Vanessa Hudgens’ Gabriella Montez are our favourite teen couple of all time. So when Disney announced that “High School Musical 4” is in the works without them, we were super bummed out.

While we know that the new movie will focus on the cousin of Sharpay and Ryan Evans (played by Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel respectively), it doesn’t stop us from wondering what would happen if the original crew got back together.

In case you’ve forgotten (or just too young to know what we’re talking about), here’s a picture of the gang:

If you’re curious to know about their future, there’s a fanmade trailer circling around the interweb and it takes place 10 years after the original characters’ graduation from high school.

Titled “Once A Wildcat”, the clip, which features Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel’s cover of “What I’ve Been Looking For”, shows Troy and Gabriella leading separate lives. “I just can’t. I can’t stop thinking about what she’s doing,” Troy tells Sharpay, who seems to be working alongside Chad Danforth (played by Corbin Bleu). In another scene, Gabriella also seems to have trouble moving on from her high school sweetheart. She can be heard saying, “I mean, I don’t need to settle. It’s not like I’m 30.

Meanwhile, Ryan talks about getting married early. “Sorta took the fast track to the whole marriage and kids thing,” he says in the clip.

Although the trailer is a little bleak, we’re glad to see them together again.

What do you think of the fan trailer? Let us know in the comments box below :)

Sources: E Online, Refinery 29 / Featured image: Just Jared Jr.

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12 Pop Stars Who Are Set To Release Their Music Documentaries

Pop stars have become more accessible these days. With a click of a button on social media, celebrities and fans are able to interact without having to go through a middle person.

Over the past few years, many singers have taken the opportunity to tell their stories through documentaries from their point of view. Prominent figures like Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Britney Spears and Demi Lovato have utilised this platform to convey their truth. Th good news is, music lovers can look forward to several more music documentaries in the near future.

Formed in 2005, the band gained popularity for their work with Disney. The band consisting of three brothers – Nick, Joe, and Kevin broke up in 2013. However, their latest single, “Sucker” marked their return to the industry. Aside from new music, the band is looking to release a documentary. Titled “Chasing Happiness”, the series will be an intimate outlook on their lives, the reason for their disband in 2013, and their perspectives on things as a family.

The date of its released is scheduled for June and it will exclusively be released to Amazon. “Our fans are the best in the world and have shared in our journey as the Jonas Brothers and us as individuals,” said the Jonas Brothers. “In releasing this documentary we wanted to make sure we partnered with an innovative platform, like Amazon, that could reach our fans around the world.”

Irish band Westlife is gearing up to kick off their reunion tour. A documentary is also set to come with their return to the spotlight. The upcoming film will capture the inner workings of the band before and during the reunion tour.

In speaking to the Irish Sun, member, Shane Filan noted the importance of the documentary. “We’ll document it in some way because it’s important for us and our kids and for the fans to realise how it all came back together. I think that it is going to be magic. No one’s ever seen that. It’s just us,” the lead vocalist said.

The Queen of soul, Aretha Franklin was a force to be reckoned with. Throughout her career, she was known and admired for her singing abilities. Her upcoming “Amazing Grace” documentary will be a living testimony to her legacy.

The 2-hour footage is a live recording of Aretha’s 1972 performance at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles. It was reported that the documentary will be screen in selected cinemas throughout New York and Los Angeles in April.

5-time Grammy winner, Celine Dion is set to get her own biopic. Thanks to French studio Gaumont, the motion picture is slated for release in 2020. The upcoming picture will follow Dion’s childhood journey in Quebec in the 1960s to her rise to stardom as a teenager. It will also touched on her relationship with her husband and manager, René Angélil, who passed away in 2016.

That’s not all! Ms Dion is all coming back with a brand new tour and a new album titled “Courage”. It’ll hopefully be out in November this year and guess what? Sia will be involved in the new record. Yay!

American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert is set to release a joint documentary with British rock band, Queen. Produced by Jim Beach/Simon Lipton, the 2-hour documentary will chronicle their journey as a band since they first met and performed on “American Idol” in 2009.

The film titled “The Show Must Go On- The Queen + Adam Lambert Story” will feature interviews from Lambert, his parents, Queen founding members (Brian May and Roger Taylor), Simon Cowell, Rami Malek, and Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins.

Jesy Nelson exudes female empowerment and is a role model to many Little Mix fans out there. The singer, who is a member in one of the world’s biggest girl band, recently announced that she’s teaming up with BBC to release a one-off documentary titled, “Jesy Nelson: My Story”.

The British entertainer will explore growing up in a social media-fuelled age of selfies, body shaming, and internet trolls and how it impacts mental health, especially on the younger generation. Having been in the spotlight and intense scrutiny, the 27-year-old singer will be able to provide a unique prospective to the matter.

New Jersey singer, Halsey rose to fame after collaborating with Chainsmokers for their 2016 hit, “Closer”. A biopic following her life journey is set to premiere on the movie screens. Following a report by Deadline, Sony Music has signed a deal with Halsey to shoot a movie based on the singer’s life experience.

The upcoming motion picture will allow Hasley to convey her life journey on screen. The biopic in which she is set to star, will depict her journey to fame since she left New Jersey to pursue a singing career.

After the success of their 2018 documentary “Bros: After the Screaming Stops”, english band, Bros is reportedly working on their album documentary.

Their previous documentary captured the ‘tension’ between the brothers, which caused their separation in 1992. This time, the duo is taking the cameras to the studios. This time, the documentary will document their journey making their comeback record.

Band member, Luke Goss, teased some tension, noting, “You have to hope for a little bit of tension. There should be a nice spiky energy in the studio.”

There’s always something enigmatic about Grammy singer, A D’ Angelo. After gaining commercial success with his albums, “Brown Sugar” (1995) and “Voodoo” (2000), D’ Angelo left the spotlight due to personal battles and struggles coping with fame.

According to the Tribeca Film Festival, the upcoming broadcast will give viewers an exclusive look at the star’s journey to fame, and his infamous disappearance from the spotlight.

Speaking about the Tribeca Film Festival. “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” winner Trixie Mattel is also expected to premiere a documentary at this year’s event.

Written and directed by Nick Zeig-Owens, the documentary will follow the singer on her successful tours but will also show viewers “the grind of performing and the pressure of the title proves that heavy is the head that wears the tiara”.

In late 2017, Selena Gomez revealed on Instagram that she undergone a kidney transplant. This was due to her battle with autoimmune disease, Lupus. In the post, Gomez expressed her intention of sharing the journey with her fans. According to Planet Radio, the rumoured documentary will revolve around her battle with lupus in hopes it will inspire fans.

A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Nov 29, 2018 at 5:37pm PST

Director Peter Berg recently spilled the tea, announcing that Rihanna’s documentary is almost ready for release. “With over 1500 hours of Footage, the documentary features an in-depth insight into the singer’s life and is expected to be a series dropping soon!” a source was quoted as saying.

Beyonce is one busy, busy queen. Besides her involvement in Disney’s “The Lion King” remake as Nala, the 37-year-old entertainer also has 2 other projects in the pipeline. Her deal with Netflix for a documentary shines the spotlight on her 2018 history-making Coachella performance.

The Beyhive (as her fans are lovingly called) were treated to some new songs from the singer. “Beyoncé doesn’t have a new full album,” but she is recording “couple of new tracks (for) a deluxe album filled with old songs,” an insider previously revealed.

*Update: Beyonce’s “Homecoming” is already on Netflix.

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AirAsia Is Offering RM50 e-Vouchers To Cuti-Cuti Malaysia

AirAsia and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) are joining forces to reinvigorate the national economy through domestic tourism.

The Cuti-Cuti Malaysia campaign will see AirAsia collaborating with travel industry players to give out RM50 e-vouchers to 24,000 domestic travellers.

Tourism Malaysia is hoping the Stimulus Recovery Plan will help stimulate domestic tourism and create income for tourism-related businesses such as hotels, restaurants, tour operators and more.

“MOTAC welcomes the government’s decision to allow domestic travel bubble between green zones in Malaysia,” said MOTAC minister YB Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri. “We hope that the rakyat will use the opportunity to travel responsibly and always adhere to the SOPs and the new norms while traveling.”

#AirAsia collaborates with @TourismMalaysia to offer Cuti-Cuti Malaysia RM50 e-voucher to drive domestic tourism.

The e-vouchers will be made available for public redemption on our website, https://t.co/OsC52vu7AM very soon. Stay tuned!https://t.co/Qu3zqrjOuk

So when can we start to redeem the RM50 e-Voucher as aforementioned? AirAsia hinted “very soon”.

“A total of 24,000 e-vouchers are available, and eligible Malaysians will be able to redeem one RM50 e-voucher each on airasia.com starting from 2pm on Monday, 30th November 2020, on a first-come-first-served basis,” AirAsia announced.

The RM50 discount voucher can be claimed when booking any AirAsia domestic flight.


(UPDATE) #MOTTE: G-Dragon’s World Tour To Include Bangkok, Singapore, & KL

VIPs, your favourite leader is coming to our part of the world!

BIGBANG’s G-Dragon will be embarking on his world tour, “ACT III, M.O.T.T.E (Moment Of Truth The End)” and Singapore as well as Bangkok are included in the lineup!

The full list of countries were unveiled today (Tuesday, 25th April), with the talented rapper slated to kick start his tour on 10th June in Seoul. Other countries in the list include Macau, Australia, United States, Canada, and Japan.

Singapore is the 3rd destination of the tour, with G-Dragon scheduled to perform 2 nights on 24th and 25th June. This will be followed by a 2-night concert in Bangkok on 7th and 8th July.

Sadly, Malaysian isn’t on the list. However, fans can still remain hopeful, as YG Entertainment has stated that more countries will be added to the list in the coming weeks.

Yay, Malaysian VIPs. G-Dragon is coming to Kuala Lumpur!

The idol took to his Facebook page to announce additional cities for his “ACT III, M.O.T.T.E (Moment Of Truth The End)” world tour, and yes, it includes us. Renowned promoter IME Asia, who also confirmed the news on their Facebook page, will be organising G-Dragon’s highly anticipated solo concert. Save the date: 16th September 2017 at Stadium Merdeka.

For the full list of countries, click here.

G-Dragon’s “ACT III, M.O.T.T.E (Moment Of Truth The End)” world tour in Kuala Lumpur has been rescheduled. Concert promoter IME Productions released an official statement to confirm the news, citing the Malaysia Day celebrations on 16th September 2017 as the reason.

The K-Pop idol will perform at Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur on 17th September 2017 (Sunday) at 7:30pm instead.

More ticketing details will be announced soon.

For the latest updates, remember to check out G-Dragon’s official website and Facebook page.

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#Tesco: Malaysia’s First Asian Food Festival To Be Held In KL, JB, Penang, & More

The first ever “Asia Food Culture Tour” will be held in 6 Malaysian cities – Johor Bahru, Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Bukit Mertajam, and Penang – from 2nd December 2016 to 5th February 2017.

Partially organised by Tesco, the festival allows consumers to sample and explore Asia’s traditional delicacies as well as new, unique flavours. With over 50 stalls at each location, the food fair will also feature oversea vendors from China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan.

Details for the “Asia Food Culture Tour” are as follows:

1st stop: Tesco Extra @ Tebrau City, Johor Bahru
Date: 2nd – 11th December 2016
Time: 2pm – 12am

2nd stop: Tesco @ Malacca Sentral
Date: 15th – 18th December 2016
Time: 2pm – 12am

3rd stop: Tesco @ IOI Mall Puchong, Kuala Lumpur
Date: 23rd December 2016 – 2nd January 2017
Time: 2pm – 12am

4th stop: Tesco Extra @ Bercham, Ipoh
Date: 6th – 15th January 2017
Time: 2pm – 12am

5th stop: Tesco @ Bukit Mertajam
Date: 19th – 22nd January 2017
Time: 2pm – 12am

6th stop: Tesco @ T. Penang
Date: 26th January – 5th February 2017
Time: 2pm – 12am

Check out the some of the food that will be served in the fair below:

We can’t wait for December to come because writing this makes us hungry ?

Note: All food are pork free and non-alcoholic.

Source: Eat, Pray, Love’s Facebook page.


Avril Lavigne Promises New Album Will Be Out This Year

It’s not complicated – fans have been wanting some new music for the longest time and Avril Lavigne is to make her anticipated comeback.

The 33-year-old singer recently made her first red carpet appearance in 2 years when she showed up at 25th Annual Race to Erase MS Gala at Beverly Hills. Naturally, many folks were interested to find out what she has been up to since the release of her 5th LP back in 2013 and her battle with Lyme disease.

In speaking with E! News, the pop punk princess shared, “It’s a really powerful record. I’ve been working on this for three years. I can actually say this time I’m going to be done with this album in two weeks, and I will put it out this year.”

“I’ve been writing songs that are really just powerful and true and honest and sincere and I think people will really be able to relate to it. I’ve gone through a lot of personal stuff in the past two years, and so I’ve really drawn from that. I mean, I always do, but this album is so different,” she added.

For the past couple of months, Lavigne has been posting her studio sessions on Instagram. We can’t wait to hear the results of that!

Source: E! News /Featured image: Breathe Heavy.

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Tony Leung On Making His Hollywood Debut With “Shang-Chi”

Tony Leung (梁朝偉) is no stranger to movie fans. Having been in showbiz for approximately 4 decades, he’s easily one of the most revered actors of today thanks to his many iconic roles over the years.

In speaking with Elle Singapore recently, the 59-year-old icon revealed he’s experienced 2 firsts with Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”: the first time stepping into a main villain role and his first Hollywood movie.

“I always feel, everything is a kind of destiny. Many of times, things don’t happen just because you wish for it. Yet suddenly, perhaps the time is ripe, the opportunity to something you’ve long wanted to try pops up. Then naturally, everything will come to fruition,” Tony said, when asked about his Hollywood and Marvel Cinematic Universe debut.

In fact, one of the main reasons Tony agreed to come onboard was after he had spoken to director and writer Destin Daniel Cretton. “I accepted it because of the director,” the legendary actor told the publication. “It just felt right. Plus, this is something I’ve never done before, to play an Asian supervillain. A chance to do something for Asia. I thought, why not?”

As you may know, Tony plays Wenwu aka the Mandarin. He’s not only the leader of the Ten Rings organisation, wielder of the mythical and redesigned ten rings, but also Shang-Chi’s dad. Since this is a version of Mandarin, the Hong Kong star was given room to add his own ideas and characteristics into the villain’s backstory.

“When [Marvel] offered me the role, what they wanted was for me to create a brand new Mandarin, so I got to develop my character along with the filming. I’ve never approached Wenwu from a villain’s standpoint. Rather, I tried to explore the reasons that led him to become who he is. He’s a man with a history, who craves to be loved. He is also human, and he has a family. As I read [the script], I began to consider the many reasons why he’d turn out the way he is — a sociopath, a narcissist, a bigot,” he added.

About his firsts… Tony forgot to mention that “Shang-Chi” also marks the first time he and Michelle Yeoh are appearing together in a movie in almost 3 decades.


#MalaysiaDay: Mimi Sends Her Malaysia Day Love To Malaysians!

As you might’ve already heard, one of the world’s best-selling female singer of all time will hit our shores next month, bringing her tour entitled Mariah Carey “The Elusive Chanteuse Show” Tour In Malaysia 2014 on 22nd October at Merdeka Stadium in Kuala Lumpur at 8pm.

We’re pretty sure that Mariah Carey is just as excited about her concert as her fans are because she left a pretty special message on her official Facebook page today!

Apparently Mariah’s Malaysian fans told her about our National Day and the thoughtful Diva took the opportunity to wish her much missed fans in Malaysia where she performed to a 20,000 crowd in 2004. We hear that Mariah said was one of the best shows as the heat of the night unexpectedly gave her better vocal performance on stage.

Mariah Carey (also known as simply “Mimi” to her adoring fans) posted:

Aww, isn’t she the sweetest! Now we really, really can’t wait for 22nd October to come sooner!

Mariah Carey “The Elusive Chanteuse Show” Tour In Malaysia 2014 is organized by IME Productions and supported by Malaysia Major Events, an agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Culture Malaysia.

Tickets can be purchased online via TicketCharge or alternatively, you can call for TicketCharge hotline +603 92228811 or IME Productions hotline +603 21666166 for ticket and concert information.

For more information, visit IME Productions’ Facebook page.


Arthur’s Day 2013 Featured Five For Fighting, The All American Rejects and The Wanted

Fans rocked out to epic performances by Five For Fighting, The All American Rejects and The Wanted at Arthur’s Day 2013. The celebration took place at Sepang International Circuit on the 27th of September, 2013.

Photos courtesy of Guinness Anchor Berhad and Brandon Sta Maria

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#deadmau5: Get A Load Of The mau5’s Crazily Epic New Stage

Say what you want about the infamous “internetz” troll (also world famous producer) deadmau5, he has just proved that he’s still got it. That, and much more.

Sure, he’s not a fan favourite. Especially for those who have been following his social media antics quite closely. But it seems like Twitter hasn’t drained him of all his creative juices just yet because will you just look at his new stage!

Recently revealed during his set at the Governors Ball NYC, his brand new stage design comes after years of development, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, and all the hype in the world.

Unlike the mau5cube, the iron-wrought Thunderdome-inspired mousetrap setup features a luminescent dome inside a larger lattice of lights. Believe it or not, the structure’s outer shell dramatically slides open to reveal lighting panels spinning and pulsing around the center pod, where deadmau5 stands. To top it all off, this whole mau5 shebang/getup/epic-ness is supported by a towering screen behind him, which is synched with custom visuals. Oh, and also a new mau5head to boot for the grand debut.

Check out the pictures of the epic stage from the gallery below:

Note: Word has it that not everything went according to plan for poor ol’ mau5 as his set plunged into a deafening silence due to a power issue right after a strong start. It was no matter to deadmau5 though, as he bounded to the front of the stage to theatrically do some push-ups while waiting for the technical issue to be fixed.

Such sense of humour, he has! But we’re not entirely surprised. Pulling off a great performance has always been deadmau5’s forte, after all ;)

For more information on deadmau5, hit up his Facebook page or stalk his now-all-too-popular Twitter.


#RAIN: Korean Superstar Announces 2nd World Tour, Includes Malaysia

Rain, one of the pioneers in bringing the Korean Wave to Malaysia, will be making his way back to our shores again.

According to The Malay Mail Online, the South Korean superstar recently announced that he will embark on his 2nd world tour soon.

Rain (real name: Jung Ji-hoon), who was formerly an artiste under CUBE Entertainment, is gearing up for his comeback world tour that will kick off in December. He will be performing in Hunan province in China on 7th November before he heads to Guangdong, Hubei, Beijing, and Sichuan.

The singer is currently under a whole new management company founded by himself. In a press statement, he said:

We formed a dream team of multi-entertainment, by recruiting the best from each area of the entertainment industry.

“We adapted the agency system of the United States, and we hope to manage actors and singers,” he added.

The 33-year-old singer recently confirmed that he will be releasing a new album next month. In order to reconcile with his fans, he will also be holding a concert in Seoul.

The global superstar is expected to promote the new album overseas as various entertainment sites reported that he will be going to Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia Singapore, Australia, and North America for his upcoming world tour.

From what we heard, Rain is expected to show a different type of stage show that will feature more “passionate performances” based on his personal experiences.

Rain previously came to Malaysia as the global ambassador of German leather products brand, Modern Creation Munich aka MCM.

He was supposed to perform in Kuala Lumpur as part of the Twin Towers Alive concert in March 2014 as well, but the event was cancelled at the 11th hour.

There has been no further details regarding Rain’s upcoming concert in Malaysia, but stay tuned to our site for more updates.

Sources: The Malay Mail Online, Soompi, AKP.

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Our Picks Of Scrumptious Snacks & Sweet Treats To NOSH On This Week!

Another week, another mouthwatering array of special snacks and sweets to delight in!

We’re still in the midst of Chinese New Year, surrounded by festive goodies and sweets – which doesn’t mean we’re not in the mood for other noshes, does it? Admit it! Hah! So, keep your festive feasting moderate, as you’ll want to enjoy each of the following promotions!

A post shared by Inside Scoop Ice Cream (@myinsidescoop)

This one-of-a-kind cake will be sure to bring you extra HUAT this auspicious month. Collaborating with Poh Kong Malaysia, Inside Scoop brings you Malaysia’s first-ever Gold Bar cake! Shaped like an actual Gold Bar with Lucky Pistachio filling, this ice cream cake is made exactly with the intention to bring extra prosperity and joy to everyone receiving it. To make it more interesting, join Inside Scoop’s Gold Bar contest and stand a chance to bring home one Bunga Raya Gold Bar worth RM1,500! Check out Inside Scoop for more details on the contest.

Date: Contest ends 31st January; cake available while stock lasts

A post shared by Gardenia Bakeries (KL) Sdn Bhd (@gardenia_kl)

If you remember Choki Choki, you’ll get the feels with the latest offering from our go-to bread brand. Gardenia has introduced a brand-new chocolate paste stick – and netizens are raving about it. Gardenia has transformed their beloved chocolate spread, Delicia, into addicting, simple-to-eat chocolate nibbles. You can find this new snack at supermarkets, convenience stores, and even gas stations (in the bread and spread department).

Treat yourself to sweet delicacies at CU Mart. Try their Orange Pineapple blossom mousse roll, a fruity confection with a blissful combination of orange and pineapple flavours, and a little touch of sweet flower. Do try their other two mousse rolls too – Mango Sensation and Belgium Chocolate. For something sweet and chewy, try the Mocha Mochi and Hojicha Mochi with Black sesame. These sweet treats are perfect for anytime, anywhere. Grab them now at the nearest CU Mart.

A post shared by 7-Eleven Malaysia (@7elevenmalaysia)

Unlike the typical 7-Eleven outlet, the 7 Cafe offers more hot, ready-to-eat meals, as well as innovative snacks and desserts. If you’re still in the CNY mood, 7 Cafe has got you covered. Head to any 7 Cafe outlet and grab their prosperity snacks, which include Crispy Fish Fillet Wrap, Double Chicken Big Box Sandwich, Tropical Pineapple Croffle, 7-Eleven BBQ Peanut Crunch and Fruit Prosperity Salad.

A post shared by BUKIT JALIL TSUTAYA BOOKS (@bukitjalil.tsutayabooks)

Check out the new Caramel Custard Pudding at Tsutaya Cafe. The rich yolk used to make it has a creamy texture that is just amazing, thanks to the use of superior, farm-fresh Kenkori eggs from hens raised naturally in the Japanese manner. It’s also made with vanilla custard, a house-made caramel syrup, and Johakuto, a Japanese white sugar. You’ll be caramel-ing back for more!

A post shared by Kooky Cream (@kookycream)

Snack away with Kooky Creams’ freshly-baked cookies. Choose from Salted Egg Cracker, Chrysanthemum Pecan, Mala Sesame Wafer and Sea Salt Chocolate Chips to satisfy your sweet cravings. They’re available at The Hub, SS2 and Bangsar. Grab yours while stocks last!

Location: Kooky Cream The Hub, SS2 and Bangsar

A post shared by Artelier Coffee (@arteliercoffeemy)

With the Mandarin Dirty and Lychee Roll Cake from Artelier Coffee, the auspicious spirit will be fully set. Enjoy their extensive selection of coffees and roll cakes, sprinkled with festive flavours for the Chinese New Year. You can redeem an Artelier Red Packet when you buy any two beverages.

Date: CNY drinks and cakes available till 28 Feb.

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12 Of The Most Loved One-Hit Wonders

They came, they conquered…they were never heard from again.

After making it big, some even reaching the Hot 100’s Top 10 with their very first singles, these acts have failed to do so with the rest of their work. Although some of these artistes may have had ongoing success in their musical careers, they’ve each had only one really seriously big hit.

But hey, 4 minutes of fame is better than nothing, no? Reminiscing over some of the best one-hit wonders we’ve heard and still very much love, we’ve compiled a list of our most loved one-hit songs for your listening pleasure. Check it out:

This 1998 single by the New Radicals was an international hit. “You Get What You Give” was the band’s first and most successful single from their album Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too. Unfortunately, New Radicals disappeared as quickly as they emerged because frontman Gregg Alexander disbanded the group before the release of their second album. Though the band’s one hit single, “You Get What You Give” insulted celebrities, at the end of it, it was and still is one of the catchiest and happiest song ever.

Hailing from Los Angeles, hip hop trio House of Pain made their mark in 1992 with hit single, “Jump Around”. Sampling a horn from Bob and Earl’s 1863 classic, “Harlem Shuffle”, the track became one the most definitive party anthems of the decade, and well, that’s about it. The trio later split in 1996.

When it was used as the kiss-off song for the 5th season of American Idol, it gave Daniel Powter’s Bad Day enough juice to become the biggest single of 2006. The single went to number #1 in April and stayed there for 5 weeks. But unfortunately for Powter, his good fortune didn’t last too long as that was his only hit song. Guess he has had bad days too.

Okay as much as we love this song, everything about Lou Bega and his single “Mambo No.5” screamed one-hit wonder. The single captured a moment in time, and when that moment faded, so did Lou. However, he did not go down without a fight. In 2005, he released “Return Of A Little Bit (Mambo No. 2005)”, a new version of his signature hit. Clearly it didn’t recapture the magic of the original.

Oh Vanessa, we had such big hopes for you. Every 90s kid will recognise this song and as much as you would like to deny it, you can’t. You once loved this song and you probably still do. Vanessa Carlton seemed to be the next big thing, next “it” girl in May 2002 after she sang her way into everyone’s hearts with “A Thousand Miles.” Though the song picked up 3 Grammy nominations, it was Carlton’s only big hit.

This makes for the perfect example and lessons for all young bands out there: If you’re going to borrow part of a song, do yourselves a favour and not take it from the Rolling Stones. They are a little litigious, they have brilliant lawyers, and they will destroy you. Don’t believe me? Just look at The Verve. The band learned this the hard way when they used a symphonic version of the Sones’ 1965 hit, “The Last Time,” on the 1998 hit single, “Bitter Sweet Symphony.” The band negotiated with ABKCO Records to split the proceeds down to the middle, but decided to sue for everything when they heard the finished song. The Verve lost everything and that was pretty much it for them.

Unfortunately for Belgian crooner Gotye, he may just be living up the title of his hit single by becoming somebody that we used to know. Gotye has failed to release a successful hit ever since his 2012 chart topping hit single “Somebody That I Used To Know”, which reign for 2 months atop the Hot 100. Real short lived, ey?

American rock band 4 Non Blondes was formed in 1989 but only hit up the charts in 1993 with their only major hit single “What’s Up?”. Unfortunately, the band disbanded shortly after vocalist and guitarist Linda Perry left in 1994 to begin her own solo career.

9. The Proclaimers − I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)

Some people may disagree with this one as Scottish band The Proclaimers are known for than just one song. Unfortunately, it was just this one song that was a chart topping hit. “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” was released in 1993 and was featured in hit TV series How I Met Your Mother.

“Sex and Candy” was released in 1997 by Marcy Playground. The track which makes for the band’s breakthrough single have left some unanswered questions for the past 17 years. Questions like: “What is Disco Candy?” and “What kind of candy does this woman smell like?” were left unanswered and we’re pretty certain we’ll never know the answers to these questions considering that the band didn’t stick around.

“Crazy” was such an enormous smash! So enormous that it felt like Gnarls Barkley’s psychedelic trippy spell would never wear off but, after peaking at number #2 in July 2006, the duo failed to make it past number #88 with their subsequent singles. Crazy, simply crazy.

“Closing Time” is a classic. It’s a fantastic track with a fine hook and beautiful lyricism. Unfortunately for Semisonic, most people think that their hit single was sung by a larger, more successful entity. That’s the cruel fate for most one-hit wonder bands/groups − their song will always be much more famous than their band. Semisonic never officially broke up but they’re mostly known for their only hit single, “Closing Time.”

We hope you enjoyed our list of some our favourite one-hit wonders. If you remember any other one-hit wonders or if your favourite did not make our list, do share it with us in the comments section.

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Good Times With Chatime x AirAsia

As if they didn’t already set the bar for beverage brands in Malaysia when they launched their Chatime Galleria less than three months ago, for Chatime, the sky’s the limit.

Malaysians are no strangers to Chatime, the leading brand in the beverage industry in Malaysia. This time around, the company has made it their sole purpose to ensure that Malaysians get their favourite delicious signature beverages even when they’re oh, about 30,000 feet in the air.

Yes! Fasten your seat belts because Chatime now checks-in with Asia’s largest low fare airline group, AirAsia. You know what this means, right? It means that you, your family, your loved ones, and your friends can finally sip on refreshing Chatime drinks while high-flying in the clouds. You could say that it’s going to bring your Chatime experience to greater heights.

For starters, you can now choose from the Roasted Milk Tea with Red Bean or Mango Green Tea with Rainbow Jelly on your journey through the skies for only RM8.

At the official launch today, Bryan Loo (Managing Director of Chatime Malaysia) said, “We are proud to be on board with AirAsia for such a unique collaboration. We see a lot of similarities between us and AirAsia – as both brands are fun, energetic, gutsy, and adventurous which always dare-to-be-different and constantly pushing the impossible boundaries. It is Chatime and AirAsia’s lifelong mission to continue to surpass the expectations of our customers and implement concepts that are unheard of, which is why following this partnership, we will embark on a journey that will forever change the airline experience for everyone. Taking Chatime to greater heights – literally!”

“With that said, it is with utmost respect and gratitude that we can now bring the best beverage on ground, into the skies for millions of customers to enjoy with the world’s best low cost airline, AirAsia”, he added.

For more pictures from the launch, go here.

Chatime on board with AirAsia is now available on AirAsia’s AK flights. Good times just got better!

For more information, visit Chatime Malaysia’s Facebook page.


People’s Choice Awards 2014: Winners List

So the People’s Choice Awards 2014 took place on January 8th at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California and some of the big winners include Sandra Bullock with 4 wins for her performance in Gravity and The Heat while Justin Timberlake dominated the music scene with 3 wins.

Album: The 20/20 Experience, Justin Timberlake

On-screen chemistry: Ian Somerhalder (Damon) and Nina Dobrev (Elena), The Vampire Diaries

Late-night talk show host: Stephen Colbert

Actress in a new TV series: Sarah Michelle Gellar

Sci-fi/fantasy TV actor: Ian Somerhalder

Streaming series: Orange Is the New Black

Movie duo: Sandra Bullock and George Clooney (Gravity)

Favorite year end movie: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

TV anti-hero: Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes), The Walking Dead

Sci-fi/fantasy TV show: Beauty and the Beast

Sci-fi/fantasy TV actress: Kristin Kreuk

TV bromance: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins (Sam, Dean and Castiel), Supernatural

TV gal pals: Naya Rivera and Lea Michele (Santana and Rachel), Glee

TV movie/mini-series: American Horror Story

Music fan following: Lovatics (Demi Lovato fans)

And here are of the looks on the red carpet that we love the most.

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#Music: The Challenges Our Local Musicians Face That Nobody Talks About

“When was the last time you bought an album from a local artiste that blew your mind all the way through? It’s not that we don’t have the talent – I’ve seen so many local musicians and singers that can blow global pop stars out of the water with their virtuosity.” – unmodulatedblog.

The truth is, the local artistes who make it to an international level are far and few in between. And the ones who have definitely invested sweat, blood, and tears to get to where they are today. There’s a majority who struggle for years and still don’t get credit for all their hard work, and when they don’t, they kind of peter out and “disappear”.

Our fears/worries about the local music industry aren’t exactly unfounded because even legendary solo singer Dato’ Sheila Majid, Malaysia’s Queen of Jazz, once said that the Malaysian music industry doesn’t get the respect that it rightfully deserves and because of that, it may one day die.

The math is simple, really. Without talents, there’s no music, and without music, there will be no industry.

As such, we asked some of our buddies from the local music scene to share stories of their personal struggles while trying to pursue music in Malaysia. And they’ve graciously obliged (thanks guys!).

No prizes for guessing what kind of music in which language generally appeals to the average Malaysian. English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and pretty much a universal language. And music, well, we always say that music is a universal language because it has the power to unite.

However, local artistes are still finding it quite a challenge to push English-language music to the Malaysian audience. “Due to the diverse cultures, languages, and music preferences of the majority Malaysian, it becomes a challenge for most artistes to make music that will be accepted by the masses,” Leonard Chua of An Honest Mistake explained.

To add on, music is promoted in a very language-specific way on radio stations i.e. English language music on English language channels, Malay language music on Malay language channels. You get the idea.

Good looking does not equal talented. Locally made does not equal bad. Unfortunately, a percentage of the Malaysian audience doesn’t share the same sentiment.

For example, there are a lot of Malaysian artistes who are talented, yet they struggle to get people to attend their shows. A rep from local band One Buck Short told us exclusively, “If you’re super good looking, but don’t really have talent, you could still make it in our industry. Basically if you’re considered a good looking person, then you can make a few bucks here. If you’re extremely good looking, you’ll make more. If you’re extremely good looking and can dance on stage, you’ll make even more. If you’re extremely good looking and you can sing and speak Malay, you’ll make even more. So on and so forth. Marketability. Our country values looks over talent. What a shame.”

“The problem also lies in the perception towards homegrown/Malaysian-made music. It has always been less positive simply because it’s a ‘local product’,” Leonard added.

It probably ties in with our #1 and #2 points, but support is key, and that is perhaps one of the biggest challenges that our local musicians face. In fact, it’s a real tough wall to break. This goes beyond building a strong social media following because even though a local musician has tens of thousands of followers on his/her social media platforms, it doesn’t mean that he/she will be able to command a huge crowd at shows.

“I was just speaking to a very talented musician friend of mine the other day. He has 18,000 followers on Instagram and his songs frequent our national radios often. But he confessed to me the other day, ‘I may have 18k followers, but none will come to my shows’,” a source from the music industry revealed.

Besides, social media followings are all very subjective and not enough for artistes to cast their net wider to promote themselves and their music to potential fans.

While we’re on the topic of support, let’s talk about platforms because it goes hand-in-hand. Once upon a time, there existed a radio show specifically targeted to promoting our local talents regardless of language. It was Fly FM’s “Campur Chart” in 2007, a one-hour slot on Sunday evenings.

Not only did the radio station help promote the work of Malaysian artistes in both the Malay and the English language, during its prime, “Campur Chart” went on to do shows that went beyond the airwaves such as the on-ground “Campur Chart Goes Live” events (a monthly Laundry Bar series in 2008) where local artistes e.g. Estrella, One Buck Short, Bittersweet, Kyoto Protocol, Pesawat, Love Me Butch, They Will Kill Us All, Broken Scar, just to name a few, were invited to perform. Fly FM even hosted “Campur Chart Goes Live” tours to other Malaysian states such as Ipoh, Penang, Malacca, and Johor.

Needless to say, it boded well with our Malaysian musicians and was highly regarded by the community but unfortunately, “Campur Chart” and its live shows ended in 2012. When it was axed, a major platform that provided huge reach for our talents was also axed.

The harsh truth in one word – money. Our local artistes, they may come with a chockfull of talent but not necessarily the same volume in finances. To record an album, aside from talent, you’d need instruments, people if you’re in a band, a producer, a studio – the bare basics for your very own masterpiece. “Funding a music project is never easy on the pocket. Although I was very fortunate to receive a lot of help from friends in the industry along the way, I worked a day job and spent all my money on my music,” revealed ex-John’s Mistress member and singer-songwriter Kevin Teh (Broken Scar).

As for how much it costs to put out an album, Leonard shared, “On average, Malaysian studios charge RM1,000 per track depending which studio you go to. So that’s inclusive of studio time and mixing. Then, the track needs to be sent for mastering (depending who you use) and then producing the hardcopy of the CD. Our last album cost about RM25,000, inclusive of printing 1000 copies of CD.”

Such is a real predicament of a chicken and egg situation – no money so no album, but without an album and therefore profit, there wouldn’t be monetary means for them to put themselves out there and release more music.

Recently, Guinness Malaysia launched Amplify FM, an online platform that seeks to recognise and promote the hard work that our local talents put into making music. We’re talking about uninterrupted music from our homegrown Malaysia artistes 24/7 all day every day.

On top of providing a platform for artistes to push their music, Guinness’ Amplify Live Tour will also be returning in September with weekly shows in Ipoh, Penang, Johor, and the Klang Valley, before culminating in a 2-day celebration on 30th September and 1st October at Publika. The shows will feature our Malaysian talents and the best part is, they are admission-free!

The cherry on top is Guinness’ Amplify Academy, which includes workshops, seminars, performances from local acts, and a recording studio that will be giving 12 bands a chance to walk away with a professionally-produced recording. More information on Guinness Amplify FM can be found on their website or Facebook page.

It’s a start, and it may not sound like much to the average Malaysian, but this will go a long way for our local acts :)

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#ChristinaGrimmie: 4 Never-Before-Seen Music Videos Set For Release

Hey Christina Grimmie fans, we’ve got some amazing news for you!

In the coming weeks, 4 never-before-seen music videos from Grimmie will be released. The unexpected announcement was made by the late singer’s manager, Brian Teefey, both on Facebook and Twitter this morning (Tuesday, 26th July).

The 4 part mini-series will be a “visual celebration of Side A”; the EP is titled “The Ballad of Jessica Blue”. “This story follows Jessica Blue through the songs “Snow White”, “Anybody’s You”, “Deception”, and “Without Him” on her journey to find her voice and path in life only to find they are one and the same,” the statement reads.

“Christina shot these videos back in February with about 6 hours of choreography and 4 days of filming before she left for the “Wild Fire” tour. Everyone worked so hard on this project putting in extra long days on set to ensure we got the best quality project we could for the minimal budget we had. I couldn’t be more proud of her and everyone involved for the labor of love that was put into this project,” wrote Teefey.

Post by Brian: #ChristinaGrimmie #BalladofJessicaBlue #TeamGrimmie pic.twitter.com/qPK128dofm

— Christina Grimmie (@TheRealGrimmie) July 25, 2016

Mark your calendars guys, the 4 upcoming new visuals will premiere exclusively on Billboard, as well as Grimmie’s YouTube account and Facebook page on these following dates:

A recent autopsy report confirmed that Grimmie had indeed died from “gunshot wounds of head and chest”. She was gunned down last month by a deranged fan named Kevin James Loibl after a concert performance in Orlando.

We still can’t believe that Grimmie is gone, but we’re glad that the late singer’s camp is honouring her by releasing these new music treats for the fans. We’ll definitely be looking out for the videos ;)

Sources: E! News, US Magazine, USA Today.


Hype’s Must Watch: The Peanuts Movie

If you’ve always been a fan of Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip then you’re in luck because Snoopy comes to live on the silver screen!

In 2006, 6 years after the release of the last original “Peanuts” strip, as well as the death of creator Charles M. Schulz, his son Craig Schulz came up with an idea for a Peanuts film, which he showed to his screenwriter son Bryan Schulz. At that time, Craig said:

I was happy to show my son. He showed me how to make it bigger — how to blow it up more — and he helped me put in structure.

Titled, “The Peanuts Movie” (otherwise known as “Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie”), the flick is an upcoming American 3D computer-animated comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox based on Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip, “Peanuts”. Directed by Steve Martino and written by Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz, and Cornelius Uliano, the film features the voices of Bill Melendez (via archive recordings) and Noah Schnapp.

Full voice cast and character list as follows:

Because of the robust amount of existing Peanuts characters, the film will not introduce any new characters.

Check out the cute character posters below:

Other characters expected to appear include Snoopy’s love interest, Fifi; Snoopy’s brother Olaf; and a group of Beagle Scouts.

As for the plot, from what we know, it will focus on Snoopy embarking upon his greatest mission as he and his team take to the skies to pursue their arch-nemesis, while his best pal Charlie Brown begins his own epic quest back home.

“The Peanuts Movie” is set to be the 5th full-length feature film to be based on the comic, and the 1st feature film based on the characters in 35 whole years. Watch the super adorable and giggle-worthy trailer below:

“The Peanuts Movie” will commemorate the 65th anniversary of the comic strip, and is scheduled to be released on 6th November 2015

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

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411: Super GT Series 2013

One of the most entertaining, exciting, and glamorous race weekends returns to Sepang International Circuit this weekend (15th – 16th June) with Malaysia once again being given the honor of hosting the third round of the prestigious 2013 Autobacs Super GT Series.

This year, with the aim to further improve the experience of spectators and provide greater value to sponsors, JPM Motorsport has come up with the theme of having a five-star Super GT. The components are: the Super GT race, the Affin Bank Motorshow, a “Japan Town” by Sachi, the biggest superbike gathering, and Dash Berlin’s #musicislife World Tour!

And unique to Super GT, fans can meet and greet the drivers and teams during the pit walkabout, where the race machines and hot race queens will be present. JPM Motorsport is also inviting race fans  to bring their entire family to the Super GT weekend, and have put in place various attractions that include a special “Kids Zone” and musical performances to keep everyone – including non-race enthusiasts – happy and occupied.

Tickets for the Malaysian round of the Autobacs Super GT series are priced at RM100 and fans can obtain it online here.

For more information, visit their Facebook page.


Contest: Down A Dark Hall Screening Passes Up For Grabs!

From the author of slasher flick “I Know What You Did Last Summer” comes a freaky supernatural horror film about 5 emotionally fragile teens who are students at the  Blackwood Boarding School, a mysterious school for gifted girls.

Based on the classic gothic young adult novel of the same name by Lois Duncan and produced by Stephenie Meyer of “Twilight”, “Down A Dark Hall” is a supernatural thriller directed by Spanish director Rodrigo Cortés, starring AnnaSophia Robb, Isabelle Fuhrman, Victoria Moroles, Noah Silver, Taylor Russell, Rosie Day, and features a truly memorable turn by the iconic Uma Thurman.

“Kit (AnnaSophia Robb), a difficult young girl, is sent to the mysterious Blackwood Boarding School when her heated temper becomes too much for her mother to handle. Once she arrives at Blackwood, Kit encounters eccentric headmistress Madame Duret (Uma Thurman) and meets the school’s only other students, four young women also headed down a troubled path. While exploring the labyrinthine corridors of the school, Kit and her classmates discover that Blackwood Manor hides an age-old secret rooted in the paranormal.”

“Down A Dark Hall” will be released in nationwide cinemas on 16th August 2018.


Hype’s Must Watch: The Secret Life Of Pets

Ever wondered what your pet does when you’re away?

Well, wonder no more for “The Secret Life of Pets” might just have the answers that you’re looking for. Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures recently dropped a super adorable teaser trailer for the upcoming animated comedy that shares a similar concept with “Toy Story“.

“The Secret Life of Pets” will be the 5th fully-animated feature film from Illumination and it tells the story of these furry residents’ daily routine after their owners leave the doorstep.

Slated for release on 8th July 2016, the plot is as follows:

Taking place in a Manhattan apartment building, Max’s life as a favorite pet is turned upside down, when his owner brings home a sloppy mongrel named Duke. They have to put their quarrels behind when they find out that an adorable white bunny named Snowball is building an army of abandoned pets determined to take revenge on all happy-owned pets and their owners.

“The Secret Life of Pets” features voices of comedian Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Albert Brooks, Bobby Moynihan and Hannibal Burress.

Chris Renaud, of “Despicable Me” and “Despicable Me 2” fame, is on board to helm the animated comedy alongside Yarrow Cheney who will co-direct based on a script written by Brian Lynch, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and his longtime partner Janet Healy will be overseeing the production.

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

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Malaysia Airlines Magazine Called Out For Calling Sarawak “Land Below The Wind”

Going Places by Malaysia Airlines has been a popular travel magazine and online publication that gives readers insight into the places they can consider visiting for their next holiday. While the guides and suggestions have been informative, the publication is not necessarily immune to making mistakes.

Recently, Sarawak’s first Deputy Premier (a title formerly known as deputy chief minister) Dr Sim Kui Hian posted his shocking discovery on his Facebook after opening a page to the popular travel magazine.

The Malaysian politician shared a photo of his copy of the June 2023 edition of the Going Places magazine when he noticed something wrong below the “Escape to Sarawak” title. As you may know, Sarawak is also known as the Land of the Hornbills but unfortunately, the magazine mistakenly called the state the Land Below the Wind which is actually the nickname for Sabah.

“It’s hard to be #SegulaiSejalai while Sarawakians are expected to know West Malaysia but West Malaysians are still making mistakes over some of the most basic ideas about Sarawak😝,” the 57-year-old expressed his disappointment. The post drew a lot of attention from netizens who criticised Malaysia Airlines as well as Peninsular Malaysians for their ignorance.

Shortly after the Facebook post went viral, Malaysia Airlines took down the June edition of Going Places from the official website. At the time of writing, neither the airline nor the publication has issued an official statement about the error.

Let’s hope that the error will be fixed and that nothing like this will happen again in future publications.


#SDCC2016: First Look At New King Kong In “Kong: Skull Island” Poster & Trailer

The last time we saw the 8th Wonder of the World on the big screen was in Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake of the classic story, but “Kong: Skull Island” is set to deliver on something very different altogether.

The brand new poster, which debuted during the weekend in conjunction with the San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), gives us our first glimpse at the legendary King Kong. It was previously teased that this giant creature will be the biggest version of the ape character ever put on the big screen. Judging from the looks of the image above, the people from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures weren’t exaggerating.

Despite the shrouded mist, an unidentified soldier can be seen standing atop a huge skull while holding a green flare with a gun on the other hand. Seemingly unaware of the massive ape towering over him is King Kong, who is approximately 100 feet tall.

Set in the 1970s, “Kong: Skull Island” tells the origin story of the infamous ape. The official synopsis reads:

“Kong: Skull Island reimagines the origin of the mythic Kong in a compelling, original adventure from director Jordan Vogt-Roberts. In the film, a diverse team of explorers is brought together to venture deep into an uncharted island in the Pacific—as beautiful as it is treacherous—unaware that they’re crossing into the domain of the mythic Kong.”

Last week, Warner Bros. released a poster showing Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, and John Goodman exploring a wide bone yard on the mysterious island with a humongous ape skull behind them.

In using the photo as an illustration, Jordan Vogt-Roberts explained his meaning about Kong’s size in the movie. “From the size of the skull, you can tell that things on this island are much bigger than audiences are used to with traditional Kong lore. Our Kong is by far the biggest Kong that you’ve seen on screen, and that translates to a lot of different things on the island.”

“In terms of actual size, our Kong is by far the biggest Kong. Peter Jackson’s Kong was around 25 feet. The ‘33 Kong ranged between 25 feet and 50 feet, I want to say he was 50-plus feet when he was on the Empire State Building. He varied in size dramatically! The ’70s Kong was somewhere between them,” he told Entertainment Weekly.

The director continued, saying, “The thing that most interested me was, how big do you need to make [Kong], so that when someone lands on this island and doesn’t believe in the idea of myth, the idea of wonder – when we live in a world of social and civil unrest, and everything is crumbling around us, and technology and facts are taking over – how big does this creature need to be, so that when you stand on the ground and you look up at it, the only thing that can go through your mind is: ‘That’s a god.’”

Watch the 1st trailer below to see what Vogt-Roberts is talking about:

“Kong: Skull Island” is slated for release on 10th March 2017.

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Travel: 9 Reasons To Stay At Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel

Nice, stylish, and entertaining – that’s what we think of Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel after spending a few wonderful days here.

Situated just beside Ocean Park Hong Kong, this resort not only offers conveniency to visitors exploring the theme park, but it is also a brilliant destination for leisure and business travellers. For those who have never stayed in this Ocean Park Marriott Hotel, here are some highlights that might win you over:

Designed by Aedes, Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel feels like a modern urban green oasis. It is made up of 3 architecturally iconic towers – the Pier Wing, Club Wing and Marina Wing – with amazing environmental features. Upon entering the lobby, you’ll notice a 16-metre floor-to-ceiling aquarium that is 3 floors tall. When you visit, you may see the salt-water aquarium filled with thousands of fishes (including thorn fish, butterfly fish, puffer fish, and more).

Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel houses 471 smoke-free, luxurious rooms and suites that perfectly captures the Modern Marriott ethos with streamlined interiors, environmental themes and ocean-inspired decor. 3 types of family themed rooms (Whiskers Submarine, Redd Forest and Bao Bao Paradise) are available at the Pier Wing and Marina Wing.

In an effort to safeguard Mother Earth, Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel has pledge itself to be sustainable and to cut down on environmental footprint. There’s not only a system in the vicinity that monitor and control air, noise, and water pollution but also other energy-saving components. They include rainwater collection, vertical planting systems, non-ozone depleting insulation, and more.

The large lagoon pool is adjacent to the children’s pool. Easily accessible from all 3 hotel wings, guests can opt between the upper pool for adults or accompany the little ones at the kids pool. While you’re there, take the opportunity for a relaxing sunbathing.

Just because you’re on holiday, doesn’t mean you should forgo workout right? For fitness enthusiasts, the gym is open 24/7. It has a range of state-of-the-art cardiovascular and strength equipment such as treadmills, cross-trainers, recumbent bike, upright bike, and dumbbells.

The Club Wing houses the executive lounge M Club – a personalised check-in and check-out service where business travellers can work in peace, enjoy a bite, recharge and connect. Services here include breakfast, tea, coffee, snacks, evening canapés, and other premium drink options.

The hotel has a total of 4 restaurants and bars to provide guests with an enjoyable dining experiences complete with amazing views over the hotel lagoon. These include:

Located at 18 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel is just a few minutes away from the heart of the city. It’s just a stone throw away from Ocean Park MTR station (Exit B) where guests can have direct access to all major commercial districts and attractions via the railway.

For more information, visit Hong Kong Ocean Park Marriott Hotel’s website here.


#Malaysia: Car Prices Will See 30% Reduction By 2018

Good news guys! Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said from the Prime Minister’s department announced that car prices will drop 30% by 2018.

In a written reply to Lim Lip Eng (Segambut DAP)’s question on the status of the government’s promise to reduce car prices and toll rates made in the 13th General election, she stated that the reduction will be done in stages, starting from a 20% mark

This initiative has undertaken various efforts to happen, including the granting of incentives to reduce the amount of exile tax payable to companies of car manufacturers involved in local-added automotive components.

“These incentives are seen to be beneficial as the total price reduction recorded in 2013 was three per cent, followed by seven per cent in 2014 and 2.7 per cent in 2015,” she said.

Regarding the toll rates, Azalina said the government has been negotiating with highway concessionaires to reduce the rates since 2008. They are currently finding the best way to achieve a “win-win” situation for all parties, namely the government, concessionaires, investors and consumers.

“Among the results of the negotiations to date are; to postpone an increase in highways toll rates since the past eight years, from 2008 until Oct 14, 2015. Other results included abolishing toll collection and early closure of eight tolls in six highways, and a revision of the toll mechanism” she said.

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The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1: The “Propaganda” Begins!

“Panem Today, Panem Tomorrow, Panem Forever”.

The Capitol presents you the Panem’s “district heroes” with respect and honour. A series of propaganda posters has been released prior to the release of the forthcoming sc-fi adventure film “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1’.The propaganda posters are part of the viral marketing campaign to promote the film as it will hit theaters on November 21st this year.

That being said, the same viral marketing campaign trend was used for the promotion and marketing of several other films as well such as “Transformers: Age of Extinction“’ and “Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes“.

The posters released so far are the images of residents from District 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12. In each poster, the government praises the heroes and salutes the citizens for their hard work in each district.

The most striking and heartbreaking photo out of all the propaganda posters is that of a young blonde girl named Lily Elsington who came from the same district as the film’s protagonist, Katniss Everden (played by Jennifer Lawrence). The poster describes the girl as a ‘shining example’ of the district for her contribution to the nation at such young age.

The film is the third (and last) instalment of the “The Hunger Games” franchise and it was divided into two parts so that the stories can be told in a more detailed way. Part 2 of the film is currently underway and it will be released on the same date next year.

For more information, log on to the “official” government website of the Capitol or visit their Facebook page!


Beyoncé Talks About Her Miscarriage

For the first time in a long time, usually private superstar Beyoncé dishes out on her life and reveals her most intimate (whether happy or sad) moments in her new HBO documentary, “Life Is But a Dream”. Although she is now a proud Mama to an adorable daughter and wife to rapper Jay-Z, motherhood wasn’t the easiest road for her.

About two years ago, I was pregnant for the first time. And I heard the heartbeat, which was the most beautiful music I ever heard in my life. “I picked out names. I envisioned what my child would look like…I was feeling very maternal. Something went wrong early in the pregnancy. I flew back to New York to get my checkup – and no heartbeat. Literally the week before I went to the doctor, everything was fine, but there was no heartbeat.

Although Beyoncé held back from detailing exactly when she suffered her loss, she did say how she dealt with it eventually by adding, “I went into the studio and wrote the saddest song I’ve ever written in my life. And it was actually the first song I wrote for my album. And it was the best form of therapy for me, because it was the saddest thing I’ve ever been through.”

We don’t know what the song is called or if it even made the final cut for her album, but what we do know is that Jay-Z, too, made a reference to their tragic loss in “Glory”. It’s the part where he raps:

Last time the miscarriage was so tragic,

Well, for what it’s worth, Beyoncé’s happy ending finally came on 7th January 2012 when she and Jay-Z welcome beautiful baby girl Blue Ivy Carter.


#Pink: Singer Shuts Fat-Shaming Haters On Twitter

When Pink and her husband Carey Hart attended the John Wayne 2015 Odyssey Ball charity event in Los Angeles, they certainly did not expect her dress to take over the limelight.

The singer attended the event in support of her friend, Dr Maggie DiNome, who was accoladed with the Duke Award for her contribution towards the eradication of cancer. She was dressed in a black flowing dress that had a plunging neckline.

However, some haters who couldn’t stand how fabulous Pink looked in her dress went online to spread mean tweets about her. The nasty comments mostly revolved around her so-called weight gain.

Not one to sit down and let the bullies have their way,  Pink left a message on Twitter for them.

I can see that some of you are concerned about me from your comments about my weight. You’re referring to the pictures of me from last night’s cancer benefit that I attended to support my dear friend Dr. Maggie DiNome. She was given the Duke Award for her tireless efforts and stellar contributions to the eradication of cancer. But unfortunately, my weight seems much more important to some of you. While I admit that that dress didn’t photograph as well as it did in my kitchen, I will also admit that I felt very pretty. In fact, I feel beautiful. So, my good and concerned peoples, please don’t worry about me. I’m not worried about me. And I’m not worried about you either:)… I am perfectly fine, perfectly happy, and my healthy voluptuous and crazy strong body is having some much deserved time off. Thanks for your concern. Love, cheesecake.

Pink then posted a photo of Hart and her with the accompanying tweet: “And my hubby says “it’s just more to love baby” (and then I smack his hand off my booty cause we’re in a supermarket).”

and my hubby says "it's just more to love baby" (and then I smack his hand off my booty cause we're in a supermarket) pic.twitter.com/Mnd6PIoKhK

From there, Pink continued to share some supportive messages from fans along with a photo of her daughter and her.

She said, “Willow said to me the other day whilst grabbing my belly-“mama-why r u so squishy?”And I said..”b/cuz I’m happy baby.”

Willow said to me the other day whilst grabbing my belly-"mama-why r u so squishy?"And I said.."b/cuz I'm happy baby" pic.twitter.com/69wuVHg6QM

All photos she posted showed her rocking the black dress. The pride and happiness was apparent on her face. This goes to show that she feels beautiful, confident, and comfortable wearing anything, and no amount of hate comments can bring her down.

It is sad that people chose to pay attention to such an insignificant detail when they could have concentrate on the cause that Pink is promoting.

Source: Billboard / Image Source: Pink’s Twitter

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