Fun Facts: 8 Things To Know About “The Fate of the Furious”

“The Fate of the Furious” is upping the ante yet again. Fans can expect ta whole lot of flashy action sequences in addition to torpedoes, a car stampede in New York City, and a rogue Dom.

The well-loved franchise is pushing the envelope further than previous “Fast & Furious” instalments by making this latest adventure an international affair. The movie was shot in various parts of the globe – from New York to Cuba and Iceland, before returning to Los Angeles, the place where it all began.

The official synopsis for “The Fate of the Furious” is as follows:

“Now that Dom and Letty are on their honeymoon and Brian and Mia have retired from the game-and the rest of the crew has been exonerated-the globetrotting team has found a semblance of a normal life. But when a mysterious woman (Charlize Theron) seduces Dom into the world of crime he can’t seem to escape and a betrayal of those closest to him, they will face trials that will test them as never before.

From the shores of Cuba and the streets of New York City to the icy plains off the arctic Barents Sea, our elite force will crisscross the globe to stop an anarchist from unleashing chaos on the world’s stage…and to bring home the man who made them a family.”

Ahead of its release next month, we’ve decided to shed some light on what viewers can expect from the highly-anticipated movie. Here are some interesting fun facts about “The Fate of the Furious” and its characters:

1. Brian O’Connor may be gone, but he’s not forgotten

After Paul Walker’s tragic death, “Furious 7” was finished with the help of CGI and the late actor’s brothers, who acted as stand-ins. Although Brian O’Connor is no longer an integral part of storyline, his presence is still clearly felt. The new trailer pays tribute to Walker by including a glimpse at a photograph showing Dom and Letty together with Brian, Mia and their son during happier times.

It’s touching to see that Walker is still very much alive here.

2. Meet the baddest bitch in town, Cipher

Universal previously mentioned that Charlize Theron’s Cipher would be the most formidable villain ever for the franchise. We also know that she has a thing for machine guns and Metallica.

“Cipher, her character, is forcing Dom in to a place we have not seen. I first imagined her joining our saga back in 2012 when we were filming “Fast 6” in London, but life has a way of dictating when your vision is manifested. Wait until you meet Cipher, of all her films you have never seen this character she has created… She has truly brought her A game to this saga and we are all grateful for it,” Vin Diesel previously shared.

One of the major turning points for the “Fast & Furious” franchise will happen when Dom Torreto decides to change lanes to the dark side. The reason for him becoming a villain remains unknown, other than the fact that high-tech terrorist Cipher has some sort of dirt on Dom and is forcing him to do her dirty work.

Although Vin Diesel didn’t elaborate much, the 49-year-old actor revealed that this surprising change was necessary to keep the story relevant. “We have been talking the talk. Now it was time to walk the walk. Of course I was worried about going down such a dark road… but in some ways, there was little reason to continue if we weren’t going to challenge our characters and the fans’ faith in our saga,” he told Entertainment Weekly.

What, of all people is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s character, agent Luke Hobbs, doing behind bars? It’s possible that he has been framed by Cipher. There is also another likelihood that Hobbs goes undercover in prison to carry out a mission that brings him face to face with Deckard Shaw (played by Jason Statham). We’re leaning on the latter.

Worry not fans, Johnson already revealed that Hobbs will be breaking out of prison. “When our ‘Fast & Furious’ writer Chris Morgan said to me months ago, ‘How insane would it be if in Fast 8, Hobbs was sentenced to the most hard core maximum security prison in the world!?’ To which I responded, ‘How even more insane and fun for the fans would it be if Hobbs said f**k this, I’m gettin’ out… try and stop me.’ Our goal here was to give you – the fans – a ‘holy shit’ iconic prison breakout. For days our intensity was through the roof. As it should be,” the actor shared.

Helen Mirren didn’t need any convincing to join the franchise. In fact, the Oscar winner was the one who reached out and asked if she could be a part of “The Fate of the Furious”. Word on the street has it that Mirren will be playing the mother of Owen and Deckard Shaw, Mrs. Shaw.

Diesel recalled the time when Mirren approached him, saying, “People don’t know that I’m the one working for a year beforehand with the writers and coming up with the story. She came up to me at a party last year and said, ‘I want to be in Fast & Furious with you.’ The script was (already) green-lit, but she told the right person, because a week later she got written in.”

6. This “Tokyo Drift” character will be returning

Although Lucas Black had a small cameo in “Furious 7”, according to Comic Book, the actor will be reprising his role as Sean Boswell and will have a bigger role in “The Fate of the Furious”. It has also been announced that Black has signed on to appear in “Fast & Furious 9” and “Fast & Furious 10”. Many of you may remember Sean Boswell as the bad-boy outlaw from Texas who was sent to Texas to clean up his act.

It goes without saying that the real stars from “The Fate of the Furious” are the cool new rides. Whether you are a fan of the previous movies or not, you have to admit that the franchise has featured some of the coolest and strangest collection of cars. As the franchise has evolved over the years, so have the vehicles.

From the images above, these epic new vehicles are properties of the main members. Labelled as the ice cars of #F8 on Facebook, fans can expect the all-star cast to race on ice as they take on a submarine in Iceland.

8. Pitbull, J Balvin, and Camila Cabello throw a high-speed dance party in “Hey Ma”

Bootylicious babes, slick cars, and colourful dance sequences – Latin chart powerhouses Pitbull, J Balvin, and Camila Cabello are bringing the heat to the streets of Miami in their “Hey Ma” music video. One can certainly appreciate Mr Worldwide’s ability to dance his face off without breaking a sweat in the visual for this Spanish-language song. It’s also cool to watch the former Fifth Harmony member embracing her passion for music and love for Cuba.

Get your adrenaline pumping with the trailer here:

“The Fate of the Furious” opens in theatres on 14th April 2017.

Sources: Screen Rant, Movie Web, Comic Book, Fuse, Games Radar / Featured image: Universal Pictures.

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#SubaruPalmChallenge2015: The Annual Endurance Challenge Kicks Off

The highly followed MediaCorp Subaru Car/Palm Challenge 2015 commenced at Ngee Ann City’s Civic Plaza at 1pm this afternoon (Saturday, 31st October).

Now in its 14th year, the challenge gathered 320 Singaporean participants and 80 regional participants from Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and last but not least, Malaysia.

A post shared by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy)

Unlike its previous years, this year’s challenge takes place in an air-conditioned 1,000 square metres space for the first time in 14 years due to the haze conditions in Singapore.

The contestants are in the running for a chance at winning the biggest prize in the history of the challenge: a Subaru XV I-S worth up to SGD115,000 (including COE, for Singaporeans), plus SGD5,000 worth of free fuel from Shell.

If the winner is from Malaysia (there are 10 Malaysians in the challenge), the prize will be a Subaru XV Premium worth up to RM114,000.

With their eyes on the grand prize, the 400 determined contestants (40 to a car, 10 cars) will have to push themselves to the limit, enduring fatigue, inclement weather, and sleep deprivation as they place their right palms firmly within the surface area of the palm decals.

They will be given a 5-minute break once every 6 hours – at 7pm, 1am, 7am, and 1pm throughout the competition. And during the 5-minute break, contestants will really put their level of efficiency to the test as they juggle eating, drinking, running in and out of the toilet, and getting a quick massage, before running back to their respective cars.

That having said, as of 8pm today, a total of 52 contestants have pulled out of the challenge. 26 people opted out in the hours before the first 5-minute break while the remaining contestants called it quits during the break.

And as of 8pm today, all 10 Malaysians are still in it to win it.

This year, supporters play a crucial role which may make or break the contestants. Additional rest breaks can be given to contestants with supporters who take part in an online game here. The top 10 game scorers on the scoreboard will earn their supported participant an extra 5-minute break.

The scoreboard will reset after every break and the public contest will end upon the last 11 standing contestants.

Regional contestants will also compete for additional titles and cash prizes such as:

Country Winner: A cash prize of SGD1,000 to the final standing representative of each participating region.

Asian Winner: An additional SGD5,000 for the last standing regional contestant.

Country Team Winner: SGD10,000 to be equally divided among the team of the country or region whose participants have the longest combined standing time.

To put this entire challenge into perspective, last year’s winner and record-holder was G Jaishanker with an unbelievable time of 82 hours and 16 minutes.

In other news, amidst the anticipation of this year’s challenge, visitors will get to experience other onsite activities such as the “The Walking Dead” live showcase, where visitors will stand a chance to win a pair of tickets to Comic Con 2016 in USA*.

There’s also a Les Miserables Subaru Car Display and 5 lucky visitors will stand a chance to win one pair of Category 3 tickets* each to the musical when they take a selfie with the car. So do drop by if you’re in the area!

Follow our Instagram account as we’ll be posting up live updates from the MediaCorp Subaru Car/Palm Challenge 2015. And of course, cheering our fellow Malaysians on from the sidelines :)

For more information, visit its official website.

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Sharone Hakman: Cook Up & Eat Up!

Previously a financial planner, he left the corporate world to pursue his passion for food by starting his journey as a chef. Some of you may remember his outstanding performance on MasterChef US, which brought Sharone Hakman‘s aspirations in the culinary world to a whole new level. Now owner of a barbecue sauce company and a well sought out chef, Sharone creates love and passion through his food.

Last Saturday (15th September 2012), Sharone was in Malaysia for a cooking demonstration at Mid Valley Megamall, where thousands thronged the area. Cameras filmed him scurrying around in search of his ingredients as his shopping adventure was aired live at East Atrium.

But before that, we caught him for a little one-on-one at The Gardens Hotel, just as he was prepping for what would be his longest afternoon in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We dug deep and discovered what it was like for him to work with Gordon Ramsay, and Sharone lets slip that he has a non-traditional, special Thanksgiving turkey recipe – amongst other things:

“Yesterday. It’s my first time to Malaysia! And I’ve had some good stuff – nasi lemak and roti canai. It’s spicy but I like spicy.”

Tell us, how did you start cooking and when did you start? We hear you’re a self-taught cook  – which is, amazing!

“It’s just in you, you know? Cooking just makes sense to me. I come from a background where my family’s pretty much all about food. Family and cuisine, they go hand-in-hand. My grandma’s always cooking in the kitchen and I’ve been seeing that since I was at a very young age so cooking has never been intimidating. I’ve always watched her cook and see how things were made. So, I was hungry and I was eight years old so I made an egg. Then I learnt to make this and that and my passion for food just grew..”

Aww! When you were younger, we bet it was all trial and error. Did you ever get into trouble?

“It’s still trial and error! Did I ever get into trouble? I definitely messed things up before. I remember trying to make soup once before. I tried to copy my grandma’s soup but I came back and there was nothing left in the pot. Even today I make mistakes when I try to come out with new things. But you know, you have to make mistakes to get better.”

So Gordon Ramsay, and we think this is what everybody wants to know – he’s really like this evil football coach on the show. But is he really like that though?

“Yeah he is really like an evil football coach. On camera he’s pretty intense! Maybe he’s expected to be that intense on camera but off camera, the times that I’ve hung out with him, he’s pretty relaxed and pretty chilled. He’s a nice guy. I learnt a lot from my experience..from working with him.”

If you could go back and change the one thing that you could change about MasterChef US, what would it be?

“Nothing. Really. Truthfully, I wouldn’t even say that I wanted to win. Everything that I’ve done has strictly been based on passion and desire. People always say, gosh..don’t you wish you won? When I lost, sure my competitive spirit said that too but today, I’m so driven to do the things I do and I’m so determined to do the things that I love to do with food.”

Pray tell, what’s your next big project?

“My next big project is..just to kind of, get the world excited about food. And what I mean by that is good food. I started my line of barbecue sauce (Hak’s BBQ Sauce)  and I’ve got two more flavours coming out next month. I’ve got a line of snacks coming out next year. If you look at the ingredients in the sauce, you’re going to know every ingredients in there. Nothing’s going to stick out and make you go, ‘What is that?’. There are no preservatives, no artificial flavours, and no artificial chemicals in there. There’s so much crap out there in the world, there’s so much crap that we eat and we don’t know any better. How those are legal? I’ve no idea. So my lifelong project is to get as many people as I can behind me to promote really tasty stuff that’s not necessarily bad for you.”

Thanksgiving is one of the biggest, if not the biggest family/seasonal celebrations in your part of the world. What’s Thanksgiving like for you?

“Thanksgiving is big! I do a huge Thanksgiving – a lot of good stuff. My favourite kind of turkey is deep fried turkey. I never roast the turkey whole. I actually chuck the entire turkey in a huge fryer. It takes about 45 minutes but it’s amazing. The secret is, see..the thing with the turkey is that it’s such a big bird that the difference in the heat to get everything done nice is..I always break down my turkey. You want everything done the right way and just nice. I roast the turkey breasts with rosemary, garlic, some shallot, a little bit of white wine. Then I do the turkey legs confit – I braise them slowly. After that I put them back together again so it looks like it’s whole.”

You just gave us your entire recipe! Haha.

“Haha yeah. You could also make tacos out of it the next day too. Shred up the leftovers, get flour tortillas, put everything in there with some leftover cranberry sauce and maybe some chili in there, then add in something fresh like maybe some cabbage or whatnot – best tacos ever!”

Turkey all week, huh? Sharone, you’re really creative! Are there any chefs in the world that inspire you to be so creative?

“I haven’t had the privilege of meeting him but I’d say that there’s this one chef that I’ve always wanted to meet and he’s in Chicago for the award-winning restaurant, Alinea. His name is Grant Achatz. To me, well, he’s a young guy but he’s a huge inspiration because he’s so creative and so artistic. Years ago, he developed tongue cancer and for a chef, that’s terrible. They had to remove a big part of his tongue and he lost pretty much all his taste buds. But he still goes in every day to cook everyday. He cooks on memory, he cooks on inspiration, and he still comes up with stuff that are so impressive. I’d love to have lunch with him and you know, just sit down and chat.”

Alright! Before we go, is there anything you’d like to say to our readers?

“Live passionately! I hope to be back because I love your city and I love the warmth. I’m excited to have a place to share my passion.”

And we’re glad you shared yours with us, Sharone. So good to meet you! Hope you had fun on the rest of your Malaysian trip. And might we say, the cooking demo at Mid Valley Megamall was awesome:

[youtube id=”dMAJvfWh7hI” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Special thanks to FOX International Channels and Arc Worldwide for making this happen. For more pictures from Sharone Hakman cooking up a storm at East Atrium in Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur, click!

For more information, visit his official website. We hear he shares some of his awesome heart-happy recipes in there. Also, don’t forget to LIKE his Facebook page.

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Siti Nurhaliza Blasts Netizens Who Likened Her New Futuristic Album To Autism

Did you hear? Siti Nurhaliza will be releasing her 20th album this week! For those who are curious, the album is titled “Sitism”, and is set to drop on Friday (30th June). This marks the singer’s first album in 3 years; her last album “ManifestaSiti2020” was released back in July 2020.

The famous songstress took to her Instagram last night to share the official cover artwork of her upcoming album. As seen on the Instagram post, Siti opted for a more futuristic look for her grand comeback in the music scene.

A post shared by Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin (@ctdk)

“Travelling across all the times – The past, present, and the future. The audio and visual are moving in sync,” the caption reads. The post was met with tons of reactions from fans and netizens alike. While many applauded Siti’s new musical direction, there were also some who reacted negatively to her fresh concept.

One Instagram user named @kakwanlebor wrote, “The album is called ‘Sitism’. When I searched on Google, the result that came out was autism.” The netizen continued by saying, “You’re an established senior artiste. These images and visuals are not on your level. I wonder which troll suggested Malaysia’s number one singer come up with an album using this concept.”

Another commenter added, “She looks like someone who’s suffering from mental illness,” to which the OP replied, “Isn’t the device she’s wearing on her head used to treat people with mental disorders?” @kakwanlebor’s IG post immediately caught the attention of Siti herself. She wrote in response, “Their language is so ‘beautiful’. Let’s hand these ladies to the MCMC so they can inspect them.” Following that, it appears that the two social media accounts are currently nowhere to be found after they were put on blast.

Amidst all the criticisms, local TV director Shahrulezad Mohameddin came forward to defend Siti’s response towards the internet trolls. He pointed out that despite being a well-known figure, Siti is also a human and she has feelings too. “Being Siti Nurhaliza can be tiring, she has to please everyone who will definitely never be satisfied. I hope we can give Siti some space to express her opinion once in a while,” he wrote.

A post shared by Shahrulezad Mohameddin (@budakijat)


#Malaysia: National Teams Emerge Victorious In Dodgeball World Championships

We’re used to seeing Malaysians excel in sports like badminton, squash, and diving, but little did we know that we had sportsmen and women who could perform well at this little known sport.

The Malaysian women and men’s team both bagged a gold and silver medal each at the Dodgeball World Championships which concluded on Saturday (22nd October).

The competition, which was held in Melbourne, Australia, saw the women’s team beating Canada 6-5 to snag the first gold medal for Malaysia. The men’s team also successfully defeated Canada for a place in the podium.

In a Facebook post, the Malaysia Association of Dodgeball (MAD) thanked everyone for their support, and vowed to bring home 2 gold medals next year.

“Thank you Malaysia. Thank you to everyone who supported us. Thank you to the players who showed relentlessness. Thank you Malaysian Association of Dodgeball (MAD) for bringing Malaysian dodgeball to where it is now. Thank you Australian Dodgeball Federation for hosting the most intense tournament yet. One Gold and One Silver…next year we’ll bring back double gold. Once again we did our best and we hope we did Our Malaysia Proud.”

The championships, which is governed under the World Dodgeball Federation (WDBF), saw teams from Hong Kong, Melbourne, Mexico, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Singapore, and the US participating in it. It is held annually and was first hosted by Malaysia (2012), followed by New Zealand (2013), Hong Kong (2014), and the US (2015).

In a short description, The Malay Mail explained that “the sport of dodgeball is played by pitting two teams of six players against each other, with the goal being the elimination of all the players on the other team by either hitting them with a ball or by catching a ball thrown by the other in full. A team gets a point for each time they fully eliminate the opposing team within a 40-minute duration for a standard match”.

The championships was also broadcasted live on YouTube.

We’re so proud of the teams, and we’ll proudly say, Malaysia Boleh!

To keep yourself up to date with the dodgeball scene in Malaysia, do remember to check out Malaysia Association of Dodgeball (MAD)’s official website and Facebook page.

Sources: The Malay Mail Online, Dodgeball Malaysia.

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K-Pop Group Seventeen Returning To Kuala Lumpur In September

Are y’all excited, Carats? Seventeen (세븐틴, also stylised as SVT) will be returning to our local shores for another concert.

That’s right peeps, the K-pop idol boy group will be holding making a pitstop in Malaysia during their “Ideal Cut” Southeast Asia tour in a few months time. 8 locations have been recently announced and we’re glad Kuala Lumpur wasn’t left out.

Formed in 2015, Seventeen is made of 13 members (S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino) and separated into 3 sub-units: Hip-Hop Unit, Vocal Unit, as well as Performance Unit. The group is also dubbed the “self-producing idol group” as they are heavily involved in the composition and production of their music and choreography.

Seventeen will be kicking their “Ideal Cut” tour in next month in Seoul. The K-pop singers will be dropping by Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia, and Singapore, before appearing in Malaysia. After that, their pitstops include Philippines and Taiwan.

The details to Seventeen’s “Ideal Cut” Live in Malaysia are as follows:

Tickets will go on sale at Ticket Charge from 10am on 28th June 2018 (Thursday). Do note that VIP ticket holders will stand a chance to win a Sound Check Pass.


Heineken Thirst 2013

Heineken Thirst made its debut as Malaysia’s Electronic Dance Festival in December 2011 by bringing down a massive lineup featuring major EDM maestros. This year, back for it’s third time, Heineken Thirst 2013 will be happening on December 14th, 2013 at Sepang International Circuit (SIC).

The first wave of the lineup brings you French phenomenon David Guetta. This is the second time David will be coming to Malaysia and this time he will be raving alongside Dutch duo W&W as well as Australian twin DJ duo, Nervo!

Stay tune for the next wave of lineups as Thirst 2013 will be bringing more world class DJs your way!

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

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

VIP: RM298 (Available October 14th, 2013 onwards)

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


The Celepets’ “Reality Videos” Sent Directly To Your Smartphone!

The Celepets (acronym of “Celebrity With Pet Project”) consists of seven celebrity friends: Yasmin Hani, Sazzy Falak, Serena C, Dynas Mokhtar, Atilia Haron, Aishah Sinclair, and Daphne Iking. Recently, they came together for their latest Pet Project: Celebrity Reel!

The Celepets have been friends for a long time, being respected artists in different capacities: hosts, actresses, models, songstress, deejays etc. Behind the lights and glitter of the celebrity life, the seven of them go through normal life being women, mothers, sisters, wives and friends. As a group of friends across different backgrounds they support each other in their quest to improve their careers, friendship, love and family. It’s not easy being a mother (five of them are mothers), a businesswoman, and a celebrity, the Celepets have stayed together through the good and bad times, creating a unique bond not unlike those girl groups depicted in sitcoms or television dramas.

People only see the Celepets from their TV screens and most may not understand the downside of being famous such as the lack of privacy, the long hours of shooting, the days spent traveling to faraway places, the stalkers, the rumors flying around in the gossip columns and how it all cuts through the fabric of personal life with friends and family.

This multi-talented group of young, dynamic artists with their own legion of followers is now sharing their reality video series with you in their latest project, Celebrity Reel. Fans of the Celepets can now get exclusive videos sent directly to their smartphones. For the first time, fans can have a glimpse into the lives of the Celepets from a unique angle, from the glitzy red carpet events with the famous, to dealing with their kids’ tantrums, to having quiet dinners with their boyfriend/husband. This revolutionary way of “Reality Videos” is the first in the region and eager fans have already been subscribing to Celebrity Reel SMS service following the announcement from the Celepets via their social media accounts.

The Celepets have a hectic season ahead, with their travel plans, television shootings, family breakaways, yoga classes and get-togethers. Subscribers will definitely be entertained by the quirky, honest and fun reality videos of them and will get to know their pet nicknames, their hobbies, their favorite hairstylists and many more peculiar details of the Celepets from the videos.

Celebrity Reel featuring The Celepets is a joint venture between, The Celepets themselves being the co-producer, Blublack Productions and Trylah Sdn Bhd, The show premieres on the 27th May 2013 and it is only available via mobile platform. It is a paid service where interested viewer will need to subscribe to the service, upon which they will start receiving the show straight to their mobile according to distribution schedule. A minimal charge of RM1.50 per video will be charged to subscribers for each episode they receive.

For more info, visit their Facebook page (including the terms and conditions for subscribers) or follow them via Twitter for the latest updates.

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Olivia Rodrigo Gets Called Out By K-Netizens For Using BTS For Clout

K-netizens have been calling Olivia Rodrigo out for apparently using K-pop boy group BTS (방탄소년단) for clout.

It all started after one netizen shared a post on popular online community Nate Pann titled “The solo singer who’s currently in a battle with BTS”.

The post features a screenshot of the former Disney star’s official YouTube channel for her chart-topping hit, “Good 4 U”, along with the description that reads, “A song that hit number one on the Billboard chart, competing with BTS.”

As stated by the original poster (OP), he has never seen any pop singers using another singer’s name to promote their song in Korea. Many expressed their agreement with the social media user’s point of view, and flooded the comments with hateful remarks towards the rising songbird.

Can Livies and ARMYs just get along? There is enough room for everyone to flourish.


Concert Review: Ahmad Dhani & Dewa 19 Showed Us Why They’re Truly The Lords Of Rock

No gloomy weather nor rain could stop the enthusiasm of Dewa 19 diehard fans to attend the Dewa 19, 30th Year Anniversary Concert at Axiata Arena yesterday. Dewa 19 set the stage on fire by their terrifying, immense and all round great stage performance.

The fans known as Baladewa had started to gather around Axiata Arena at 4pm despite the rain while awaiting for their favourite band that reached their popularity peak in the 2000’s until 2011, when the group disbanded.

The sold out concert started at 8.30pm and went out until midnight. It was intensifying with full of energy and strong vocal performance by the original members of the group Ari Lasso and Once Mekel, only to be strengthened by performances from Virzha dan Marcello Tahitoe.

The band had sung 35 songs to their fans, leaving everyone in the stadium captivated and mesmerised by the entire performance, which was truly a night to remember. Despite the disbandment, their songs remained favourites for many as they remembered word by word of the songs by heart that were sung together throughout the 3-hour concert.

Among the songs sung that stood out include: “Dewi”, “Larut”, “Arjuna”, “Juliette”, “Separuh Nafas”, “Pupus”, “Lagu Cinta”, “Cemburu”, “Sedang Ingin Bercinta”, “Roman Picisan”, “Restoe Boemi”, “Kangen” and “Cinta’kan Bawamu Kembali”. The band also surprised fans by covering the song “Careless Whispers” – a George Michael hit in 1984.

The last time Dewa 19 conducted their concert in Malaysia was in 2019 at Stadium Melawati, Shah Alam in line with the band’s reunion. However, the concert was not attended by leader and founder of Dewa 19,  Ahmad Dhani himself.

A post shared by Ahmad Dhani Prasetyo (@ahmaddhaniofficial)

Ahmad Dhani impressed his fans by his array of musical talents, from playing the keyboard, singing and performing on acoustic guitar. Once Mekel relived our memories when he sang the many Dewa 19 hits that we remember listening to and watching the music videos on MTV. We also fondly remember the tune “Pupus” which touches on unrequited love.

Post pandemic, the band had announced their 30th Anniversary Concert, 30 cities and Kuala Lumpur was one of their main destinations. Tickets for their two-day concert (9th & 10th September) were all sold out in the first hour of it going live, showing the deep support of its Malaysian fan base towards the Indonesian Lord of Rocks.

Indonesian rock bands have (over the years) left an impressive mark on many of the region’s rock fans with their take and creation of rock and roll that lingers in the ears and hearts of their fans for a long time. Fans from all ages who had made their way to Axiata Arena donning Dewa 19 t-shirts were seen truly having the night of their lives when the band performed for a nearly four hour concert.

The band, influenced by British rock band Queen, was truly the epitome of rock and roll with the touch of ballad rock signifying the embellishment of love tunes that warmed our hearts. Watching Dewa 19 live on stage to a sold out stadium was ethereal. The writer felt that this was the best rock concert Malaysia was blessed to witness since the pandemic which ravaged the world, and put a stop to concerts and live performances for two years.

A post shared by Bangsawan Pictures (@bangsawanpictures)

Now that concerts are slowly returning as the world gets acclimatised to Covid-19, we hope that Dewa 19 will return once again in the near future. Dewa 19 is also expected to stage its final concert tonight at the Axiata Arena. The two-day sold out concert is a testament that this legendary band whom the writer grew up listening to is here to stay for a long time.

Dewa 19 rocked Axiata Arena and those attending tonight’s concert, you will be swayed away by the Lords of Rock! Rock on Baladewa’!

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Sandy Lam Denies Split Rumours

Hong Kong singer Sandy Lam has often kept her love life under wraps. But the 47-year-old singer took the unusual step of confirming that she is still dating drummer Jun Kung, who is 11 years her junior, in a Facebook post on Monday.

“I am, I have been and will continue to be in a most loving relationship with this beautiful person, his name is Jun Kung”, she said over Facebook, in response to recent rumours which claimed they are no longer together. Lam, who is known for her hits like “Paper Plane” and “Scars”, has apparently been dating Kung for about two years now, and is currently living with him.

The breakup rumours surfaced when Kung was spotted at nightclubs recently. Lam was said to have become upset by his behavior and ended their relationship, leading to his absence from her Shanghai concert in May, after touring with her for several months as her drummer. However, Lam expressed that this was not the case.

The singer urged the public not to believe “the garbage and malice written on these gossip magazines”, adding that “there isn’t a single oz of truth in any of these reports”. “Our society do not need any more negative pollution of our minds and spirit through such irresponsible reports and behaviour of these paparazzi and tabloids magazine editors”, said Lam.

When the Hong Kong media questioned Kung about the matter, he explained that he was absent from Lam’s concert as he wanted to spend time on his music production business this year, and had also declined an offer to tour with Hong Kong singer Eason Chan.


Jay Park In Trouble – Again

His apparent “tendency” for making accidental “online faux pas” was the very thing that got him into trouble with the South Korean masses in 2009. The slip of mouth/hand eventually led him to leaving K-Pop idol boy group 2PM, in which he was a leader for. Did that mark the end of Jay Park’s self-inflicted sensational and somewhat controversial news?

A few days ago, the 25-year-old had another “slip of hand” moment when he uploaded a picture of himself flipping the bird (read: giving the middle finger). The picture was posted on his Instagram account, which is linked to his Twitter account:

Although it wasn’t directly at anyone in particular, he received a backlash for the picture. As the picture began to spread, it was suddenly deemed as controversial and received heavy criticism. The fact that Jay didn’t decide to remove the picture (even until now) didn’t help his case.

However, a day after the incident, the idol wrote an apology that said, “Sorry. I’ll be more careful as a public figure”. Shortly after, he released an even longer apology which read:

Anyway, I can’t satisfy everyone 100%~ Whether it’s my family, my label, my fans, or even myself~ Everyone has different opinions and different standings~ There is no answer, no matter what articles say~ If you hate me or love me, I’m thankful for the interest~ I’ll smile even if you curse me out~! I just want to have good music, put on a good performance, and be a good artist. I want to make a situation where I can care for and help the people I love~ If you were offended, I’m sorry~ I’ll put more thought into things from now on~! I’m going to work hard on my album keke ^_^

Yes, Jay. We’ve got nothing against you or your “cheesin” picture but you are, after all, an idol. Be an idol. Lest they attempt to kick you off the face of Earth this time and exile you to Mars or wherever.


Astro 25 Concert Features A Line-Up Of International & Local Artistes

To commemorate the 25 years journey of entertaining loyal viewers, Astro will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a live virtual Astro 25 concert! In line with the anniversary’s “Better Together” theme, the special Astro 25 concert is an ode to all Malaysians who have been supporting Astro in its journey to be the #1 entertainment platform in Malaysia.

Astro’s Director of Content Agnes Rozario in her statement during the launch said, “In line with our 25th Anniversary theme, we believe that we are ‘Better Together’ and this concert is a tribute to our incredible customers and local talent industry who have supported us throughout the years keeping Malaysians entertained and informed as we expand our reach beyond TV and radio.” “As part of Astro’s 25 years of serving Malaysians, we are delighted to showcase our Astro 25 Concert, with a line-up of specially curated performances by Astro’s homegrown talents and popular regional and international acts,” she added.

Astro customers will be in for a treat as the concert features a brilliant and star-studded line-up of local, international and Korean artistes hosted by popular TV personality, Nabil Ahmad and radio personalities Ean, Arnold and Aishah Sinclair.

The mega 3-hour talent fest is jam packed with stellar artistes including “Running Man” star Kim Jong Kook who is known for his melancholic and soothing ballads and fellow South Korean latest hit idol star TOMORROW X TOGETHER or TXT. The list of international cast does not end there as the concert features two-time Grammy Award winner Jason Mraz, American musician Pink Sweat$, singer-songwriter and artiste Bazzi, and The Voice UK alumni Jamie Miller. How exciting!

Not to forget the brilliant homegrown talents including vocal legends from Datuk Sheila Majid, Ella, Jaclyn Victor, Dayang Nurfaizah, Datuk M. Nasir, Datuk Syafinaz, Erra Fazira, Datuk Hattan, Misha Omar, Liza Hanim and Anuar Zain. Many local popular celebrities will include Datuk Aznil Hj Nawawi, Ernie Zakri, Mugen Rao, Syamel, Zee Avi, Shio Yee, Hael Husaini and Zynakal.

Other stellar line-up from other regions include star from Hong Kong Cantopop boy band sensation, Mirror, Ruco Chan and 15-year-old winner of TVB’s Stars Academy Gigi Yim. Among other stars who will rock the virtual stage are one of the greatest Indonesian rock bands Dewa 19, local rock band Slam and the “Awak Kat Mana” songster, Singapore idol Taufik Batisah.

The concert will feature popular comedian and host Harith Iskander alongside Singaporean comedian and TV host Kumar. Stars from Astro’s talent shows Amir Masdi, Siti Nordiana, Naqiu, Yoke Chan, Sarah Suhairi, “Akademi Fantasia” alum Vince Chong and many more will make an appearance to highlight the event.

Save the date for Astro 25 virtual live concert on 25th September at 8:30pm on Astro 25 (Channel 100) or you can stream it on Astro GO. For more information on Astro’s 25th anniversary offerings, please visit www.astro.com.my/bettertogether

While waiting for the premier of the special concert, Astro viewers can look forward to two premiering documentaries “Tanah Tumpahnya Darah Kita” and “We Are No Different” as an ode to Malaysian Day this month. Read more on the selection of Astro’s exciting National Day Programs here.

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Twitter User Slammed For Claiming “#SiBodohKauDengarSini Is Affiliated With Her

The local girl who went viral for the hashtag “#SiBodohKauDengarSini” wasn’t having it when she found out that people have been using the phrase without consulting her first.

The Twitter user, @yarafaee_, quoted a tweet from a business account which was selling T-shirts with the aforesaid hashtag printed on it.  “Hi, I don’t remember you asking for my permission?” she wrote.

Refusing to stay silent after receiving widespread backlash from netizens, the girl defended herself by clarifying that she had no plans to trademark the hashtag because “those are common words”. “There are other business owners who have the courtesy to contact me asking if they could profit out of it. Not just one. And I said ‘No’ to them. Hence it is unfair for me to say ‘No’ to one, but ‘Yes’ to others,” @yarafaee__ shared.

In another thread, the netizen explained, “The reason why I disagree with the plan of selling shirts using the phrase is simply because ‘si bodoh’ is not a proper and nice phrase to be used and I personally believe it will be reflected on me since at the current moment the phrase is mostly affiliated with me.”

Fellow members of Twitterverse left various remarks in response to the whole drama. In this case, a lot of them slammed @yarafaee__ over her “petty” act. A commentator criticised her for making an issue out of something so petty, with the hashtag “its not even an artwork”.

Another social media user chimed in by leaving a savage reply, “I can see you are just as stupid as the ‘Harimau Menangis’ owner“. For those interested, feel free to read some of other reactions that we found below:


Netflix’s Crime Scene: The Vanishing At The Cecil Hotel Review – One Of The Creepiest Documentaries We’ve Seen

It all seems so impossible. As if it was all fabricated and written to be some cheap B-grade horror film. And yet, weirdly enough, it’s all true! Like any good connoisseur of the macabre, we long to unearth all the gory details. To be in on the investigation as we witness the timeline unfurl before our very eyes. To ride the roller coaster of emotions as we “solve” the case alongside the detectives, experts and eye-witnesses. A good documentary leaves you with a genuine sense of catharsis. A well-earned resolution that has something profound to say at the end of the day.

Then…there are those documentaries that leave us up at night. Fuelling our dreams and nightmares as it lingers on ambiguity. Driving us to dig deeper into a particular subject matter. Netflix’s “Crime Scene: The Vanishing At The Cecil Hotel” is the latter.

Right let’s set the scene. A wide-eyed 21-year old Asian-Canadian travels to the States to finally visit the sunny land of Los Angeles. She’s excited to finally explore the long-fabled city of angels and Hollywood glamour. Then, there’s the Cecil Hotel. A cheap, run-down hotel with a dark reputation. A place notorious for violence, drug abuse, prostitution and even satanic rituals. This is the story of how one girl’s visit to a city ends with horror, heartbreak and mystery. This is the tale of how Elisa Lam disappeared in the Cecil Hotel.

Some of you growing in the early 2010s may have heard ghost stories about haunted hotels, spooky elevator games and bloody pipes. Well, unfortunately, this is the true story that started it all. First off, let’s address the giant elephant in the room. Some of you are wondering if the documentary does play up the whole supernatural haunting angle. Admittedly, the documentary does flirt with it.

There will be viewers who find the idea of spinning the tragic disappearance and death of a young woman as a ghost story tasteless. However, we found the documentary to have more than enough substantial journalism to back it up. These aren’t a bunch of pseudo-scientific losers looking to start a web show. The cast of the documentary consists of the actual detectives, hotel staff and witnesses who knew Elisa Lam before her disappearance. All of them help put a face on the missing girl. Which makes what happened to her all the more creepier when the truth finally surfaces.

That being said, there is a bit of padding you have to get through before you get to the juicy details. Namely in the first episode, which is arguably the weakest among the four of them. Little to no footage of the relevant case is shown in the episode. It relies heavily on dramatic narrations of Lam’s Tumblr posts and discussing the social environment surrounding the Cecil Hotel. There’s even a whole segment dedicated to the housing crisis in Los Angeles. Look, we understand that “Cecil Hotel” is trying to set the scene but none of this is necessary.

In the second and third episodes of the documentary though, it begins to truly engage us. Alongside investigators, we dissect the infamous elevator footage of Elisa Lam’s final moments. Occasionally, it’s punctuated with the sinister history of the Cecil Hotel. We learn about how it went from respectable establishment to dilapidated low-cost housing. Then there’s the story of the serial killer Richard Ramirez. A man who carved pentagrams into his victims and worshiped the Devil.

The final episode left our jaws on the floor. Elisa Lam’s fate is finally revealed and it is horrifying and mysterious to say the least. We highly recommend coming into the series blind. It’ll make it all the more impactful when you discover how the case ends. Hell, right after “Cecil Hotel”, we went straight online to look up more facts and theories on Elisa Lam.

There’s just so many elements to this mystery. What was she doing in the elevator? Why was she so paranoid in exiting the lift? Was she alone? More importantly, how did she end up where she did? The footage is deeply unsettling to watch.

The overall subject matter of “Cecil Hotel” has just the right amount of mystery and horror to keep you watching from start to end. Beyond the meandering pace of the first episode, there are a few annoying gripes we have with Netflix’s documentary format. One that we’re quickly noticing in their recent catalogue. The documentary has the tendency to overemphasise the reactions of its cast as ominous music plays in the background. There’s also an annoying practice of trying to set up levity with the cast describing their idyllic scene before dramatically cutting to the “shocking truth”.

What is this, the mid-2000s? The fact that anyone is still using this technique is laughable. “Cecil Hotel” would have benefited in showing some restraint in the way they frame their narrative. It’s almost as if the creative team behind the documentary didn’t feel confident enough with the material they were using.

If you’re looking to scratch that morbid itch then “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at Cecil Hotel” is more than up for the task. The crime documentary series manages to capture the gravity and mystery behind Elisa Lam’s disappearance. While occasionally relying on old-hat theatrics to weak effect, it still manages to weave together a compelling narrative. Perhaps, we’ll never truly know what happened to Elisa Lam. And perhaps it’s for the best. You can now check out the “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at Cecil Hotel” today on Netflix!

So, what are you thoughts on the mysterious disappearance and death at the Cecil Hotel? Do you think it was self-inflicted? Was there foul play going on? Be sure to let us know in the comments down below!

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The Beauty Of “KOLUMPO” In Film

The heart of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur also known to Malaysians as KL or Kolumpo is one of the most mixed and diversified cities in the world. Immortalised though visual interpretations on screen in hundreds of ways through movies, three young and brilliant filmmakers from around the country brings to you the original production of Kolumpo.

Directed by Sheikh Munasar, Rozi Izma and Bront Palarae, Kolumpo invites everyone into the intimate lives of KLites as they struggle, strive, search for hopes and dreams and enjoy the happiness that comes with achieving their goals. Kolumpo is a collection of three multi-lingual short stories in a film with each segment running for thirty minutes.

The film will feature an all-star cast that includes Sharifah Amani, Azad Jasmin, Ruminah Sidek, Shoffi Jikan, Nell Ng, Mano Maniam, Sabri Yunos, Amerul Affendi, Azhan Rani, Along Eyzendy. Kolumpo will also feature cameo appearances by Farid Kamil, Remy Ishak, Sarah Ali, Ho Yuhang, Dain Said, Chew Kin Wah, Kumaresan, Adibah Noor and Bront Palarae.

To give you a bigger idea of what Kolumpo is about, the synopsis of the movie is as follows:

Taking audiences from Central Market to KLCC to Setapak, the story tells a story of hope and dreams through the diversity of Kuala Lumpur itself. Kolumpu sees an Indian immigrant worker who just arrives in town to work only to find the company that offered him the job had gone bankrupt. Saved by a local restaurant operator, he begins his journey in the city as a illegal immigrant worker. In Setapak on the other hand, a young girl finds herself spending a whole afternoon helping a stranger as she is avoiding calls from her mother and in Ampang, a young man meets a cute stranger at the LRT Station after they both missed the last night train. The young man, who’s never dated in his life finds this moment to be one that is life defining as it is his only hope to get a glimpse of love.

Kolumpo is your guide to one of the most beautiful cities in the world. More information about the film is as follows:

In cinemas : December 5th, 2013 (Thursday)
Running time : 92 minutes
Classification : PG13
Language : Malay, English, Cantonese, Tamil
Country : Malaysia
Year : 2013

Check out the official movie trailer here!


5 Things We Enjoyed About Legoland Malaysia’s Virtual Reality Roller Coaster

Home to some of the most successful rides from around the world, Legoland Malaysia hit yet another milestone since recently celebrating its 5th anniversary. Called The Great Lego Race, the theme park officially launched the Lego Virtual Reality (VR) Roller Coaster on Wednesday morning (22nd November).

Previously known as the Project X ride, visitors can now enjoy double the fun thanks to the tech makeover which combines cutting-edge virtual reality technology with roller coaster thrills. Imagine yourself being transport into the Lego toy world and racing with the Lego characters. Here are the top 5 highlights from our experience:

1. The first Lego VR Roller Coaster in the world

Uh huh, Legoland Malaysia has the honour of being the first in the world to introduce a Lego VR Roller Coaster. The new adventure brings together a host of different themes, characters, storytelling, and action, then adds a dash of Lego fun. At The Great Lego Race, participants will also be treated to a lively display of their competitor’s pit crew while the race to the finish line is going on.

The duration of the ride is 3 minutes long while the maximum number of passengers is 4. There is also a requirement that those who wish to ride with the VR headset has to be above 6 years old and 120cm. However, you can still get on the roller coaster without the VR headset.

2. The Archway features murals of the main racers

It is expected that the line for The Great Lego Race will be long, especially during weekends and holidays. While you’re in the waiting area, you can kill time by checking out the colourful murals there. They are 5 racers that will be competing in The Great Lego Race. The aforementioned characters are Pirate Captain, Pharaoh, Wizard, Trendsetter, as well as Surfer Girl. The best part? These murals comes with each of its own interesting sound system.

3. Meet the 5 main characters at The Great Lego Race

4. The real fun begins with the cool VR headset

Before you get on the ride, you’ll be given a VR headset (decorated with Lego eyes) powered by the Samsung Gear VR. Make sure that your headset is secure and fit by adjusting the red knob on the back. This is to avoid the headset from sliding down your cheeks when you experience extra force during the sudden drop or when the race car takes a sharp turn. It doesn’t matter that there are 4 passengers per ride because you’re basically a solo racer in your own Lego car.

5. Take home a snapshot of your candid moment

Throughout the turns and drops, a snapshot of your candid moment will be captured. For RM60, you can get a printed version of yourself and your friends enjoying the thrilling ride. Even though The Great Lego Race is catered to the younger generation, adults will also enjoy this new attraction just as much.

Still not convinced? Perhaps this video might change your mind:

For more information, visit Legoland Malaysia’s official website.

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Calum Scott Coming To Kuala Lumpur For Only Human Asia Tour?

Concert organiser StarPlanet (星艺娱乐) has something exciting up their sleeves. For the past few days, they’ve been teasing netizens with clips of Calum Scott on Facebook.

This begs the question – is the 30-year-old British singer-songwriter dropping by Malaysia to perform for local fans soon? Let’s discuss the possibility…

The “Britain’s Got Talent” finalist is currently embarking on his “Only Human” Asia Tour. This week, he’s performing in Kia Theatre, Manila, Philippines (on Tuesday, 30th October) and in Capitol Theatre, Singapore (on Wednesday, 31st October). The following day (Thursday, 1st November), he will be flying to Hong Kong to sing in Musiczone@E-max KITEC.

StarPlanet gave us the biggest clue when they request music lovers to “Like” – if you’ve heard of this song or “Love” – if you’d love to see him perform live. The response has been moderate so far. Still, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that Scott will be dropping by Kuala Lumpur. He also has another Asia Tour pitstop scheduled for Jakarta, Indonesia later in December.

Stay tuned to this space for more information.


Diplo, Gramatik & Zeds Dead Are The Most Legally Torrented Dance Acts Of 2014

First things first, on behalf of Hype.My, I’d like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. I hope you all had a wonderful time welcoming the 2015. Now on to the good stuff.

BitTorrent started off as a peer-to-peer file sharing site, similar to the likes of the recently shut down PirateBay. But over the recent years, BitTorrent has gone to amazing lengths to rebrand itself as the premier, and legal, way to share files quickly with your peers. This, can be seen with BitTorrent’s most recent online facelift which brings to mind a re-imagined world of music downloading.

From albums, remix packages, and discographies, BitTorrent has released a variety of material for high-profile musicians over the last year. Now, they have unveiled their BitTorrent Report showcasing the most downloaded artistes and music bundles throughout 2014. The report covers a huge range of statistics that show thought-provoking trends across the users of BitTorrent and what they look for between music and movies.

Now, the list may not display who the most downloaded musicians are across the entire Internet, but it does contain plenty of EDM artistes and plenty of others including:

01. Thom Yorke
02. Diplo
03. Gramatik
04. De La Soul
05. Zeds Dead
06. G-Eazy
07. Ace Hood
08. Mad Decent (Bundle)
09. Vinyl Williams
10. Hundred Waters

Although BitTorrent allows patrons to grab music for free, over 6.5 million users purchased content via their paygate option. The crazy thing about BitTorrent’s new setup with paygate is that 90 percent of the profits actually go to the artistes who’s music they put out. This amazing new reinvigoration of torrent clients has done what BitTorrent believes is bringing back the “records” and making them the “last record store”.


RON95 Petrol & Diesel Subsidies To Come To An End In December

According to reports from The Malay Mail Online, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Hasan Malek said Putrajaya will stop providing subsidy for RON95 petrol and diesel from December onwards.

According to The Star Online, Hasan also said the price for these two fuels will be set using the managed float mechanism from December 1st.

Today’s unexpected announcement will see an end to the federal government footing the bill to allow Malaysians to pay cheaper rates for RON95 petrol and diesel, irrespective of the market price. The announcement also comes after the federal government slashed the subsidy for RON95 petrol and diesel twice in recent months.

The RON97 petrol is already on the managed float system and is not subsidised by the government.


2nd Show Added To G.E.M’s Concert In Penang

Fans of Hong Kong pop star G.E.M, we have good news for you!

Due to an overwhelming response for G.E.M. Queen of Hearts World Tour 2018, organiser IME Asia has added an extra date for her upcoming coG.ncert in Penang.

For those who missed her show in Kuala Lumpur last November and couldn’t get the tickets for her concert in Penang, now is your chance

The second show will be held on 1st July 2018 at Setia Spice Arena Penang.

Special presale tickets will go on sale on 30th and 31st May for CITI card members, while the general ticket sale will be opened on 1st June.

Tickets will be available on ticketcharge.com.my.

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Date & Venue For iKON’s Concert In Malaysia Revealed

Heads up, iKONics! The date and venue for iKON’s upcoming tour in Malaysia has been unveiled!

Previously we have revealed that 7-member idol group iKON will be including Malaysia in their “2018 CONTINUE Tour”.

Today, organiser MacpiePro has announced that the boys will be performing at the Malawati Indoor Stadium on 13th October 2018 at 6pm. This will be be the 2nd time iKON came to Malaysia for a concert. The 1st time was in August 2016 for their iKONCERT tour.

Apart from Malaysia, the group will also be touring other Southeast Asian cities including Bangkok, Manila, Singapore, and Jakarta. Ticketing deets have been revealed and the seating plan has been divided into 7 different zones.

Be the first 400 fans to purchase iKONIC zone ticket, OR the first 150 fans to purchase Red Zone ticket to be entitled for a SOUNDCHECK PASS, while the first 280 fans to purchase Yellow Zone ticket will get a SENDOFF PASS to wave their idols goodbye! Every purchaser will get an official poster as well.

Tickets are available through www.ticketcharge.com.my from 23rd August 2018 onwards.


HONNE Talks About Their Album Concept & Experience In Making Music

As part of their ongoing tour, English electronic duo HONNE made their second visit to Malaysia last weekend where they performed at a 2-day sold out shows at KL Live for Good Vibes Festival.

The pair consisting of James Hatcher (producer) and Andy Clutterbuck (singer, producer) entered the music world in 2014 with their first ever single “Warm On A Cold Night” which received generally positive reviews from music critics.

The name HONNE came from the Japanese word 本音 (hon ne) which means “true feelings”, and this matches the group’s music as they always write songs based on their own personal experience and honest feelings.

2 years later, the duo released their debut album “Warm On A Cold Night” in 2016 which debuted on #37 in UK Official Charts and went triple-platinum in South Korea.

Fast forward another 2 years, HONNE’s second album “Love Me / Love Me Not” arrived in August 2018.

The album explores the contrast of everyday relationships, capturing the duality of life’s ups and downs, and the balancing act of navigating between two states at once.

To understand more about their new album and future plans, we sat down and had a chat with them hours before their live performance in Malaysia.

James: We loved playing at the festival last time in an amazing setting. We get to come back to play at our own production.

Andrew: When we played at Good Vibes, we flew in straight to the festival. When we came back into town, we went to bed and went out really early the next morning. So we didn’t really get to see much of the city. So it’s nice that we’re able to be here for a couple of days.

A post shared by Warner Music MY International (@warnermusicmalaysia)

Andrew: Great. We love coming to Asia. We’re going to a few places on this tour. Kuala Lumpur is kind of a new experience for us to be able to play in an actual town. Yeah, it’s been really great. Everyone is always very enthusiastic. We love that.

James: The album is called “Love Me / Love Not” which comes about after we wrote the last song of the album called “Forget Me Not”, which has the first line “She loves me, she loves me not”. So that’s where we got the idea of this two halves. As we were writing the album, the music is kind of falling into two halves anyway, it’s just that we didn’t know how to describe it at that time.

We want to have a way of representing that visually. So we use unicodes which were like pre-emojis. So you can use it on any font or computer. We also decide to either fill in on the left and right hand side, kind of like a half-moon thing, depending on whether it’s a “Love Me” or “Love Me Not” track.

James: It was quite different. Just like how it begins each time. For the second album, we kind of sat down and discuss where we  both want it to go and how we want it to divert from the last album. The things we want it to be is more upbeat, and film more day time. Last album has a lot of night time and lo-fi kind of thing.

Andrew: We work with so many different people on this album in comparison with the first album. So it’s a progressive experience.

James: You don’t want to put names in there do you?

Andrew: I don’t know. I’m not really afraid of it. It’s just that you can’t go too far, or maybe you can, but I haven’t gone that far yet. This album is more personal than the first one, so the next one maybe will be…

James: We just started it like 3 weeks ago. We’re working on it, which isn’t very long cos’ most people spent like 3 years.

Andrew: We’re very early on that. We’re not sure if it’s an album or if  it’s a song. We don’t know what’s the next thing will be.

Andrew: We need to learn some more Japanese. So it could be good, and may be do one for every Asian country as well.

James: It was quite quick actually. the problem now is that we’re still touring. But maybe a year and a half.

Andrew: One of the hardest parts is deciding which songs make it on the record. Because we still write like 30 songs every time.

James: Yeah. We got enough to release another 1 or 2 albums.

James: Trousers falling down. Technical problem is probably like the biggest fear.

Andrew: But in a way, if something goes wrong, it’s how you deal with it and how you overcome it. There always tend to be a nice moment when that happens.

James: Sometimes when stuff stops working then you have to perform acoustically while other staff men solve the problem, and people always appreciate seeing you struggle to still pull on a show.

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“Star Trek Into Darkness” Was Oh-So-Stimulating!

JJ Abrams proves that space travel can still be fun despite it being done to death through various films and over many years. Having rebooted the “Star Trek” franchise, “Star Trek Into Darkness” is proof that director JJ Abrams won’t be losing his touch anytime soon and that science fiction is too good of a make believe life to give up.

Right from the opening sequence, “Star Trek Into Darkness” took our breaths away. Two words: visual stimulation. From the very beginning right till the very end.

The spectacle in the sequence features Spock (played by Zachary Quinto) trying to defuse an erupting volcano while Captain Kirk (played by Chris Pine) and “Bones” McCoy (played by Karl Urban) running through what appears to be a beautiful red forest – except, they’re being chased by curious looking natives. And no, at this point, nobody dies. Yet.

Let’s not forget how the film is then followed by high-powered special effects, a slick dialogue (props to the scriptwriters), and an ace of a dramatic plot. We love how Spock’s character is so very well developed in this installment of “Star Trek”. Even in his most logical, Vulcan moments, he never fails to entertain. But when he’s not busy being an honest Vulcan, his half-human side seeps out and suddenly, as part of the audience, you feel for him:

[youtube id=”yhz4A5BCMAA” width=”600″ height=”350″]

And honestly? Casting Benedict Cumberbatch as John Harrison was perhaps the best decision that JJ Abrams has ever made in his life! Snarling evil genius, a class above others, ruthless yet defined, John Harrison is the type of villain that your mother would’ve more than once or twice in your life warned you about being friends with. We think of him as the liquid nitrogen type – so beautiful yet scathing.

If you’re deciding on whether or not to watch “Star Trek Into Darkness”, we say save the date because the film will be out in a cinema near you on 16th May 2013. Also, and it’s not like you fans will need any reminding but please do yourself a favour and catch it in IMAX.

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


Santa Claus & His Elves Await You At Legoland Malaysia’s Brick-tacular Holidays!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! This holiday season, bring your loved ones to Legoland Malaysia for a one-of-a-kind brick-tacular experience. Wonder at the twinkling lights, participate in exciting seasonal festivities, and see the park with a sprinkle of Lego magic!

This holiday season, Legoland Malaysia Resort has been transformed into a replica of Santa’s Toy Factory. The resort will be bustling with elves and holiday decorations where guests can help the elves prepare for the holiday season.

Over the past weekend, team Hype had the opportunity to witness the spectacular Legoland Brick-tacular Holidays firsthand, and it was absolutely, fantastically, magical! As soon as you step into the park, the holiday spirits came swooping at the moment you notice the magical Christmas decorations, Santa’s Elves dancing around, unique Lego characters, and much much more!

Guests can expect a ton of fun festive activities to do. Show your creativity and build your own unique gift for your special someone at Ollie’s Fun Factory, write a letter to the one-and-only Santa Claus, visit his home for a family photo, witness the Giant Lego Duplo Christmas Tree light up, and much more. You can even hunt for elves at their dazzling holiday shows, and stand a chance to win a prize if you’re able to spot them all.

If meeting Santa Claus and his elves is not enough, you also have the opportunity to meet other special Lego characters like the Toy Soldier and the Wizard! Watch them sing and dance around Santa and the elves at the awesome live shows. Look out for other Lego Friends in their Holiday outfits too! After a long day of elves hunting, end your day with a bedtime story from Santa himself at the Legoland Hotel.

If you’re feeling extra lucky this holiday season, join in the Advent Calendar draw for a chance to win some amazing prizes worth up to RM100,000! After visiting Santa, be sure to stop by Sea Life Malaysia to discover amazing sea creatures and wish them a “Merry Fish-mas!” Guests can help decorate the Christmas Tree with their holiday wishes as well.

On top of all the exciting holiday festivities, be sure to go around the park for an added amazing time. Legoland Malaysia consists of three separate parks – Theme Park, Water Park, and Sea Life – with so many things to do. Be sure to stop by Imagination – one of the many areas of Legoland – to check out their new Lego Mythica – “Journey To Mythica” 4D Movie!

Bring your loved ones to experience the holiday magic with Legoland Malaysia from 24th November 2022 to 1st January 2023. To find out more about this spectacular event or to buy tickets immediately, check out their official website here.

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#PulauPerhentian: UMNO Youth Wants “Full Moon Beach Party” Permit Revoked

A police report has been lodged at the Besut district police headquarters by the district’s Umno Youth and Puteri wings, along with several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in protest of a party to be held at Pulau Perhentian Kecil near here, on 19th and 20th April.

Besut Umno Youth Movement chief Azizul Jasmi Mohamed said the event known as the “Full Moon Beach Party”, was expected to be held at Long Beach, Pulau Perhentian Kecil.

He said they wanted the permit to organise the party to be withdrawn, as it was feared that it could invite all sorts of negative things that could affect the islands’ residents, especially youths.

“Normally, parties like this will involve alcohol consumption, wild interactions between men and women, which will eventually lead to free sex,” he told reporters after the report was made here, yesterday.

According to the party’s Eventbrite listing, tickets to the event were sold in forms of packages, ranging from RM120 – RM700. The costliest package covers most expenses including a bus transfer from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Besut jetty, 2-way boast transfer to Perhentian island, and a 3D2N stay at Panorama chalet. Aside from the full moon beach party, additional activities include island hopping, jungle trekking, kayaking, snorkelling, banana boat, and more.

The listing also confidently claimed, “In order to show you our confidence, in case of cancellation, we will refund money 100%.” and bravely said:

Share this event to all your stoner friends and book your packages.

In the meantime, Besut Umno Puteri Movement chief Erniesalwani Saidi has urged the authorities to block the party from being held, because it was not suitable to the local customs and culture, as well as the teachings of Islam. “Festivals like this have never been held in Pulau Perhentian, and indeed they should be blocked from becoming a culture in the state,” she said.

She said the majority of the population in Besut were Muslims, and all parties should respect this and not hold any activities against the teachings of Islam in the area.

Meanwhile, in a related development, Kuala Besut assemblyman Tengku Zaihan Che Ku Abd Rahman said so far no application had been received to organise the party. He also understood that the party which would involve local and foreign tourists, had been advertised in social media applications such as Facebook and WhatsApp for the past few days.

“The state government will take stern action (and) will not allow the party to be held eventhough the organisers make a request to the Besut District Council (BDC)”, he told Bernama via WhatsApp today.

Accordingly, Tengku Zaihan said he had asked the BDC and Besut District Religious Office to monitor and take action to prevent such activities from being held.

Sources: Bernama, Eventbrite, Enjoy the Fullmoon view, Erasig’s Facebook page.


#Kingsman: New Trailer Features Iggy Azalea & Ellie Goulding Collab

So, Iggy Azalea brought us another pleasant surprise through the release of a new trailer for the upcoming film, “Kingsman: The Secret Service”. And if you were wondering what the surprise was, well, let’s just say it’s no longer about her booty!

20th Century Fox released an exclusive trailer of “Kingmans: The Secret Service” that featured an awesome snippet of a new untitled song from Iggy Azalea and UK songbird Ellie Golding.

The spies have arrived, brand new #Kingsman trailer is here with a special song from @elliegoulding and me http://t.co/fg0b4iGes5

— IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) September 23, 2014

Throughout the trailer, the snippet of Iggy Azalea’s new duet appears around the 1:15 mark, starting with Azalea’s rap:

To everyone who said I’d never make it / well weren’t you mistaken / I got a dinner date with greatness.

Goulding’s sweet vocals were featured in the trailer that came towards the end of video. As of now, the full song has not been released but it will be included in Azalea’s re-release of her album, “The New Classic” that will come packed with 6 new tracks.

The snippet of the new song is now featured in the teaser video for “Kingsman: The Secret Service” below:

From Charli XCX to Ariana Grande to J.Lo, Iggy Azalea has been receiving a lot of spotlight lately through her collaboration with these artistes. It seems like the female rapper is well on her way to the top!

We must say, we wouldn’t be surprised if her upcoming collaborations include some world’s most amazing vocalists. What do you think?

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(UPDATE) #Avengers: 15-Second “Age of Ultron” Teaser Previews Second Trailer

The comic giant has acknowledged that, yes, there’s some crazy excitement and high levels of anticipation from “Avengers” fans leading up to the release of “Age of Ultron“. As such, the company decided to release a 15-second teaser for its next “Avengers: Age of Ultron” trailer. Oh you know, just feeding off the “Avengers” fandom.

The teaser indicates that Marvel is already preparing a second trailer for the film and despite it being only a short clip, it does quickly show the members of the superhero squad reflected in a chrome version of the “Avengers” logo. Watch:

Sure, it doesn’t give much away about the “Avengers: Age of Ultron” plot, but the full new trailer will premiere on 12th Jan during the college football national championship on ESPN. We have a feeling that this is limited to fans in the US only – for now. But let’s hope that Marvel will release it online after it premieres!

They have to, anyway, because their last attempt to keep an “Avengers” trailer under wraps didn’t go so well. The previous 2-minute video, which showed the “Avengers” team in action, was leaked online in October. Luckily for the company, they managed to handle that crisis quite well, with first taking it to Twitter to acknowledge that yes, it got leaked:

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) October 22, 2014

And then quickly posting a 1080p quality version of the trailer on its official YouTube channel, an entire week before they scheduled it to go live. If you missed it, check it out here.

Less than 10 more days before this next “Avengers: Age of Ultron” trailer will go live! Let’s see if Marvel will be able to keep this one under wraps until then ;)

Slated for release on 1st May 2015 (Malaysia: 23rd April 2015),  “Avengers: Age of Ultron” also stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, James Spader, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Thomas Kretschmann, Paul Bettany, and Stellan Skarsgard.

The new “Avengers: Age of Ultron” trailer is here and boy, it’s something alright. Haunting and remarkably awesome, the new trailer consists of a ton of brand new footage that fans and viewers alike didn’t get in the first look.

Teasing fans with just the right amount of what to expect from the movie, it is without a doubt that Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron is set to be a box office hit. Also, take our word for it and pay attention to 1.14 in the clip, it’ll blow your mind.

For more information, visit Marvel’s Facebook page.


Shifting Education: A Brief Guide On How To Use The iPad For Learning

Let’s face it! It’s been over a year since the pandemic turned our lives upside down, and with the rising number of Covid-19 cases, we’re facing a tumultuous episode in our lives where everything seems to be out of our control. With working adults finding means to adapt to the new normal, it’s only fair that children and teenagers do the same too. After all, what’s difficult about online classes while all you do is sit and stare at the computer screen? It shouldn’t be that difficult, right? Well, that’s the misconception there!

Undoubtedly, online learning has impacted the cognitive development of children and teenagers, severely. Among some of the notable effects of online learning would be increased stress and anxiety, social isolation and virtual learning fatigue. These might not be observed within a short span of time, however, in the long run, issues as such would be prevalent in the education sector. The lack of interaction with their peers and the mundane routine of staring at their devices while attempting to retain information would be extremely tiring for children and teenagers alike.

Children, just like any other human being need intellectual stimulation and an avenue to explore their creative side. This is where the Apple iPad for Learning comes in! We’ve compiled a list of applications that would help your kid or teen make online learning more accessible and fun. Worried about the safety aspects? Well, that would not be a problem as we’ve also compiled the parental support features that every parent should know to ensure the safety of their children.

Albeit the plethora of applications to choose from in the Apple App Store, these applications would be a great start for your children to feed their curious brains. Both age-appropriate and engaging, these applications would definitely be enjoyable for the entire family! Their easy-to-understand features make the teaching process easier for parents who’d want to explain the applications’ benefits to their children. For sure, with some help, your child could start working on them independently. They are also compatible with almost all iPads including iPad Pro, iPad 8th Gen and iPad Air 4th Gen.

This presentation-making application would indeed make your child’s class presentation a huge hit! This is the most powerful presentation app ever designed for a mobile device. Armed with animated charts and cinematic transitions, it’s actually an easy-to-use application. All your child needs to do is touch and tap the elements according to his or her preference using either an Apple Pencil or their fingers. Your child could easily collaborate with classmates regarding a particular project without having to spend hours talking on the phone or via video calls. Unleash your child’s creative side by allowing your child to create presentation slides for an upcoming family game night!

Parents with kids who seem to have a deep interest in designing and invention could consider installing this application for their kids’ perusal. This is a cool application that serves as a creative toolbox for augmented reality. Simply, sketch, scan and snap the world around you to transform your creations from 2D to 3D virtual objects. This would improve the child’s cognitive function and allow him or her to think out of the box.

Is your child an aspiring videographer or have a keenness towards creating things? Then, this is a perfect application! Clips is a free app for making fun videos to share with friends and family members. Similar to Tik Tok sans the sharing to the public feature, your child could create vertical and horizontal videos now, with camera effects, artistic filters, dynamic music, animated text, emojis, stickers and more. Again, these could be done in a few taps. With an easy to use, feature, this would be a good application to monitor your child’s creations before considering uploading them to social media platforms, if they desire to do so.

It’s a known fact that coding is an essential tool for children. Some schools have started organising coding programs to cultivate coding knowledge within students. However, if your child’s school has not taken any initiatives of the sort, it’s finally time to introduce it to your child! Introducing, Swift Playgrounds, an application designed to make it fun to learn and experiment with codes. Via solving interactive puzzles, your child would definitely master the basics of coding, or experiment with a wide range of challenges. No prior coding knowledge is needed. So, dear parents, if you’d like to learn to code sometime, this would be a great place to start out alongside your kids.

Being a parent is a tough job and allowing a child to handle a technological device single-handedly is every parents’ nightmare. Fret not! Apple has key safety features to prevent technology from jeopardising your kid’s safety.

You could set up privacy restrictions on your child’s device to prevent them from logging into any potentially harmful websites or installing any non-education related applications. You could also control your child’s screen time! By tapping on Screen Time in Settings, you could set up a screen time passcode. The details of your Apple ID would be asked beforehand, so, keep that in check. It’s essential to ensure that the password used is different from the one required to unlock the device.

Now, this is a crucial feature for parents as kids these days might just purchase applications from the App Store without parental permission. This might happen unintentionally too because the child might not be aware of the price of the applications. Again, by tapping on Screen Time, you could set “Don’t Allow” for the iTunes & App Store Purchases.

Prevent Explicit Content and Content Ratings

Using the same method aforementioned, by tapping into Screen Time, you could restrict applications and features with selected ratings. Here’s a guide on the applications that you could restrict and their exact functions:

To read more about parental control, you could have a look at the extensive guide, here.

Nevertheless, investing in an iPad for your kid’s educational journey is indeed a game-changer. This would prevent them from being constantly tired over repetitive class lessons. However, it should be important to ensure that your child receives enough sleep, off-screen time and probably if the situation permits, some good fresh air!

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Hype’s Exclusive: Royal Pirates On Astro Star Quest, Malaysia, & Future Plans

Royal Pirates has gone through many obstacles. When the band was initially formed, it was named Fading From Dawn, and was made up of guitarist and vocalist Moon, drummer Sooyoon (also known as EXSY), and Moon’s brother, bassist Richard Kim. However, Richard passed away in a unfortunate car accident and James Lee replaced him.

They renamed themselves as Royal Pirates, but sadly, another unfortunate event hit them. James’ hand was terribly hurt in a freak accident while at a restaurant in Seoul. He was forced to give up the bass and had to resort to playing the keyboard and programming.

Despite all that they’ve been through, the band stayed strong. In case you didn’t know, the guys were in town as one of the judges of Astro Star Quest, an annual Chinese singing competition show organised by ASTRO. They even held a meet the fans session to interact with their Malaysian Royal Treasures. If you’re feeling down that you didn’t get the chance to meet them, fret not, because we spoke to them on your behalf ;)

We sat down with the rock band for an in-depth interview session and here’s what went down:

How do you feel to be invited as a judge for Astro Star Quest?

James: Oh, it’s honestly a big honour to be able to go on the show. We’ve never been judges before on a program so to be able to be invited to events like these and have contestants actually want to ask for advice from us, it’s a big honour and a big surprise. But we feel really lucky that the people of Malaysia wanted us for the show.

James: Yeah, we got to mentor 2 of the contestants, Timothy and Pung. They came to Korea and they trained with us as well, and we had a really good time.

Moon: We were really surprised at how talented they were and they had such unique colours. Some of them were good in R&B, some of them had jazz voices. I think the level of contestants in Malaysia is really high and we were very honoured to be judges for such an amazing talent show.

Were they any awkward moments when you were mentoring them?

James: I think Timothy and Pung were both kinda awkward guys. (laughs) But that makes them kinda charming. Because Pung has this pure innocence about him that I think can reach and touch a lot of different people. Like when he sings, it really gets to your heart. And Timothy is very intelligent, he’s very young. He’s got a lot of swag. He’s very confident because he knows he’s talented but he just needs to be a little more organised. Super talented guys, both of them. I think they both just need a lot of practise but once that comes into play then they’ll be great artistes.

Moon: The most awkward moment is when there was this hater – a hater is like a judge too – and the hater gave really brutal comments. Super honest, really brutal, sometimes mean but I guess that’s when it’s kinda awkward? Because that’s when the contestants kinda are like “ugh”. When haters say like really straightforward things, it’s funny at the same time but sometimes I feel sorry for the contestants.

You didn’t go through the reality show route to debut. Would you consider yourselves lucky?

James: You know there are different strengths in doing different programs like that. We’ve done different band competitions and it brings out the best in you if you let it. Friendly competition is okay but you’ve gotta exercise the fact that you can’t let the negativity get to you. I think the existence of the hater concept is good because it’s in a safe environment and they’re gonna critique you just like people outside will. Whereas if you’re online, there’s gonna be people really attacking you. You see them all the time.

Why did you guys decide to work with Astro Star Quest? Were there any special reasons?

James: This is our 2nd time in Malaysia. The 1st time we were in Malaysia it was unexpectedly overwhelmingly good. Everyone was so good to us. We weren’t expecting too many people to come, maybe like 500 people. But around 1,500 to 2,000 people ended up coming. It was overwhelming because it was our 1st promotion in Malaysia and the staff and everybody who were part of the promotions were so good to us. We were like, man, we gotta take this opportunity to come back and it’s just a unique experience in our lives and our careers as well. I think we’ve grown a lot from this experience as well.

Any particular meaning for the title “3.3”?

Moon: We just thought number 3 had a lot of meaning to us. It was our 3rd album, there’s 3 of us. I guess 3 can be considered like a perfect number. It represents the triangle as well to show that we’re solid as a band. That’s the message that we wanna give out so we came up with that name.

And with this EP you decided to rebrand yourself?

Moon: Rather than rebranding we stayed in our rock routes, but this one was like we wanted to tell our stories at that point of our lives. So I think that was the most focused we were when writing songs.

Are there any differences in this album as compared to your previous releases?

Moon: In the previous ones we went a lot more pop than when you see our music from before we debuted. It was really hard rock, we did a lot of alternative rock stuff and then we wanted to kinda bring that in this album. So it’s like thinking back and going back to our roots on this album. That’s what we focused on.

So, we noticed you tried our “King Of Fruits”, the durian. What do you think of it? Would you want more?

Moon: You sure you wanna know? (laughs) It was okay. Soyoon is okay with it I think.

James: Soyoon kinda has a good stomach so he could handle spicy food and dangerous food like durians. For me, it was a big mistake. I shouldn’t have eaten it but I’m glad I did I guess, but it gives me nightmares. (laughs)

Moon: For me, I have a pretty weak stomach when it comes to food, so I tried it way before, like put a little in my mouth and decide, “It’s not for me”. (laughs) So this time I didn’t try it with the guys but I knew what it tasted like.

James, you had an accident involving your hand. Did it change the group’s dynamics?

James: Absolutely. I think for me, it’s a new band because personally I did metal then I met these guys and we did alternative rock and then we came to Korea and we tried K-Pop. Now, after my hand got cut off and reattached, it’s like “I don’t know, what can we do? What can we try to do to make it work?” The producer was kinda like the glue to help us figure it out at that point. It was a very traumatic time I think. I couldn’t…I mean, I didn’t know if I was gonna keep my hand or not, you know. So at time it was just like go with the flow and let’s make an album that’s a statement of that time. As time goes on, we’re maturing out of that phase but this album, “3.3”, is like the story of that time.

Moon: It was heartbreaking and we were like “What should we do?” But we were focused on supporting James at that moment. That was a priority. After that we thought, “What can we do?” He can’t play the bass anymore so maybe he can try this. We shared ideas and I think we came up with pretty good solutions. I think James worked hard to really pull off his new position.

We just had the chance to interview the sweet & charming @official_royalpirates! Stay tuned to our site for the interview ? #RoyalPirates #Moon #James #EXSY #Sooyoon

A photo posted by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy) on Nov 4, 2016 at 4:35am PDT

Do you guys have any current obsessions?

Moon: When we went to the States and were working on new songs, and oh, you can’t play Pokemon Go in South Korea but you can play it there, so we started playing there. We played a lot. Actually, me and EXSY we went out to catch Pokemon and yeah, that was fun. I actually felt like a Pokemaster. (laughs) That was really fun but that was like a short amount of time. And nowadays, you’re obsessed with shoes! (points at James)

James: Yeah, I’m obsessed with shoes, it’s so dumb. It’s like a horrible investment but I love it so much. I used to be addicted to this video game Moon introduced me to, and then I erased it off my phone and now all I do is look at shoes. Yeah, that’s my life. And also, just writing music. Honestly, it’s just so fun, you know? It gets your mind off like all the stress and whatnot. I’m kinda obsessed with R&B and hip-hop right now, trying to integrate it into the band as much as I can. But, we’ll see how that goes.

Moon: Me and EXSY actually watch “Dragon Ball Super”.

Moon: Yeah, that one. It’s really fun, you guys should watch.

Did you guys have any rituals when you were recording your album? Or any favourite things to do?

James: I don’t know, every album is kinda different. It’s not like “Okay guys, let’s do this pattern.” It’s more like “Alright, what song did you write? What songs have I written?” Then we kinda like mix it all together.

EXSY: 1 memorable thing we did was the birthday party for Moon. It was in the States and we couldn’t find the bakery store and it was 12am, so nothing was open. So me and James, we just bought like a small cupcake for Moon and that was his birthday cake.

Moon: My birthday, I was in the booth recording and it was really late so, I thought that they left without me. That was kinda sad but they came back with the chocopie. I was happy.

EXSY: The chocopie was…not good. (laughs) Oh, and I bought like a Darth Vader bubbly thing for him because he likes Darth Vader.

Moon: It was the best birthday ever! Not. (laughs) But that was really sweet, really sweet.

Moon: I said this earlier but I just love the people here. They just seem so happy and they’re smiling all the time.

Of course, because we’re looking at you!

Moon: I just think the overall energy, was really just kind and nice and smiling and happy.

EXSY: Korea’s really cold right now, so coming here was like running away from the winter.

Moon: It’s freezing, it’s really freezing right now.

Are there any other countries you wish to go to, but haven’t had the chance?

James: I’d like to go to Brazil. I wanna go to every country.

EXSY: I wanna go to Europe, I haven’t been to Europe. Or South America either. We’ve never been to the Philippines.

Moon: Oh, we’ve never been to the Philippines, or Vietnam.

EXSY: So, different countries in South East Asia. And Europe and South America. Just everywhere.

Do you guys have any plans for a future album?

James: When we went to LA we wrote a bunch of songs, I’m not sure if it’s gonna be an album or a single but the songs we wrote are…well, we just kinda changed our format. I’m on MIDI controls and keys, Sooyoon’s on drums but he’s adding a couple things, Moon’s kinda being more dynamic with how he performs. It’s not just guitar but different things too. We’re adding a couple different elements, I’d say, more sample-based, more MIDI-based. Our genre’s changing a little bit.

Despite the influences from other genres, how do you retain your identity in music?

Moon: I think I just listen to a lot of music. Staying in love with music is important. It’s easy to get sick of it if you’re like in the industry and doing it professionally. Well, I still love music and just having that part is the most important thing.

Any plans for collaborations with other rock bands?

James: We’re pretty close with this, well, he’s like a rock legend, his name is Yoon Do Hyun. His band goes by YB in Korea and his band is awesome! We were in a club with him, not like a dance club, like a rock and roll club but we play like shows together. So I think it would be fun to be able to collab with him. He was a guest at our last show, he sang and we played the songs for him. As far as for idol rock bands, I’m pretty close with CNBLUE’s Jungshin, it’d be cool to be able to do something with him. But maybe since he plays bass, something like that would be fun.

Do you prefer performing in Korean or English and why?

James: I play the keyboard, so there’s no language. (laughs) It’s just sounds.

Moon: I think it’s because I started singing in English, so I feel more comfortable with that. And it’s better. But there’s something about Korean that’s interesting. And writing lyrics in Korean is really fun. It’s a different vibe. I write totally different types of lyrics in Korean so right now, I’m learning to enjoy singing in Korean. But definitely I think English is easier.

Royal Pirates has been around since 2004 and 2009, so what’s the key to your longevity?

James: I’ve been in other bands and this band doesn’t really fight compared to the others. Moon and EXSY are pretty laid back so it’s like, you just become laid back when you hang out with them. They key is like, as Moon said, staying in love with music.

EXSY: Because we grew up in LA and we’re all in Korea right now, so it’s like 3 of us are the only friends from LA. I think that’s a good thing for us.

Moon: I think it’s important to cherish that because you don’t have that many friends from childhood. But we’ve been friends since we were young, so it’s really important to keep that friendship.

Moon: I’m so glad that we came back to Malaysia and I think it’s really interesting and fun and exciting that we didn’t only come for a show but we came as judges for a TV program that you guys all love. So it’s a different side of us that we can show you guys and I’m glad that we can do it in Malaysia and we love Malaysia. Hopefully, with the new album, we can come back here as soon as possible.

EXSY: I’m just so thankful for Malaysian fans. For loving us so much for some reason, I don’t know why. (laughs) We didn’t get a lot of chances to perform out here so I feel sad for that. I wish I could come here more often for you guys because you guys show so much love for us. Thank you guys so much for that and I just love the people here, I love the weather. I love the nature here, it’s like LA, so I love it here. See you guys soon.

James: Malaysia is very nostalgic for me, because I came around a month before my accident. I think it was one of my last shows I had playing guitar, so that comes to mind when I think of Malaysia. So there’s lots of nostalgia that came from that. But also, like Sooyoon said, I don’t understand why the fans like us out here? More so than in other places but we had every single song on our album chart on KKBOX without even promoting here. So we feel very blessed and lucky. I wanna see what we can do if we actively promote here, I think it could be interesting to see how Malaysian fans interact with us during a live show, for example like a club or playing on stage, something like that. I just wanna come back soon.

Please do! Thank you so much for your time.

Royal Pirates: Thank you guys, thank you so much. See you soon!

Well, that sums up our interview with the boys! Special thanks to our friends from Universal Music Malaysia for arranging this interview.

For more info on the rock band, remember to check out their website and Facebook page.

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#SuicideSquad: Will Smith’s Deadshot Character Has 1 Major Weakness

The cast of the upcoming “Suicide Squad” is filled with A-listers such as Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, and Ben Affleck. But there’s another character we’re really looking forward to watch (aside from The Joker and Harley Quinn) and that is Will Smith’s Deadshot.

According to Entertainment Weekly’s recent cover story tease, we got to learn that there’s more to the perfect shooter than his sociopathic tendencies. Floyd Lawton aka Deadshot has 1 weakness: his daughter, Zoe.

“His Achilles heel is his daughter. He loves this little girl and that creates this bizarre conflicting mindset where he enjoys killing people but that’s something this little girl doesn’t want from him. She wants a daddy,” the 47-year-old actor told the publication.

At the start of the movie, Deadshot is behind bars, so obviously the protagonist hasn’t been spending much time with his daughter. It won’t be until Amanda Waller reveals her plans to assemble Task Force X that both father and child will stand a chance to reunite.

For most of his acting career, Smith has always played characters that are likeable, charismatic, and who are mostly good. So how did the Oscar nominee end up signing on to play the leader of a villainous ensemble?

“I had never played a character that legitimately didn’t give a f**k. It’s very freeing not having to carry the moral spine of the movie. I couldn’t find a model to understand what would make someone comfortable killing another person for money,” Smith explained.

“David walked me through that. He found a book for me (“The Anatomy of Motive” by John Douglas), and I worked through getting into the mind of serial killers. Once I accepted the [notion the author puts forth] that it feels good, that really exploded the idea in my mind of Deadshot,” he added.

Deadshot may be one of Batman’s most common adversaries in the comics, but in “Suicide Squad”, he will be more of an anti-hero. According to i Digital Times, both Affleck’s Batman and Smith’s Deadshot will share 2 scenes together, 1 is described as “emotional” while another takes place in flashback form.

“Suicide Squad” is slated for release on 4th August 2016.

Sources: i Digital Times, Entertainment Weekly.