Kina Grannis Live In KL

Her love for music began in California when she was merely a young girl in elementary school. She composed and submitted her work to competitions, picked up playing the violin, and taught herself how to play the guitar. On top of possessing soothing vocals, her talents are a wide scope that also includes playing the piano and the ukulele.

And who can dispute the fact that Japanese American Kina Grannis is also oh-so-beautiful? Phew.

Kina was further catapulted into the quadrant of the famous YouTube artistes when shewas announced the winner of the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl contest with her first video, “Message From Your Heart”. It landed her a contract with Interscope Records. To date, her YouTube videos have received more than 77 million views!

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In fact, just a few months ago, Kina Grannis released a stop-motion music video for her single, “In Your Arms”. The video took all of 288,000 Jelly Belly jelly beans and about 2 years to complete. Within the first three days, “In Your Arms” accumulated over 1 million views.

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Yes, that’s 288,000 Jelly Belly jelly beans. Count them!

If you’re Malaysian and you’ve always wanted to catch 2011 MTV O Music Awards’ “Best Web-Born Artist” live, then you’re in luck! Come 13th March 2012 (Tuesday), Kina Grannis will be performing at Bentley Auditorium in Mutiara Damansara.

We’re definitely in. Hurry, go get your tickets from tickethotline or your nearest Rock Corner Store and we’ll see you there!

For more information, visit their website.

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BTS’ “Butter” Accused Of Copying Nintendo Video Game Song; Composer Responds

Recently, BTS (방탄소년단)‘s chart-topping hit “Butter” became embroiled in a shocking controversy, when several netizens discovered that the melody sounds vastly similar to a song used for a Nintendo game from the early 90s.

For those curious, the song titled “Towering Catastrophe” was composed by Kozo Nakamura and Hiroshi Takeyashu, and is featured in Stage 04 of the video game “Monster In My Pocket” which was released way back in 1992.

In light of the recent allegation, one article from a Japanese media outlet reported that the composer of the aforesaid track addressed the similarities between the the two songs. In this case, he claimed that both the BTS hit and the song he composed “sound almost the same, it is beyond just sampling.”

After the article was published, however, the composer himself later took to his blog to clear the air on his recent statement. The composer wrote, “This is the first update in a long time but I was surprised today! A long time ago, I wrote music for a game called ‘Monster In My Pocket.’I knew of BTS but I didn’t know this song (Butter).”

“So when I compared the two, I did think they were certainly similar. However, I think that the similar melodies were just a coincidence,” he further added, prior to shutting down the claims that he had accused the K-pop boy group of copying his song.

“It was written (in the article) that I said it sounds nearly identical and ‘it is beyond sampling,’ but I never said such a thing. So I wonder who on earth said that, LOL,” the composer quipped. He further clarified that he doesn’t own the rights to the song “Towering Catastrophe” and it belongs to the video game developer Konami.

While you guys are here, take a listen to both “Butter” and “Towering Catastrophe” here and feel free to draw all the comparisons yourselves:

BTS’s agency Big Hit Music has since released the following statement:

“It has been confirmed that there are no copyright issues regarding ‘Butter’. It is a song that was finalized and released after undergoing a process of confirming with all songwriters that there are no issues with the song, and there are also no issues currently regarding the song’s rights.

However, we are aware of the claim that there is an issue regarding copyrights, but even if that is the case, the musical rights still belong to ‘Butter’.”


Netflix: 6 Survival Tips To Survive Apocalypse From These Characters

Not too long ago, “experts” around the world were predicting the end of the world. In fact, they had it right down to an exact date – 21st December 2012. Fast forward 6 years later, the Earth is still spinning and we’re still here.

Even so, we’re sure that you’ve probably wondered how you’d fare in an apocalypse-type of situation. If you haven’t thought about it before, don’t panic. We’ve got some of the best survival tips from our favourite characters on Netflix to help you:

Cannibalism might seem amusing in “Santa Clarita Diet” but it’s probably not that appetising judging from Timothy Olyphant’s expression.

The solution? Better to be prepared and stock up on tons of canned food that will last you a long time, you know, so you don’t have to eat your loved ones.

Channel your inner badass. Jessica Jones is your girl when it comes to resourcefulness and getting what you need.

Survival is crucial and you don’t want to give yourself away. However, when danger is closing in on you and you need to be really really quiet and hide, Charlie from “Set It Up” has some pretty good advice you could heed.

If you’ve got kids in your care, be sure to heed Father Christmas’ advice from “The Christmas Chronicles” and be honest with them about what’s going on. It’s for their own safety.

It’s easy to feel scared and anxious about what’s going to happen next and how you’re going to survive. But just take after Max from “Fuller House” and tell fear to beat it!

Above all, REFUSE to give up and just remember this advice from “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”.

If you’re still looking for survival tips, you can check out the latest compelling thriller on Netflix, “Bird Box”, that’s bringing cinematic experiences right to your home! Starring Academy Award-winning actress Sandra Bullock, this is a story of endurance in a post-apocalyptic world where one must abandon one’s sense of sight in order to survive, so you’ll definitely pick up a few good survival tips.

And guess what, ironically, Bird Box will premiere globally on Netflix on … wait for it… 21st December 2018!

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#SmartChase: Fans Delighted Over Orlando Bloom’s Selfie With Hannah Quinlivan & Jay Chou

There are special perks when your significant other is working with a famous Hollywood star: just ask Jay Chou (周杰倫).

His wife, Hannah Quinlivan (昆凌), has been training hard for her role in “Smart Chase: Fire & Earth”. Despite his super busy schedule, Jay has been making frequent trips to Shanghai to visit Hannah. Perhaps a fan of the Mando-pop King himself, actor Orlando Bloom couldn’t resist the opportunity to snap a selfie with the couple.

The black-and-white photo was uploaded on Orlando’s Weibo account (who knew that Katy Perry’s boyfriend had a Chinese social media account? Lol) with the caption, “Have loved working with (Hannah) and getting to know Jay, such a great couple”. The same picture was re-shared on Hannah’s Weibo who added that they “had a great time” together.

This selfie snap had, no doubt, sent fans into a frenzy upon seeing the meeting of the blonde American actor and the singer. Although Jay has acted in several Hollywood action films (including the latest “Now You See Me 2“), the 2 superstars have never crossed paths before. “I’ve actually lived long enough to see Jay Chou and Orlando Bloom in the same photo!” one fan commented.

“Smart Chase: Fire & Earth” follows a washed-up private security agent named Danny Stratton, who is given the rare opportunity to escort a valuable Chinese antique out of Shanghai, but is ambushed en route. With the safety of the woman he loves in jeopardy, Danny has to work with his team of security experts, the S.M.A.R.T., to rescue her, as a dreadful conspiracy begins to unravel.

The Shanghai-set action thriller also stars Hong Kong actor Simon Yam (任達華), Jing Tian, Wu Lei, Lynn Hung, Liu Enyou, and Yu Xing.


Wise: How This Multi Currency Account & Card Will Help Malaysians Save Billions

Wise recently launched its multi-currency account and card in Malaysia, which will allow personal customers in the country to spend in 200 countries and territories and save them millions that would otherwise have been lost to unnecessary fees and exchange rate markups.

Independent research commissioned by Wise found that Malaysians had spent RM 10.5 billion in total card fees when shopping overseas from 2015 to 2020. That averages out to RM 1.75 billion each year of which around RM 1.5 billion were hidden in transaction fees and hidden exchange rate markups yearly.

An extension of Wise’s current money transfer offering in Malaysia, the launch of the Wise account and card gives Malaysians a truly cost-saving, international account to hold and spend money in more than 50 currencies. This makes it the first account to do so at the real exchange rate with zero markups, and no foreign transaction fees.

The Wise account and complementing card comes with additional features which are not typically found within the standard Malaysian multi currency account:

This offering also eliminates the need for Malaysians to visit physical branches to process transactions which can be inconvenient and time consuming. All transactions can be done right on your mobile devices through the app or browser enabling unrivalled mobility when managing money across borders, whether you’re based locally or moving in between international borders.

Lim Paik Wan, Malaysia Country Manager and APAC Expansion Lead at Wise, said: “We are very excited to bring our multi-currency account and card solution to Malaysians. We believe the Wise card is the best way to spend internationally because, as the research shows, Malaysians are losing billions to hidden fees and exchange rate markups. This will now be a thing of the past. With more travel lanes gradually opening, it will provide even more value to Malaysians as they look to spend money across borders, when traveling or online.”

More than 2 million cards have been issued to date with £3.7 billion in current deposits with Wise.

As part of its continuous effort to shine a light on the issue of Malaysians unknowingly losing more than a billion ringgit to unnecessary card fees and marked up exchange rates every year, Wise has also launched a How Wise Are You About Money? Quiz. It is a fun “money personality” quiz that aims to help illustrate common pitfalls that could cause Malaysians to unknowingly choose a more expensive payment method when spending or sending money. Players can also find out what their “money personality” is at the end of the quiz to share with friends.

The Wise multi currency account and card is now available to all personal users in Malaysia. To mark the introduction of this new offering, the sign-up fee for the card will be waived until 1st Jan 2022.

To sign up for their own multi-currency account and card, they can visit here for more information.

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#InternationalLiving: Malaysia Ranked 6th In 2017’s Best Places To Retire

All you Malaysian folks who are looking to retire abroad may want to reconsider your decision as you probably don’t have look any further.

International Living (IL) has released their Top 10 Best Places To Retire in the world and Malaysia has come in 6th, and is the only Asian nation in the list. The compilation is done based on surveys of each country’s cost of living, retiree benefits, climate, and healthcare.

As per IL, Malaysia is clean, modern, and boasts efficient public transport. “In Malaysia, you’ll get the best street food, restaurants and cafés in the region, and some interesting architecture that is unlike any other. The food is not just first class, it’s world class, and the shopping in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, where I live, is to die for. From state of the art air-conditioned shopping centres to colourful night markets, Malaysia has it all,” said IL Malaysia correspondent Keith Hickton.

On top of the stunning beaches, islands, and rain forests, we have no less than 4 UNESCO world heritage sites (the Lenggong Valley, the Gunung Mulu National Park, Kinabalu Park, and the cities of George Town and Malacca).

The Top 10 list of best retirement places for 2017 is listed below:

To find out more about the other countries, check out International Living’s article here.


Icona Pop Comes To Malaysia!

“All I need in this life of sin is me and my girlfriend”

Swedish girls Icona Pop first hit worldwide recognition and fame when their smash hit single I love it from debut album This Is…Icona Pop was released! The duo first met at a Stockholm dance-a-thon where Aino Jawo  who was going through a heartbreak met Caroline Hjelt and the two became friends instantly – a love at first sight kind of thing!

A creative fuse was lit as the two formed a friendship and they began scheming and dreaming of forming the best band ever. Together they started writing songs that you can both cry and laugh with and within a period of three years, the girls are now recognised worldwide for their catchy lyrics and upbeat tunes.

Prior to I love it, the girls released their EP Nights Like This which was ranked as 2011’s most promising debut by Rolling Stone and Pitchfork among others. However, it wasn’t until June 2012 that the girls reached public attention. Their hit single I love it, a rave-fueled track put Icona Pop on the radar of millions!

Upbeat, catchy and ridiculously addictive, the duo sings “I crashed my car into the bridge, I don’t care! I love it!” of the chorus of the track which has been the unofficial summer anthem for consecutive summers now. Reaching sales up to 2 million in the US alone, I Love It was instantly on the Top #5 hits upon its iTunes release. Following the release of I Love It, the girls have released a couple of other tracks titled Girlfriend, All Night and We Got The World to name a few.

Now dominating the pop culture scene, Icona Pop will be making their way to Club Neverland Kuala Lumpur on November 29th, 2013 (Friday) for a one night only showcase.

Be sure to catch them when they’re in town!


Your Charming Robot Server Is Here! The New PuduBot 2 Is The F&B Revolution

If you’ve worked in the service industry before, you know the physical and mental demands it requires and the harm it can bring to you – especially in the long run. Long hours and physically demanding conditions constantly discourage newbies to enter the industry.

But with the aid of intelligent robots, the future of the industry appears to be much more promising; with healthier work practices and the ability for employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance. With a winning solution, the new PuduBot 2 is here to help you be better!

A definite upgrade from the previous PuduBot, the new PuduBot 2 is a charming server with smooth moves and even smoother features. It is a clever fast-moving, no-spilling, steady server bot with even clever navigation. It is independent, interactive, and utterly prepared to turn Malaysia’s infamous reputation for sub-par customer service on its head.

The PuduBot 2 requires no tracks or guide stickers for it to move around. Simply place the PuduBot 2 wherever you want, and it will do its job. Some of the tasks the new PuduBot 2 can do include; Automatic Charging, Voice Reminder (in three different languages!), Intelligent Waiting and much more.

Those living in Kuala Lumpur must have come across one of these robots before! McDonald’s, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Marriot Bonvoy, and many other well-known companies worldwide use Pudu Robotics robots. Not just in the F&B industry, the robots are applied in a variety of places as well such as hospitals, schools, office buildings, waiting rooms, and more.

The PuduBot 2 will help you in ways you can never imagine. Check out what they can do here:

Puteri Teja contributed to this article.

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Interview: Jeremy Zucker On The “Crusher” Album Being A Revenge Story & Working With Keshi

If anyone were to get a second chance at redefining themselves, they would most probably take the opportunity to do so. Now, Jeremy Zucker plans to do exactly the same through his sophomore album, “Crusher”. With a stellar collaboration with Keshi, the 25-year-old artiste has definitely lined up a power pack album for his listeners with high hopes that those songs provide them with some level of comfort.

We’ve had the opportunity to talk to Jeremy, recently, on “Crusher”, the songs in his new album and how he’s trying to redefine himself in the music industry by expressing his emotions to the fullest extent.

Can you explain to us, how the song, “Cry With You” came about?

I was on the East Coast making music with a couple of friends and my friend Lauren was living on the West Coast in California. She was going through a really rough time and it was an ongoing thing. She would call me every once in a while to vent and I would hear her out, try to take her mind off things and be there for her. It was really hard to do it from a distance and especially, through a phone call. There was this certain part where I just felt like I didn’t know what to do so, I told her, “If I can’t be there with you, physically, all I can do is cry with you.”

She immediately told me to write a song about that and I agreed to it. This song was based on pretty much all the things she had told me and the things that we would talk about her situation — more of a song for her, actually. It was a way for me to show her how much I cared about her. Hence, the birth of the song. “Cry With You” is definitely on a sadder side of things and it’s very reminiscent of my older music. The rest of the album is a solid mix of the previous three singles. Despite the songs being energy-filled, there are indeed some melancholy tunes in the album’s songs too not forgetting, more confidence from me as a vocalist and lyricist.

You said that in your sophomore album, “Crusher”, you became yourself more than ever — being more raw and confident. Can you talk about that and what is the importance of you being more evolved?

Life isn’t a straight shot to getting and becoming a better person. It’s full of ebbs and flows. The important thing is knowing that no matter the ups and downs, you’re heading in the right direction and it was a realisation that I wouldn’t be where I am right now without these low moments . I was embracing all the things because before that, I used to feel ashamed or afraid.

Specifically coming out of the last album, there was a lot of sympathy and empathy. I felt lost and when I put those feelings out in the open, I got to live with it for 4 to 5 months before making music again because of the pandemic. I thought a lot during that tenure and it took me awhile to figure out who I was and what I stood for. When you get wrapped up with you special relationships and going through a break up and a crazy situation, it’s really easy to lose yourself. In short, “Crusher” is like finding myself again.

How did you get that much of inspiration to write music during the pandemic?

It was really hard at first. There were 4 to 5 months where I really could not write anything. I was sort of in the same place and I kept making songs and sent them to my friends and my team. I just don’t think it’s fun to make the same album over and over again. A lot of it came from introspection, spending more time with myself and learning more about myself. I started prioritising connections and friendship since we didn’t really get to see people during the pandemic. There was a lot of thinking but I didn’t experience that much of new things. But the emotions conveyed in the songs were really raw.

Are there any particular musical inspirations for music making and songwriting for this song in particular?

I’ve been listening to so many different things such as electronic music, world music, post punk, early 2000’s alternative rock. I’m a really open minded creative person where I like to absorb everything in the weirdest possible way. I think it’s cool — picking out little weird things that I love, taking influences from that and making it into my own music.

Referencing being previously lied and manipulated to, is the “Crusher” album a revenge story?

Yes, it is. I’ve been dropping little hints here and there in previous interviews. I’m writing about the same situations on this album after having a couple of months to sit down and digest it. In “Love Is Not Dying” I was very sympathetic and empathetic and I was losing myself. I started questioning why I felt a particular way. “Crusher” is the realisation that I wasn’t treated well and was blatantly mistreated. There was a lot of anger on the project because of that. The first half of the songs I wrote, was an expression of anger and it was not designed or intended to hurt anyone but it is designed as a medium for myself to express my anger. Once I really got it out, I felt more like myself.

A post shared by wermus maximus ii (@jeremyzucker)

Is “Crusher” meant to flow from top to bottom like a story or is it a bunch of genres that define who you are?

I would say it leans more to the second one — being a bunch of different genres defining who I am. With “Love Is Not Dying” it was definitely intended to be a top to bottom listen but “Crusher” is more of, here’s everything that’s going on. It was purposefully jumbled around and it’s a pretty collective mix of sounds and emotions. When I put together a project, I really love new things and experimenting.

With Keshi being on the album, how was the whole collaborative process like and how did your musical differences get synchronised?

It was incredible. I had so much fun working with Keshi. I have been working on this album for so long and it really started coming together in the past month — 2 weeks ago. In my collaborations, if I’m bringing out an artist that I’ve never worked with before, I have to finish the song before bringing them in because I do not know how we’re gonna work together. When I finished the album, and included all the features on it, and I sat through, thinking that the only song that needs someone is, “Sociopath”.

I have been talking on and off with Keshi and I texted him if he wanted to do this. He said that he’ll only be in Los Angeles the next week but I wanted it to be done within the next week. So, I decided to send the songs over to him and Keshi sent the vocals back to me with some drums. The song was actually halfway done and I was clueless as to how I was going to end it but Keshi sent over some amazing elements. I proceeded to use those elements to produce the song. After the song was finished, he came over to Los Angeles and we hung out. This collaboration is bound to surprise a lot of people because it’s a really mellow, sombre and at the same time, intense song. It starts with acoustic, eerie and spooky elements, and when Keshi’s verses come into play, the song transforms into a beautiful, uplifting but still moody tone. There’s a lot of different layers to this song actually.

Your music often has themes that Gen-Z audiences can relate to. Is making music a way for you to assure them that they are not alone?

For sure. As selfish as it sounds, I’m actually writing music for myself. The second I try to write music for someone else, or someone that I don’t know, it comes across as something that’s insincere. I was surprised with the fact that other people seek comfort from my songs because all this while, I thought that I was writing about something that’s very specific to me. It goes to show how similar everyone is. It feels good to know that Gen-Z is really comforted by my songs and lyrics. So, I’m writing the songs for myself but I’m releasing it for my listeners.

“Crusher” being the title of the album is quite interesting. With 3 singles released so far, what makes this project different from the previous ones?

Through “Crusher”, I’ve actually put out the most intense album that I’ve ever put together. That was the peak of what I was trying to do. At the beginning, I didn’t really think of fully reinventing myself, but the only thing that I felt like doing was to wait and think. It does sound different due to how much I didn’t want to make the same album again. It’s a way of being myself. I always want to be making new things. There’s nothing exciting about using the same lyrics, phrases and verses again. My music taste was also changing a lot along with various changes to my life.

On a linguistic level, your previous album was all lowercase. It seems like “Crusher” is all about the noise from the uppercase letters. With this increased volume, linking back to your feelings of being crushed, would you say that people should be louder in the music industry to be heard or can introverts still make it happen?

I don’t like the idea of competing for noise or attention. The industry is very saturated and everyone thinks that they should make a lot of noise and I really try not to do that. I think being loud is a self expression right now and I’m not crazy loud on my social media or begging for attention. I’m still myself but I don’t believe in the mentality of the rat race where everyone is trying to scream over each other. To me, when everyone’s screaming, you’ve gotta whisper to make everyone hear you.

Which song from “Crusher” did you enjoy making the most and why?

I loved making so many of these but the first song, i-70 was my favourite because it was different but I also loved making “Don’t come over, I’m an a**hole” and “No one hates you (like I do)”.

Which songs would be your favourite to listen to?

“Don’t come over, I’m an a**hole” is one of the most favourite songs for me to listen to because it’s fun an smooth. It’s very different but it makes a lot of sense. The lyrics of the song definitely does not follow the projection of the title, by the way.

To your new fans, who have never listened to your music before, what song would you recommend them to listen to from, “Crusher”?

For new fans, maybe they should listen to “Deep end” because it’s the perfect mix about the old me and the new me.

It is safe to say that Jeremy Zucker writes beautifully sappy songs. Which would be the toughest song you’ve written in this album and what is the story behind it?

The toughest one was the song called, “Sex & cigarettes”. It was going to be on, “Love Is Not Dying” but I didn’t know how to finish it. So, I rewrote it a bunch of times and had some people help me with it. It was difficult putting it together. Eventually, I figured it out and the lyrics are insanely chill except the fact that it has a really dark undertone. It feels really smooth and vibey.

When figuring out the lyrics of the song, which is your priority, expressing your emotions or finding the lyrics that resonate with your listeners?

They’re sorta the same thing to me because expressing my emotions through lyrics is finding the words that hit me the most. The lyrics that hit me the most would definitely hit the listeners the most. That’s just like an instinct that I have.

What inspired the visuals for the “Crusher” trailer?

I just wanted to strip it all away and make it really simple and minimal looking hence, the monochrome effects. The “Crusher” logo on the truck signifies what the album is all about, visually. The massive speakers show the volume and intensity of the songs.

How do you feel with the album launch just around the corner?

It’s crazy and it has been such a long time. I worked on it, super hard and I have so many other things to work on such as the touring and the album visuals. There’s a lot of behind the scenes stuff and Covid-19 in particular because I want to keep people safe. It’s just been a whirlwind. I’m really excited to share it with everyone.

We look forward to the release of “Crusher” on 1st October.

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#beyond140: Twitter To Implement 10,000-Character Limit For Tweets

In Malaysia (in terms of social media platforms), Facebook is king. As compared to Twitter and Instagram, Facebook is way more dynamic, allowing netizens to share thoughts, pictures, articles (their own or others’), videos, engage in conversations, and even run their own businesses. Perhaps this is why outlets like Twitter pale in comparison, what with its 140-character limit (before TMI).

But a re/code post says that’s about to change. In a big way. About 10,000-character big.

Yup. 10 years after its inception, Twitter is finally building a new feature for longer tweets. The new 10,000-character limit is already being used for the company’s Direct Messages product so it was only a matter of time before they implemented it for tweets. But what does it mean for tweets, you ask?

10,000 characters would allow a tweet of more than 1,000 words with spaces in between words and punctuations. Twitter Inc co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey “showed” an example of what it would be able to do for the platform, and strongly hinted at the possibility of it happening:

There hasn’t been an official launch date set in stone but Twitter is targeting to roll out the new feature towards the end of Q1 2016. But people are already freaking out over the possibility of tweets that are way too long to digest at one glance. Some users have taken to Twitter to disagree with the forthcoming feature via the #beyond140 hashtag.

On another note, Twitter has been going through some changes as of late so we wouldn’t put it past them to continue to evolve. In recent times, the platform added polls to tweets, rolled out a “Moments” tab on its app, allowed videos, and replaced its star-shaped “favourite” icon with a heart-shaped icon called “like”.

Also, it’s important to note that the character limit could change before the final version of the product is unveiled. Let’s just wait and see!

Would you want to write essays on Twitter, though? Will this draw a clear divide between tweeting and blogging? What do you guys think? Would a 10,000-character limit be just a little too much?

Sources: recode, Reuters via CNA / Featured image from ajr.org.


CONTEST: Tix To NSFW ft. Flosstradamus (US) & DJ Doorly (UK)

Get your dancing shoes on this Wednesday because Flosstradamus (US) and DJ Doorly (UK) are all geared up to brandish their skillz at Vertigo Club, Kuala Lumpur.

Flosstradamus have released a catalog of original bangers on Fool’s Gold, Green Label Sound and Mad Decent/Jeffree’s so far and spent the last eight years developing new sounds all over the globe and making a name for themselves as clubbing kings in the process. DJ Doorly on the other hand showcases his versatility on the decks by mixing up genres from house to bassier dubstep and jungle sounds to hip hop and more.

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Expect an exciting mix of sounds as they both combine vast influences from their respective background in punk, hip hop and a handful of other goodies all in one night! Joining them on the decks are DJ Jony of Madd Kidz and a special set by H3 x Arabyrd Soundsystem/Boombox!

Venue: Bianco, Vertigo Club, The Gardens Mall, Kuala Lumpur

But the good news ain’t over yet. Thanks to our friends from Livescape Asia, we’ve got FIVE pairs of tickets to giveaway to FIVE lucky readers! And it’s really, really easy for you to snag them off us:

E-mail submit@hype.my and tell us why you deserve to win tickets to NSFW ft. Flosstradamus (US) & DJ Doorly (UK).

So easy! Go on, flood us with submissions.

For more information, visit their Facebook event page.

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#ASQ20: Royal Pirates, Bii, & Nicholas Teo To Perform In Countdown Concert In KL

Don’t know where to go this New Year’s Eve? Fret not, we’ve got you covered ;)

Astro will be throwing the biggest countdown concert in town on 31st December, and it boasts an awesome lineup, which includes performances by Korean-American rock band Royal Pirates, Korean-Taiwanese singer Bii, and Malaysian singer Nicholas Teo. Best of all? Admission is free.

The concert is held in conjunction with the grand finals of 2016’s edition of Astro Star Quest (ASQ), where the 20th champion will be crowned in the presence of the past 19 winners. Aside from the aforementioned lineup, the 5 finalists of the show will also be putting on a performance for the audience.

The finalists, Eugene Wen, Steve Eer, William Tan, Wengdyy Ooi, and Brian Chew, will each be given 20 minutes to perform onstage, and will sing their hearts out to wow judges and fans. Of course, the ultimate goal is to snag the trophy for ASQ 2016.

In order to do so, they will have to impress this year’s judging panel, made up of Royal Pirates, Bii, Nicholas Teo, and Canto-pop hitmaker Eric Kwok.

Aside from the performances, fans of the singing show will also be brought on a trip down memory lane, as the past 19 winners will be performing too. Not only will they relive their win with their classic hits, the champions will also be debuting a string of new songs.

While some of them are pursuing different passions, several of them are still active in the industry, most notably, Christopher Lay (1998), Winnie Ho (2000), Eric Lim (2001), Nicholas Teo (2002), Peace Teo (2010), Geraldine Gan (2011), Nicole Lai (2012), and Uriah See (2014). Regardless, we’ll be seeing them reunited on stage once again.

The concert will also be broadcasted live on Astro Wah Lai Toi (Channel 311/HD Channel 310), Astro Fiesta (Channel 996/HD Channel 998), and MY FM from 8pm onwards. All Astro subscribers will also have free access to Astro Fiesta ’til the end of the year, so there’s no excuse not to tune in ;)

For more info, visit Astro Star Quest’s official website and Facebook page.


Chong Wei Brings Home Silver!

Yesterday night, Malaysia came together as one to cheer our national hero on as he put out his best for the London Olympic Games 2012 men’s singles badminton’s finals. In a grueling to and fro, the match ended 21-15, 10-21-, 19-21. Our Dato Lee Chong Wei fell to his knees as his longtime badminton nemesis and opponent, China’s Lin Dan ran victoriously.

It was heartbreaking to see our national hero quietly wipe away his tears during the prize giving ceremony afterwards. To see our national hero looking defeated broke the hearts of Malaysians who rallied and cheered and supported him from the very beginning, not just during the 79-minute match.

Much more so when Chong Wei tweeted after his match:

To put it into perspective, this was probably one of his toughest challenges ever, having just recovered from torn right ankle ligaments in May this year during the Thomas Cup Finals. At that time, his advisers cast serious doubts over his ability to recover and train in time for the Olmypics.

It was also during that difficult period that the 29-year-old lamented to The New Straits Times (Malaysia), “It has been a long and lonely road for me since I suffered that injury. To be honest, it dawned on me during those times who were my real friends, who actually cared for me, Chong Wei, the ordinary person.” (Source)

But with the help of stem cell treatment and 13 hours’ rehab each day, he managed to pull through. He was determined to go for gold.

He proved his point last night when he played his best, despite everything that he had to go through in the past few months. Dato Lee Chong Wei showed the world what a true hero is, uniting Malaysians regardless of race, age, and gender in ways impossible. Thank you, Dato, for playing your best and getting Malaysia another Olympics silver.

We don’t need a gold – you are our gold.

To send messages to Dato Lee Chong Wei, tweet him via his Twitter account.

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#StarWars: Why Donnie Yen Almost Rejected His #RogueOne Role

One would assume that any actor who can pull off a flying kick, would jump at the chance of portraying a martial arts fighter in a “Star Wars” blockbuster. But not Donnie Yen.

The Chinese actor initially wanted to turned down the opportunity of playing Chirrut Îmwe in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” for 2 main reasons: spending time away from his family and his reluctancy to accept an Asian role that is aim to attract the large Chinese market.

“I was flattered but at the same time I didn’t want to leave my family for 5 months to go to London, because I just got off another movie. I turned to my children and I said, “Do you like baba’s ‘Ip Man’ series?” — because I’m known to Western audiences for ‘Ip Man.’ “Or do you want baba to be in ‘Star Wars’?” They went, “‘Star Wars,’ of course!” said Yen.

Another reservation that the “Ip Man” actor had was the nature of nature because he didn’t want to play a “meaningless” token Asian character that is used to attract Chinese movie goers to the cinema.

“When the director (Gareth Edwards) approached me, I began by asking, quite frankly, if it’s a real character, or if he’s only casting me based on commercial considerations for the (Chinese) market. Because originally I thought, ‘Oh, they just want me to kick some Stormtrooper’s butt’. Then when I started reading the script, I realised that I get to say the coolest lines. Chirrut is not a Jedi but he has all the lines of “Star Wars” metaphor,” shared the actor.

While Chirrut did not wield a lightsaber, his wooden staff and slick moves were more than enough to the army of storm troopers. Yen, who choreographed and performed most of his stunt performances, also revealed that it was his idea to make his character blind.

“How Chirrut ended up being blind was a collaboration of me and Gareth. During the process, we were talking about different possibilities and he was asking my opinions. I said, “I want this character not to be so clichéd. I’ve played this character thousands of times — this type of bad-ass, skillful warrior hero. I want him to be grounded. I want him to be human, even vulnerable. Wouldn’t it be interesting to have him blind?”” the 53-year-old Hong Kong star said.

After seeing Yen’s badass performance as the blind Jedi master, it’s such a relief that he didn’t end up rejecting the role. Frankly speaking, we can’t see anyone else embodying the character as well as Yen did.

In the meantime, feel free to check out our “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” movie review here.


B.A.P & TS Entertainment Release Official Statements Regarding Lawsuit

A major distrust has occurred between South Korean talent agency TS Entertainment and its idol group B.A.P as both parties have released their official statements regarding B.A.P’s lawsuit.

South Korean idol group B.A.P has recently filed a lawsuit against TS Entertainment for an invalid contract and further calling it a “slave contract”. The lawsuit has, of course, reminded us about the previous lawsuits that were filed by other idol group members including former EXO members Kris and Luhan as well as JYJ, the original members of TVXQ.

B.A.P’s lawsuit marks the first lawsuit that every member of the group have agreed to file, making fans believe that the company has breached a rule in the contract. However, the talent agency “counter-attacked” its own idol group by releasing an official statement to explain about the contracts that the members have agreed to sign.

A picture of the income chart was also attached to the statement on their Facebook page. The full translation of the official statement is as follows (credits: AKP):

Since our founding in 2008, for the past seven years, we have created acts such as Untouchable, SECRET and B.A.P as well as a new rookie artist launching soon. As K-Pop becomes a part of the global culture, our goal has been to strengthen our artists’ performances and grow with them as we introduce them into the world.

B.A.P was our first male idol group, and the amount of effort and investment we put into the group was no less than what any other company would have done. Thankfully, due to the efforts of the six B.A.P members who came together as one with their talent and hard work, they were able to show off their skills as K-Pop artists with two world tours under their belts.

In the middle of working together, we received the message this past October through their manager that they wanted to rest. Respecting their wishes, we cancelled their upcoming tours in South America and Japan and gave them a long-term vacation. Visiting home and traveling abroad, the members kept in contact with the company. Recently, they told us their opinion that they wanted to go back to promotions beginning in January of next year. In the middle of planning next year’s promotions, we heard through a media outlet on November 27 that they were planning a lawsuit.

Since we were maintaining normal contact up until November 26, the article on the next day came as a huge shock. We tried to contact the members through the managers, but they did not respond. We then tried contacting their parents, and the few who we could reach told us to contact their lawyers. We realized that a situation analysis would only be possible after we received the case, and we waited for it to arrive.

In the middle of this, we became suspicious of the media outlets who only focused on one point of view despite the case being in its infancy. As we entered 2014, we were past the break-even point on our finances and B.A.P were on the verge of turning a profit, so this situation became more serious. Finally, we heard reliable rumors that there was a third party controlling public opinion by putting the relationship between the company and B.A.P in a bad light.

To this, we will determine who the third party is and do everything to bring it to justice for breaking the rules of honest business and tarnishing K-Pop’s image.

To be truthful, the company has still not officially received the lawsuit. After checking, the law firm who prepared the lawsuit mistakenly had a clerical error regarding proof of document, and the courts had ordered them to correct the mistake. Although we have not yet received the case, we made a request to the courts to view the contents of the case so we could prepare this statement. We will now make a statement on some of the biggest issues in the media.

1. 10 billion won in revenue over 3 years. 17,800,000 won per person

Response: Break-even point reached in 2 years. Second half of 2014, 285 million won expected. If kept to originally planned promotions, second half of 2014 600 million won expected.

Our investment in B.A.P began when they were trainees, and large investments began in the second half of 2011 with Bang Yong Guk’s solo single, ‘I Remember’, and BANG&ZELO’s ‘Never Give Up’. As you can see in the above chart, until 2013, expenses were greater than income. This is because we put our focus on ‘conquering the world through music’ and realizing our shared goal. Thanks to these risky investments, B.A.P were able to take their place as a new-age K-Pop artist, and became profitable two years after their debut – an accomplishment to be proud of.

As the chart points out, from the point we passed break-even, the gap between our expenses and income becomes greater, and B.A.P began to create more and more profit. Looking at the second half of 2014, if they carried on their planned schedules with tours in South America, Japan and China, we were expecting income of 600 million won. Unfortunately, due to the cancellation of these schedules, we are expecting income of around 285 million won.

Also, depending on the level of promotions, we were tracking B.A.P’s income in 2015 to be around 1.8 billion won.

Response: Expected split 4 (B.A.P): 6 (TS)

Ahead of explaining the term “profit split”, we will explain the process by which we do our accounting. Following the contract, we calculate our finances every six months. This is how it works: out of all the sales that come from B.A.P, we take out the investments we have made to the group. With the remainder of the income, we divide them based on the category of product and again based on the ratio split with the artist. We do this because there are expenses that are hard to categorize, including dorms, transport, food, school, training, free time, exercise, massages, hospital costs, T-money, etc.

The reason why the ratio is so low with albums (1:9) as opposed to performances/commercials (5:5) is because the latter has a lesser upfront cost and the expenses are split between us and a third party; while with the former, all of the expenses come out of specialized staff members working for the company itself (content directors, designers, producers, marketing, etc).

The profit split to B.A.P in the first half of 2014 came out lower since the majority of the profits came from albums and singles. After this, as the group successfully completes their world tours and stakes out their position as a K-Pop artist, the profit ratio is changing. This is the intended result from both the members and the company, and has achieved the intended affect of making the profit splits reflect the importance of the artists to the company’s success. In the future, as commercials and events make up a greater portion of profits, the ratio of 4:6 was to be expected.

Response:  Same content as the Fair Trade Commission’s “standard contract” + embodiment

The contents of the “slave contracts” brought up by a media outlet are following the rules set by the Fair Trade Commission, and includes material that embodies their rules.

Regarding the length of the contract, if we look at the FTC’s guidelines, the length is states as seven years with an extension available upon agreement on both sides with regards to issues such as “extended foreign promotions with a foreign management company” or “any other legitimate reason which may require a long-term contract”.

The company has set the beginning of the contract to the release date of the group’s first album (solo, digital album, full album) and seven years henceforth. The members each signed their contracts on 2011 March, June and September, and Bang Yong Guk and Zelo started early with solo promotions so the end dates on their contracts are all different.

Last July, even after the first-half accounting, the B.A.P members continued their schedules without any problems. However, starting in mid-September, the members began exhibiting emotional outbursts, creating problems with variety schedules and other promised events. Despite this, we have apologized numerous times to broadcast stations and others, and tried to protect the members.

Also, the company had tried to solve the problems through the managers and other staff members via discussion and negotiation, and we respected their wishes of the need to rest. On October 23, we agreed to minimize their activities and cancelled two of their world tours so they would get plenty of time to rest until the end of the year.

Since the B.A.P members showed no outward signs of dissatisfaction and continued to live in their dorm, visit the hospital and share meals together, we believed that they were preparing for their comeback and waited until they were ready. As we stated before, we were planning on a comeback in January when we heard this surprising news.

This is the end of our discussion regarding the above points, and we will bare everything we can to the courts so we can reveal the truth. This much is clear: TS Entertainment did not violate the law and have not treated B.A.P in any way that is immoral or unfair.

Our code is “Honesty. Sincerity. Humility”. It is possible that in our quest to create a warm and comfortable home for the members and give them the treatment they deserve, our wishes got misunderstood. If we did not recognize the members’ hurt feelings before, this is also our fault for misunderstanding due to our lack of experience.

Finally, we hope that B.A.P will, even now, be truthful to what they want and come back together to join forces and achieve that dream that we discussed during their debut. However, if they continue to break off communication and seek out the court, we will respect their wishes and face them in a court of law, searching for a proper solution.

We deeply apologize for causing worry to so many people and will work hard to make sure this entire incident can end in a positive light.

As mentioned, the problem seemed to have occurred due to the major distrust between both parties, especially when TS Entertainment has previously refused to reveal the document of the accounts to the members of B.A.P. Thus, they are currently deciding whether or not the agency’s statement has defamed their characters.

In response to TS Entertainment’s statement, a representation of B.A.P has also released another official statement on 5th Dec.

The full translation of the statement is as follows (credits: AKP):

Starting from March 21 of this year until June, the members traveled to Sendai, Osaka, Tokyo, the Philippines, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Dusseldorf, Melbourne, Sydney, Taiwan, Singapore, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Chiba, and Bangkok to complete a murderous schedule. Due to their busy schedule, the members suffered mental and bodily fatigue, which was what the ‘agency trust problem’ referred to.

The first time the members received a settlement of accounts was on August 1, 2014, and the amount was 17,900,000 Won (~$16,058 USD). However, the members had to go through a lot in order to receive their first settlement of accounts. The reason was not because of the amount, but because the agency constantly changed their words and did not reveal documents.

What the members have wanted from their agency since 2013 is one thing, they want the documents of the accounts to be revealed clearly. However, the members’ requests were ignored each time. Even now, the members don’t know the payment or terms and conditions of the concerts they’ve fulfilled. Though they asked for an explanation about the cost of 1.55 billion Won (~$1.4 million USD), the agency has not responded for months.

The agency needs to clearly reveal the usage of 1.55 billion Won for promotions. If the agency does not, it will be difficult to claim legal liability for the money or for reporting a false account to the members. If the costs were legitimate, it doesn’t matter if the members are owed 0 Won.

The agency has no evidence as to whether there are forces or a mastermind behind the lawsuit or what the situation is, and they’re simply asserting the false claim that there is. The members are reviewing defamation of character and other legal action against the company for this.

What do you think of the official statements released by both parties? Who do you trust more? Share your thoughts on this situation in the comments box below!

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#LiveSpectacleNaruto: Live Action Musical Returns To Malaysia This November

Listen up, “Naruto” fans! The “Live Spectacle: Naruto” live action musical is returning to Malaysia this November and it will feature a fresh new story.

This is not the first time that the musical adaption was shown in Malaysia. The Nelke Planning Stage held their first stage play at the International Exhibition & Convention Centre (MIECC) last year.

“One day, at dawn, a mischievous boy called Naruto gets suspected of the missing book full of Ninja’s prohibited alchemy. Amid the furor, he was trapped to know the secrets of his birth. When he was delivered, the legendary demon fox with nine tails was sealed up in his body. Naruto gets terribly shocked to know the fact, however, he was encouraged and supported by Iruka, one of the teachers at Ninja Academy, so that he managed to graduate from the school. Now that Naruto and his classmates start their duty as fresh-man, it means the beginning of a journey where they are forced to face challenges and fatalities as well as Naruto’s personal struggle and friendship with his fatal friend Sasuke.”

The stage play stars actor Koudai Matsuoka as the titular hero Naruto Uzumaki, Ryuji Sato as Sasuke Uchiha, Yui Ito as Sakura Haruno, and Saki Takahashi as Hinata Hyuga.

Details for the Malaysian leg of “Live Spectacle: Naruto” are as follows:


5 DC Characters That Might Appear in 2023’s “Shazam! Fury of the Gods”

This year we got to see the story of the wizard’s former Champion of Magic make his debut on the big screen. Next year, his successor Billy Batson, better known as Shazam, will be returning to the DC Universe (DCU) for his sequel, “Shazam! Fury of the Gods”. The sequel will see Billy and the Shazam family go up against the Daughters of the Greek God Atlas.

The daughters Anthea, Hespera, and Kalypso are played by Rachel Zegler, Helen Mirren, and Lucy Liu! Interestingly enough, Atlas just so happens to be one of the six beings that grants Billy his powers. The three sisters see Billy and his siblings as unworthy of wielding the power of gods and plan to make them pay for it. The family is going to need the wizard Shazam and each other to overcome this new threat before their world is doomed. Also, there’s a dragon in here, so that’s cool!

Needless to say, “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” looks to be a jam-packed film full of old faces and new ones too. Despite only having one film thus far, Billy has made many friends and enemies within the superhero and magical communities. Who can fans expect to see appear in the film? Let’s find out!

In the trailer, one of the Daughters of Atlas, Helen Mirren’s Hespera, says that the children have stolen the power of the gods and that she takes it personally. This would imply that prior to the film, Atlas’ daughters probably knew the beings that empower Shazam quite well. Those beings include the biblical figure Solomon, the Greek gods Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and the Roman god, Mercury. Seeing that the sisters had the wizard imprisoned in the trailer, we’re guessing that they aren’t too pleased with him having the powers of these beings, including Atlas, either.

With that in mind, we can almost certainly guarantee that we’ll see the gods that grant Shazam his powers appearing in the film. There’s also been an update on IMDb that Atlas will be played by Derek Russo. The film is titled “Fury of the Gods”, it would be weird if we didn’t see any of the gods in Shazam’s pantheon here! Technically all the Greek gods should be dead as Hippolyta mentioned in “Wonder Woman”, so chances are they’ll only be appearing in flashbacks. Maybe Solomon and Mercury will show up to see the kids in the now. We’re hoping to also find out how the wizard managed to acquire their powers to give to his new champions.

It has been confirmed by Screen Rant that Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman will be making a cameo in “Shazam! Fury of the Gods”. There’ll be a comedic scene in which Shazam and Wonder Woman are having dinner in Paris before she transforms into the wizard Merlin who warns Billy about the Daughters of Atlas in a dream. A fun cameo for sure, but it does play an important part in further building on the magical mythology of the DCU. We know that the legendary wizard Merlin does in fact exist in this universe now. We’re curious to see if the Arthurian sorcerer is also one of the members of the Council of Wizards from the Rock of Eternity depicted in 2019’s “Shazam!”.

Long before the Justice League and the Justice Society, they defended the Earth from mystical and demonic threats. Sadly, the wizard Shazam mentioned that he is the only living member of the council. Could Merlin, a now-deceased member, be appearing to Billy to warn him of the coming threat? Or will Merlin appear in the flesh in “Fury of the Gods”? We’ll have to wait to find out.

Fun fact: in DC Comics Merlin, much like the wizard Shazam, imbues a man named Jason Blood with magical powers…except it’s from a demon called Etrigan. Fingers crossed, we’ll get to see him too!

In the mid-credits scene in 2019’s “Shazam!”, we see the villainous Dr Sivana being locked away in prison. There he encounters a magical caterpillar named Mr Mind. Sivana reacts to the bug by saying “What in God’s name?” and Mind replies by saying “I name the gods, not the other way around“. The scene ends with Mr Mind telling Sivana that “the seven realms are about to be ours.” It’s clear that the first film had set up Mr Mind to play a pivotal role in future “Shazam!” films, so for him not to be featured in “Fury of the Gods” is confusing. Or perhaps they’re saving him for a big reveal?

The fact that Mr Mind says that he named the gods seems to indicate that he played some role in gathering the powers of the gods for the wizard Shazam. While he isn’t in the trailer, could he be the true mastermind behind the Daughters of Atlas’ plot to reclaim the powers of Atlas and the gods? It doesn’t make sense that “Shazam!” would just set up Mr Mind’s reveal, only to leave him hanging. He’ll either be revealed to be the true puppet master behind the Daughters of Atlas or will appear with Sivana in a post-credits scene. One thing’s for certain, that bug has plans.

Alright, so we know that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has confirmed that Black Adam and Shazam will meet in a crossover film at some point in time. The two characters do have a shared history with Billy being the true successor to the wizard Shazam’s powers and Black Adam failing in his duties in being champion. He also was the one responsible for freeing the Seven Deadly Sins upon the world as shown in a scene from “Shazam!”. Ever since we saw that, we all knew that a fight between these two is inevitable. That being said, we don’t think we’ll see Black Adam go toe-to-toe with Shazam in a post-credits scene.

The Rock has made it clear that his focus is on setting up the fight between him and the Man of Steel himself, played by Henry Cavill. Does this mean he won’t appear in the film? We’re willing to bet that he gets a brief appearance in a post-credits scene in which he learns about Billy taking his place as the new Champion of Magic. To have him meet Shazam and challenge him would be too much fan service, especially after Superman showed up at Adam’s doorstep. The Rock will do just enough to tease the possibility of a future fight between them and nothing more.

A post shared by David F. Sandberg (@ponysmasher)

Also, here’s a fun Instagram post from “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” director Adam F. Sandberg’s official account showing a comic of the Rock stalking him. It’s titled “Totally True Tales from Shazam 2: Part 3”! Sounds like Sandberg and the Rock could have something cooking in “Fury of the Gods”.

We’ve seen in James Gunn’s “Peacemaker” this year that the “Justice League” is still active with Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash and Aquaman appearing in the first season finale. Furthermore, Superman and Shazam appear to already know each other in the DCU with both of them surprising Freddy, played by Jack Dylan Grazer, at the cafeteria. It’s clear that these cameos of the Justice League are fun, little nods to the audience to let us know that the team is still alive. With that in mind, we’re expecting to see another one in “Fury of the Gods”.

It’s possible that Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman fakeout is the only one but we’re holding out that Shazam may get a visit from one of the Justice League members inviting him to join their ranks. Shazam actor Zachary Levi has mentioned that he’d jump at the opportunity to be part of a future Justice League film if offered. With the DCU franchise under new management, perhaps we’ll see Shazam join the wider superhero community!

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Marvel: ABC Reveals Cast For Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Spinoff

ABC is reportedly planning a spinoff series for “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.“, and we’ve got news on who the new potential series is going to be about.

Deadline has reported that season two additions to the S.H.I.E.L.D. cast Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood are currently working on finalising deals to star in the spinoff.

Palicki will play the role of Bobbi Morse, aka Mockingbird, on the ABC comic book show. She was first known as an undercover in Hydra, serving in S.H.I.E.L.D. but viewers recently found out that she was actually a double agent, under a mission to spy on Coulson (Clark Gregg) and his team for what she refers to as “the real SHIELD,” lead by Robert Gonzales (Edward James Olmos)

Blood, on the other hand will take on the role of Bobbi’s ex-husband Lance Hunter, who was working on Coulson’s team and was just starting to patch things up and rekindle the flame in their relationship until her betrayal almost cost him his new family. He’s now on the run with Coulson from Bobbi and Gonzales.

The “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” spinoff is being developed by “S.H.I.E.L.D.” executive producer Jeffrey Bell and co-executive producer Paul Zbyszewski, and will be set up plot-wise events of this season.

Representatives Marvel has yet comment on this casting news.


Calling All Eligible Bachelors! Here’s How You Can Audition For Mr. World Malaysia 2022

Gentlemen, are you confident with the way you look? Do you think you have what it takes to become the most desirable man in the world? Are you up for any challenge? Now is your chance to show the world what you’re made of.

The search for Malaysia’s most desirable man has finally begun as Universal Music Malaysia (UM) presents Mr. World Malaysia 2022! But it’s going to take you more than just good looks to win this contest.

Carrying the theme ‘Men with Dimensions’, Mr. World Malaysia 2022 will kickstart with an audition to take place on 15th May at UM’s headquarters office in Petaling Jaya.

A shortlist of participants will be announced at a press event in June, and in preparation for the final gala event in August, the participants will be involved in a series of preliminary activities; a physical challenge, a fashion and beauty regime, and a culinary course, all designed to demonstrate the embracement of modern masculinity.

UM is also inviting Malaysian fashion designers to join in the national costume showcase, with the best designer having the option to have their costume worn at the Mr. World 2022 world finals, which will be held later this year in the United Kingdom.

The winner of Mr World Malaysia 2022 will have the opportunity to represent Malaysia at the famous international tournament conducted by the Miss World Organisation, as well as a chance to win cash prizes and be signed as a Celebrity360 star.

To participate, applicants must submit their entry here and meet to the requirements as follows:

So what are you waiting for? Do you have what it takes?


Shila Amzah To Kick Off 2nd World Tour In Genting This September

Malaysian songstress Shila Amzah has revealed that she will be kicking off her second world tour in Malaysia this coming September.

Titled as “Loving You” (爱你), the concert is scheduled to take place on 29th September 2018 at 8:30pm in the Arena of Stars.

Shila’s first tour “My Journey” was a sold-out show, and it also kicked off at Genting’s Arena of Stars.

“This has always been a special place to me. I performed here many times, but not as a solo act and last year was such a special occasion and the fans made it even more memorable,” said the 27-year-old during a press conference at Resorts World Genting.

The tour is in support of the singer’s upcoming seventh album which include the single “If We Are Getting Old” (如果我们老了), an original love ballad dedicated to her husband, Haris Elias.

After Malaysia, the singer will also be performing in China and other venues which are yet to be confirmed.

Tickets for the Genting show will be available from 1st June 2018 with prices starting from RM118.

Visit rwgenting.com for more information.

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#Bersih4: KL Police Chief Pulls Brakes; Organiser Insists Rally Will Go On

Bersih 2.0 chairman Maria Chin Abdullah insisted that the upcoming Bersih 4.0 rally will go on after Kuala Lumpur City police chief Datuk Tajuddin Md Isa reportedly said that the street gathering can’t be allowed.

Earlier this week, after a meeting with Bersih 2.0, Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Amin Noordin told the media at a press conference that attendees of Bersih 4.0 are not allowed to use the square for their overnight rallies as the square will be used for the Merdeka Day preparations.

He said, however, attendees are allowed “to assemble on sidewalks in the vicinity”. Chin also pledged to keep out of the square during the days scheduled for the overnight rally.

Regarding the street gathering, Tajuddin recently told Malay Mail Online over the phone that the rally is not allowed to go on as it did not fulfill the prerequisites for the notice. The policeman stated that it did not get the permission from Dataran Merdeka’s “owner”, which he said was Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

Tajuddin also stated that the police have already delivered a letter to Bersih 2.0 yesterday to say that the notice to hold the rally was rejected. When informed that DBKL has given permission for the sidewalks, he said, “We will not allow any gathering by Bersih 2.0.”

* Image source: Bersih 2.0’s official Facebook page.

In response to the issue, Chin told Malay Mail Online over the phone that she has yet to be informed about the barring from the police, but is willing to iron things out ahead of the rally.

“They haven’t contacted me. I will wait for them to contact me,” she said. “We will still carry on, but we will talk to the police. We’ve already submitted the form,” she added. She also said she cannot disclose how she’s going to convince the police from interfering with the rally, adding that she will have to first hear their complaints.

The rallies, which will be held in 3 cities, aim to push for Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s resignation plus institutional reforms to prevent prime ministerial corruption. It would begin at 2pm on 29th August and end at 11:59pm on 30th August.

As the National Independence Day is approaching, Amin suggested the date to be changed and the venue to be moved to Titiwangsa, Stadium Merdeka, and the National Stadium instead. However, Chin pointed out that the rally will go ahead with the planned locations and dates, as they were told by DBKL that Merdeka Square was available before the date for the rally were set.


#EGOHOLIC: Taiwanese High School Demands Apology Over Jolin Tsai’s New MV

Asia’s Dancing Queen Jolin Tsai (蔡依林) has been receiving a lot of backlash for “inappropriately” using Taipei Municipal Zhongshan Girls High School’s uniform in her new music video for her latest single, “EGO-HOLIC”.

The video is said to be helmed by Taiwanese producer Starr Chen (陳星翰) and it focuses on the topic of school bullying, which is a major social issue in Taiwan.

Since the release of the music video on 31st October, many students and staff members from the high school, who were deeply offended by the content, left apology requests on the singer’s Facebook page, saying that the video seriously tarnished the school’s image.

Though Tsai, who is currently in London to compete in a fondant cake competition, has yet to respond, Chen explained that “a school’s reputation is not built on their uniform”.

“Please take your aim at me, I’m the target. I can guarantee that it would be impossible for the school to be affected negatively just because of one music video! The saddest part is about the way you love yourselves inside,” he said.

The music video’s plot focuses on a girl named Zero and it is set in the year 2026. Zero, who lives in a society dominated by violence, drug, and sex, was heavily bullied in high school and wishes to take revenge on her bullies someday by turning beautiful.

Many fans commented that they did not realise the school uniform until it was reported on the news. One YouTube user said (translation), “To be honest, before Zhongsan High requested to have the MV removed, I did notice the school uniform at all”.

The music video has since been taken down, but we managed to find it on the interweb. Watch:

What do you think about the controversial video? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Sources: The Hive, Toggle, Focus Taiwan News Channel.

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Fun Facts: Monkeying Around With “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”

As the “dawn” approaches, allow us to fill you in on the eighth instalment of the “Planet of the Apes” series. Scheduled for release on 10th July, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is the sequel to 2011’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”.

Synopsis: Set over a decade after the events in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the human race is on the verge of extinction after a deadly virus and civil unrest have all but wiped out mankind. In turn, a new breed of super-smart apes have flourished, evolving in complex ways that have helped the new simian civilization thrive. The humans and the apes reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brinks of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

Sounds like something you’d watch? If that’s not convincing enough, check out some of these fun facts:


#EXO: 2nd Solo Concert #EXOluXion Coming To Seoul In March

Even as a 10-member boy band, EXO continues to shine with the love and support from their fans. After touring around the world for their 1st solo concert tour “The Lost Planet” in 2014, it was reported that EXO is set to hold their 2nd solo concert in Seoul soon.

This came on heels of their recent announcement about their upcoming comeback in 2015.

Titled “EXO PLANET #2 – The EXO’luXion”, EXO’s second solo concert will be held at Olympic Gymnastics Arena, Seoul on 4 separate dates. The band will kick off their concert on 7th March, followed by 8th, 14th and 15th of the same month.

According to our source, the “X” in between the term EXO’luXion is a roman numeral that signifies the number of members in the group. The term is also considered as a combination of “EXO” and “Revolution.”

Tickets for the concert for 7th and 8th March will go on sale on 21st Jan at 8PM KST while the tickets for 14th and 15th March will go sale on 22nd Jan at 8pm KST. Ticket prices for the concert have yet to be announced fans will be able to buy their tickets via Yes24.

Meanwhile, AKP is reporting that EXO former members Kris and Luhan have entered another round of court-referred mediation with SM Entertainment. Kris’ and Luhan’s legal rep confirmed to Korean media outlets that the “court-referred mediation resulted in no settlement” once again. The rep added that they have set a new date for both Kris’ 3rd court-referred mediation and Luhan’s 2nd court-referred mediation at the Seoul Central District Court in Seochogu, Seoul.

Kris court-referred mediation will take place on 16th Jan at 10:20am KST while Luhan’s will start at 11am KST of the same day.

Before SM Entertainment announces EXO’s comeback, the agency has uploaded a new teaser video of EXO’s 2nd concert on their official YouTube channel.

According to Korean media outlet StarNews, the tickets for the concert’s “Happy Family” zone were reportedly sold out within 0.4s. It seems like their popularity stays the same even after all the lawsuit controversies.

With the announcement about their 2nd solo concert, it looks like SM Entertainment is looking to drop a teaser video for their comeback as well. What do you think their new album will sound like? Share your thoughts in the comments box below! ;)


Sammi Cheng To Sing Some New Tunes At Her Upcoming Concerts

After forgiving her husband Andy Hui who was recently caught in a cheating scandal with actress Jacqueline Wong, queen of Cantopop Sammi Cheng is back on her feet and is ready to release some new songs.

In her latest Instagram post, the singer-actress revealed that she is currently recording some new songs in the studio and she hopes that she will be able to wrap up the recordings before her concerts.

希望演唱會前趕得及錄起所有新歌. 已經有幾首很満意的在手.❤❤❤ 不過, 演唱會又似乎不能唱太多新歌. 但是真的很想唱. 頭痛喔. #演唱會前症候群 #演唱會前的恐懼節奏 #演唱會做一次驚一次 #膽子小小腳震震 #singerlife

A post shared by  Sammi Cheng Sau Man (@sammi_chengsauman) on May 4, 2019 at 3:14am PDT

She also hopes that she will be able to perform some of her new songs to the audience at her Hong Kong concerts which will kick off on 12th July 2019 at Hong Kong Coliseum in Kowloon.

For the past few weeks, the 46-year-old singer has been working hard in preparing for her concerts as she shared a couple of her dance practice photos on social media.

年紀大, 記性慢. ? 唯有努力儘做. ? #followmi #FOLLOWMi #每次做演唱會其實都非常害怕做得不夠好 #克服恐懼 #conquerthefear #alexanderwang #alexanderwangsport

A post shared by  Sammi Cheng Sau Man (@sammi_chengsauman) on Apr 29, 2019 at 9:40am PDT

Cheng noted that she is getting old and her memory is not as good as it was before which is why she needs to work harder.

Many celebrities show their support to the singer on social media, some of them include Sharon Chan, Stephanie Cheng, Bernice Liu, Sherman Cheng, Joyce Cheng, Huang Biren, and more.

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Neon Lights Returns This Year With Yuna, Interpol, Cigarettes After Sex & More

After skipping 2017, Singapore’s premier music and arts festival, Neon Lights returns this year for its 3rd edition which is set to take place at Fort Canning Park once again from 9th to 11th November.

For this year’s instalment, the music and arts festival will be a 3-day affair and it has already unveiled its 1st phase line-up of music artistes which made up from an eclectic mix of international and local musicians.

A post shared by Neon Lights Festival (@neonlightsfestivalsg)

Headlining the festival will be Malaysian singer-songwriter Yuna, New York indie outfit Interpol, dreamy rock act Cigarettes After Sex, UK rock band The Vaccines, Canadian DJ Caribou, and more.

“We’re thrilled to return this November for the third edition of Neon Lights. We’ve put a lot of thought into the line-up to ensure quality and range for everyone. This includes international and regional acts playing in Singapore for the first time, as well as musicians from Singapore with new releases. We look forward to sharing the full festival schedule next month and seeing everyone come down to enjoy a weekend of music, entertainment and the arts,” Neon Lights festival director Declan Forde said in a statement.

Early bird tickets go on sale this Friday (24th August) at 9am via neonlights.sg and sistic.com.sg.


Everything Is Better Together At Samsung’s Bestnya Bersama “A” Music Festival

Life in the 21st century is a fast-paced one; every day seems to be passing by faster than the previous days and sometimes we get too busy for our loved ones and friends.

In conjunction with the recent launch of the sleek Samsung GALAXY A smartphones, Samsung Malaysia Electronics initiated the unique Bestnya Bersama campaign that aims to us to get together with our favourite people.

The “Bestnya Bersama” campaign includes the much anticipated Bestnya Bersama “A” Music Festival which will see acts from the GALAXY A Series’ A Team comprising of top notch home grown talents who will be performing an exclusive song set for the first time on the 14th of March. In line with the theme of celebrating togetherness, the bands and singers will be collaborating and fusing the genres that they represent to ensure that it will be an extraordinary night.

The exciting line-up for the Bestnya Bersama “A” Music Festival includes internet sensation Najwa Latif, beatboxer Shawn Lee, pop princess Ke Qing, rock indie band Paperplane Pursuit, jazzy soul singer Liyana Fizi, and dynamic rock band An Honest Mistake with special appearances by popular singer-cum-actor Izzue Islam and social influencer Venice Min.

Promising to be a night that will be talked about for weeks to come, in addition to the music line-up mentioned above, there will also be special guest singers performing that night namely Juztin Lan, Forteen, Hyper Act, and Faizal Tahir. It is not a night to be missed.

The Bestnya Bersama “A” Music Festival will be held on 14th of March 2014 at Carpark B, Bukit Jalil Stadium. On the same day, the GALAXY A owners and GALAXY Life users are given a chance to redeem free tickets to the concerts. Last but not least, the music festival-goers will be thrilled to know there will be tickets up for grabs on the 14th of March at the ticketing counters through our radio partners, FlyFM, HotFM and oneFM.

For more information, visit their website or Facebook page.


Giveaway: 5 Ending AIDS Bundle Sets From P’SANG Up For Grabs

Every year, World AIDS Day is celebrated to spread awareness about the ongoing AIDS pandemic.

In conjunction with World AIDS Day, which is today (1st December), P’SANG has compiled a list of interesting statistics about sex in Malaysia.

Thanks to our friends from P’SANG, we’re giving away 5 Ending AIDS Bundle Sets. Each set includes:

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Mark Hamill & Carrie Fisher Once Made Out Like Teenagers

It’s been almost a year since the late Carrie Fisher passed away. So it’s only fitting that her “Star Wars” costars pay tribute to the icon while promoting “Star Wars: The Last Jedi“.

During a recent interview, Mark Hamill, who portrayed Luke Skywalker alongside Fisher’s Princess Leia, offered a surprising confession. While filming the 1977 “Star Wars” film, the 66-year-old actor and his leading lady once lock lips off-screen. However, nothing progressed after that.

“Carrie and I were attracted to one another, but I knew from previous jobs that it would have been a bad idea (to get involved with someone on set). But Carrie and I found pretexts,” Hamill told The Guardian about their experience on the first “Star Wars” movie.

He added, “I remember one time – I’m sure alcohol was involved – we were talking about kissing techniques. I said, ‘Well, I think I’m a fairly good kisser. I like to let the women come to me rather than be aggressive.’ And she said, ‘What do you mean?’ Well, next thing you know, we’re making out like teenagers!”

“We were all over each other! But the one thing that drew Carrie and me back from the precipice was we kind of became aware of what we were doing and just burst out laughing. Which was unfortunate for me because the rocket launch sequence had been initiated,” the actor continued.

Once the pair got their make out session “out of our system”, they were able to form a lifelong friendship. They were more siblings because “she had so many friends and I’d go to parties with her and I would be the only one there I’d never heard of. But there was a comfort level that we’d achieved because she knew I wasn’t ever angling for a favour or trying to get her to introduce me to this agent or this director.”

Although Hamill’s affection towards Fisher never went away, he is glad he didn’t know about her affair with Harrison Ford during filming. “I’m glad I didn’t know before, as it probably really would have affected me. By the time I found out, I just thought it was hilarious,” the star confessed.

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is out in cinemas now.


Male Personal Trainer Sheds Light On Sexual Misconduct Allegations

The internet went nuts after a video of a male personal trainer groping his client’s buttocks while she was exercising at a gym in Singapore went viral on social media earlier this week.

After the clip made its way online, the trainer, David Meisut, was contacted by Singaporean outlet AsiaOne. The alleged culprit, however, had shut down all claims of sexual misconduct made against him.

According to David, “The video was shown to me by the client . At that time, we both discussed the exercise that she was doing. She did not place any objection to any aspects of the video or the fact that there was physical contact.”

“Right from the beginning. I had told her about physical contact on a particular part of her body, and she said that she understood and therefore, consented,” David added.  During the interview, he also revealed his plan to lodge a police report on the “false accusations” and is currently obtaining legal advice.

In the meantime, Apeiro Performance released a statement to address the issue on Instagram Story. The health centre explained that they do not tolerate such inappropriate behaviour and has since banned the freelance trainer.


#AIFFA: Donnie Yen To Hold Meet And Greet In Malaysia

The good news is: the martial arts superstar will be holding a meet and greet session in Malaysia. The bad news? It won’t be in Kuala Lumpur. The event will take place in Kuching, Sarawak.

Yen, who recently revealed details about “Ip Man 4”, will be in Kuching for the Asean International Film Festival and Award (AIFFA) to celebrate his incredible 35-year career in the movie industry. The huge international event will also see some of the biggest Asian celebrities in attendance.

“The state government and AIFFA are ready to roll out AIFFA 2017 next week. There will be plenty of attractive events and activities for Kuching folks and the Asean community such as free concert and movie screenings, educational film talks and creative sharing sessions,” said Assistant Minister of Tourism Datuk Lee Kim Shin during a recent press conference.

He added, “Even Donnie Yen, one of the world’s biggest film stars will celebrate the anniversary of his movie career in Kuching.”

As announced by AIFFA on their Facebook page, the details to Donnie Yen’s meet and greet session are as follows:

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Hype’s Now Playing: Flux Pavilion ft. Riff Raff – Who Wants To Rock

Flux Pavilion and Riff Raff makes every nerds dream come true.

From Olivia Newton-John’s iconic “Physical” to Eric Prydz‘s “Call On Me” and least we forget Kanye West‘s “Workout Plan”, it’s pretty safe to say that a gym-themed visual is always music video gold. Clearly aware of this, Flux Pavilion and Riff Raff took in the same direction of these videos for their banging “Who Wants To Rock” collaboration.

Centred around a determined dude who really aspires to get into a gym class attended by ladies in spandex, leotards and leg warmers, he does whatever necessary to get sweaty with the girls. In between scenes, Riff Raff spits his verses while showing off his muscles by flexing among a backdrop of incredibly fit ladies.

Moving past the sweaty-sexy shots, the video makes an interesting decision to animate most of the song’s lyrics across the screen, making it feel like a combination of a lyric video and a proper music video.

However making things animated works perfectly because the girls’ clothes become animated throughout and so does Riff’s sunglasses.

Check out the video for “Who Wants To Rock” below:

“Ready To Work” will most likely be featured on Flux Pavilion’s debut album “Tesla” which is set for release on September 4th.


Food Review: YoloFoods’ Healthy, Delicious & Easy-To-Prepare Meals Fill Us With FOMO!

Eating nutritious, balanced meals every day is most people’s goal. But no matter how much we try, we eventually give up on healthy eating after keeping at it for some time.

So if you’re about to abandon your struggle to eat well, hol’ up! Your saviour may be here – a company that offers ideal meal plans that are always ready to eat. These meals are not only good for you, they’re easy to prepare and would fit your on-the-go lifestyle.

YoloFoods, a renowned food delivery service provider, offers ready-to-eat meals that cater to the dietary requirements of its customers. Now officially Halal-certified, YoloFoods meals are specially-designed to offer a quick and hassle-free dining experience, allowing customers to enjoy a healthy meal in just three minutes! Not only that, the meals are low in fat, rich in protein, and free of preservatives and additives.

With more than 90 distinct ready-to-eat meals and a la carte dishes available, YoloFoods has a vast selection of YoloMeals. Your life is indeed made so much easier by them! You can select your preferred proteins, the number of calories you desire, and even the categories of allergens. Additionally, you may store these for up to 3 months in the freezer or up to 21 days in the refrigerator.

A post shared by YoloFoods Malaysia (@yolofoodsmy)

YoloFoods makes your favourite meals healthy, with local favorites such as Nasi Lemak, Rendang Chicken, and Butter Chicken all prepared with better ingredients and balanced nutrition in mind. All you have to do is reheat the meal in just 3-5 minutes and you’re done. You don’t even have to bother about plates and bowls because YoloMeals come in microwaveable containers, which makes reheating quick and easy. The containers are also environmentally-friendly, as they can be recycled.

One thing’s for sure – whenever you switch to eating healthy, you gotta remember that you will never get the same taste as regular food. That’s because healthy meals are prepared with the required protein, fibres, lean meats and other things that make a meal wholesomely healthy. That’s the whole point to eating healthy, isn’t it? To us, YoloFoods definitely introduces a different taste to our palate. But it’s delicious! Here are some of the meals we’ve tried:

A healthier take on the famous Sichuan dish featuring stir-fry chicken cooked in a mouth-watering fragrant, spicy sauce and served alongside eggplants and brown rice. Honestly, the gong bao chicken tasted really good and with cashews, you get crunch in every bite. Since we’re not used to eating brown rice, it felt a bit off, but eating it with eggplant and chicken made all the difference.

This dish features salmon glazed and baked in teriyaki sauce and served with fresh edamame and kimchi salad on a bed of brown rice. Salmon is the best kind of fish. Not to mention, when it’s drizzled with teriyaki sauce, it’s da bomb. We love how the fish is tender and full of flavour.

If you’re a Thai food fan, then you should go for the Basil Minced Chicken. The minced chicken breast is cooked in a soy-based sauce with aromatic Thai basil, paired with warm soy egg and brown rice. Taste-wise, it’s impressive. We never thought the healthier version of this Thai dish would be so nice. It’s a bit spicy, especially for those with low heat tolerance. Visually, it may not look the best but this dish was easily one of our favourites!

The classic Malaysian dish – but the healthier version! This nasi lemak features a flavourful turmeric chicken served with aromatic basmati rice that’s cooked in coconut milk and served alongside sambal chilli sauce, crunchy peanuts, dried anchovies and fresh cucumbers. Surprisingly, it tastes like regular nasi lemak – but you can tell it’s slightly healthier, with the turmeric chicken and smaller portions.

Baked soybean tempeh that’s marinated in home-made miso, served with quinoa and a side of broccoli. Sweet, savoury and crunchy. We absolutely love the crunchy broccoli, and the marinated soybean tempeh was epic.

A classic pasta dish made with lean beef bolognese, served with roasted mushroom for a deep, earthy flavour. The pasta is also topped with a generous amount of Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. For us, the pasta isn’t as soft as expected, but taste-wise, it isn’t that bad. But you know, frozen meat and pasta can be difficult to chow down, and we think it needs slightly more than 3 minutes to defrost.

For something exotic, you can go for the Lamb Kofta, which comes with couscous and sides of fresh cucumber, mint yoghurt and a sprinkle of pomegranate. We really like the fresh mint yoghurt, and the pomegranate added a hint of sweetness to the entire dish. The lamb cutlets were slightly hard to bite into – maybe they needed more time to defrost.

Overall, we had a good experience of YoloFoods’ meal plan. You can eat wholesome, healthy meals without sacrificing flavour. The meal plans are very convenient, regardless of whether you have a specific health goal in mind or need healthy meals to fit your busy lifestyle. Additionally, YoloFoods helps you save time and effort when it comes to meal planning, grocery shopping, meal preparation, and cooking.

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Hype’s Throwback Thursday [Movie] : The Shining (1980)

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Directed by Stanley Kubrick, The Shining is an eerie adaption of Stephen King’s horror novel of the same title. The movie starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd is about a frustrated writer Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) who takes a job as a winter caretaker at the opulent ominous, mountain-locked Overlook Hotel in order to be able to write in peace.

Before vacating the Overlook Hotel for Jack and his family, the manager informed him about the previous caretaker who went crazy and slaughtered his family but Jack found that to be of no problem. As the family settles in, Jack’s son Danny (Danny Llyod), starts seeing things and his alter ego Tony, starts writing warnings of ‘redrum’ on walls as Danny is plagued by more blood-soaked visions of the past.

Facing every writer’s worst nightmare, a writer’s block, Jack starts visiting the hotel bar and starts seeings things of his own. Jack starts becoming creepier and more psychotic by day which started frightening both his wife, Wendy and their son, Danny. After Danny’s visit to the forbidden Room 237 and frightening change in Jack’s behaviour, Wendy soon discovers what Jack has been doing in his study the whole time and what the hotel has done to him. The movie sees Jack turned into a psycho who tries to murder his family as they run for their lives!

An ostensibly haunted house story, The Shinning is a like a near-death experience — you don’t know how scared you really were until you start shaking a few hours later. Spectral murder, supernatural visions and Jack Nicholson’s brilliant performance of a deranged man will have every hair on your body standing.

If you’ve not watched The Shining, here’s the trailer!

Hype’s Throwback Thursday [Movie]: Finding Nemo (2003)

Hype’s Throwback Thursday [Movie]: Schindler’s List (1993)


WINNER: Win Tix To David Guetta Live in Malaysia!

Will you believe us if we said that we had hundreds of submissions to sieve through for this one? Believe it. We now know that there are that many David Guetta fans in the hizzle! As always, thank you all for being such champs and for religiously sending in your screen shots and submissions. Appreciate the effort!

One of you will be attending the David Guetta Live in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia party with a friend, thanks to DiGi Telecommunications. That super lucky person is:

We’re so jealous but congratulations! You will be required to pick up ONE PAIR of tickets from our office as soon as possible. Kindly remember to bring your IC for verification purposes.

B-13-5 Northpoint Office Suites, Mid Valley City,

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

For more information on David Guetta Live in Kuala Lumpur, click!


Angel Ng Crowned Champion At First La Maison Cointreau Cocktail Competition

First established in Loire Valley, France, over 165 years ago, orange liqueur brand, Cointreau, recently brought sixteen of Malaysia’s most dynamic and visionary mixologists to create and inspire with Cointreau, the original and premium triple-sec, at the Malaysia’s first-ever La Maison Cointreau Cocktail Competition 2014.

Inspired by Cointreau Privé in Paris, La Maison Cointreau made its debut in New York City in 2012, with the aim to introduce Cointreau as the avant-garde and Parisian style spirit that allows mixologist to be ‘Cointreauversial’ and explore endless cocktail variations using Cointreau.

Recently, an exclusive, by-invitation only competition was held as La Maison Cointreau brought together the best talents that Malaysia’s growing cocktail industry had to offer by scoping from renowned bars to speakeasy gems. Selected from some of Malaysia’s most well regarded bars, these 16 mixologists went head to head to showcase their skills and creativity in applying various techniques while preserving Cointreau at the heart of their cocktails.

The La Maison Cointreau Cocktail Competition 2014 which served as Malaysia’s inaugural cocktail competition was held at Claret Bar at Troika Sky Dining. The selected 16 mixologists were provided with the entire Rémy Cointreau International wines and spirits portfolio as well as 30 different ingredient to compete on two fundamental challenges using Cointreau as the heart. Some of the ingredients included the conventional berries to unorthodox extremes including soya sauce, wasabi and garlic.

Mixologist were required to partake in two challenges. The first being the Respect Challenge which tasked the mixologists to create an iconic cocktail that showcased elegance and displayed technique and respect for Cointreau’s rich heritage. The second challenge – The Create Challenge, required mixologists to explore and be ‘Cointreauversial’ by creating a masterpiece that truly exhibited the avant-grade spirits of Cointreau.

The winner of the competition was picked based on the best overall score on the two challenges. The judging criteria covered flavour, aroma, presentation, techniques and use of Cointreau. The elite judging panel was made up of Mr. Christian Bauer, Celebrity Chef & Owner of Cantaloupe, Mr. James Barker, Bar Manager & Head Mixologist of Rils, Bangsar and Ms. Elisabeth Tona, Regional Marketing Director of Rémy Cointreau International, Southeast Asia, Middle East and India.

Angel Ng Ji from Hit & Mrs was crowned champion after 5 gruelling hours of tough competition. Originally from Singapore, Angel heads the bar at Hit & Mrs, a premium outlet by The Big Group. Prior to the La Maison Cointreau Cocktail Competition 2014, Angel made the final cut at Diageo World Class and won the Mount Gay storied Cocktail competition earlier this year.

Both of Angel’s captivating cocktails “Earl of Von Teese” and “Le Pierrot” encapsulated the essence of both challenges, winning her the competition.

I was certainly shocked to have won as there were many talented bartenders who did amazingly well! I am extremely excited to break the news to my company, The BIG Group who have been so supportive of me. Now that it’s over, I am extremely relives and thankful for the fact, I’ll stop losing hair due to the stress!

Angel receives a 3 day 2 Night vacation in Bali and will go on to represent Malaysia in the prestigious regional finals in Bangkok in January 2015.

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7 Highlights To Check Out At The LEGO Imagination Playground In Mid Valley Megamall

School’s out can only mean one thing – it’s time to play! In celebration of its 90th anniversary celebrations, LEGO is inviting everyone who is young and also young at heart to join in on the fun at the limited time only LEGO Imagination Playground.

Located at the ground floor of Centre Court, Mid Valley Megamall, from 1st – 12th June, this exciting physical installation doesn’t just offers events and activities but also exclusive deals and a whole lot of fun. As the Danish always say “leg godt” (which means play well), there’s no better way to spend the school holidays with some good family bonding time! After all, play isn’t just limited to kids – it’s a family affair too!

With various play-centric stations and activities to explore, here are 7 highlights you’ll find at the LEGO Imagination Playground:

You can also redeem a limited edition LEGO 90th Anniversary Water Bottle with a minimum spend of RM299 or a 30581 LEGO Tropical Parrot with a minimum spend of RM149. Additionally, those who spend spend a minimum of RM199 will also receive a mystery gift or limited edition LEGO set – while stocks last of course.

Fret not if you’re living in the Klang Valley as LEGO will be bringing its 2nd installation to Johor Bahru from 20th to 31st July 2022 at The Mall, Mid Valley
Southkey.