(UPDATE) EXO 2014 World Tour “The Lost Planet” in Singapore

The long awaited concert is finally here! EXO will be returning to Singapore for the second time for their “The Lost Planet Tour” solo concert on 23rd August!

“THE LOST PLANET” concert tour in Singapore will mark EXO’s second visit to Singapore as they’ve previously been there for SMTOWN LIVE WORLD TOUR III. The concert tour is their debut solo concert tour, followed by the release of their second EP “Overdose”. The concert kicked off in Seoul on 23rd May and concert tickets were sold out upon ticket launch which led to the addition of another date for the two-day concert in Seoul.

It is also the first time the group is performing as 11 members after Kris’s departure. However, the boys successfully wrapped up their concert in Seoul and they’ve continued on their tour in Hong Kong and Wuhan, China. According to Korean media, the tour will make a stop in Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, and Japan. No Malaysia, sadly, but there’s Singapore!

EXO’s “The Lost Planet Tour” in Singapore is brought to you by MediaCorp VizPro International. The organizer’s Senior Vice-President Moses Lye said that the concert is going to an out-of-the-world experience and they are delighted to bring this opportunity to the fans in Singapore.

As of now, no venue information and ticket information have been released yet and it is not known if the boys will be making a stop in Malaysia as well. Fingers crossed that someone will bring them to Malaysia, pretty please?

After a long wait, the venue and ticket information have been released!

EXO FROM. EXOPLANET #1 – THE LOST PLANET in Singapore

Ticket Price: $288 (VIP), $268, $198, $178, $128 (exclude booking fee)

Tickets for the concert will be made available for sale at www.sportshubtix.sg, via the ticketing hotline 6333 5000  as well as all authorized ticketing agents. The priority sale for OCBC card members will begin on 26th July at 10am while the public sale will begin on 27th July. The ticket sale is limited to a maximum of only 6 tickets per transaction.

For more information, visit MediaCorp Viz Pro’s Facebook page.

As the concert tickets for EXO “The Lost Planet” in Singapore were already sold out, The concert promoter MediaCorp Vizpro International said in a media statement they are looking for ways to accommodate more fans who have requested EXO to play one more night in Singapore. Due to scheduling issues, MediaCorp said that it impossible to open one more night but they are working with the venue provider to explore the possibility of opening up more seats for concert.

More information will be updated at a later date but for now, just keep your fingers crossed that more seats will be made available soon!


The Mandalorian: The Epic War To Come & The Future Of The Franchise

We’re halfway through the second season of Disney’s “The Mandalorian” and it has been nothing short of mind-blowing. More bombshells have been dropped in this season’s first half than in the entirety of its freshman run. Hardcore fans were given an amazing teaser in the previous season finale with Moff Gideon wielding the legendary Darksaber. And now, it’s only ramping up from there, ever since we learnt of Boba Fett’s return.

Jon Favreau’s “The Mandalorian” isn’t just some fun, self-contained story within a small pocket of the Star Wars’ universe. Oh no, the show is setting up some major plot points that could have monumental implications for the franchise. For both its past and future.

So join us, as we do a deep-dive into everything you need to know about Din Djarin, the Mandalorians and their eventual conflict with the Imperial remnants! Note, there will be spoilers ahead concerning the “The Mandalorian”. You have been warned.

The series is set after the fall of the Empire and, as Din and Mandalorians have said, the Great Purge. A period of time in which Mandalorians were hunted down by the Empire. During the events of “Star Wars: Rebel”, we saw characters like Bo Katan and Sabine Wren fight to restore Mandalore to its former glory. The homeworld to a nation of the galaxy’s greatest warriors. Their main claim to fame is that they are able to face off against Jedi and actually prevail against them without having to rely on the Force.

Things took an interesting turn, however, in an episode of “Star Wars: Rebels”. In “Trials of the Darksaber”, it was actually revealed that there was a Mandalorian who joined the Jedi Order. His name was Tarre Vizsla, the first Mandalorian Jedi and the eventual ruler of the Mandalorians. He also crafted a one-of-a-kind weapon known as the Darksaber. A black lightsaber that was housed in the Jedi Temple. A sacred relic that was later reclaimed by the descendants of House Vizsla. To the Mandalorians, Tarre Vizsla was essentially their version of King Arthur and the Darksaber was their Excalibur. A holy weapon that granted those who wielded it the right to be Mand’alor, their leader.

As we’ve stated earlier, the Darksaber is now in the hands of Moff Gideon. A prominent Imperial officer who took part in the Great Purge. Yes, the man who aided in the mass genocide of the Mandalorians is in possession of their most holy weapon. Now, that’s an insult that the Mandalorians can’t take lying down. Which brings us to the third episode of the second season “Chapter 11: The Heiress”. In the episode, we see Din saved from a group of aliens trying to harvest his Beskar armour by a trio of Mandalorians.

It just so happens that one of them is Bo-Katan Kryze, a member of House Vizsla and the rightful heir to the Darksaber. Fun fact, she has also appeared in both “Star Wars: Clone Wars” and “Star Wars: Rebels”. She’s essentially Mandalorian nobility. In the episode, she informs Din that she intends on uniting the disparate Mandalorian clans to restore the planet of Mandalore to its former glory. Din, of course, rejects her offer to join her in her crusade. He’s set on returning the Child to his people, the Jedi.

Needless to say, this season of “The Mandalorian” has been an utter joy for hardcore Star Wars geeks out there. The return of the Darksaber and Bo-Katan means big things are in store for the show and we’re fairly certain of what’s to come.

Now, the signs seem very clear of where “The Mandalorian” is heading in terms of its narrative endgame. The reemergence of Imperial remnants, the Darksaber and Bo-Katan are all setting up a major conflict to come between the reunited Mandalorians and the Imperial remnants led by Moff Gideon. At some point, the story will most likely see Din join Bo-Katan in her fight to restore Mandalore and reclaim the throne. That part we have very little doubt about. What this war would look like though, now that’s where we get into speculative territory.

In the latest episode of the show, “The Jedi”, we see “Clone Wars” fan favourite Ahsoka Tano make her first live-action appearance. She is played by Rosario Dawson from Netflix’s “Daredevil”. In the events of “Star Wars: Rebel”, she played a major role in aiding the Resistance and the Mandalorians in their battle against the Empire. In the final season of the “Clone Wars” series, we even see her battle Darth Maul, who became Mand’alor for a time.

We know Din seeks to return the Child back to his people, the Jedi Order. Perhaps through Tano, he may find Force-sensitive allies to join Bo-Katan’s crusade against the Empire. Tano has a ton of history with the Mandalorians. In the past, she’s both fought against them and for them. She has also helped Bo-Katan and her Mandalorian resistance in wrestling back their home-world from Maul. Both the Jedi and the Mandalorians have suffered a “purge” under the Empire. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to see them teaming up against Moff Gideon.

The stars are lining up! Disney isn’t just flooding easter eggs and callbacks for the sake of mere fan service. No, they’re carefully laying out established characters alongside fresh faces to draw fans both old and new back into the franchise. This could be the new direction in which Star Wars is heading towards. Moving its focus away from one particular group of religious warriors to another. Disney has even toyed around with the idea of making a full-fledged theatrical film centred around “The Mandalorian”.

Disney’s sequel trilogy has come and gone, and the story of the Jedi and the Skywalkers have come to a close. It’s time for the franchise to reinvent itself in light of its most recent success. The age of the Jedi is over…the time of the Mandalorians has come!

So what do you think about all this news? Do you think the Mandalorians would make a worthy successor to the Jedi as the face of the franchise? Are you looking forward to the eventual battle between the Mandalorians and the Empire? Let us know in the comments down below!

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


Fresh Grad Declines Food Delivery Job To Become “RM1 Runner”

It’s painful to see many people who have been badly affected due to the prolonged movement control order (MCO) period, including fresh graduates.

The case is apparent for this young man who went viral on Twitter recently. The Twitter user, who goes by the username @shukriconan, got noticed when he posted a tweet asking fellow netizens to retweet his post.

TOLONG RT GUYS. AKU DAH PENAT TAK BUAT APA APA. Kalau perlukan service runner around shah alam, just roger je. Kalau ada kerja kosong, roger jugak. Kalau dedua takda aku minta tolong rt je. Aku tak larat dah ni pic.twitter.com/Fd16IWNTgk

— Draxler (@shukriconan) October 12, 2020

Shukri (full name Muhammad Shukri Mat Salleh) has been offering his service as a runner, charging as low as RM1 in the Shah Alam area. Among the services provided include delivering and buying food and grocery items for his clients.

Shukri completed his diploma in Computer Science in UiTM earlier this year. Although he managed to land a job back in May, his stint with the company only lasted for two short months, as he was laid off in July.

In speaking to mStar, the fresh grad shared, “From July till September, I consider it as the lowest point in my life. I felt demotivated at that time. Some suggested for me to apply for a job as a rider for food delivery services like FoodPanda or GrabFood, to which I declined.”

Shukri decided to reject the offer because his mom objected to him working as a rider, due to the fact that his elder brother had passed away in a motorcycle accident. Shukri explains that his mother’s blessing is a huge deal and he doesn’t want to go against her wishes.

“I understand that my mother is worried about my safety. So, I travel around using my car instead. That’s why I’m working for Lalamove now in addition to conducting private runner services. Alhamdulillah, everything will go well,” he told the local portal.

When asked about his future plans, Shukri responded by saying that his current job as a rider is only temporary. “I want to raise some money so that I can pursue my studies next year,” the 24-year-old was quoted as saying.


5 Games That Disappointed Gamers Around The World At Launch

Being excited over something becomes quite a rare feeling as we grow older and older, and it’s no different for gamers. At times, when a special game strikes our fancy, we can’t help but get all giddy about it. However, there are those instances where expectation doesn’t meet reality, and we just can’t help but feel strongly about it.

What’s more frustrating is when a game the community might have waited for for years finally comes out and it’s just downright bad. It would have been great if there were just some occasional hits and misses, but no; this has happened way more times than it should have, so much so that we have compiled a list of the games that bombed on day 1.

There were many games that had to be cancelled simply because they were too ambitious for their own good; setting standards so high that they were unreachable would mean disappointing a lot of people and ruining your image. Sometimes, more considerate developers would take the time to improve the game and add something that would change up the formula. Anthem was supposed to be one of those games – or at least should’ve been.

Anthem is a sci-fi game where you act as a mercenary piloting an Iron-Man-like armour called a javelin to defend humanity. The game’s stunning visuals and slick gameplay were among the major hooks of the game, but that’s all it had to offer. Despite the interesting mechanics, it still fell back on the repetitive gameplay loop of sitting on an objective for a few minutes, and whatever great or interesting elements were present in the game were just few and far between.

Out of all the games on this list, this one was perhaps more infuriating than disappointing. Redfall is an open-world looter-shooter game where you must take back an isolated island town from vampires. And that’s where the interesting positives end. You have the option to play this game solo or with friends, but you are better off doing the former as the game constantly crashes and breaks, which is disappointing as the developers who made this game also made Prey and “Dishonored.” Coupled with terrible enemy AI and basic combat mechanics, it makes Super Mario look like a 5D chess game.

However, the most atrocious part of the game is the price tag; you have to pay RM250 for the base game, which would not even function properly. It also has lacklustre animation, where cinematics are just replaced with animated 2D images and enemies have difficulty navigating even the simplest of terrain. Unfortunately, there is nothing redeeming about this game until it gets the necessary patches it needs. Then again, that’s what you get when you hire a development team which focuses on stealth to work on a looter-shooter game.

If infamy is involved, there is nothing more infamous than Cyberpunk 2077. Gamers were excited about the prospect of a futuristic game created by a developer who could do no wrong after CD Projekt RED’s Witcher 3 met with such resounding success. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be on this list at all if everything were smooth sailing. What was unique about Cyberpunk was that its image was already damaged before it was released.

The game was announced too early for its own good, causing repeated delays that angered players and were the subject of many memes. And when it was released, it still wasn’t spared; those who tried to play Cyberpunk 2077 at launch on consoles found a nearly unplayable experience filled with bugs, visual shortcomings, massive AI issues, and game-breaking crashes, while on PCs, they faced similar problems, but to a lesser extent. Massive bugs would be removed, and three years later, it now works fine, with only a few hiccups here and there. The reason it suddenly exploded with positive reviews out of nowhere was thanks to the anime set in the same universe, which breathed new life into the game.

One of the more recent titles on this list, perhaps with equally high expectations among gamers, is Star Wars Jedi Survivor. Released back in late April, this sequel to the critically-acclaimed Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order had everyone excited to see the continuation of Cal Kestis’ story after slipping through the cracks of the Empire’s grip. That is, of course, if they could actually play the game they paid for.

Unfortunately, like Cyberpunk 2077, this game suffered terrible optimisation issues that destroyed everything but the most powerful PCs. Many gamers couldn’t move past the opening menu as the game would crash while loading the first level. This issue would resolve itself after you move past the first level, but because of the unpolished nature of the game, it received an overwhelmingly negative review rating on Steam. Much like Cyberpunk, Jedi: Survivor is a good game that will hopefully be fixed soon through patches. Until then, it will be sitting there with mixed reviews.

You know you’ve messed up when your game sets a rule that almost all gamers abide by in a bad way. No Man’s Sky was the most anticipated game of 2016, but it was led astray because of the buzz surrounding the game’s features. No Man’s Sky is a space exploration game where you can travel the universe and visit other planets. Each planet is unique in its own way, and it’s completely randomly generated.

Sean Murry, the face of No Man’s Sky, and its developer, Hello Games, explained the exciting features of the game: that planets closer to their respective stars would be hotter, while those farther away would be enveloped in ice, and that you could explore these with friends. It was truly revolutionary, but players were disappointed when the game was released as it didn’t have any of the promised features.

This spiralled into such a massive backlash that Steam allowed gamers to return their copy of the game regardless of playtime (you can’t refund games if you have two hours or more of playtime), and the community renamed the game “One Man’s Lie” to express their displeasure. Since No Man’s Sky’s release, gamers have collectively agreed to never pre-order games again, as they felt they were spending money on something that wasn’t even finished yet. Fortunately, the game was able to retrieve some of its player base by delivering on what it promised, but unfortunately, the damage has already been done.

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


Hype’s Now Playing: Joe Flizzow feat. SonaOne — Apa Khabar

Hey, how are you? Or should we say, “Apa khabar?”

Local rap maestro Joe Flizzow’s latest single with SonaOne entitled ‘Apa Khabar’ was recently released and the official music video for the track was released on YouTube yesterday! Taking on a different note from Flizzow’s hit single ‘Havoc’, this latest rap number written by Flizzow himself, is deep and somewhat dark.

The video opens with Flizzow reminiscing on his Too Phat days with Malique as he watches an old clip of them performing live. Directed by Kroll Azry and produced by Phuture Phlow Films, Apa Khabar was composed by SonaOne and features a different side of Flizzow — a deeper more emotional side yet it makes for a breath of fresh air from the rapper himself.


Viral Ustaz Under Fire For Alleged Manipulation Case & Rape Attempt

Anyone here familiar with the viral news of a man who’s willing to sleep by the streets in Europe? It’s believed that he does so for the sake of saving money for travelling purposes.

However, his true colours recently came to light thanks to a Facebook update by a user known as Sha Ramson Abdullah. The netizen confessed that she almost became a victim of the man’s sexual pleasure back during his stint as an ustaz (Muslim male teacher) at her school. Feel free to read the post here:

According to the post, the guy was known as ‘syaikh tarekat’ (holy path leader) at the school. He’s always seen as pure and kind in front of his students. He also claimed that “all teachers are free from doing mistakes and fallacies”. He even taught his followers – especially FEMALES – that a teacher’s position is higher than of a husband’s place. Therefore, female students are expected to be obedient to the teachers.

After his actions were caught red-handed, he went down to his knees and begged to one of the girls to not bring the case to the police, as he didn’t want his parents to know what he’s been doing. The female victim eventually agreed but only for this conditions – the culprit must deactivate his Facebook account, stop being a ‘syaikh tarekat’ and halt all of his future activities.

However, his promise – that was made back in 2017 – was reportedly broken when his Facebook was seen back on track. He re-activated his account to seek some fund for him to build a ‘khanqah’ (spiritual retreat place). It’s reported that he also made use of his followers to help in collecting the money. However, the actual truth was he had to pay some debts.

The so-called “ustaz” also reportedly travels around the world to collect some money from the people around the globe, using the reason of pursuing religious studies. In addition, he claimed that he toured all over Europe for his travelogue book inspirations.

The Facebook post further added that to date, he had received up to 7 (and counting) police reports made against him for manipulation and also other cases.

We hope that he will be punished accordingly if he’s found guilty so that others will not get deceived by his malicious tricks.


What Makes “Mersal” An Awesome Mass Movie? Wait, What’s A Mass Movie?

I initially wanted to write a regular review of “Mersal”, starring Vijay, which I found myself enjoying more and more with each repeated viewing. And that’s saying something because I am not a fan of Vijay at all. But a conversation with my cousin inspired me to pen something else. “Why is it OKAY when Vijay stars in a mass movie, but not Ajith?” he asked me. It is important to note that at this point in our conversation, I was shitting all over Ajith’s previous movies like “Vedalam”, “Veeram” and his most recent abomination, “Vivegam”. As you probably figured out, my cousin is a huge fan of Ajith.

The term ‘mass’ movie or more commonly known as a ‘masala’ movie does not refer to the spices you would put in curry. In the Indian film industry, these terms pretty much mean popcorn blockbuster. What differs from the Hollywood and Indian cinema landscape is that Hollywood pop culture generally revolves around franchises and giant properties – Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel Cinematic Universe, etc – while Indian pop culture, for the most part, revolves around the MOVIE STARS. Rajnikanth, Kamal Hassan, Vijay, Ajith, etc.

Even the deep animosity that runs between fans are similar. Star Wars fans and Star Trek fans have been fighting for galaxy supremacy since the dawn of time. And just like fans of the DCEU and MCU, Vijay fans and Ajith fans beat each other to a pulp send angry tweets to one another on a daily. And if you’re a fan who points out flaws of your own beloved properties/star, then you’re deemed a traitor and will be stoned to death or at the very least, kicked out of your family’s hypothetical Rajnikanth fan club. #thanksdad

Whether it’s Hollywood or Bollywood, popcorn blockbusters are usually a mixture of larger than life characters and a middle finger to real-world science. How is Rajnikanth able to singlehandedly beat the living crap out of 52 people? I don’t know, ask John Wick. I have no problem suspending my disbelief and accepting the fact that a magician is also quite possibly a ninja, just like I have no problem accepting the fact that a radioactive spider bite could turn you into a superhero. It’s AWESOME. But if you watch “Fast and Furious 6” and find Vin Diesel jumping from his car to catch Letty mid-air, more annoying than awesome, then don’t bother watching any Indian masala movie, too.

I know, it sounds like I just contradicted everything I wrote above. Hear me out. Every movie/franchise, regardless of how over the top it is, needs to establish certain rules or a sandbox if you will. The sandbox can be completely batshit crazy, but within the batshit crazy sandbox, things have to be CONSISTENT. Within the batshit crazy sandbox, characters and their motivations need to make sense.

“Mersal” for the most part, does not suffer from this problem, but it is not void of it. The final action sequence standouts in particular. The unspoken rules that the movie establishes at the start is:

In fact, there is an awesome action scene that takes place midway through the movie where Vetri beats the crap outta the villains and saves Maaran. It makes perfect sense. However, in the final action sequence, Maaran tells his injured brother, Vetri, “Who says a doctor can’t fight? Now watch me kick some bad guy butt.” While the action sequence that transpires immediately after is fun to watch, it somewhat devalues whatever that happened before. If Maaran can fight, why did Vetri need to save him? And if Maaran can fight, why then did he and his brother Vetri need to switch their clothes before the cops arrived?

Also, the entire back and forth Maaran has with his adopted mother (Kovai Sarala) concerning his parentage does not make an ounce of sense.

Having said that, these inconsistencies do not make me frustrated. Okay, that’s a lie. It does make me frustrated a little. But there is enough good stuff in this movie to make me forgive that minor error.

What does annoy the crap outta me is when Vijay’s character in “Bairavaa” gives a girl flowers and professes his love for her, immediately after she tells him a story of how her best friend got raped by a corrupt businessman.

Her: My best friend got raped and murdered.

I experienced the same kinda frustration watching “Thor: Ragnarok” recently. Why is Thor cracking jokes while talking to the fire demon, Surtur? It’s a comedy. I get it. But the Thor movies have never been comedies. And Thor has never been a comedian. Are you telling me that after Loki “died” in “Thor: The Dark World”, Thor went for comedy classes to cope with his sadness? Hmm, now that I think of it, it kinda makes sense.

Mersal is first and foremost a revenge thriller, but at the same time, it is also an explicit commentary on the medical landscape in India. I’m not saying a movie needs to have a MESSAGE to be good. On the contrary, when it comes to popcorn blockbusters, more often than not, the simplest of approaches is usually the best. But time and time again, popcorn blockbusters try to be something MORE. When it works, like in the case of “Mersal,” it’s awesome; when it doesn’t (which is, most of the time), it comes off as pretentious.

Rajnikanth’s “Kabali” comes to mind. There are flashbacks in “Kabali” that TRY to comment on the struggles Indians in Malaysia had to face prior to the country’s independence. Only, the entire arc feels completely forced. It’s as if the movie pauses and goes, “Okay guys, this is where we insert our completely-irrelevant-to-the-story message,” and then turns into a sappy love story?

In “Mersal” the message is delivered in an organic way. We’re treated to a fantastic flashback in which we see Vetrimaaran (Vetri and Maaran’s dad, also played by Vijay) and his wife (Nithya Menen) get screwed over by a corrupt doctor. All those years later, Vetri is avenging his father’s death. While the message is as obvious as it gets, it doesn’t feel like the movie is trying to shove the message down your throat. Because we understand why the characters are doing what they’re doing. Even when Vetri delivers a speech right at the end, providing facts and figures about the medical industry, it works.

Just like how being a popcorn blockbuster does not excuse a lapse in logic, being a musical does not mean you can throw in as many songs as you like for no reason. Does the song add anything to the movie? Does the movie deteriorate if the song is removed? Take “La La Land” for example. I love the movie and it is still one of my favourite movies of the year. But is the opening number really necessary, though? It does a good job of letting people know that it’s going to be a musical, but would the movie be any different without the song? No.

“Mersal” comes with four songs. Two of which are just there for the sake of having a hot chick dance. Don’t get me wrong. The songs are nice and I wouldn’t complain if they’re playing on the radio. But how does “Maacho” and “Neethanae” add anything to the movie? I might give “Maacho” the slight pass because at the very least there was some manipulation going on, on Vetri’s end during the song sequence – like him bribing the Russian lady. But “Neethanae” is completely pointless. Love songs only work if romance plays an important part in the movie. “Sirukki Vaasam” works perfectly in Dhanush’s “Kodi” and “A Lovely Night” in “La La Land”.  With that said, the other two songs in “Mersal” – “Mersal Arasan” and “Aalaporaan Thamizhan” – are EXCELLENT. In fact, I will even make the bold statement that it’s some of AR Rahman’s best ever.

Look guys, I’m not saying “Mersal” is a perfect film, far from it in fact. The flaws are easy to spot. The flashbacks take up a large chunk of the runtime and Sathyaraj is completely wasted as the police officer – he’s nothing but a plot device to transition to the flashbacks. However, together with screenwriter K.V. Vijayendra Prasad (“Baahubali 1 & 2”), director Atlee has crafted a thoroughly enjoyable film with a strong emotional core and protagonists we can get behind. Even the overabundance of Vijay worshipping that happens throughout the movie isn’t as annoying as many of his other films because he’s a DOCTOR. Heck, this movie won me over the moment Dr. Maaran speaks Tamil at an international press conference and all the non-Indian people in the crowd used earphones that are attached to a translating device. Believe it or not, in most Tamil movies including VIVEGAM, the Americans/Europeans can all somehow understand and speak Tamil fluently.

To answer the question that started this entire piece, “Mass” is not a measure of quality. Calling a movie MASS, does not indicate whether a movie is worth watching or not. There are good popcorn blockbusters and there are bad ones. There are also shitty ones, which Ajith has been acting in recently.

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


Interview: LANY’s Paul Klein Let Us In On Some “gg bb xx” Secrets & Forming A Friendship With Keshi

LANY’s new album, “gg bb xx” has made new waves in the music industry. With fresh new beats, and soulful music that resonates with the feelings of a regular person, it would probably make everyone wonder at the work and effort behind this remarkable album that touches everyone’s hearts.

This album indeed differs from their previous albums, namely, “Mama’s Boy” and “Malibu Nights”. We’ve recently had the opportunity to interview LANY’s lead singer – Paul Klein – on the new album, the songs in it, his possible collaborations with mega-stars and the thought process of releasing two albums with such a short period of time between the both of them!

In October 2020, we were faced with a decision that we could either sit on a couch and wait for the world to open up or make another album and sit on the couch and hope for the world to be back up. So, we chose to do the latter and I think putting (together) two albums in less than a year is no easy task. I wanted to make sure that we had fun and really enjoyed ourselves. I started writing for the album on 18th December 2020. It started to take shape and we worked with Andrew Goldstein and we actually had a blast. You could actually hear the fun we had in our songs!

How much do you miss performing for your fans in Southeast Asia?

We miss it so much that it actually makes me sick to think about it. We basically exist to play for our fans and it sucks to not be able to do so. We miss you guys and we’ll try to do everything that we can to have concerts and meet all of you.

What were some of the influences and themes that made you decide how this album as a whole, would sound?

With “Mama’s Boy”, it’s a complete departure from what people are used to hearing from us and that was on purpose. The theme of “Mama’s Boy” revolves around dating someone and wanting to take it to the next step when things are going well, by bringing the person to your family and to meet your friends. We’re basically showing them a side of us that no one has ever seen and that was indeed necessary. I knew that I wanted “gg bb xx” to be the next album after “Mama’s Boy” — for the song to be the opposite of “Mama’s Boy”. There’s a lot of acoustic elements and we really wanted to make a pop album but in a way that LANY would do it. We’re not a bedroom pop band anymore, instead, we’d like to grow out of that constraint.

We heard that you chose to design all the merchandise by yourself. Is this something that you still do?

Definitely. I was doing it today at rehearsals, it just never stops! In fact, tomorrow morning I’m working with Rachel R, our creative director. She’s coming over to my place at 10am, and I’ll be making more merchandise. I think the visual element of this band is a huge part of it. I think our songs are very visual too and we would want to make art and merchandise that goes along with it. I would never let anyone design our merchandise since it’s our band and I have too much of fun doing it. It’s actually going to be like this forever.

What was your inspiration behind the song, “Up To Me”?

Often times I have pages of song titles typed up on my phone but on this particular day, I did not have an idea on the title. On the days that I don’t have an idea, I ask questions and I talk with the people in the same room as me. I wrote this song with David Hodges, one of the best songwriters in the entire world. He was in the band, Renaissance and he was the primary songwriter for that band and he got kicked out of his band the day the album got released. When I asked him whether he has written a song about this or not, he told me that at the time he (was hurting) and he truly wished that it was up to me (in reference to David) as it wasn’t my decision. Hence, the birth of the song titled, “Up To Me” as we’ve decided to write about that in a relationship context. A very typical relatable concept, in fact! It’s seems to be fun to put myself in someone else’s shoes, just like David’s and write songs about it to avoid being repetitive.

What message do you hope this album brings to everyone who listens to it?

I think that no matter what an album sounds like, or what topics that we cover, my goal is to make the lives of people 1% better. I feel like my purpose on this planet is to write songs, make music and give people that music and that’s why I do it. We really hope our listeners would love it and makes people feel good and not alone in the midst of facing challenges in their life. I would love to write a song for the highest of highs and lowest of lows and that’s all I care about.

How is this album different from your past projects?

The formula is completely different. Most of these songs I wrote were with people I’ve never written songs with before for instance, John Ryan — who wrote the hit song, “Story of Our Lives” for One Direction! You can’t expect a different outcome if the formula is the same.

The band is about to embark on a tour, how excited are you for this and how confident are you that we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel?

I wish I would say that I’m more confident but I’m not. We’re about to announce that we’re about to cancel a sold-out show which really sucks because the country that it’s in, they got new regulations and guidelines. We’re not sure if we’re going to be able to play in Canada too. My fingers are crossed but like I said, we’ve been in rehearsal for weeks to get ourselves prepared. We’re looking forward to carrying on with our tour but if we can’t go, it would be out of our control.

What’s one song you love performing, stripped in the album and why?

We have a morning from 8:00am to 12:00pm where I sing stripped version of the songs for “Roll Over Baby”, “Stupid Feelings”, “Never Mind Let’s Break Up” and “Ex I Never Had”. I think “Never Mind Let’s Break Up” and “Ex I Never Had” was something really fun to do. I can’t wait to release the remaining videos.

“gg bb xx” comes less than a year after “Mama’s Boy’. Will you see LANY being more productive in recording new songs since the pandemic started?

Yes, it was the only thing that we could really do and most of time, we put out an album and put out 130 shows around the world. We didn’t have that luxury and privilege anymore and we’re just trying to make the most of the pandemic and it’s probably what everyone is doing right now too.

What is one of the highlights of the year for LANY so far?

Last weekend, we put out an album and played in LA at Troubadour. It was actually cool to be back to the location where the roots of the band started. It was encouraging to see that people still cared about us and still wanted to be there after a year and a half. The support of the people made me emotional and I went back to my car to cry because I felt encouraged by them.

For your latest album, “gg bb xx”, what has inspired you the most for your latest discography?

I don’t think it was anything too different from our previous albums. Lyrically, I’m obsessed with listening to people and their conversations and being hyperaware of what’s happening around me and understanding the social dynamics. I’m looking for new ways to describe and explain universal feelings and relatable topics.

When making the track list for “gg bb xx’, did you mean for it to flow like a story?

No I didn’t. In “Malibu Nights”, that was so unapologetically a breakup album and it’s a concept album. With this album, I didn’t want to make it into a concept album. Basically, we didn’t want to write about the same things. I wanted to skip around. I thought it was really fun to make the album equivalent to the last 3 to 5 years of my journal. The ebbs and flows of the human emotion within a long duration is quite drastic and crazy and huge.

Are there any artists you’d kill to have a collaboration with?

Totally! I’d love to write a song with Ed Sheeran. This is a new idea but I’d really like to have a collaboration with The Chainsmokers. I believe this collaboration would be humongous and I’ve met those guys a couple of times and they are the sweetest guys ever. It would be really fun to have a pop song with massive melodies!

Given that it’s only been a year since the last album, what was the recording process like for “gg bb xx”?

We were incredibly efficient. I did not do anything except work on this album for the last 9 or 10 months. It’s everything I’ve lived and breathed. I went on vacation (for) 5 days with my family and even then, I worked the entire time. It was awful to be honest. I never know when I could get one, but I could really use a day off.

Were there any interesting processes that stood out from making the album?

This is something I never talked about but I mixed the entire album by myself with Andrew Goldstein almost 100% of the time. Usually, a mix engineer does it, but this time, I tried it. It sounds exactly like how I’d expect it to sound like. It was all done on a laptop and I’m super proud of the outcome.

What is the story behind the music video of “Ex I Never Had”?

Punk bands have indeed been rocking out in their living room and we’ve wanted to try that in our music video. There’s so many shots in it and you could watch it for around 20 times and see some sort of difference in it each time. I love it!

“gg bb xx” consists of 12 brand new LANY songs which are more mature and bigger. How many songs did you actually write before deciding on the final 12 before this album?

I don’t know how many exactly. There will be 5 new ones on the deluxe, though. There’s probably around 10 songs that I wrote that I just can’t remember. Not every song is good. And some of them are on our album too. But we’re getting better at making decisions and trimming the fat of our album to make it better and putting in the correct songs.

What do you think would be a good theme song for your life?

We heard you’re going on tour with Keshi, how did that come about? Can we expect any future collaborations with Keshi?

I discovered his music on my Discover Weekly on Spotify. I was lying on a chair under the sun in my manager’s house and his song, “Too Soon” popped up. It was such a good song and I listened to it on repeat. I posted it on my social media and he thanked me for it. Fast forward, a few months later, he asked whether we could write a song together and we did it. He’s indeed a great friend to me and I thought he would be a great person to support us on tour.

If LANY could perform with a classic band, who would that be?

Perhaps, Coldplay and Phil Collins. I’d probably gawk at Chris Martin if we were to work together! I’ve never met him and I doubt if I ever will. I actually look up to him. He makes the piano looks way cooler than it actually is. He’s a god to me.

In the song writing process, do you tend to make listeners happy by pouring out your feelings?

I want my listeners to have the exact same feeling I had when I was writing this song.

You mentioned that LANY’s music video is very visual. If “gg bb xx” were a colour or seen in a movie, what would it be pictured as?

I’ve never seen an album that looks just the same way how music feels. I mean, the motion and the blur coming off the back of the head, the mix of the colours like the warm pinks and oranges masked with the cool temperature of the purple, the blues and the greens. I think that would have to be what it is.

LANY’s “gg bb xx” is currently available on all digital music platforms and streaming services.

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


J-pop Singer Namie Amuro Officially Retiring Next Year

Namie Amuro, formerly known as Namie Maruyama, celebrated her 40th birthday yesterday (Wednesday, 20th September).

The Japanese superstar dropped a bombshell by shocking fans with the announcement that she will be officially retiring from the music business next year. On the 26th anniversary of her career, the singer would be abdicating from her throne on 16th September 2018.

In a letter written in both Japanese and English on her website, Amuro said:

Thank you very much for your continuous support.

September 16 marked the 25th year since my debut. I could not have gone 25 years without your support, for which I am eternally grateful. Thank you!

Today, I would like to write about something that I have carried on my mind and have decided on the 25th anniversary of my debut.

I, Namie Amuro, would like to take this opportunity to inform all of my fans of my decision to retire as of September 16, 2018. I plan to make the last year of my music career meaningful by focusing my full attention on creating a final album and performing at concerts.

Then, I will welcome the date of September 16, 2018 in the best way I can.

I hope this year will be filled with wonderful memories for me and the fans together. Together, let’s make this coming year the best one possible!

Amuro shot to fame in the 1990s as a teen queen. The pop star made her debut in the group Super Monkey’s before pursuing her solo career. She recently completed 2 major concerts in her native Okinawa.

Sources: Amara Japan, Strait Times, Japan Times/ Featured image: Vogue Taiwan.


Our Picks: Top 5 Flicks Of 2012

We’ve picked our top five viral videos, then our top five tunes. So how can we go without picking our top five flicks of 2012? We’ve watched so many great films this year that narrowing it down to just five almost made it seem like favoritism. Some of you might’ve also watched some of our top five flicks so feel free to agree or disagree with us.

Here goes! Our top five flicks of 2012 are:

We thought this flick would never see daylight in Malaysia so imagine our surprise when we heard that “Ted” was going to be released in our cinemas. After hearing much about the hilarity that ensues when a teddy bear comes to life, we didn’t think twice before catching it on the silver screen. The outcome? Sure, the bear can sometimes be a horrible friends to have but, oh how we wish we had our very own “thunder buddy” too! Our review here.

[youtube id=”9fbo_pQvU7M” width=”600″ height=”350″]

As they would often say, that all good things must come to an end. The Batman film series under Christopher Nolan’s reign had its final curtain call half a year ago – but we still remember it like it was just yesterday. Funny how initially Nolan was so hesitant about making “The Dark Knight Rises” because it turned out to be one of the best installments of the Batman film series yet. More than sufficient to have ended the franchise on a high note. Our review here.

[youtube id=”g8evyE9TuYk” width=”600″ height=”350″]

What do you get when you put Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis together in an action-with-elements-of-time-travel film together? Sheer epicness. This film is not only one of our top 5 flicks – it’s also one of the most underrated ones. Of course, we highly advise moviegoers to walk into this one without any expectations whatsoever. We also ask for people to not question time travel or the idea of time travel, for it might ruin the “Looper” experience. Our review here.

[youtube id=”2iQuhsmtfHw” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Prepare to have your mind (and eyes) completely blown away because Ang Lee obviously wasn’t planning to leave any human brain untouched with this spectacular cinematic experience. One wouldn’t even need to watch this in 3D to experience the full effect of “Life of Pi”. On its own, its groundbreaking, ethereal-looking special effects coupled with precise storytelling already wins so hard with us. The film is not something we’d say you could give a miss if it’s no longer showing in the cinemas – because you can’t give it a miss. You shouldn’t give it a miss. Our review here.

[youtube id=”mZEZ35Fhvuc” width=”600″ height=”350″]

Before we walked into this one, we were warned to better have packs of Kleenex on us. So we really expected this one to be a sob fest. But it was hard to cry when the cast of Les Misérables (Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Samantha Banks, Eddie Redmaybe) made such an impression that it left us gaping in awe. The film really does transport you out of your world and into their without you even realizing it. Every pained expression garners your sympathy, every strained note stabs your heart – you get the picture. Watch this one before the year is over. Please.  Our review here.

[youtube id=”EnLSG5t_dc8″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

Any one of the above are your personal favourites too? Let us know!

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


Stop What You’re Doing! Rihanna Has A New Album Out (Well, Sort Of)

Imagine our surprised when we were notified of a new album from the goddess Rihanna.

But before you get all excited, do know that the record “Angel” is a fan-made album containing unreleased Rihanna music. It has been uploaded iTunes and Apple Music under the name Fenty Fantasia.

According to some fans these songs jumped out from 2005 – 2008. Some of those tracks include collabs with Chris Brown (track #5) and Nicole Scherzinger (track #6). They are:

🚨 A new Rihanna album has released! #FentyFantasia #Angel #AngelAlbum 🚨

FREE STREAM: https://t.co/rCYBHFGKrG pic.twitter.com/DqsLr8Do8l

The new fanmade album of unreleased Rihanna songs/old leaks released under a random name has debuted at #67 on the Worldwide iTunes Albums Chart. pic.twitter.com/1mHecngU9U

— FentyStats (@FentyStats) March 2, 2019

It’s been 3 years since Riri released her last studio album, “Anti”. The Grammy winner confirmed that she’ll be dropping a new record in 2019. Maybe this is meant to hype up her comeback?


Hello Awesome Stop-Motion Batman Video!

Stop-motion videos are hard to come by, what more good stop-motion videos. So the moment we stumbled upon this one, we knew we had to share it.

They first released a rough three-minute short (inspired by the epic “Dark Knight” films) about two weeks ago, teasing audiences in the region with what was to come. But even at three minutes, directors Derek Kwok and Henri Wong had already hit all the right notes. We believed, they’ve also “hit the spot”, many spots in fact, and gained a huge following.

Derek and Henri then released their full stop-motion animated short titled, “Batman: Dark Knightfall” – it appears to be just as ridiculously awesome as its “teaser”. The boys used highly realistic 1/6-scale collectible action figures by Hong Kong toy company “Hot Toys” to complete their Batman tale. Check out how realistic (so realistic, it’s almost eerie) they look:

Every detail of this video was obviously taken into serious consideration during the production. From the action figures’ movements (obviously), to lighting, and to sound! It’s almost hard to believe that these aren’t real actors. Just toys.

[youtube id=”J1ob926Ur8Y” width=”600″ height=”350″]

And perhaps this will blow your mind that much more if the video hasn’t already – this is the director duo’s first attempt at making a stop-motion film. Gosh.

Credit where it’s due though, we applaud their work. Here’s to many more awesomely mind-blowing stop-motion animation stuff from Derek Kwok and Henri Wong of Parabucks!


Weekend Shooting Shocker

Two bouncers were gunned down outside the Madurai Club early Sunday (yesterday) after clubbing hours.

At approximately 4:30am, six unruly men tried to barge into a club way past its operating hours. The club was already closed for the day. While the bouncers tried to stop them, the men started getting aggressive. The bouncer then retaliated and a fight broke out.

Upon seeing his friends being beaten up, one of the men from the group drew out a semi-automatic revolver and fired in the direction of the victims. Both victims, 21-year-old Mohd Akmal Jemain (club bouncer) and also 21-year-old Muhammad Noor Firdaus Rashid (bystander) sustained wounds in the head and chest respectively.

They were then rushed to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (KLH) after they were found sprawled outside the club, but died upon admission.

According to Dang Wangi police chief ACP Zainuddin Ahmad, splinters from the shots also injured six people who happened to be nearby, and they were too sent to KLH for out-patient treatment. (Source)

Apparently, the suspects involved in the incidents are believed to be from two rival groups. They were (earlier in the night) involved in a fight outside the Madurai Club before they turned on a bouncer who refused to allow them into the premises.

As the story unfolded further, we now know that the gunman who shot both the Mohd Akhmal Jemain (club bouncer) and Muhammad Noor Firdaus Rashid (bystander) only stopped shooting when he ran out of bullets. After which, according to witnesses, the angry crowd turned on the gunman and his friends.

The gunman is currently in critical condition at KLH after suffering severe head injuries.

The rest of the 10 suspects in connection with the weekend shooting shocker aged between 21 years old and 37 years old have been remanded by the Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation Department to facilitate investigations. (Source)

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


How Much The Actors Made Playing Superheroes In Avengers: Endgame

The Hollywood stars in “Avengers: Endgame” have probably earned enough to retire.

A new report has revealed the highest paid actor from the “Avengers” movies and it’s none other than Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr. To quote MCU Direct, “a fitting payday for an on-screen billionaire?”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Downey Jr. apparently negotiated a unique financial arrangement with Marvel CEO Kevin Feige that results in the 54-year-old actor making some serious bank from his job as a superhero.

Instead of signing contract deals, the star reportedly gets a backend percentage of all “Avengers” films. That means he’s been making a truckload of money since the first 2012 team-up. With “Avengers: Infinity War” making over US$2 billion at the the global box office, sources claimed that Downey Jr. got at least US$75 million.

Given that “Endgame” is already breaking box office records left and right, Downey Jr.’s salary is expected to rank in around US$100 million for his performance. If you remember, the actor got US$5 million a day (for 3 day’s work) when he appeared in 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming”.

As for his “Avengers” co-stars, Scarlett Johannson – who has been involved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise since 2010’s “Iron Man 2” – is set to star in her own “Black Widow” solo movie. Currently scheduled for a 2020 release, the 34-year-old actress is reportedly “earning a figure in the US$20 million range for both starring and producing” in the movie.

Chris Hemsworth, who took up Thor’s hammer in 2011, initially only signed on to star in 5 Marvel movies. For “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame”, he renegotiated his contract that put him “in the US$15 million to US$20 million range”.

Likewise, Chris Evans, who also had a 5-picture deal with Marvel as Captain America, “renegotiated in the same US$15 million to US$20 million range” for the final 2 “Avengers” films.

As for the rest of the cast, bonuses and earnings have differed over the years. A few years ago, actors would get their bonuses when the superhero movie hits the US$500 million global mark. It later went up to US$700 million.

When it comes to “Avengers” movies though, the mark is reportedly set at US$1.5 billion. “Avengers: Endgame” already reached US$1 billion globally in just 5 days.


neffmau5, Out Now!

“I love the street and snowboard scene. The people involved are the people I see at my shows, so it made sense to hook up with a cool company like Neff to work on a collaboration. Plus, it was easy to put ears on the Neff face for an instantly legit logo right?”, said Joel Zimmerman aka “deadmau5” on the apparel line launch of the year.

One of the world’s biggest names in EDM (think “Mickey Mouse” but angrier) has teamed up with street and surf apparel brand “Neff Headwear” to launch the collaborative project, “Neffmau5”:

[youtube id=”EWNyOkSg-Ss” width=”600″ height=”350″]

The collection features a “Neffmau5” logo; a mash-up of the all too popular “mau5head” and Neff’s “Suckerface” and will be released seasonally over the next two years. The current selection consists of four tees, one crewneck sweatshirt, a hoodie, and two snapback hats. All of which were officially mau5-approved, of course.

Upon the launch, Shaun Neff (Founder of Neff Headwear) commented, “We think Neffmau5 perfectly expressed the combined energy of our two brands and we hope a new army of new consumers will agree.”

For now, only the shirts (in a variety of colours and designs) are available in online stores. Hit up their website to check ‘em out!

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


#GunsNRoses: Hard Rock Band To Perform In Singapore For The First Time

Guns N’ Roses fans, we’ve got good news for you!

The iconic hard rock band will be making their way to Singapore for the first time ever, as part of their ongoing “Not In This Lifetime” global tour.

A source with knowledge of the event revealed this info to Channel NewsAsia yesterday (Monday, 10th October), and the band’s official Facebook page confirmed the news by posting a poster of the event.

While the “Live And Let Die Entry Package” and “Paradise City VIP Lounge” are pretty self-explanatory, the “Welcome To The Jungle Experience” is a little more ambiguous. It is still unknown what perks will be offered to those who opt for this VIP package, but seeing that it is the most expensive tier, we’re assuming that holders will be given lots of benefits and extras.

Ticket sales will be commencing on 13th October (Thursday) for Nightrain (fanclub) members and VIP packages, while the public will have to wait ’til 17th October (Monday) to purchase their tickets. Both events start at 10am and will be available through Sistic (+65-63485555).

According to the organisers, LAMC, Guns N’ Roses will not be “performing in nearby countries” and Japan is the only other Asian venue selected so far. So, Malaysians, if you wanna rock your heart out to one of the best rock bands in the world, prepare for a trip down south!

For more info, visit Guns N’ Roses’ official website and Facebook page.

Sources: Channel NewsAsia, Bandwagon SG, The Straits Times.


The Little Mermaid: Disney Eyeing Christian Navarro To Play Prince Eric

Christian Navarro wants to be a Disney prince.

Ever since Harry Styles declined the role of Prince Eric, the role for the titular character in Disney’s live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid” is still open.

Back in August, the 28-year-old actor expressed his interest to portray Prince Eric while promoting the 3rd season of Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why”. Not did he claimed to have some vocal chops but the star also reasoned that a Latino prince would be a perfect match to Halle Bailey‘s Black Ariel.

Thanks to the power of social media, Disney took notice and “gave my team a call.” As he put it, “They wanted to see what I could do.” Before ending his tweet, Navarro updated his fans, saying, “Tapes sent. Fingers crossed. Let’s make some history.”

Melissa McCarthy, Jacob Tremblay, and Awkwafina are expected to play Ursula, Ariel’s best friend Flounder, and Scuttle respectively. Meanwhile, Javier Bardem is being eyed to possibly play Ariel’s father King Triton.


Learning To Love Again With Lawson

Sure, the music industry seems to have been overflowing with an influx of boy bands/boy groups. However, here’s one that will stand out amongst the rest. Not only because Lawson writes their own music, not only because they can damn well sing, but also because they play their own instruments.

So yes, they deserve all the credibility they can get. We took them so seriously that when their debut album, “Chapman Square” was released, we knew we had to review it. For both the musical style and for the words that literally came from the boys themselves.

Our love for Lawson started out with the song, “Standing In The Dark”. By now, the pop-rock ballad is already a massive single, having garnered over 7 million views on YouTube. If you’ve ever been heartbroken or rejected and yet you don’t really want to whine about it, this song would probably best describe your innermost feelings. First, with the lyrics that goes like:

It may sound stupid that I’m wanting you back,

Then, the music video that quite easily sweeps a person off their feet:

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

The next song we couldn’t tear our ears away from is also the very song that charted in the UK charts at #3. And who can blame people for showing so much love for it? “Taking Over Me” is as catchy as they come. The boys also sound more rock-ish in this one which we’re not complaining about. If anything, “Taking Over Me” is refreshing:

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

Moving forward, “When She Was Mine” got our full attention – especially when the song started out with nothing but a guitar riff, just going and going until the singing kicks in. And then the drums after. We hear that Lawson frontman, Andy Brown wrote this about Mollie (from “The Saturdays”) when their relationship ended.

Seems like it was supposed to be a sad song about breaking up? But we found it uplifting and with an addictive chorus, no less:

[youtube id=”GmQRAXJoHg0″ width=”600″ height=”350″]

Your next question would be, “So, should I pick up a copy then?” and to that, our answer is yes. If the question involves Lawson, then it’s always a yes!

Lawson’s “Chapman Square” is available at a music store near you. Alternatively, you could also purchase their album off iTunes here.

For more information, visit Lawson’s official website. Don’t forget to LIKE them on their Facebook page or send them your love via their Twitter account.

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


A State Of Trance – #ASOT650, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Hello music junkies! Hype Malaysia has got the best news for you on this lovely Friday morning!

For the second year running, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has been selected to be part of DJ maestro, Armin van Buuren’s A State of Trance. Marked as the only city after Miami where the ASOT show is being hosted in the same city for two years in a row, ASOT650 comes to Kuala Lumpur next March!

Happening on March 14th, 2014 (Friday), ASOT650 will be happening on the second day of FMFA. Featuring one its biggest line-ups to date, next year’s one includes a host of DJs handpicked by the man, Armin, himself.

Stay tuned to Hype Malaysia for more information about the venue as well as full line-up for ASOT650 and Future Music Festival Asia 2014. Happening from March 13th to 15th, 2014, tickets for ASOT650 Malaysia goes on sale on October 12th, 2013, Saturday via Redtix. Single day and weekend passes for FMFA 2014 will be released for sale on October 17th, 2013 (Thursday).


Hype’s Exclusive: Behind The Scenes With Douglas Lim

We go behind-the-scenes of the work that the Malaysian Association of Chinese Comedians (MACC) does in an exclusive interview with one of our favourite stand-up comedians, Douglas Lim.

Douglas Lim an actor extraordinaire. We say that because his work spans across on screen and off screen. He acts for TV shows, stage, commercials. He also writes, he composes, he sings, he directs, he’s a comedic host, and above all, he’s now a successful stand-up comedian. On top of that, he founded the MACC – the PJ Live Arts one, not the anti-corruption commission one. And as MACC, they’ve done many shows with original jokes and content.

In line with the upcoming “Planet of the Apeks (Reprise) show, we kidnapped Douglas for a fun, exclusive interview.

He dishes the dirt on the starting up of MACC, his first impressions of the other MACC members (Kuah Jenhan, Phoon Chi Ho, Jason Leong), what goes on during the preparations for shows like, “Internal Affairs”, “Three & a Half Men”, & the upcoming “Planet of the Apeks (Reprise)”, what the MACC boys do to unwind after their shows, and more.

Special thanks to our friends from PJ Live Arts for making this interview happen!

For more information on the upcoming “Planet of the Apeks (Reprise)” show, go here. We know we’ll definitely be there!


Contest: Win 2D1N Stay At Olive Tree Hotel Penang & Tickets To Setia Spice Aquatic Centre

Planning to visit Penang again anytime soon? Well, if this wasn’t already on your itinerary, we’re giving you a great reason to set aside a date. In collaboration with our friends at Olive Tree Hotel Penang, we’d like make this holiday season a special one for you!

For the 3rd consecutive year, the hotel’s surroundings will be transformed into Christmas Land. With “An Enchanted Christmas” as the theme this year, visitors can expect giant brightly lit Christmas trees, captivating decorations, reindeers, and santa’s sleigh.

The bright giant tree gives the illusion of glistening snow and it wouldn’t be complete without some colourful presents beside it. Be sure to whip out your camera for some Instagram-worthy shots when you’re in the area. The neon sign with the words “Merry Christmas & Happy New Year” adds a nice touch to Mr Santa and his faithful reindeers.

To make this holiday season extra special, Olive Tree Hotel Penang will play host to a live band and Christmas carolling (from Penang Chesire Home and Glory Mission Church). Diners can also opt to dine in at Sukkah Coffee House for their Christmas eve buffet dinner and Christmas day buffet brunch.

Olive Tree Hotel prides itself in being a Green Building certified hotel. In short, they’re environment-friendly. It’s also a 100% smoke-free environment. The 25-storey hotel, which houses 227 rooms and 19 suites, was build with low-emissivity glass for window panels to reduce heat transfer into the building.

In addition to the nursing room and surau (prayer room), some of the other facilities within the venue include a compact swimming pool, a fitness centre (to avoid skipping gym day), and a yoga room to stretch and meditate.

Located at Bayan Lepas, the hotel is less than 10 minutes drive from the Penang International Airport (depending on traffic) and 20 minutes from the city centre. Olive Tree also provides complimentary scheduled shuttle services to the airport, George Town, and Gurney Plaza. Prior booking in advance is advised.

Just opposite Olive Tree Hotel is Setia Spice Aquatic Centre (the former aquatic venue for the Malaysian Games 2000). The venue features various sports facilities including an Olympic-sized 10 lanes lap swimming pool, 5m-deep diving pool, a children’s splash pool, badminton courts, squash courts, fitness centre, studios, function rooms and more.

Since its new refurbishment, Setia Spice Aquatic Centre has been the go-to modern hub for those seeking to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. The WAHOO Swim School & Academy there offers swimming programs (for kids, teens, and adults) as well as scuba diving courses.

Come 2019, 3 lucky winners will get to experience the new year with a free stay at Olive Tree Hotel Penang. Hype’s Christmas contest winners will stand a chance to walk away with either:

The details to Setia Spice Aquatic Centre are as follows:

The details to Olive Tree Hotel Penang are as follows:

A post shared by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy)

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


“ME TIME” Review: Quite Possibly Kevin Hart’s Secret Villain Origin Story

One of the funniest people on the planet, Mr Kevin Hart has long lit up screens with his jovial, loud personality. Oh yes, he’s been the butt of many short jokes, but his comeback roasts are something only his comedic wit can churn up. This is the guy who is only half of Dwayne Johnson’s height, yet he manages to barbecue up that hunky rock till it becomes a blob of minerals.

There is no doubt that Hollywood has unlocked a certain code with Kevin. But hear us out, how long will it be till the man himself actually becomes a villain? And with Netflix’s latest comedy “ME TIME”, we think he could be transformed into a devourer of worlds in the Multiverse now.

“ME TIME” follows Sonny (Kevin Hart), who is a stay-at-home dad. He runs the house well but rarely has time for himself. On the other hand, his wife, Maya (Regina Hall), is the sole breadwinner of the house, working on architecture for high-profile clients.

It’s not often that we see househusbands in movies actually being good at it. Indeed, Sonny’s two children liken him to the glue of the household. He pretty much gets to control the flow of the house.

Nevertheless, everyone has weaknesses, and Sonny’s is that he’s insecure. He’s afraid of what society thinks of him due to his wife being the sole breadwinner. That is why he spends his weekdays volunteering in his kids’ school. He sits in classes attempting to get the children to pay attention. And of course, he tries his best to prove himself by handling the school’s talent gala.

It’s been a repetitive lifestyle and soon, Sonny and Maya come to a point where they realise that they both need a change of pace. At first, Sonny is hesitant about the idea but gets fully on with it it. He’s in need of that “me time”.

So, of course, what does a middle-aged father do for a week while his kids are away on vacation with their mother? Maybe something along the lines of BBQ and uhm… golf… and other weird kinks. So, to spice things up, he checks in with his friend Huck (Mark Wahlberg), who had been pestering Sonny to join his wild 44th birthday party for a while now. And from then, the hijinks start rolling.

Oh, yea, we’re talking mountain lion wrestling, tortoise stompin’, running from loan sharks… (there’s a theme here and we’ll get back to that later). You see, Huck has a reputation for being over-the-top when it comes to his celebrations. In an awkward opening scene, Sonny unintentionally wing glides with Huck over a canyon after getting pushed off from a helicopter whirring close by. Therefore, Sonny knew damn well what he was getting into. Yet, nothing would be as chaotic as this.

Indeed, the film is a mess as it attempts to balance the buddy-comedy vibe with the chaos of its subplots. There’s just way too much going on that makes little to no sense thematically. Most of the plot exists for the sake of being shockingly random. Not to say that there is no set-up whatsoever, but the formula used here is rather clunky as it’s just getting Kevin Hart to say Kevin Hart things as he’s pushed into a pool or climbing cliffs or whatsoever.

Having Huck around feels like an afterthought, to be honest. Huck’s deluded to the core but he’s got a genuine heart and he just wants to partehhh. However, Wahlberg’s character gets into some financial trouble and gets a loan from Jimmy O. Yang’s loan shark. It’s weird because he’s always spending money that he doesn’t have and there’s no connection to how he’s been able to keep this up without his friends at least propping him up financially.

Furthermore, even when Sonny is actually trying to be the society man, it makes even less sense as he’s always barking orders at his son to practice the piano only because he wants to make sure the school event he helped organise turns out well with his son playing “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton as the closer. Phew, that was a mouthful but yes, it was as complicated as that.

Indeed, the movie overcomplicates and it feels more like the film’s committee was pressing a randomizer when coming up with the final cut. It’s all over the place and the final message feels utterly throwaway but it’s not to say that it isn’t entertaining. It’s a collection of skits that shine with the comedic delivery of Kevin and even Mark, who seems much less annoying on-screen than he used to be five years ago.

With its appalling literal poop jokes on more than one occasion, “ME TIME” is unabashedly daft. But hey, we’ve watched enough dumb flicks to sort the peas (read with doubled ‘s’) from the crabs (read with a ‘p’ instead). With some booze and chips, it still would be a hella good time.

Now, of course, back to what we were trying to bring up. It has been proven time and again that Kevin Hart, professional comedian and generous donor of laughs, is absolutely… and we mean UTTERLY terrified of wild animals.

He’s appeared on the Today Show where he displayed a phobia of the lizard they pulled out while his “Ride Along” co-star Ice Cube was all chill. And when Robert Irwin popped up on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, that man was spooked out of his living daylights due to the accompanying menagerie.

“It was not an act at all… that was completely genuine”, Robert said as he reminisced on his strange encounter on the show back in 2018. “I actually said ‘g’day’ to him backstage… and he jumped a mile”.

Of course, there’s the irony of having Kevin play animals in animated films like “The Secret Life of Pets” and the recent “DC League of Superpets”. But that doesn’t count because that’s not the real deal man. When you have Kevin Hart performing CPR on tortoises, getting his back scratched by feral beasts, almost getting trampled by ostriches,

It may only be a matter of time… before the former shoe salesman turned comedian becomes a powerful warlord. You heard it here first. This is just the beginning and he’s gonna snap soon and hard.

Who knows? Maybe when Kevin Hart fights a rampaging rhino? Or Kevin Hart vs a dolphin? We could go on man. Maybe a little horror film where Mr Hart gets hunted by a bunch of killer capybaras who pull up in his house singing a high-pitched rendition of the 2020 Don Toliver classic “After Party”. That’s sure gonna break him…

Evil Kevin Hart, bring it on!! Say it with us. “EVIL”. “KEVIN” “EVIL”. “KEVIN”. “EVIL”. “KEVIN”… (fades*)

“ME TIME” is currently streaming on Netflix.

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

Kevin Hart weeps his eyes out when it comes to wild animals, and we're not sure whether this movie does him any favours. "ME TIME" is stupid. It knows it is. It's somehow entertaining in that sort of random way but truly we don't know how much more wild animals the lead can take. We may be breeding a villain here, folks.


Hype’s Exclusive: Showtek Is All About The Music & The Sunscreen For #ItsTheShip2015

They may be new-ish names in the EDM scene but Showtek has actually been around for longer than you think ;)

Having first started out with techno and as one of the first few pioneers of good ol’ Dutch hardstyle, they’ve put out years and years of music that was certainly not for the weakhearted. They subsequently started dabbling with other EDM styles for their tunes, including progressive and electro house.

In 2012, the Showtek brothers began a series of collaborations, a project called Crazy Collabs, with producers from some of the other genres in dance music. On their project, they hworked with Tiësto, Hardwell, Justin Prime, Bassjackers, Ookay, MAKJ, and hardstyle duo Noisecontrollers. It certainly paved the way for Showtek to becoming one of the biggest names of the EDM scene today.

And in a couple of weeks, Showtek is due to play at Asia’s largest festival at sea, this year’s “It’s The Ship”. We got to speak to the boys real quick before they set sail with the rest of the party crew.

Hey guys! Thank you so much for taking time to do this for us. Where are you right now and what are you up to?

Not a problem! At the moment we’re really busy touring, and working on some new music.

You’ve been making music for so long now, and you show no signs of stopping as of yet. What keeps you guys inspired?

Well with our record label Skink we get to hear and see so many great young DJs. Maybe this sounds a bit corny but, their drive and energy can be a true inspiration. Next to that we get to travel the world, see many different places and get to meet people from all over the world. Which always gets us inspired.

Tell us about your label, “Skink”, and where you think or hope it will go in the coming years.

This month we celebrate Skink’s 2-year anniversary with our debut compilation album “Skinkalation”. On the album we mixed 11 songs that have been released on Skink. For the future we have a lot of projects coming up.. so stay tuned!

You’re also all set to play a massive gig on “It’s The Ship 2015”. How are you preparing for something like that, since it’s going to be your first time on “It’s The Ship”?

Haha sunscreen is most important when it comes to preparing we think! Furthermore we do the same as we always do. We’re really looking forward to this one. It’s going to be off the hook, it’s on a huge ship. It has got to be good.

That having said, we imagine that after a show..there’s all that adrenaline rush, so..how do you usually unwind and just kind of “zen out” after a show?

We tour a lot, so our schedule usually doesn’t let us unwind.. but if we do we mostly chill with the team backstage and stay and watch some of our DJ friends play!

What has been some of the best moments of 2015 so far and what can we expect from Showtek in 2016?

Ah that’s a hard one, there have been so many highlights this year! Our residency at Omnia Las Vegas was quite special to us! And playing at Flying Dutch, a festival in Rotterdam, Amsterdam and our hometown Eindhoven was also a special one. It felt pretty good to be back again in our home country. In 2016, we’ll try to hit the studio a bit more for the rest you can expect a lot of new music.

Last one for the road: If Wouter and Sjoerd switched roles for a day/gig, what do you think would happen?

We think that’s not a good idea in any way! Complete chaos we guess haha.

Thanks Showtek for the quick chat. And special thanks to our friends from Livescape Asia for making this interview happen :)

Just to give you a gist of what to expect from their “It’s The Ship” gig, here:

Don’t forget! This year’s instalment of “It’s The Ship” will set sail come 20th November. For more information, go here.

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


#FathersDay2015: 6 Fun Activities In Klang Valley Your Dad Will Appreciate

We’ll tell you why you need to take your Dad out on a fun activity in Klang Valley this Father’s Day.

Throughout your childhood, he was there to piggyback you. He was there to remove your first bicycle’s training wheels and taught you how to ride like the wind, only to pick you up whenever you fell and tell you that it’s okay. He knew how to change flat tyres, mend broken bikes, and fix broken lights in and around the house like a pro handyman.

In your eyes, he’s like MacGyver – he’s effortlessly a champion and he doesn’t even know it.

Dads are our true heroes and birthdays aside, there’s one other day when you can show your appreciation for the #1 man in your life. If you’re stumped for ideas on what to get him this 21st June, there’s no greater “gift” than an experience that he won’t soon forget. Whether it’s buying him tickets to a movie night out or treating him to a yummylicious dinner, here are some simple ideas to make this year’s Father’s Day memorable for every type of Dad!

(Heck, you can even bring Mommy dearest along and make this Father’s Day truly one to remember)

1. Grab some popcorn for a luxurious movie night out

Do you remember the last time your Dad enjoyed a movie night out (or a movie day out) at the cinema? At times, they work so hard, they forgo the little luxuries in life like watching a film! So if he’s a movie buff, you might want to treat him to a film that you know he’d enjoy. But go all out and get him a comfy GSC Gold Class or TGV Indulge seat for a change. After all, whoever said that men don’t like being pampered once in a while?

Here, allow us to introduce you to some interesting Malaysian cinema features to enrich your moviegoing experience!

2. Treat him to a yummy meal at a place you know he’d like

Food – it’s what we Malaysians are famous for. Toss a stone and it’ll land on a cafe, a mamak, or a restaurant. And even if it doesn’t, it’ll probably bounce off a random roof and, yes, you guessed it, land on a cafe, a mamak, or a restaurant. If he’s a foodie, then he’ll love being treated to a meal, be it at a slightly more posh place with a sprawling/unique view (it’s a special occasion after all!) or a casual supper at a 24-hour eatery (let the man “lepak” like a youngster, why not?). Didn’t they say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, anyway? ;)

3. Is he sporty or a fitness junkie? Try keeping up with his pace!

Dads are Dads, but they’re never too old to have a little fun. Sure, it’s pretty darn impressive that for his age, your Dad’s still a gym buff. But present him with a challenge this Father’s Day and see if he’s ready to take it up. If he’s the sporty kind of father, he might love activities such as laser tag, go-karting, a game of paint ball, or a trip to the batting cages. Better yet if he has never tried any of those activities before! Think you can keep up with his pace and his with yours? Try it!

4. A staycation or a picnic for the outdoorsy Dad who needs a break

Does he love gardening/nature? Is he all about the “chillax”, outdoorsy vibe? Then he might love a staycation where he can be “one with nature” or a quiet picnic away from the hustle and bustle of the city. If he’s a working Dad (read: not retired) and he can’t get away from work for too long, then a peace of mind is probably just the doctor ordered. So, how about a picnic to help the #1 man in your life relax? It’s “personalised”, yet inexpensive. We’ve got some beautiful and scenic spots in Klang Valley listed here. For a weekend staycation, bundle him and your Mommy dearest up and head on over to one of these nature-themed getaways in Klang Valley!

5. If he loves a drink or two, introduce him to a cool (but secret) bar

Whether he’d like a gin and tonic or a single malt whisky on the rocks, or a martini (shaken, not stirred), this Father’s Day could be an excellent excuse for you to finally buy your James Bond old man a drink or 2. And you know what? He probably wouldn’t mind. However, some bars in town can be too “young”, rowdy, or noisy for him so perhaps you’d like to take him out to some place quiet where you can actually have a conversation. Oh, you know, to bond and stuff.

And whaddya know? We’ve found some speakeasy bars in Kuala Lumpur that are perfect for the occasion so check ’em out here.

6. Fishing with Dad, because there’s nothing more serene

We know, we know, it’s such a traditional and “boring” activity. But ask a person who loves fishing and they’ll tell you that the activity provides them with time to unwind from the pressures of life and that it’s a great way to “unplug” from daily stress, relax, and simply have fun. In Malaysia, fishing is not limited to only land-based activities. If you’d like, you can even charter a boat and set out to go fishing at the rivers, lakes, mangrove forests, or at sea. This site has a pretty good variety of fishing spots in Malaysia e.g. Port Klang, Sepang, Puchong, Rawang. The things we do for our Dads, eh? ;)

Have a great Father’s Day celebration, you guys! If you have any interesting activities to share with us too, we’re totally open to adding them to the above list. Leave a comment in the comments box below and we’ll see to it.

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


“F.Y.I On Stage with Lunafly” In Malaysia!

We were there during the first of the F.Y.I series which featured one-half of YTF (Victor Kim, Andrew Garcia, JR Aquino). And now, we’re super excited to announce that M.E Malaysia, the good people behind it all, is set to bring K-Pop acoustic band, Lunafly, to Malaysia’s and Indonesia’s shores next month!

Staying true to its mission to introduce and highlight talented, undiscovered artistes, as well as to bring together high-profile social network sensations who have been at the forefront as influential pioneers in New Media with the hope that they’ll inspire young people to pursue and live their dreams,  “F.Y.I On Stage with Lunafly” will be focused on interactions between Lunafly and their fans.

Lunafly debuted in the second half of 2012 and despite not having any broadcast activities, they gained attention for their musical abilities and outstanding live performances as they often performed on the streets when they’re not covering songs on YouTube.

The group further acquainted themselves with the entertainment industry after climbing music charts with their self-composed track, “How Nice It Would Be“:

[youtube id=”9uqmAHuU9Y4″ width=”600″ height=”350”]

Lunafly is all set to lead the next “F.Y.I On Stage” on a more intimate setting and will be performing at a two-hour mini concert. Fans will then be able to experience the full potential of Lunafly’s musical capabilities as the boys will be performing their hit tracks, coupled with new arrangements and acoustic versions of various songs.

Deets of “F.Y.I On Stage with Lunafly” are as follows:

Venue: Yamaha Music Indonesia Auditorium

Ticketing: IDR 550,000 (VIP) & IRD 880,000 (Premium)

Venue: Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus

Ticketing: RM 180.00 (VIP) & RMM280 (Premium)

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

For more information on how to secure your passes, click! To stalk the Lunafly boys, hit up their Facebook page or follow them via their Twitter account.

See you at “F.Y.I On Stage with Lunafly”!


Contest: Win “A Great Big World” Tix + Album!

We know some of you can’t wait another day for 7th August to come sooner. In conjunction with New York pop singer-songwriter duo Ian Axel and Chad Vaccarino aka A Great Big World’s first ever concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (organised by the peeps at The Wonderland+), we’ve got some goodies up for grabs! You didn’t think we’d let this one go without a contest now, did you?

That’s ONE A Great Big World concert ticket worth RM198 (Big Zone) + ONE copy of A Great Big World’s “Is There Anybody Out There?” album per winner.

For your reference, the “Big Zone” seats are as follows:

A great big thanks to our awesome friends from The Wonderland+ for making this happen! Meanwhile, check out this post where we reveal some fun facts you need to know about A Great Big World. Thank us later.

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


Fun Facts: 10 Things You Need To Know About #FindingDory

“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming swimming swimming..”

After more than a decade, Disney-Pixar’s highly anticipated animated comedy adventure film, “Finding Dory“, will finally be released. Oh, you know, the one that was temporarily named “Finding Nemo 2” for years!

“The friendly-but-forgetful Pacific regal blue tang fish, Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), suddenly recalls her childhood memories, remembering something about the jewel of Morro Bay, California. She decides to embark on a quest to reunite with her mother (voiced by Diane Keaton) and father (voiced by Eugene Levy) with help from Nemo and Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks). Dory then arrives at the Monterey Marine Life Institute, where she meets Bailey (voiced by Ty Burrell), a white beluga whale; Destiny (voiced by Kaitlin Olson), a whale shark; and Hank (voiced by Ed O’Neill) an octopus, who becomes her guide. And everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of family along the way.”

Little else is known about “Finding Dory” (trust Disney-Pixar to keep it a pleasant surprise) but we’ve managed to search the interwebs for some fun facts about the film.

Here they are, to best prepare you for the undersea journey:

1. A benchmark has been set – a pretty high one

“Finding Nemo” was the 2nd-highest grossing film for 2003, earning a total of USD921 million worldwide. In fact, it was later named the 10th greatest animated film ever made by the American Film Institute in 2008. It also holds a 99% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes and an average rating of 89 on Metacritic. Famed movie critic Roger Ebert gave the film 4 stars. Will “Finding Dory” live up to or exceed expectations? We’ll soon find out!

2. We love that absent-minded blue fish, yes we do

Perhaps it’s because she’s so silly yet so endearing all at the same time that Dory is the most liked character on Facebook (25 million likes) from any Disney or Pixar film. Her nearest competitor would be none other than her buddy Nemo, who is coming in close at 22 million likes. The only other Disney-related account that has more likes than Dory is the Disney Facebook page itself at 50 million likes. Hmm, let’s see how many more likes Dory will gain after “Finding Dory” is released.

3. The strange gap in the timeline for “Finding Dory”

The storyline for “Finding Dory” takes place 6 months after the events of “Finding Nemo” even though 13 years have passed since the prequel premiered. Why the huge gap? Disney had originally planned to make a “Finding Nemo” sequel without Pixar’s involvement through Circle 7 Animation, a studio Disney announced in 2005 with the intention to make sequels to Pixar properties. However, Circle 7 was shut down by Disney in 2006. It wasn’t until 2012 that news of director Andrew Stanton developing a “Finding Nemo” sequel surfaced. And in April 2013, Disney officially announced the sequel and confirmed that Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks would be reprising their roles as Dory and Marlin, respectively.

4. How do you solve a problem like Dory?

Director Andrew Stanton first for the idea for “Finding dory” when he watched “Finding Nemo” for the first tie in 2010. As he was watching, he wasn’t sure if Dory could ever find Nemo and Marlin again after getting lost. Coupled with the fact that Andrew always knew Dory’s backstory and saw her as a tragic character, this inspired him to tell another story based on just Dory alone. The most difficult part about “Finding Dory” was making Dory a main character and coming up with ways for her to self-reflect, despite having short-term memory loss.

Believe it or not, perfecting “Finding Dory” took a huge chunk of the crew’s time. The storyboarding process for the movie lasted approximately 3 and a half years! But with more female writers on the team this time around, “Finding Dory” has far more female characters than “Finding Nemo”. This is the 3rd Pixar Animation film to have a female as a lead character. The other 2 are “Inside Out” (2015) and “Brave” (2012). Also, “Finding Dory” will very much focus on the mother and daughter relationships aspect between Dory and her mother. So who run the world? ;)

6. They researched & tweaked until they got it right

Nothing can ever be successful and complete without putting in lots of research. The “Finding Dory” creators and crew visited many aquariums to gain insight into how the creatures in their movie should move, interact, and just be in their surroundings so that Dory and her friends would be depicted as accurately as possible. On top of that, the film’s ending was revised after Pixar executives viewed “Blackfish”, a controversial 2013 documentary film which focuses on dangers of keeping orca whales in captivity. Initially, some of the “Finding Dory” characters would end up in a SeaWorld-like marine park, but the revision gave them an option to leave.

7. Not all voice actors from “Finding Nemo” are returning

Characters from “Finding Nemo” including Dory, Marlin and the Tank Gang all return in the sequel but only Dory and Marlin will be voiced by the same actors, Ellen DeGeneres, and Albert Brooks, respectively. Hayden Rolence would voice Nemo, replacing Alexander Gould from the first film, but Alexander Gould will still have a cameo in “Finding Dory”. Oh, also, director Andrew Stanton will reprise his role as Crush, a sea turtle from the first film.

8. Hank was quite a hard character to create

Hank is an ill-tempered octopus who lost a tentacle, causing him to be referred to as a “septopus”, was a lot harder to create than you would imagine. He’s the first kind of animation that Pixar has ever done, and it was a back and forth collaboration between art and animation to get the tentacles just right. It took about a year to create Hank and one shot of Hank along took 6 whole months to make.

9. Just keep singing, just keep singing..or, you know, humming

The “Finding Dory” soundtrack, “Finding Dory: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack”, is composed by renowned American composer Thomas Newman. Thomas was previously honoured with the Richard Kirk award at the 2000 BMI Film and TV Awards, an award given annually to a composer who has made significant contributions to film and television music. “Finding Dory: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” consists of 34 tracks, including Sia’s cover of Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable”.

10. Fans believe that there’s a lesbian couple in the film

When Disney-Pixar released the latest trailer for “Finding Dory” last week, the internet just about flipped. Eagle-eyed fans pointed out that the company could’ve featured their very first onscreen lesbian couple. There is a brief scene where a toddler drops her sippy cup after being knocked over by a baby stroller. One of the 2 women walking by picks up the cup and says, “Poor baby, let me get that for you.” but is shocked to see Hank the Octopus in the baby stroller instead.

A new Pixar short, “Piper”, directed by Alan Barillaro and with music by Adrian Belew, will be shown in theatres before “Finding Dory”. The inspiration for the 6-minute short, about a hungry baby sandpiper learning to overcome hydrophobia, came from less than a mile away from Pixar Studios in Emeryville, California. Veteran Pixar animator and Piper director Alan Barillaro would run alongside the shore and notice birds by the thousands fleeing from the water but returning between waves to eat. The last “Finding Nemo”-related Pixar short was released in 2003, titled, “Exploring the Reef”.

We’ll leave you now with the latest “Finding Dory” trailer. Enjoy:

Directed by Andrew Stanton, who also directed the original film, “Finding Dory” will be released in Malaysia on 16th June 2016.

For more information on “Finding Dory”, visit the movie’s official website or Facebook page.

Sources: POPSUGAR, “Finding Dory” Wiki, Heavy, fanpagelist.com, Entertainment Weekly / Featured image: Disney-Pixar.

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


#FuzeClubKL: EDM “Wizard” Jay Hardway To Headline Public Holiday Eve Special

Drop everything. The wizard is comin’ to town!

Kicking off the party is one of Spinnin’ Records most promising DJ/producer, Jay Hardway (real name Jobke Heiblom), who was recently announced ranking at number 89 on the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs.

He has collaborated with fellow Dutch DJ and current world #1, Martin Garrix, on a few chart-topping hits such as “Wizard”, “Error 404”, and “Registration Code”. “Wizard” is undeniably one of their most successful collaborations to date, becoming an international hit charting in Belgium, France and the Netherlands.

With gigs around the globe and the quick rise of “Wizard”, it’s safe to say that Jay Hardway’s agenda will be a lot busier next year. And his star will keep on rising.

For inquiries and table reservations, please call : +6011-26395797

For more information, hit up Fuze Club KL’s Facebook page.


#NatureRepublic: 5 Alternative Korean Skincare Brands To Purchase Aloe Vera Gels

On Wednesday (21st June 2017), many of us were surprised to find out that Nature Republic (네이처리퍼블릭) Malaysia had closed down. Their Malaysian website is also no longer available.

While fans are clearly distraught over the sudden closure, we’re here to assure you not to panic. Here is a list of 5 other Korean skincare brands in Malaysia where you can purchase aloe vera gels.

Innisfree’s Aloe Revital Soothing Gel prides themselves as being a multi-soothing gel with Jeju chemical-free ingredients. The Aloe Revital Soothing Gel doesn’t just soothe the skin but also strengthens and revitalises the skin barrier with madecassoside. Besides your face, it is also applicable to your arms and legs.

Remember the saying, “You are what you eat”? The skincare company believes that healthy skin begins with food. Food ingredients such as lettuce, cucumber, fresh apples, gold caviar, avocado, black pomegranate, egg white, avocado, tomato, and royal honey are used to restore beauty and wellness to your skin. And yes, aloe vera too.

The Face Shop aren’t just famous for their cosmetics, perfumes, and nail polishes. Costumers also flock to their store for their skincare products. In comparison to the other products on this list, their Fresh Soothing Gel is most similar to Nature Republic’s aloe vera gel.

Less than 2 years ago, Mishha opened its first store in Sunway Pyramid. Much to the delight of locals, Missha’s product packaging is more sophisticated. Their aloe vera options come in the form of soothing gel as well as sheet masks.

Holika Holika is another favourite among aloe vera lovers. Their products are not purely aloe as it also includes watermelon, cucumber, and corn extracts. Many customers have recommended their Soothing Gel for soothing their skin against sun burns and sun exposure.

Source: Discover KL / Featured image: This Little Miss Blogs.


CONTEST: “That Winter, The Wind Blows” Merch

Fans of popular Korean drama series, “That Winter, The Wind Blows“, rejoice! Because our friends from ONE HD are rewarding Hype Malaysia’s readers with exclusive “That Winter, The Wind Blows” merchandise.

Want to take home a set of these (cushion, snowflake-shaped notepad, tumbler, engraved metal tags)?:

We’ve got 10 sets in total to giveaway to 10 of our lucky readers! All you have to do is tell us:

E-mail your answers to submit@hype.my. Oh, and good luck!

Meanwhile, don’t forget to check out our interview with “That Winter, The Wind Blows” star Zo In Sung! Video coverage of his meet-and-greet session at Paradigm Mall included. “That Winter, The Wind Blows” airs in dual sound on Saturdays and Sundays at 3:15pm on ONE/ONE HD.

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


#Luhan: Spotted In Beijing For The First Time Since Lawsuit

Luhan, who is currently in a lawsuit to nullify his contract with SM Entertainment and leave EXO, was recently spotted at a cafe in Beijing.

On 23rd Oct, Chinese media outlet Sina wrote:

Luhan made an appearance for the first time since submitting a lawsuit against SM Entertainment for the nullification of his exclusive contract Luhan looked to be in a very high-spirited and lighthearted mood. After getting the drink he ordered, Luhan did not stick around in the store, but went straight for the store exit.

The paparazzi pictures show Luhan dressed comfortably in a hat and sneakers.

EXO fans will probably find it hard to catch glimpses of Luhan considering the circumstances, but we’re really glad Luhan got time off, is doing well, and recovering properly!


Fans Are Not Happy That “Fast & Furious 9” Allegedly Including Paul Walker

“The Fast and The Furious”, a series about fast cars and crazy actions scenes has been a beloved franchise, as evident by their 8-film run with them set to return with a 9th.

But as much as we enjoy their over the top set pieces, we also came to love the cast in it. And few is as synonymous with the series than, Paul Walker. So much so, that he’s set to appear in the latest film, despite being dead for 6 years.

The actor in questioned, aged 40, tragically died in a car accident back in 2013. Resulting in a major script change for “Furious 7”. The studio even went as far as bringing in his brothers, Cody and Caleb Walker, to finish up the rest of the movie scenes, with the help of CGI.

This lead to the iconic ending of “Furious 7”, with many feeling like it was a fitting send off for the actor from the series. However, studio executives apparently have other ideas. As Ladbible revealed, a source close to the casting department are looking for a double for the decease actor.

The news was then picked up by Twitter user Daniel Richtman, who then shared the story to his 78.6k followers. This resulted in many fans of the actor and the series getting outrage, despite the news being unconfirmed.

It's been long enough. They are bringing back Paul Walker's character, Brian, to FF9. https://t.co/320dprmC1S

— Daniel Richtman #BlackLivesMatter (@DanielRPK) November 14, 2019

One displeased fan wrote, “This is not only unnecessary but absolutely distasteful and disgraceful.”

“Completely undermining the ending of Fast 7 and Paul himself. Disgraceful,” another user commented.

A follower also commented, “No, Paul’s character Brian had a beautiful sendoff that doesn’t need to be used to gain more money from. It gave us a sense of closure and finality to his and Jordana’s respective characters.”

Cody previously opened up on reprising Paul’s character, after he helped finished filming “Fruious 7”. Speaking to Metro, he left the door open for his return stating that “anything is possible” with the series.

The new installment titled “Fast And Furious 9”, has already finished filming ealier this month. And is set to release in cinemas on 21st May 2020.

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