#DWTManchester: First Victim Of Manchester Arena Attack Named As Georgina Callander

Multiple news outlets have now revealed the name of the first victim of the Ariana Grande concert attack in Manchester: 16-year-old Georgina Callander.

Information about Georgina is still scarce as at time of writing, but from what little information that has surfaced, she appears to be an Ariana Grande super fan.

Georgina was one of the 22 people killed when an attacker detonated an explosive device at the end of Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman Tour in Manchester Arena. According to her friends, she was one of the first people rushed to the hospital after the attack, but she died with her mother at her beside.

She was one of the few lucky fans who had the opportunity to meet Ariana Grande through a meet and greet at the pop star’s previous tour. Prior to Ariana Grande’s Manchester Arena concert, Georgina tweeted to the singer, “SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU TOMORROW“.

— gina 🥀 today! (@emiliesatwell) May 21, 2017

Her friends have since taken to Twitter to pay tribute to Georgina. “To my beautiful best friend I hope you rest in peace my darling ?  I love you so much and will always miss you,” one wrote.

“I am in shock that such an amazing night could end so horrendously, nobody should ever have to worry about not leaving a concert, of all things, safe. My heart goes out to all those who lost friends and family last night. I love you so much Gina, you always lit up the room (and groupchat) and we are all so lucky to have ever had a friend like you,” another said.

Manchester is just waking up to the horrible news and it is truly a senseless tragedy. It shouldn’t have to happen to anyone, what more kids. Concerts are supposed to be a safe place – their safe place.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected.

Source: news.com.au, Evening Standard, Mirror / Featured image: Georgina Callander’s Instagram.


Boy Spends Thousands On Candy Crush Saga, Shocks Dad

Dun dun dun. One popular viral game app has since claimed its first young, non-income-earning victim. Or so a Singaporean dad has told Singaporean daily, The New Paper over the weekend. In fact, he had no qualms saying that he got the “blardy shock of his life” when he looked at his credit card bill for March 2013.

Apparently, his 14-year-old son had spent SGD4,300 on Candy Crush Saga. SGD4,300 (RM10,719)! Yes, the chart-topping game is free and it has attracted millions of daily players but it’s not really, really free, if you know what we mean.

The 50-year-old Mr. Cheong, who works as a store sales manager, found out in the (financially) hard way. He complained:

My son told me that the app is free to download, but I’ve since found out that there are “hidden costs” because the game asks users to purchase “boosts” to progress or complete the game. SGD4,300! I don’t even earn that kind of money in a month!

This is not the first time but in the past, he usually spent less than $100 playing other games. I was okay with that and so, when he asked me for the password to his iTunes account, which is tagged to my credit card, I gave it to him. I was also too lazy and didn’t want him to message or call me each time he wanted to log on to the account.

Don’t trust a teenager with a credit-card-linked iTunes account, sir. That’s all we have to say.

“Deliciously sweet fun?”. We beg to differ.

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KFC Spends RM2 Million To Promote Korean Noms

Now, look what the Hallyu wave (aka Korean wave) has gone and done. You might’ve already heard that KFC Malaysia is currently busy promoting their “Spicy Korean Crunch” chicken and the “Spicy Korean Burger”.

The “Spicy Korean Burger” (an extension of the “Spicy Korean Crunch”) features a unique marinade made from the blend of seven chilies from around the world, and drizzled with a special spicy glaze before serving. Judging from the ad, it is mainly targeted at youths. Or rather, K-Pop fans:

[youtube id=”Y-3YgoAOImM” width=”600″ height=”350″]

At the “Spicy Korean Burger” launch yesterday, Datuk Ahmad Zaki Zahid, MD of QSR Brands (M) Holdings Sdn Bhd said, “It’s a great product and we are very happy as sales have been very encouraging. In the current lifestyle, the youth is regarded as the grab-and-go community. They come and grab a burger, then go. We hope that this product will be well regarded and received by the consumers”.

Perhaps the biggest bombshell from KFC Malaysia’s sizzling promo is the fact that they’re spending a whopping total of RM2 million to promote both the “Spicy Korean Crunch” chicken and the “Spicy Korean Burger”. What? Yes.

The KFC “Spicy Korean Burger” is available at all outlets nationwide over the next two months.

Note: KFC Malaysia is also teaching people how to do the “Gwiyomi”. For real. Click!

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


Contest: “Transformers: Age of Extinction” Merch Giveaway

It’s Friday and you know what that means? Awesome contest time, that’s what!

In conjunction with the upcoming release of “Transformers: Age of Extinction”, we’re giving away some limited edition merchandise. We don’t know about you but if we had it our way, we’d definitely want to keep these for ourselves because, well, are they awesome or are they awesome?

How to snag ’em? Easy! Check out this post of ours and answer these following questions:

E-mail your answers by 27th June (Friday) to submit@hype.my.

Of course, this was all only made possible by our friends from United International Pictures Malaysia so big thanks to them for making this awesomeness happen!

And remember, “Transformers: Age of Extinction” opens nationwide on 26th June (Thursday).

Psst. Don’t forget to check out the official soundtrack single, “Battle Cry” by Imagine Dragons on iTunes or Spotify!

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

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#GRAMMYs2017: Adele Wins Big With 5 Awards; Full Winners List

The 59th Annual Grammy Awards ended with a bang a couple of hours ago at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California and as expected, Adele took home 5 top awards: “Album Of The Year”, “Record Of The Year”, “Song Of The Year”, “Best Pop Vocal Album”, and “Best Pop Solo Performance”. In her touching speech, she dedicated the “Album Of The Year” award to Beyoncé, who received 9 nods this year, calling the “Lemonade” singer the “artiste of her life”.

While Beyoncé cinched “Best Music Video” and “Best Urban Contemporary Album”, Chance The Rapper (real name Chancellor Johnathan Bennett) took home “Best New Artiste”. Also, during Adele’s tribute to the late George Michael, she made a mistake and asked to restart the song.

Without further ado, here are the winners of the awards:

WINNER: 25 — Adele
Lemonade — Beyoncé
Purpose — Justin Bieber
Views — Drake
A Sailor’s Guide To Earth — Sturgill Simpson

WINNER: “Hello” — Adele
“Formation” — Beyoncé
“7 Years” — Lukas Graham
“Work” — Rihanna Featuring Drake
“Stressed Out” — Twenty One Pilots

“Formation” — Khalif Brown, Asheton Hogan, Beyoncé Knowles & Michael L. Williams II, songwriters (Beyoncé)
WINNER: “Hello” — Adele Adkins & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Adele)
“I Took A Pill In Ibiza” — Mike Posner, songwriter (Mike Posner)
“Love Yourself” — Justin Bieber, Benjamin Levin & Ed Sheeran, songwriters (Justin Bieber)
“7 Years” — Lukas Forchhammer, Stefan Forrest, Morten Pilegaard & Morten Ristorp, songwriters (Lukas Graham)

Kelsea Ballerini
The Chainsmokers
WINNER: Chance The Rapper
Maren Morris
Anderson .Paak

“Closer” — The Chainsmokers Featuring Halsey
“7 Years” — Lukas Graham
“Work” — Rihanna Featuring Drake
“Cheap Thrills” — Sia Featuring Sean Paul
WINNER: “Stressed Out” — Twenty One Pilots

WINNER: 25 — Adele
Purpose — Justin Bieber
Dangerous Woman — Ariana Grande
Confident — Demi Lovato
This Is Acting — Sia

WINNER: “Hello” — Adele
“Hold Up” — Beyonce
“Love Yourself” — Justin Bieber
“Piece By Piece (Idol Version)” — Kelly Clarkson
“Dangerous Woman” — Ariana Grande

Cinema — Andrea Bocelli
Fallen Angels — Bob Dylan
Stages Live — Josh Groban
WINNER: Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin — Willie Nelson
Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway — Barbra Streisand

“Tearing Me Up” — Bob Moses
WINNER: “Don’t Let Me Down” — The Chainsmokers featuring Daya
“Never Be Like You” — Flume featuring Kai
“Rinse & Repeat” — Riton featuring Kah-Lo
“Drinkee” — Sofi Tukker

WINNER: Skin — Flume
Electronica 1: The Time Machine — Jean-Michel Jarre
Epoch — Tycho
Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future — Underworld
Louie Vega Starring…XXVIII — Louie Vega

Human Nature — Herb Alpert
When You Wish Upon a Star — Bill Frisell
Way Back Home: Live From Rochester, NY — Steve Gadd Band
Unpsoken — Chuck Loeb
WINNER: Culcha Vulcha  — Snarky Puppy

WINNER: “Blackstar” — David Bowie, songwriter (David Bowie)
“Burn the Witch”  —Radiohead, songwriters (Radiohead)
“Hardwired” — James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich, songwriters (Metallica)
“Heathens” — Tyler Joseph, songwriter (Twenty One Pilots)
“My Name Is Human” — Rich Meyer, Ryan Meyer & Johnny Stevens, songwriters (Highly Suspect)

“Joe (Live From Austin City Limits)” — Alabama Shakes
“Don’t Hurt Yourself” — Beyoncé Featuring Jack White
WINNER: “Blackstar” — David Bowie
“The Sound Of Silence” — Disturbed
“Heathens” — Twenty One Pilots

“Shock Me” — Baroness
“Slivera” — Gojira
“Rotting in Vain” — Korn
WINNER: “Dystopia” — Megadeth
“The Price Is Wrong” — Periphery

California — Blink-182
WINNER: Tell Me I’m Pretty — Cage The Elephant
Magma — Gojira
Death Of A Bachelor — Panic! At The Disco
Weezer — Weezer

22, A Million — Bon Iver
WINNER: Blackstar — David Bowie
The Hope Six Demolition Project — PJ Harvey
Post Pop Depression — Iggy Pop
A Moon Shaped Pool — Radiohead

WINNER: Lemonade — Beyoncé
Ology — Gallant
We Are King — KING
Malibu — Anderson .Paak
Anti — Rihanna

“Turnin’ Me Up” — BJ The Chicago Kid
“Permission” — Ro James
“I Do” — Musiq Soulchild
“Needed Me” — Rihanna
WINNER: “Cranes in the Sky” — Solange

“The Three Of Me” — William Bell
“Woman’s World” — BJ The Chicago Kid
“Sleeping With The One I Love” — Fantasia
WINNER: “Angel” — Lalah Hathaway
“Can’t Wait” — Jill Scott

“Come and See Me” — J. Brathwaite, Aubrey Graham & Noah Shebib, songwriters (PartyNextDoor Featuring Drake)
“Exchange” — Michael Hernandez & Bryson Tiller, songwriters (Bryson Tiller)
“Kiss It Better” — Jeff Bhasker, Robyn Fenty, John-Nathan Glass & Natalia Noemi, songwriters (Rihanna)
WINNER: “Lake By the Ocean” — Hod David & Musze, songwriters (Maxwell)
“Luv” — Magnus August Høiberg, Benjamin Levin & Daystar Peterson, songwriters (Tory Lanez)

In My Mind — BJ The Chicago Kid
WINNER: Lalah Hathaway Live — Lalah Hathaway
Velvet Portraits — Terrace Martin
Healing Season — Mint Condition
Smoove Jones — Mya

Best Rap Album
WINNER: Coloring Book — Chance The Rapper
And the Anonymous Nobody — De La Soul
Major Key — DJ Khaled
Views — Drake
Blank Face LP — ScHoolboy Q
The Life of Pablo — Kanye West

WINNER: “No Problem” — Chance the Rapper Featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz
“Panda” —Desiigner
“Pop Style” — Drake Featuring The Throne
“All The Way Up” — Fat Joe & Remy Ma Featuring French Montana & Infared
“That Part” — ScHoolboy Q Featuring Kanye West

“Freedom” — Beyoncé Featuring Kendrick Lamar
WINNER: “Hotline Bling” — Drake
“Broccoli” — D.R.A.M. Featuring Lil Yachty
“Ultralight Beam” — Kanye West Featuring Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream
“Famous” — Kanye West Featuring Rihanna

“All The Way Up” — Joseph Cartagena, Edward Davadi, Shandel Green, Karim Kharbouch, Andre Christopher Lyon, Reminisce Mackie & Marcello Valenzano, songwriters (Fat Joe & Remy Ma Featuring French Montana & Infared)
“Famous” — Chancelor Bennett, Ross Birchard, Ernest Brown, Andrew Dawson, Kasseem Dean, Mike Dean, Noah Goldstein, Kejuan Muchita, Patrick Reynolds, Kanye West & Cydel Young, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring Rihanna)
“Hotline Bling” — Aubrey Graham & Paul Jefferies, songwriters (Drake)
“No Problem” — Chancelor Bennett, Dwayne Carter & Tauheed Epps, songwriters (Chance The Rapper Featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz)
“Ultralight Beam” — Chancelor Bennett, Kasseem Dean, Mike Dean, Kirk Franklin, Noah Goldstein, Samuel Griesemer, Terius Nash, Jerome Potter, Kelly Price, Nico “Donnie Trumpet” Segal, Derek Watkins, Kanye West & Cydel Young, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring Chance The Rapper, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin & The-Dream)

“Love Can Go To Hell” — Brandy Clark
“Vice” — Miranda Lambert
WINNER: “My Church” — Maren Morris
“Church Bells” — Carrie Underwood
“Blue Ain’t Your Color” — Keith Urban

“Different for Girls” — Dierks Bentley Featuring Elle King
“21 Summer” — Brothers Osborne
“Setting The World On Fire” — Kenny Chesney & P!nk
WINNER: “Jolene” — Pentatonix Featuring Dolly Parton
“Think Of You” — Chris Young With Cassadee Pope

“Blue Ain’t Your Color” — Clint Lagerberg, Hillary Lindsey & Steven Lee Olsen, songwriters (Keith Urban)
“Die A Happy Man” — Sean Douglas, Thomas Rhett & Joe Spargur, songwriters (Thomas Rhett)
WINNER: “Humble and Kind” — Lori McKenna, songwriter (Tim McGraw)
“My Church” — busbee & Maren Morris, songwriters (Maren Morris)
“Vice” — Miranda Lambert, Shane McAnally & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)

Big Day in a Small Town — Brandy Clark
Full Circle — Loretta Lynn
Hero — Maren Morris
WINNER: A Sailor’s Guide to Earth — Sturgill Simpson
Ripcord — Keith Urban

Orogen — John Burke
Dark Sky Island — Enya
Inner Passion — Peter Kater & Tina Guo
Rosetta — Vangelis
WINNER: White Sun II — White Sun

WINNER: Un Besito Mas — Jesse & Joy
Ilusión — Gaby Moreno
Similares — Laura Pausini
Seguir Latiendo — Sanalejo
Buena Vida — Diego Torres

Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album

WINNER: iLevitable — ile
L.H.O.N. (La Humanidad O Nosotros) — Illya Kuryaki & The Valderamas
Buenaventura — La Santa Cecilia
Los Rakas — Los Rakas
Amor Supremo — Carla Morrison

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)

Raíces — Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga
Hecho A Mano — Joss Favela
WINNER: Un Azteca En El Azteca, Vol. 1 (En Vivo) — Vicente Fernández
Generación Maquinaria Est. 2006  — La Maquinaria Norteña
Tributo A Joan Sebastian Y Rigoberto Alfaro — Mariachi Divas De Cindy Shea

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media

Amy — (Various Artistes)
WINNER: Miles Ahead — Miles Davis & Various Artistes)
Straight Outta Compton — (Various Artistes)
Suicide Squad (Collector’s Edition) — (Various Artistes)
Vinyl: The Essentials Season 1 — (Various Artistes)

Bridge of Spies — Thomas Newman, composer
Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight — Ennio Morricone, composer
The Revenant — Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto, composers
WINNER: Star Wars: The Force Awakens — John Williams, composer
Stranger Things Volume 1 — Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein, composers
Stranger Things Volume 2 — Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein, composers

WINNER: “Can’t Stop The Feeling!” — Max Martin, Shellback & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Gwen Stefani, James Corden, Zooey Deschanel, Walt Dohrn, Ron Funches, Caroline Hjelt, Aino Jawo, Christopher Mintz-Plasse & Kunal Nayyar), Track from: Trolls
“Heathens” — Tyler Joseph, songwriter (Twenty One Pilots), Track from: Suicide Squad
“Just Like Fire” — Oscar Holter, Max Martin, P!nk & Shellback, songwriters (P!nk), Track from: Alice Through The Looking Glass
“Purple Lamborghini” — Shamann Cooke, Sonny Moore & William Roberts, songwriters (Skrillex & Rick Ross), Track from: Suicide Squad
“Try Everything” — Mikkel S. Eriksen, Sia Furler & Tor Erik Hermansen, songwriters (Shakira), Track from: Zootopia
“The Veil” — Peter Gabriel, songwriter (Peter Gabriel), Track from: Snowden

“Bridge of Spies (End Title)” — Thomas Newman, composer (Thomas Newman)
“The Expensive Train Set (An Epic Sarahnade For Big Band)” — Tim Davies, composer (Tim Davies Big Band)
“Flow” — Alan Ferber, composer (Alan Ferber Nonet)
“L’Ultima Diligenza Di Red Rock – Verisione Integrale” — Ennio Morricone, composer (Ennio Morricone)
WINNER: “Spoken At Midnight” — Ted Nash, composer (Ted Nash Big Band)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

“Ask Me Now” — John Beasley, arranger (John Beasley)
“Good ‘Swing’ Wenceslas” — Sammy Nestico, arranger (The Count Basie Orchestra)
“Linus & Lucy” — Christian Jacob, arranger (The Phil Norman Tentet)
“Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” — John Daversa, arranger (John Daversa)
“We Three Kings” — Ted Nash, arranger (Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra With Wynton Marsalis)
WINNER: “You and I” — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

“Do You Hear What I Hear?” — Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band Featuring Take 6)
“Do You Want To Know A Secret” — John Daversa, arranger (John Daversa Featuring Renee Olstead)
WINNER: “Flintstones” — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)
“I’m A Fool To Want You” — Alan Broadbent, arranger (Kristin Chenoweth)
“Somewhere (Dirty Blvd) (Extended Version)” — Billy Childs & Larry Klein, arrangers (Lang Lang Featuring Lisa Fischer & Jeffrey Wright)

WINNER: “Formation” — Beyoncé
“River” — Leon Bridges
“Up & Up” — Coldplay
“Gosh” — Jamie XX
“Upside Down & Inside Out” — OK Go

I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead — Steve Aoki
WINNER: The Beatles: Eight Days A Week The Touring Years — (The Beatles)
Lemonade — Beyoncé
The Music Of Strangers — Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble
American Saturday Night: Live From The Grand Ole Opry — (Various Artistes)

For a complete list of winners in all categories, visit the GRAMMYs’ official website.

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ArtScience Museum: What To Look Out For At Future World & Art From The Streets

Notice the 10 “fingers” that is reminiscent of the lotus flower? Well, how can you not? The iconic architecture is one of the first things you notice when approaching Marina Bay Sands.

Referred to as “The Welcoming Hand of Singapore”, it is the world’s first ArtScience Museum that debuted in 2011. Inside this building is a host of gallery spaces that explores creative processes at the heart of art, science, technology, and culture, and their influence on society over the years. Recently, we were invited to get a first-hand experience on some of these exhibitions, namely Future World and Art From The Streets.

Future World is a combination of arts and science in the most spectacular ways. Like its name suggests, this 1,500 square metre place makes you feel like you’ve been transported into a futuristic world of high-tech interactive artworks. Co-curated with award-winning Tokyo-based art collective teamLab, Future World has since expanded up to 16 interactive art installations that are divided into 4 central themes – Nature, Town, Park, and Space.

The adventure begins through Nature. Here visitors might be inspired to ponder and reflect the relationship humans have with the natural world. The first stop is a mouthful. “Crows are Chased and the Chasing Crows are destined to be Chased as well, Transcending Space” depicts the creation of life. The subject is a three-legged crow (Yatagarasu) that is believed to be the embodiment of the Sun from the Japanese mythology.

The second gallery is the Nature section is “Black Waves”. The juxtaposition of traditional Japanese art and contemporary scientific data results in a movement that gives the impression as though the water itself is alive. Take a few short minutes and imagine yourself in a zen environment, moving with the waves and becoming part of the water.

In between the Nature and Town sections is “Sliding through the Fruit Field”. It’s a newly-designed slide that allows kids to glide down the colourful slope. As your body come in contact with slide, the energy will be “transferred” into the Fruit Field and you’ll get to witness fruits and flowers bloom and grow.

6 of teamLab’s projects are located here. Town is an urban setting that encourages family bonding between parents and kids. The main objective is to engage children in learning through play. How fun!

After experiencing the hustle and bustle of the urban areas in Town, get invigorated by nature and recreational play in Park. The parks in this section take on forms like nature preserves and recreational activities to bring ourselves closer to nature.

Crystal Universe is easily one of the most Insta-worthy in Future World. Upon entering the exhibit housing infinite number of light particles, it’ll feel as though you’ve been enveloped and transported into a dreamworld. Over 170,000 LED lights inside this domain gives the illusion of stars moving in space.

Describing it in mere words won’t do it justice, one has to visit ArtScience Museum in order to immerse in the full experience.

Do street arts only belong in the streets? Originated from the streets with the intention to be heard and seen, artists would create graffiti and tongue-in-cheek artworks as a form of expression or to make a statement. Last month, ArtScience Museum’s new exhibition, Art From The Streets was launch.

Curated by street art expert Magda Danysz, Art From The Streets seeks to showcase street art in a new light in today’s contemporary art world. Organised into 6 themed sections, visitors will get to see the different facets of street art and how it has evolved to become “acceptable” in the mainstream movement.

Here, you will get to view some of the most renowned artists in the field, such as Banksy, Shepard Fairey (Obey), Futura, Invader, JR, Blek le Rat, and Vhils. Of course, if we’re going to talk about the revolutionary artworks by the greats from yesteryears, we need to shine the spotlight on the 10 newer talents as well – which is what we really want to highlight.

The 10 prominent street artists that were invited to create new site-specific artworks for Art From The Streets are:

It’s hard to miss the McDonald’s sign when you’re in the exhibition. Using art as a way for protest was Zevs’ way of speaking against the McDonaldisation of society. As you can see from his liquidated icons series, Zevs targets famous advertising companies by melting or liquifying the corporate logos.

Inspired by Futura, Remi Rough is well-known for his minimalism and abstractive style. The Brit’s geometric mural, “Concise”, is actually a contemporary continuation from his previous graffiti work. He tends to respond to destruction and would paint on walls where there have been obstruction. Fun fact: he knows Banksy personally. How cool is that?

You can also find his art in Sinapore’s Little India.

As the youngest artist to create an on-site artwork for Art From The Streets, Felipe Pantone has been working on his craft since he was 12. The avant-garde “Chromadynamica” signifies the current digital age where everything happens instantaneously. Pantone was able to beat Remi Rough in a friendly competition during their time together. Like his peer, Pantone was also one of the three artists commissioned to create another mural in Singapore.

At first glance, Sheryo and Yok’s “Outlaws of Style” looks like it has a Chinese New Year feel to it thanks to the bright red colour. Lighthearted and fun, the duo from Singapore (now based in Brooklyn) had a whimsical approach to their storytelling. In a post-apocalyptic Singapore, we see animals taking over the city (and coexisting with vehicles).

Inspired by Monet’s “Nympheas”, Ludo tackles current issues by drawing attention to the contrast between organic imagery and technological elements. As you can see, the module is placed on lotus flowers to demonstrate how the city is crushing nature.

In “M-city 1011”, M-City (a.k.a. Mariusz Waras) draws parallels between the shipyards of his hometown (Gdansk) and the Port of Singapore. His detailing in piecing together hundreds of stencils to form an imagined cityscape is pretty remarkable.

What’s unique about “Gigamesh: The Quest for Immortality” is Tarek Benaoum’s extraordinary mastery of calligraffiti (combining graffiti with calligraphy). Completed within one-and-a-half days, the Arabic script was even painted meticulously directly on the wall. Another interesting thing to note is the gold leaf material used; it’s to showcase that work itself is fleeting.

In addition to his commission to do a large-scale artwork on a public bus, Speak Cryptic (or Farizwan Fajari)’s “A State of Decline” follows his ongoing series on heartbreak. Using his experience as a Malay growing up in Singapore, the tribe of people are seen with their eyes close (as a form of introspective), standing in front of the Substation.

Share, Peace, and Love are some of the words that be spotted easily on Eko Nguroho’s “Garden Full of Blooming Democracy”. The artist from Yogyakarta uses the presence of positivity to depict his garden that reflects the current demographic in Indonesia.

YZ – pronounced “eyes” – have often painted portrayals of women from history. For “Empress Ngatini”, we see the emphasis in the headgear and accessories that represents women of different ethnicities. Many of the items on this art were recycled from trash, while the necklace was made suing bicycle tyres. The object? To implore us to reuse what we have created and be conscious of our environment.

As amazing and dynamic these artworks are, they will only be available in Art From The Streets until 3rd June 2018. That means you have 5 more months to check these creations out before they will be erased forever.

When we think of treasures, money and gold usually come to mind. But the real treasures are actually scientific specimens and animals from the natural world. Inside this exhibition (available till 29th April 2018), you can unlock answers to the rich history of discoveries from famous naturalists such as Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallace.

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(UPDATE) #ToyStory Special: “That Time Forgot” To Introduce New Cool Characters!

Oh look! Our beloved Pixar toys are back!

But before we begin, we’ve gotta say that these brand new characters from the upcoming Pixar “Toy Story” holiday special are going to be the most epic action figures we have ever seen. What, you don’t believe us?

If the above characters look incredibly familiar to you, well, that’s because the poster was drawn by iconic comic artist Mike Mignola (who also illustrated “Hellboy”)! The poster for the film was released before the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) and the comic-con panel will be giving away posters to fans who attend the convention.

It has been confirmed that ABC’s holiday special for Pixar’s “Toy Story” franchise is going to take us down memory lane this Christmas. The “Toy Story” holiday special will retain its recurring characters, such as Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen) and Woody (Tom Hanks).

Together with the “old gang”, the toys will embark on a new journey. And perhaps get up to some measure of mischief. When the gang accidentally sets foot in an uncharted territory, the film will introduce the new set awesome characters, led by Reptillus Maximus (voiced by Grey’s Anatomy star Kevin McKidd).

Apparently, these new action-figures-looking characters will pose as a threat to the gang. However, as plastic as action figures are, they will have absolutely zero knowledge about their origins. In fact, Toy Story’s alumni prehistoric characters e.g. Kristen Schaal’s Trixie and Wallace Shawn’s Rex, will confuse them even further.

Quite an interesting storyline, don’t you think? Too bad we are missing out all these cool stuff but now we totally don’t mind watching the re-run of Toy Story trilogy!

Now that you’ve seen the tease trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens“, it’s time to calm down your beating heart or get excited again with the new trailer for Pixar “Toy Story” holiday special, “Toy Store: That Time Forgot”.

The trailer which made its debut on ABC has given us a better look at the new action figures that will be featured in the holiday special From the gang of dinosaurs to the cute cuddly penguin, “Toy Story: That Time Forget” has everything we want to watch as kids!

What do you think? Do you like it? Share your thoughts in the comments box below! ;)


Violinist David Garrett’s “Music” Rocks Us

Taking a break from the average mainstream tunes, we picked up a copy of David Garrett’s “Music”.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with David Garrett, he’s a musical prodigy who started playing the violin at the tender age of four. At the age of 13, he became the youngest artiste to be an awarded an exclusive contract with the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft (a German classical record label). Since then, it has been a nonstop journey for the violinist.

Sure, with hair like that, he fits the role of a rock star more than anything else but wait till you see him break out his skills while playing Beethoven’s violin concerto.

As a solo classical artiste in the day and age, the challenge is to not only appeal to people beyond the niche market, but also to stay relevant to the ever evolving industry. 31-year-old David already had the musical proficiency – he just needed to dish it out where it matters more.

So it didn’t surprise us when he recorded “Music”:

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Said to be a “classic and crossover” album, David obviously dished it out where it matters most because from the song listing alone, it appears that he has successfully combined different genres and eras without compromising his personal musical style:

Because some of these songs are covers from the current day artistes (read: Coldplay, Justin Timberlake, Queen), they need no introduction. We do beg you to check out his interpretations of these songs though. David’s string arrangements of these radio hits are amazing, if not phenomenal. We could listen to him all day.

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Classical music will always be in my blood. I never stopped playing classical music. But when you become really accomplished on the violin, and you can play the technical stuff from Paganini onwards, you can literally do anything. It’s just a matter of what you really want to do with music.

David Garrett’s epic classical + pop mash up album is out now at a music store near you. Needless to say, we highly recommend it.

For more information, visit his official website or check out his YouTube channel.

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The Artistic Side Of Selangor: Art Site 7, Shah Alam #LorongBelakang

Calling all visual and art enthusiasts! We’ve discovered a new inspiration hub for you and it is possibly the most artistic spot we have ever seen in Selangor! Allow us to introduce you one of the most creative art streets in Malaysia, Laman Seni 7 (Art Site 7)!

Street art is slowly becoming a positive trend here in Malaysia as more and more street arts and 3D paintings can be seen in the malls or on the streets. Although the one with the longest history is the graffiti street between Chinatown and Masjid Jamek, it failed to become a tourist spot as it was located beside a river. However, ever since the young Lithuania-born artist Ernest Zacharevic made headlines with his mural art in Malaysia, KL’s art scene is slowly gaining the much needed exposure and thus, encouraged the youth’s creative movement.

Since 2013, Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) has been running the clean zone programme and courageously developing back alleys. One of the boldest yet most creative moves they’ve made was by transforming the Prima Dua food court (behind the the business park) in Section 2 into a total art site.

The art project is a collaboration between MBSA, Bank Muamalat and UiTM students and it is known as “THE STREET ART PROJECT NO 0.2 (Laman Seni 2)”. The art site exhibited a number of art projects by UiTM students and the site has received nothing but praises from visitors for its brilliant creativity.

Continued from Laman Seni 2, MBSA launched another art project Laman Seni 7 at Jalan Plumbum Q7 again with the help of Bank Muamalat and all the artists involved. Similar to the previous project in Section 2, this project aimed to be the focal point for the youth to express their talents and improve the community.

During the Art Site 7 Opening Ceremony, the Shah Alam Mayor Datuk Mohd Jaafar Mohd Atan said that the art site is an effort to change the negative perception towards the back alleys as back alleys are usually deemed as disgusting and unhygienic by both locals and tourists:

“If we can do this at all 12 local authorities, we will be able to reduce the cost of solid waste management and public cleaning. In fact, the savings can be returned to the community in projects such as this.”

Besides that, the art site aims to create a comfortable and safe location for the citizens and to become a new tourist spot for everyone. It involves an area of 206 metres and 56 owners of business premises at commercial centre. Through Art Site 7, the murals selected are offered cash prizes up to RM71,000 and they are divided into four categories – 3D Painting, 3D Installation, Street Furniture, and Painting On Site. The mural concept is expected to have a theme of Shah Alam, tourist attractions, and greenery.

So far, there is no entrance fee to visit the art site as everyone is allowed to visit the site at any time of the day. It can also be used as a location for any beneficial activities such as basking performances and handicraft sales. To give you a better idea, check out this gallery of pics:

While visitors bear the responsibilities of keeping this place clean as it is part of the “clean zone programme”, we just can’t wait to visit the art sites. Don’t you think it’d be a perfect artsy presentation on your Instagram feed too?

Special thanks to Azuan Zahdi for sharing the wonderful photos of Laman Seni 7 and you can check out some other photos he took in his blog too!


Hunting For Children With Past Lives (Reincarnation)

Producers Joke Fincioen and Biagio Messina, who are married to each other, are holding a nationwide casting call for children who claim to have or have had past life memories (read: reincarnation) for a new reality TV series, “Ghost Inside My Child”. We know, it’s a little creepy yet mysteriously intriguing, huh? You’d be more surprised to learn that the idea actually came to them when they were expecting!

The pilot episode of the series aired a few months ago, with three kids who had gone through various steps of recovering memories of their alleged past lives. Their most memorable kid “talent” to date is two-year-old James Leininger.

Apparently, James started having terrifying nightmares of his death. Ultimately, the family came to believe that he was the reincarnation of James Huston, a fighter pilot who died in World War II at Iwo Jima. To top it all off, the boy also knew the name of James Huston’s ship (the Natoma Bay), as well as the names of his shipmates.

The James Leininger/James Huston episode has haunted Joke Fincioen and Biagio Messina until now. Nevermind them, even we are getting goose bumps from this! But it hasn’t stopped them from being fascinated by small children remembering details about a lie they should know nothing about.

They’re currently looking for more families with kids who have inexplicable memories and experiences of another life. People interested in participating can send their story to info@dltcasting.com or call (323) 410-0271.

“Ghost Inside My Child” is scheduled to air on the Bio Channel later this year.

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mmCineplexes: A Cinematic Experience Like No Other At MesaMall, Nilai

There is just something special about going to the cinema. The atmosphere, the sound and the screen all combined into a wonderful experience.

However, that might not be enough in today’s competitive market. Well, mmCineplexes is set to change all that with their 20th cinema in Malaysia at MesaMall, Nilai.

Unlike their competitors, mmCineplexes is fully committed for a digital future. Movie goers can now purchase everything they would need via the cinema’s kiosk located at their lobby. This means that there won’t be any counters to purchase from, including the snacks at the snack bars.

Additionally, mmCineplexes also has an ingenious approach to designing their cinema halls with their seats having ample leg room to ease people going in and out between seat.

The extra space also means that people sitting on rows further from the screen would not have their view obstructed by people sitting in from of them. They achieve this by slouching the seats at an angle so that customers can have full view of the screen while ensuring maximum comfort.

Now for the important question, how much will it cost? Tickets are charged quite reasonably with RM13 on weekdays and RM16 on weekends for standard seats. Students will be able to enjoy RM11 ticket prices when they buy their movie tickets showing on weekdays before 6pm.

Kids on the other hand can get in for free if they are below 90cm while those 12 and under can still get their tickets at just RM10. There are also specials seats available in the cinema that will cost an extra RM1 or RM2, but will not exceed RM20.

The most interesting of all though, is that people can actually book the entire hall or duplex to themselves. This can either be for an event, to host parties or simply something to do among friends.

So, if you have that itch for the cinemas. Then head right over to mmCineplexes at MesaMall, Nilai. For a cinematic experience that is simply on another level.


Contest: “13 Hours, Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” Premiere Tix Up For Grabs

“13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” (also known simply as 13 Hours) is a 2016 American biographical war film directed and co-produced by Michael Bay and written by Chuck Hogan, based on Mitchell Zuckoff’s 2014 book, “13 Hours”.

Billed as being based on a true story, the film follows 6 members of a security team who fight to defend the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya after waves of terrorist attacks on 11th September 2012.

“On 11th September Sept 2012, Islamic militants attack the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, killing Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and Sean Smith, an officer for the Foreign Service. Stationed less than one mile away are members (James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, Max Martini) of the Annex Security Team, former soldiers assigned to protect operatives and diplomats in the city. As the assault rages on, the 6 men engage the combatants in a fierce firefight to save the lives of the remaining Americans.”

The film stars James Badge Dale (“The Departed”, “Iron Man 3”, “World War Z”), John Krasinski (“Something Borrowed”, “Monsters University”), Max Martini (“Saving Private Ryan”, “Level 9”), Toby Stephens (“Die Another Day”), Pablo Schreiber (“Orange Is the New Black”, “Law and Order Special Victims Unit”), David Denman, Dominic Fumusa, Freddie Stroma (“Harry Potter” film series, “Pitch Perfect”), and Alexia Barlier.

Deets of the premiere screening are as follows:

Thanks to our friends from United International Pictures Malaysia, we’re hosting an exclusive premiere screening for “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi”! To win the passes, all you gotta do is tell us:

E-mail your answers with your details (Name, IC, Contact number) to submit@hype.my. Each winner walks away with 4 tickets per person! There are limited tickets and this will be based on a first-come-first-serve basis so go on and start sending in those e-mails.

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

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Hype’s Movie Review: #LUCY Will Unlock Your Brain – Literally

When we watched the trailer for “Lucy“, we had expected only one thing – for Scarlett Johansson to kick butt throughout the entirety of the film. Well, we were wrong.

Sci-fi and a little bit of action movie “Lucy” is that and much more. Sure, it did take a page out of the “Limitless” book with a theme that centres around a person using drugs to enhance human strength and intelligence. At least for Lucy (played by Scarlett Johansson), it wasn’t by choice but by chance. A freak accident type of chance, one may say.

Lucy is a woman who, against her own free will, is made to become a drug mule. Thanks to her new boyfriend, whose employer is a Korean mob boss and drug lord named Mr. Jang (played by Choi Min-sik). Oh, and big plus for those of you who have followed the Korean wave closely because there sure is a lot of Korean dialogue in this movie!

The drug is surgically implanted in her stomach but during a beating, the bag bursts and the drug escapes into her system. After some violent tossing, whipping, and spasming about, lo and behold, she develops what first appears to be supernatural powers.

In actual fact, the “supernatural powers” were just a result of accidentally consuming the drug, which simply gave her more control of her brain and hence, enter the build up of the movie as she gains traction in “new” things that she could do in both the physical and the mental sense!

Concurrently, somewhere in the world, a Professor Samuel Norman (played by Morgan Freeman) is walking a bunch of professionals and students through his research about the human brain. He also narrates some pseudo-science details and some Darwin-esque (read: human evolution) details as everything else in Lucy’s world unravels as she continues to unlock her brain.

While all of that is happening, both Lucy and Professor Samuel Norman will unlock your brain with their science mumbo jumbo too! Ah hah, and the plot thickens.

Lucy then takes it upon herself to seek out Professor Samuel Norman who might or might not have the key to saving her. At the same time, she also contacts the police, helps trace down the remaining packets of the drug, telepathically disarms a bunch of armed men, lands herself in a car chase scene, uses a “psychedelic” world to which only she has access to her advantage, and more. If anything, we love the adrenaline rush that we got from all of those scenes.

When she finally meets Professor Samuel Norman, she in turn “teaches” him about the concept of time (a little Stephen Hawking-esque) and the nature of being humans. Spilling studies and findings of her own brain post-unlocking brain capacity.

Of course, all of that will take place while Mr. Jang and his mob of suited up thugs are coming for her.

Does she live to tell the tale? Let’s just say that the ending is pretty anti-climatic to us, but we won’t spoil it for you. And on that note, we’ve gotta give props to the film’s writer and director Luc Besson (of 1990’s “La Femme Nikita” fame) for successfully unlocking our brains with “Lucy”. By all means, watch it!

“Lucy” will be released in a cinema near you on 21st August (that’s tomorrow!).

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


Hype’s Now Playing: 10 Songs To Help You Get Your #SoulfestAsia Groove On

Some of the world’s finest contemporary artistes will be making their way down to Malaysia for the first time this year for Soulfest Asia 2015, an extension of Australia’s only neo-soul, jazz, and hip hop festival.

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

Earlier, we announced the entourage of top-class artistes that will be headlining at Soulfest Asia this year. Malaysia will see the likes of Mary J Blige, Omarion, Jhene Aiko, as well as local acts Joe Flizzow, Sona One, DeFam, and many more. But just in case you’re unsure of what to expect from Soulfest Asia 2015, we’ve put together a playlist of some of our favourite tracks from the acts!

Getting in the mood yet? Mark the date! 17th October 2016 at the Mines International Convention Centre (MICC) on 17th October 2015 ;)

Note: The inaugural Soulfest Asia is a “come rain or shine” event and it’s scheduled to kick off at 3pm with the rhythm flowing all the way to midnight.

Tickets are priced from RM198 via AirAsia RedTix and Eventopia.

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

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Interview: Calum Scott On His Special Collaboration With Southeast Asian Artists For “Heaven”

Calum Scott—British multiplatinum singer-songwriter—recently debuted a collaboration with Southeast Asian artists for his new single “Heaven”. Acclaimed pop artists such as Darren Espanto from the Philippines, Diana Danielle from Malaysia, Hoàng Duyên from Vietnam and Lyodra from Indonesia were given the opportunity to duet with the singer and include their own twist to the song.

“The concept of “Heaven” is the love between two people being so powerful that it is far superior to anything else, any other form of paradise that could be offered. I loved the idea of putting the power into the relationship,” said Calum. The ballad transcends beyond boundaries as it captures that feeling of falling in love as equivalent to being in paradise.

1. How did the idea for this huge collaboration with Southeast Asian artists came about?

Calum Scott: “I feel incredibly lucky that my music seems to have resonated so well across Asia. It’s a territory I’ve not really spent a lot of time in before and yet my music seems to have done so well, specifically “You Are The Reason” that seems to be a song that has done really well over there. I’d mentioned to the label that I wanted to give back to my Asian fans. I think Asia has been such a massive support of mine over the years. So I wanted to do something special.

We knew that “Heaven” was coming up and “Heaven” sort of provides that space for a duet, and we shortlisted some people down, and these four incredible artists were my picks for “Heaven”, and each of them have brought such an amazing uniqueness to the song. It’s just been such a pleasure to work [with them]. It’s such a shame I couldn’t be in the studio with these guys to do the work. It’s been such a pleasure to work with all four of these guys.”

2. How excited were you for this project?

Calum Scott: “I feel so lucky that music has given me this opportunity to be able to do something like this. With the power of the internet and zoom and being able to work remotely, it’s just given me the opportunity to work with four amazing artists that I may never have had the opportunity to work with before. All four of them bring a real uniqueness to this song. For me, collaborations are one of the most interesting things to do with music because you’re colliding two worlds together and you’re creating this magic, almost like chefs in a kitchen just adding their own ingredients and coming up with something delicious. So I’m very lucky and feel very honored to work with these guys.”

3. Could you tell us more about the song, “Heaven”?

Calum Scott: “”Heaven” is a song that I wrote after the album was finished. We thought the album was done. We had 13 tracks or something for the album. So the label said, right now you can just write for the pleasure of writing music. And so I ended up writing “Heaven” and another song called “Cross Your Mind”. When the label had the songs, they were like, “it’s got to be on the album”. So then we had to put up the album again, and include the songs but I’m so glad I did because these songs for me, feel like they deserve a place on the album. For me, it really rounds the album off.

“Heaven” is one of those songs that just really poetically describes love, but not only love between two people, but in the present moment. You know, for me, what I take away from “Heaven” is loving somebody so much at that moment in time that it’s more powerful than anything else they’d be promised elsewhere and I think that kind of puts the power back into the relationship.”

4. What inspired you for [to write] these beautiful and poetic lyrics?

Calum Scott: “My inspiration just comes from the love of wanting to deliver a song that’s going to speak to people across the world, you know, as a songwriter, you’re trying to constantly find new ways of telling somebody how much you love them. And for me, “You Are The Reason” was very literal, you know, I would climb every mountain and I would swim every ocean. I just think that when I wrote “Heaven”, it was kind of trying to reinvent a new way of being able to say that you love somebody so much.

The thing that I love about “Heaven” is that it reminds us to love in the present moment. The last two years have been awful. You know, we’ve all been stripped of being close to one another and being able to be with our friends and family. So, I think “Heaven” was inspired by love right now, right in the present moment. To appreciate those moments because, like we just saw with the last two years, they can be quickly removed from us. So, “Heaven” was a sort of born from just wanting to appreciate the time that you have with that person in front of you.”

5. To the talented collaborators, can you all share how you feel about collaborating with Calum?

Lyodra: “I was actually nervous and excited at the same time. Actually, this is a sudden project. So not long after the news, we immediately went into recording. I did it in Indonesia, and this is my first time doing a long distance collaboration, but it was so fun.”

Darren Espanto: “Right when I heard “Heaven”, I immediately wanted to do the project. I feel like it’s such a beautiful song and being able to be part of this project of Calums’ is such an honor. I can’t believe that we’re finally here. It’s about to be released, and everyone can hear the different versions that we’ve prepared. I hope that everyone can listen to all five versions, because all of us have a different approach. All of us did something different with the song. So I hope that everyone enjoys it.”

Diana Danielle: “I feel very lucky especially because I have been such a big fan of Calum since he first started. So I’m such a big ‘girl’ fan right now. I’ve been fangirling since yesterday. Of course, I feel like if you say it in Malay, we say ‘bagai bulan jatuh ke riba’, which is like, the moon falls onto your lap. Yeah, it’s a complete surprise. I never thought this was ever going to happen and you know, the universe sort of knows what it’s gonna do. It has its own plans and I just feel so lucky to be part of this interesting project where we get to hear different voices from the same region. It just shows how rich Southeast Asia is as a region where we’re so close together yet, we have our own individual identities that we can just share with the world. Again, thank you, Calum,  for this platform. So we each can also show our culture and our love for you especially.”

6. What is heaven on earth like for each and every one of you?

Darren Espanto: “For me, I feel like heaven would be, you know, after a long day, you just get to unwind, kind of lay in your bed, in your pajamas, doing your last minute things through social media. I feel like that’s heaven because at the end of the day, we just want to feel relaxed and at peace. So I mean, for me, that’s what Heaven would be like, aside from you know, being with my loved ones and stuff like that.”

Hoàng Duyên: “For me, heaven is Vietnam because I love my country.”

Lyodra: “I feel like “Heaven” is such a beautiful song and this song tells us about love. So I would like to love all of the parts of my life.”

Diana Danielle: “I was listening to “Heaven” again and again, and it was always on repeat anyway. I was looking at my daughter and realized I was tearing up because the lyrics just sort of radiated. And I feel like that’s the answer. My daughter is the answer. She’s my heaven. Whenever I play the song, the memory of that song and my daughter just sticks out.”

Calum Scott: “Eating chocolate and never gaining weight would be bliss because I’ve eaten a lot of chocolate over the lockdown. It shows that I ate a lot of chocolate. But for me, I think I feel like I’m already living in heaven because look at this situation, guys. I get to collaborate with four incredible artists across Southeast Asia. I never would have dreamt in my wildest dreams that I would have these kinds of opportunities to release music not only in Asia, but to collaborate with artists in Asia. I’m already living in heaven, guys. I’m already living it.”

7. What kind of feelings or emotions were you guys trying to evoke in the music video(s)?

Calum Scott: I’ve done a video with each of these guys and I was messaging Diana just yesterday, I think, and now I just watched the video again and it looks beautiful. We’ve tried to capture the places that we both live and for all the artists, and in terms of what I want to evoke with these collaborations is the same feeling that I get when I write these songs of just wanting to create something that people will listen to again and again, and connect with the song. You know, when I write the songs, it feels personal to me, but then when they’re released, they feel personal to other people. And I think that’s the magic of music, it is an international language. And I think to share it across Southeast Asia is just going to be so magical, just to connect more people together.”

Diana Danielle: “When I saw Calum’s version, there’s a lot of sky images. And anywhere you stand, you know, you look at the sky, it’s almost the same sky… So with that, I feel that wherever you are, how far you may be, you still share the same sky, and it makes you feel like you’re closer to one another.

I feel that the music video itself has this sort of, like, the feeling of in the moment, as Calum said, and at the same time, the feeling that you are in heaven on earth. So it’s that sort of atmosphere that we were trying to kind of create. From my inexperienced brain, to kind of piece it together and make it look like you know, really nice and then yesterday, Calum shared a snippet of it and I was just like, Thank God, it all blends so well. And I’m really really looking forward to having all of you watch each and every one of our versions to see how it all turns out.”

8. Did you make any adjustments vocally so that your voices can mix well together?

Calum Scott: “For me, I mean, writing the song and performing the song are two very different things. For some reason, I am writing music that is a challenge to sing live. But I think the thing that I love about writing music and performing, is that you can lock emotion into the song and the performance showcases that. So for my version with Darren, I didn’t want to change too much from what I’ve done originally. And sort of give Darren the room that he needed to be able to create that compliment. I think what Darren has done is so gorgeous. He has this beautiful tone in his voice that just sits so beautifully with mine as well and two male vocals on a track together, we don’t get that very often. So it was a real pleasure to share in the song with Darren.”

Darren Espanto: “With this song, something that my producer really wanted me to do was to just let go. It’s okay if your voice has a little raspiness to it or a bit of huskiness to it because that’s where the emotions come from, and so that’s something that I did when I was recording. I really just use mostly tones from my chest and my throat to really get that emotion. I’d say it really worked well with “Heaven” and our voices really complemented each other pretty well. So I’m really happy with how it turned out.”

9. Which part of the process [participating in talent competitions] would you say has the most impact in helping you shape who you are today as an artist in the music industry?

Calum Scott: “I think what I would say from my experience – and I was actually talking with Darren about this – in those kinds of competitions, everything happens so fast. You go from an audition and all of a sudden, things change very, very quickly. It’s important to enjoy those moments whilst they’re there.

I think for me, the real development as an artist came after the show and when I’d started releasing my own music and started working and talking to people who have supported that journey, I think that for me, that’s where the real development happened. I don’t think anything can prepare you for this industry. Even if you go on shows, it gives you an amazing platform but I don’t think it prepares you for what happens next. What I would say is that if you genuinely have a passion and a dream, please go and chase them because dreams do come true.”

Lyodra: “I got a lot of positive experience from “Indonesian Idol” and I gained more fans along the way. I gained new experiences from releasing new singles and albums which many people listened to.”

10. Are you guys planning to promote the single by performing together live on the stage?

Hoàng Duyên: “It would be a pleasure for me to stand with Calum on the same stage. So I think if there is a chance to sing with him, I would love that.”

11. How is “Bridges” different from your debut album “Only Human”?

Calum Scott: “I think for me, this second album feels like it’s the best work that I’ve done. I say that because this feels like a real growth from the first album. I feel like I have become an artist. With the first album, it was just a dream come true to write an album, but the second album has given me the opportunity to really own that and to become the artist that everybody sees me to be.

That really made me grow and develop and it made my songs more confident. It made my songwriting more confident, my singing more confident. And so I’ve just been able to write more confidently and feel more confident about my music. So I feel that “Bridges” is an elevation from the first album, and hopefully the third album will be an elevation from “Bridges” because I hope to continue to develop and to grow as an artist over the years.”

Images and transcript from Universal Music Group. Checkout the full interview here:

Neetashini Kanendran contributed to this article

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#NerdyDrifter: Prank Video On Rookie Driving Instructors Goes Viral

If you still think that women are the worst drivers on the road, think again.

Malaysian professional rally-racing driver Leona Chin recently rose to Internet fame after dressing up as “a nerdy learner” in a prank video. Titled “Fast & Furious Nerd Shocks Instructors”, the video was filmed by maxman.tv, the same team of people who posted a heartwarming video of themselves helping a homeless man.

According to the video’s description, they were approached by a driving school to prank various rookie driving instructors on the first day of their jobs.

In the video, Leona showed up at the driving school in her nerdy-looking outfit for her “driving test”. However, instead of driving a car provided by the driving school; she drove her “brother’s car”.

The first half of the video showed her pretending to be a nervous unlicensed driver who required step-by-step instructions from her driving instructors. One particular instructor grew incredibly frustrated and annoyed while the others thought she was just hopeless and therefore gave up on teaching her.

Of course, Leona was “determined” to reveal her driving talents and asked for a second chance. “Give me one more chance, I try,” she said before taking them for a spin.

In the second half of the video, the instructors held on to their dear lives and begged Leona to stop drifting. The female instructor screamed continuously throughout the drift while the other 2 male instructors slammed the car’s door shut after she parked inside the designated area.

The 4-minute long video, which was uploaded on Tuesday, immediately went viral and even made several international headlines. As at time of posting, it reached more than 13 million hits.

Watch this pro racer pretend to be a learner driver before showing her instructors what she can really do http://t.co/Y7Nd1XSVoS

Leona further came to prominence after former “Punk’D” host Ashton Kutcher shared an article about her prank video on his official Facebook page.

People from all over the world flocked to Leona’s official Facebook page and praised the GRA-Fastest Woman Award recipient for her courageous effort. Having been racing and drifting for almost a decade, she was surprised by the attention she gained from the video.

Izmir Mujab, CEO of the media company behind the video, was also surprised by the attention and told TIME:

The 3 employees you saw at the end loved it and laughed it off, but the guy in the blue shirt was not too happy. That’s why we didn’t have footage of him smiling.

Although it was an entertaining video, the video was also met with several negative criticisms from viewers as they questioned its legibility.

What do you think of the prank? Do you think it’s legit? Share your thoughts in the comments box below.


Hype’s Now Playing: Razlan Shah ft. One Night Service — Flowers

Razlan Shah is burnin’ up the local music scene!

No stranger to the stage, Razlan Shah, a student at Berklee College of Music, Boston, honed his skills as a singer, songwriter by busking on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, France and England.

From jazz standards mixed with the head-bopping beats of J Dilla, to emotionally driven folk music drawing inspiration from old Americana, Razlan has been experimenting with newer ways to write music. Despite being based in Boston, Razlan always comes back home to Malaysia to share and perform the music he writes, which emphasises on the organic side of music.

With a strong and growing fan base, Razlan has released his latest track titled Flowers which has received a very warm and encouraging welcome from fans. The upbeat and fun indie track features a collaboration with Malaysia’s very own Darren Ashley and Razlan’s former band dubbed as One Night Service.

For more on Razlan, follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Hype’s Now Playing: Darren Ashley — Breathe In

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#Bii: Taiwanese-Korean Singer To Hold Malaysia Fan Meeting In November

It’s been more than a year since Bii entertained fans in his high octane debut show in Kuala Lumpur, and we’re sure that fans have been waiting avidly for his return since.

Your wish has been granted, as the Taiwanese-Korean singer will be back in the country for a fan meeting scheduled for November! The fan meeting is held in conjunction with the release of his 4th album, “I AM Bii TO THE DOUBLE i”.

The talented singer, who was born and raised in South Korea, has churned out multiple hit songs such as “After Turning Away (轉身之後)”, “I’m Still Missing You (我还想念你)”, and “Come Back To Me”. His Taiwanese heritage, which descends from his father, ensured that he knew the language, and it resulted in him combining both Korean and Chinese lyrics in several of his songs.

This unique and creative method, added with his alluring husky voice, has earned him legions of adoring fans, especially K-Pop fans and Mandopop fans. His multilingual ability also allows him to freely converse with fans of different cultures and races, and since his last concert in 2015, he has attracted Malaysian fans from the Chinese community and the Malay as well.

It’s no question that Bii is a musical genius, so if you wanna meet the man, details for his fan meeting are as follows:

A RM4 processing charge will be charged for every ticket. “BF Zone” ticket holders will be able to get their hands on a “I AM Bii TO THE DOUBLE i” album and a limited edition souvenir. The first 200 “BF Zone” buyers will be able to get an exclusive group photo with Bii.

Ticket sales start today (Friday, 14th October) and are available for purchase on TicketCharge’s website or phone line (03-92228811).

For more details, visit Plan 7’s Facebook page.


#JayPark: Korean Rapper Set To Release New Album In September

Multi-talented artiste Jay Park (real name Park Jaebeom; 박재범) sure is a busy man. Not only is he producing and appearing on Mnet’s “Show Me The Money 4” (SMTM4), he also has his hands tied with his own music!

according to soompi, the AOMG (Above Ordinary Music Group) CEO is planning to release a rap album some time in September. As far as information that has been released, it would be a mini album which Jay is currently recording songs for.

Korean media outlet OSEN reported that AOMG also confirmed the news, although the release date has yet to be set. They added that they are aiming for a September release although Jay Park will not be promoting the album on music shows.

Jay Park is aiming to release a mini-album next month, and it’s true he’s currently working on it. It’ll be an album filled with rap. The songs are currently being worked on. The release date has not been set yet but the goal is for next month. He won’t be having broadcast promotions for this album.

No broadcast activities? What? Aww. Oh well, at the very least we’d all still get to hear new music from Jay, eh? We’ll continue to update this post with more information as soon as we have ’em so hang in there ;)

We’ll leave you now with his first official English single, the “Fifty Shades of Grey”-esque “Sex Trip”:

Sources: soompi, OSEN, akp / Featured image from Jay Park’s Instagram.


(UPDATE) John Legend Returning To Malaysia For Darkness & Light Tour In 2018

He’s an acclaimed multi-platinum selling, Oscar, Golden Globe, and 10x Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter. Ladies and gents, we’re happy to share that John Legend will be returning to Malaysia next year.

If you’re in need of some music therapy, Legend’s emotional and thoughtful songs will surely elevate your concert experience. As part of his upcoming Southeast Asia tour,the 39-year-old musician will be performing at Resorts World Genting on 17th March 2018.

Since releasing his 5th studio LP, “Darkness and Light”, the soulful crooner has given us chart-topping hits such as “Love Me Now” and “Penthouse Floor” (featuring Chance The Rapper), as well as our personal favourite “Surefire”. The album also saw him collaborating with a variety of people from different genres including Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, and Kamasi Washington.

Besides the aforementioned singles from the latest record, music lovers can also expect Legend to perform some of his previous tunes. “All Of Me”, “Ordinary People”, “Green Light”, “Used To Love U”, “Save Room”, and “Tonight (Best You Ever Had)” are just some of the songs we can’t wait to watch live.

The details to John Legend’s “Darkness & Light” Tour in Malaysia are as follows:

Stay tuned for more updates on the concert tickets.

Good news music fans! The concert ticket prices and seating plan for John Legend’s “Darkness & Light” tour has officially been released. Although the tickets may be a tad pricy, you can opt to redeem it via Genting Rewards Members’ cash/credit card as well as GP redemption rates .

For those interested, you can book your John Legend tickets here or purchase them at authorised TicketCharge outlets.

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Malaysian Regrets Not Removing Her Face Mask While Renewing Her License

A Malaysian girl, Nurul Nabihah Aiman Asmadi recently took to her Twitter over the weekend to share a funny experience she encountered while renewing her driving license during the RMCO period.

She uploaded a picture of her license on social media. The interesting part that caught everyone’s attention is the fact that her face mask still attached to her chin. Her bag strap was visible as well.

Lesen PKP yalllll. Korang adeeeee keee 😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/opAhy7VwwJ

Pastu dia suruh AMBIK GAMBAR DEKAT SITU JUGAK😭 I PUNYA LA KALUT + TERKEJUT SBB KENA SNAP GAMBAR KAT SITU. DAHLA PAKAI TUDUNG SARUNG JE. PASTU MASA AMBIK GAMBAR TU,MASK TAK BUANG PULAK TUU…..

According to Nabihah, she had to retake a new photo because her latest passport photo was not in the system. At that time, she didn’t bring any photos with her. The officer on duty then asked her to proceed into a room to snap a new picture.

Because she was in a state of panic, Nabihah ended up forgetting to remove her face mask as well as her sling bag when her photo was taken. It wasn’t until another officer brought up the obvious that she realised her mistake.

Bila pegawai yang jaga dekat pintu tu (yg bagi lesen baru ) tanya "awak tak buang mask ke masa snap gambar?" Baru la I PERASAN YANG MASK ADA DEKAT DAGU MASA TU. I pun cakap dkt pegawai tu "takpela encik,,buat kenangan lesen pkp"…bila lagi nak buat lesen pakai mask" 🤧🤧

Her response to the person-in-charge was priceless! “Its okay sir, this license can be a memory to remind me that it was made during MCO. I’ll probably never get the chance to take the same photo again,” replied Nabihah. At the time of writing (Wednesday, 1st July), the tweet has gained over 13,000 retweets and 32,000 likes online.

Going through the replies, a lot of netizens were entertained with Nabihah’s story. On the other hand, others also felt sympathetic towards her for what she had to go through. Interestingly, there were a few who shared the same fate as her too. They also posted their own driving licence photo in the comments section.

Weh kalau aku ni murung sampai tua babe, dapat pulak member jenis suka tengok gambar ic/lesen 😭😭

— 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙮 (@bellooooonana) June 29, 2020

Perempuan yang amik gambar lesen pakai mask ni sumpah limited extension education globalization

Jangan risau, kamu ada geng hahahahahahahahaha pic.twitter.com/C93Ik9oWqL

— ᴀʀɪғ ᴀɴᴜᴀʀ. (@raunafira) June 29, 2020

Do you have any other interesting stories to share during RMCO?


TGV Cinemas To Screen Avengers: Endgame With Brand New Footage?

“Avengers: Endgame” is set to return to the big screen with never-before-seen footage, revealed Marvel CEO Kevin Feige.

In an effort to beat “Avatar”‘s massive box office record ($2.788 billion), Marvel is planning to re-release “Endgame”. At $2.743 billion, the blockbuster hit is only $45 million shy of matching “Avatar”‘s record.

Following the breaking news from overseas, TGV Cinemas took to its Facebook page to tease, “Will this be happening in TGV Cinemas, you ask? Well, I can tell you that you should pay very close attention to our page for exciting announcements to come!”

Do note that this re-released version isn’t “an extended cut of the 3-hour epic” but “additional post-credit surprises”. “Not an extended cut, but there will be a version going into theaters with a bit of a marketing push with a few new things at the end of the movie. If you stay and watch the movie, after the credits, there’ll be a deleted scene, a little tribute, and a few surprises,” Feige told Screen Rant.

A post shared by Hype Malaysia (@hypemy) on Apr 25, 2019 at 5:40am PDT

To add to Feige’s comment, we heard that the new footage “includes 7 minutes of bonus content & Stan Lee tribute.”

What are you hoping to see in the new footage?

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The Truth About Twilight

After four years, the Twilight saga finally comes to an end. For the Twi-hards, the first bite seemed like it was just yesterday. For us, however, we have to admit that we’re just glad that it has concluded. If you thought that the big KStew and Rob Pattinson drama will leave “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2” in shambles, well, think again.

In this installment (and those who have read Stephenie Meyer’s books would know), there is no more tug of war in the form of “Team Edward” versus “Team Jacob”. Why? Because Bella Swan (played by Kristen Stewart) is now a newborn vampire – a newborn complete with her very own newborn. Yup. She’s a mother to (fast-growing) baby Renesmee.

Needless to say, Edward Cullen (played by Robert Pattinson) is the father. Leaving Jacob “Jake” Black (played by Taylor Lautner) no other choice but to “imprint” Renesmee.

Oh you know, since Bella is now cold-blooded and out of the question and all.

Yet, the whole imprinting issue (as creepy as it may seem) is the least of Bella’s and Edward’s problems considering the fact that the vampire rulers, otherwise known as the “Volturi”, are now after their family and basically the entire coven or anyone who chooses to take the Cullens’ side.

Reason? They’ve mistakenly thought that Renesmee was a product of a child who has been turned into a vampire.

Note: A child who has been turned into a vampire is called an immortal child. One that can singlehandedly cause great damage with the smallest of tantrums.

But Renesmee is not an immortal child, of course. Oh, only a hybrid (half human, half vampire) that could be equally as powerful.

Seriously though, storyline aside, one thing you’d definitely notice movie is actually the way it opened. And by that, we mean the jarring opening sequence. To be honest, for something that has been in production for so long, you think they could afford to spend a little more time on it. Maybe the cheesiness was intentional, to numb down all the high expectations from the audience?

Also, we understand that by nature of the story being set mostly in Forks or the snowy mountains, that there needs to be some CGI but was there really a need to CGI baby Renesmee? CGI that was obvious, at that. Very obvious. On the other hand, all of that was quickly forgiven (the CGI baby part) and the actual Renesmee (played by newcomer Mackenzie Foy) soon greeted us with a cherubic (and a whole lot more realistic) smile for the very first time.

And boy doesn’t Dakota Fanning look like she’s all gorgeously grown up (complete with bloodthirsty eyes and all) playing the role of the very powerful, very ruthless Jane?

In terms of filmmaking, we honestly thought that it could’ve been more fine-tuned. We did, however, fall in love the epic battle scene although it was just Alice Cullen’s (played by Ashley Greene) projections/future predictions. Still, it was good enough to satisfy us! Plus, it was nice to “meet” the rest of the vampire coven.

So, if you really, really want us to make the call on whether this is worth catching in the cinema or not, we say go for it. It is the end of the saga anyway:

[youtube id=”bUXjqQ4GKRg” width=”600″ height=”350″]

And don’t worry – all’s well ends well. Nobody gets seriously hurt.

“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2” will be released in a cinema near you on 22nd November 2012 (Friday). For more information, visit the official movie website.

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Hype’s Now Playing: Carly Rae Jepsen – Your Type

Still reeling from Carly Rae Jepsen‘s performances from this year’s MTV World Stage in Malaysia?

The Canadian pop singer has recently shared the offiical music video for “Your Type”, one of her singles that was listed in her new album titled “Emotion”.

Source: izleseneJepsen is a multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter from Mission, British Columbia. The singer gained her popularity after she was placed 3rd in the 5th season of “Canadian Idol”. She became even more prominent after she released “Call Me Maybe”, a chart-topping track that turned her into a global superstar.

Earlier in June, the singer released “E.MO.TION”, the follow-up to Jepsen’s US debut album “Kiss”. With a sense of pure feeling and passion inspired by classic 80s pop records, the album finds Jepsen conjuring up pop’s most thrilling paradoxes as she delivers songs that are both carefree and introspective, tender and bold, sensitive, and self-assured.

Source: Time“Your Type” is the 3rd single from her album.

Starring Jepsen herself, the music video begins with a deep-voiced, mysterious radio host reciting a”once upon a time”-like intro. While she was asleep on a bench, her headphone gets stolen

As such, she decides to take charge of the matter and makes her way to an empty night club. After she charges her outfit, she begins performing on stage with a house band to an enthusiastic and empty karaoke hall.

The video then jumps between Jepsen’s onstage amidst the scattered, uninterested audience, and one audience was caught in the agony of the song. The video ended with her walking out of the club that proved that her performance wasn’t all a fairy tale.

Listen to “Your Type” and watch its music video below:

So, what do you think of the music video? Did you like it?

For more information about Carly, visit her official website or stalk her on Facebook page,Twitter, and Instagram.

Sources: The Malay Mail Online, Billboard, Rolling Stone.


Providence KL Presents DJ BeatBreaker & Fo Onassis

It’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday!

The weekend is here, and we sure are ready for it! Tonight, Providence Kuala Lumpur presents DJ Beatbreaker and Fo Onassis!  Known as Mr. “Young International”, BeatBreaker is referred to as one of the top 5 mash up DJs of this decade. Having released remixes for artists such as Rihanna, Jay-Z, Drake & Lady Gaga, his remixes and bootlegs are supported by some of the biggest DJs in the name including Laidback Luke and Tiësto.

DJ BeatBreaker teamed up with Fo Onassis two years back to form “The Dream Team Show”. Together, the duo has invaded cities all over Asia, Europe, Africa and North Africa. Known for their high energy, DJ BeatBreaker and Fo Onassis will be making their way to Providence on September 19th (Friday) for one massive night of partying.

Event: Providence KL Presents DJ BeatBreaker and Fo Onassis

Cover Charge: RM50 (ladies) RM70 (Men) Cover charge includes one drink.

Table reservations: popbottles@providencekl.my / (Mark) +6010 252 7678 / (Wee Lee) +6016 444 5781

For more information, check out the event page here.

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Contest: Win A Pair Of 3-Day Premium Passes To #UltraKorea2016

It’s officially end April and this means that we’re only slightly more than a month away from this year’s Ultra Korea, the largest electronic music festival in South Korea’s history.

Following an incredible record-breaking event in June 2015, Ultra Worldwide announced its expansion to 3 days for 2016, in conjunction with its 5th anniversary. This year’s event will see the attendance of some of the world’s top DJs/producers e.g. Chase and Status (Live), deadmau5, Knife Party, Rabbit in the Moon (Live), Afrojack, Avicii, Axwell^Ingrosso, Martin Garrix, and more.

If that’s not exciting enough, then start going absolutely berserk right about now because thanks to our friends from Zouk Club Kuala Lumpur, we’re got TWO (2) pairs of 3-day Ultra Korea 2016 premium passes up for grabs!

What do these passes entail? The 3-day Ultra Korea 2016 premium passes provides access to the Express Entrance, exclusive bathrooms, bar and resting area, and comes with a limited edition band. Hey, if you’re going to party, you might as well do it like a VIP Ultranaut ;)

How to win? Easy peasy. All you need to do is share this post on your Facebook profile with the most creative caption you can think of. Winners will be picked at random (we’ll drop you a message if you’re the winner) but we give major points for creativity ;)

Meanwhile, an Ultra Korea 2016 pre-party is comin’ to town and you’d definitely want to be a part of this one. So go party it up with Ultra Korea 2016 DJs Justin Oh and Raiden at Zouk Club Kuala Lumpur on 7th May 2016 (Saturday). Entry is RM45 before 12am, RM60 after 12am, and member + 2 entry for Zouk Club Kuala Lumpur members.

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

Over one hundred thousand people are expected to attend the festival across this June. More details on the Ultra Korea 2016 line-up is expected to be released in the coming months.

For more information, hit up Ultra Korea’s website or Facebook page.


#Taxi: Operator Wants “Fairness” For All Taxi Drivers, Suggests Higher Fares For Uber & GrabCar

A taxi operator has proposed that the Land Public Transport Commission (Spad) and government set a higher fare for Uber, MyTeksi, and Grabcar services before allowing them to operate legally.

The founder and advisor of Big Blue Capital (M) Sdn Bhd Shamsubahrin Ismail said the suggestion was fair to all taxi drivers.

“If the fare is lower than that of the budget taxis’, it will ‘kill’ the taxi industry because passengers will choose their services. A fare hike is apt (for Uber, MyTeksi and Grabcar services) as these operators practise ride-sharing compared to the budget taxis which impose fare on one passenger at a time,” he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today (28th December, Monday).

Shamsubahrin also suggested that these online service taxis be registered under the limousine permit and not under the hire-and-drive permit.

“The permit is appropriate as it won’t affect other taxi services, especially the budget taxis’,” he said.

He urged the government to solve the taxi issue before allowing the online service taxis to operate legally.

“We don’t have any problem in welcoming such services as long as the government provides the best alternative and that is fair for both parties. At the same time, the welfare of passengers is assured,” he said.

Your thoughts on this, peeps? Do you think that implementing higher fares for ride-sharing services like Uber and GrabCar will ultimately solve this whole taxi fiasco in Malaysia? Would you go ahead and pay more for Uber and GrabCar anyway even if it’s priced slightly higher than other taxi services?

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#GDA Artiste Profile: KARA

South Korean girl group KARA was formed by DSP Media in 2007 and the name originates from the Greek word, “chara”. KARA directly translates into “joy” but they interpreted it to mean, “sweet melody”. They first started out as a group with a strong female image and a mature R&B sound – but it wasn’t very well received by the public. Hence, in 2009, KARA “rebranded” themselves. The image and style of music change proved to have worked when their song, “Honey”, went on to become their first #1 song.

In the same year, KARA released their second studio album entitled, “Revolution”. The same album spawned their hit single, “Mister”. Fans were immediately taken by the music video which featured the all too popular “butt dance”. Needless to say, “Mister” helped shoot the girls of KARA, Park Gyuri, Han Seungyeon, Nicole Jung, Goo Hara, and Kang Jiyoung, to instantaneous mainstream success.

After finding national success, they were finally confident enough to start expanding their music to other parts of Asia – namely, Japan. In 2010, KARA was dubbed as “Japan’s #1 Rookie Artist of 2010”. They also received the “New Artist Of The Year Award (International)” at the Japan Gold Disc Awards. This is all on top of selling over one million physical singles within two years, making them one of the fastest –selling South Korean acts in Japan.

At the Golden Disk Awards 2012 in Osaka, the girls snagged the “Disk Bonsang” and the “Best Hallyu Star Award” trophies. A week after the Golden Disk Awards, they went on to win the “Hallyu Special Award” and the “Bonsang Award” at the Seoul Music Awards. Following the epic wins, KARA released their fifth mini album, “Pandora”. Its title track of the same name topped various music charts in Korea in just hours after the release:

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

More awards and notable mentions (e.g. Snow Champion, Music Bank, M! Countdown) followed the release of “Pandora” and by September 2012, it sold over 70,000 copies. They are currently in the running to bag the “Disk Album Of The Year” award for “Pandora” at “Samsung GALAXY The 27th Golden Disk Awards in Kuala Lumpur”!

Here’s another fact: KARA is slated to make an appearance at “Samsung GALAXY The 27th Golden Disk Awards in Kuala Lumpur” (GDA), as confirmed by the GDA committee whereas Nicole will be MC for the gala event, as confirmed by the GDA committee.

To purchase tickets, hit up TicketPro or any of their participating outlets right now! Tickets are priced at RM999 (Samsung GALAXY Zone) and RM688 (Rockpit). We hear that tickets are going to go fast so hurry!

For more information, visit their official website.


Johnny Depp on BIO Channel

This October, BIO (Astro Channel 731) chronicles the life and career of the eccentric, driven and often media-shy Johnny Depp. Rebelling against his early image as a Hollywood hunk, Depp opted to play complex characters in such movies as Edward Scissorhands and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, gaining great fame and recognition in the process. Depp later became a screen icon for his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow.

Johnny Depp will premiere on BIO (Astro Channel 731) on 27th October (Saturday) at 8pm.


#ScamAlert: Netizen Warns New Trick Used By Thieves To Unlock Stolen iPhones

On Tuesday (6th December), a Facebook user known as Keng How took to his page to share a post about how he and his wife unknowingly gave the thieves who stole his wife’s iPhone her Apple ID and password.

In his post, he wrote, “My wife received a mms from an unknown sender which shows the iPhone was found in KLCC and a link written to ‘Apple support’. To view the location of the phone, we were required to key in the Apple ID and password again. Without thinking twice, we followed the instruction given and input the ID and password. The link given was a scam which was sent out from the thief to get your ID and password.”

According to Keng How, a pickpocket stole his wife’s iPhone in Zara, Pavilion on Saturday (3rd December). After realising that her iPhone was missing, he immediately locked it with Apple’s “Find My iPhone” app. For those who are not in the know, once lost mode is turned on, users are required to sign in to iCloud to unlock their iPhone.

“I believe they successfully unlock the phone and sell to the market (…) Never provide your Apple ID and password to any unknown LINK even though it reads APPLE SUPPORT,” he continued.

As at time of writing, Keng How’s post was shared more than 10,000 times and netizens are shocked at how legit the “Apple Support” website looks. Some netizens even pointed out that numbers starting with +62 are Indonesian numbers and should be ignored as Apple only sends out e-mails, not text messages.

Keng How and his wife are not the only victims to receive such message. Another Facebook user known as Fiz shared a screenshot of the exact same message the couple received.

Don’t know what to do if your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch is stolen/lost? Read Apple’s article here.

Sources: Keng How’s Facebook page / Featured image: Digital Trends.

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Malaysian Model Vanizha Vasanthanathan Slaying At Milan Fashion Week

This year’s Fashion Week started back in February in Copenhagen where top designers showcase their upcoming collections and there’s no better way to close the month than the Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2022 where we saw many beautiful, unique and surprising pieces.

Speaking of surprises, our very own Malaysian model, Vanizha Vasanthanathan was actually one of the models who walked the runway looking amazing during Milan Fashion Week!

A post shared by #Vanizha (@vanizhavasanthanathan)

From the video above, you can see Vanizha strut down Milan Fashion Week in ‘Look 34‘, dressed in an ACT N°1 dress with a long slit and knee-high black boots. The brand that Vanizha modelled for in the video is diverse ranging from flowy shirts and long-trained dresses splashed with flowers and landscape prints which is a nod to designer’s Luca Lin’s Chinese roots.

Vanizha was also seen in a very colourful piece from Marco Rambaldi. The brand offers a total look, with a focus on knitwear and outerwear, including dresses, tops, shirts, skirts, trousers and t-shirts. The designer also added leather accessories, such as bags and shoes, in recent seasons.

The 29-year-old model has also been featured in many other international fashion events such as; Lakme Fashion Week, China Fashion Week, Beijing Fashion Week, Jakarta Fashion Week, and of course the most recent Milan Fashion Week. Truly making her country proud!

Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Vanizha is a professional model and is also a Sutra dancer trained and known for the classical Indian dance of Odissi. Other than that, Vanizha was actually the first Malaysian-Indian to be in a Sephora campaign.


12 Celeb Couples Who Broke Up But Still Had To Work Together

Nothing says “awkward” quite like having to work with your ex, especially if it’s right after the split. When you’re far from recovering, it’s hard enough just having to bump into them, so you cautiously avoid that from ever happening. But what if say you’re a celebrity who needs to play a romantic role with your ex onscreen? Yup, talk about rubbing salt to wound.

Here are some celebrity couples who were faced with that very challenging experience of having to work alongside the person they just broke up with and vice versa. One thing’s for sure, they pretty much aced the whole acting aspect of it!

This former couple met on the set of “One Tree Hill” in 2003 and married 2 years later.

After just 5 months of apparently not-so-wedded bliss, the pair separated and filed for annulment after rumours had surfaced that Chad allegedly cheated on Sophia with Paris Hilton. Despite what was probably an extremely unpleasant situation they had to continue working together every day and pretending to date, while the actress had to watch her ex start multiple relationships with other females on the show until he finally left in its seventh season.

2. Jack White and Meg White

Initially, this couple pretended to be siblings so that their relationship wouldn’t draw attention away from their band, The White Stripes, but Jack and Meg were actually husband and wife, having wed back in 1996. In fact, Jack even took her name – his surname was Gillis.

They remained married for 4 years, eventually splitting right before the band hit it big, but continued working together for more than a decade before disbanding.

You’d have to have been living under a rock not to know that these 2 starred opposite each other in “Twilight“, and were also together in real life. Conveniently, Kristen and Rob fell in love while filming the saga.

But the relationship came to a quick end shortly after the actress was caught cheating on her lover with the director from another film she starred in, Rupert Sanders from “Snow White and the Huntsman”. Although they’d already finished filming the last instalment, the former couple was obligated to promote the final movie together – and, since it was the big finale, they were forced to spend a lot of time doing it. Definitely awkward to say the least.

After getting divorced in 2003 from her former co-star Scott Foley, Jennifer Garner had a rebound relationship with her “Alias” co-star, Michael Vartan, which, not surprisingly, only lasted a year. The show, however, continued for 6 years, which was probably rather difficult for at least one of them.

Some said that Michael maintained his affection for Jennifer, while she had clearly moved on. During the last season, she was even pregnant with new husband Ben Affleck’s baby who was born on 1st December 2005. That’s gotta hurt.

Johnny and Kaley still star opposite each other on “The Big Bang Theory”, – and, their characters Leonard and Penny recently got engaged on the show. In real life, the pair dated secretly offscreen before eventually coming clean about it in 2010 after they’d already broken up. They insist that they’re still friends and just didn’t want to talk about their relationship as they were afraid it would spoil the perception of their characters on the show.

The actress moved on a while ago, marrying pro tennis player Ryan Sweeting last fall, while the 39-year-old actor is now dating actress Kelli Garner.

Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson met on the set of “The O.C” in 2003, playing Summer and Seth on the hit TV show. The pair began dating in real life soon after, but after 3 years, they split up, while “The O.C.” continued on until 2007. They had to continue to working together, and on the show, the couple ultimately ended up together.

A few years later she confessed to Lucky magazine that it wasn’t a very comfortable situation, explaining, “I just had absolutely no idea that all that – being on The O.C., dating Adam – was going to end up being so invasive”.

It seems that Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony had a rather amicable split. After a 7-year marriage and becoming parents to twins Max and Emme, they separated in 2011, but it didn’t stop them from working together on the show they created.

They continued working on “Q’Viva! The Chosen”, a talent show competition focused on finding star Latin performers – at least until the series ended the following year.

“Gossip Girl” co-stars Penn Badgely and Blake Lively dated from 2007 to 2010, but the series didn’t go off the air until 2012. At that point, their characters, Serena and Dan, had gotten married on the show, while in real life the actress had just married Ryan Reynolds.

During an interview with Elle in 2013, Penn revealed that they didn’t remain the best of buddies. He said that while they were “ultimately professional,” they weren’t exactly friendly, meaning he didn’t attend the wedding or purchase the newlyweds a gift.

Katie Holmes became famous for her role on “Dawson’s Creek” long before she married Tom Cruise. In fact, she’s said that her first “big, real-life romance” was with her co-star on the show, Joshua Jackson. The pair dated back in 1998, when the actress was just 19. In the September 1998 issue of Rolling Stone, she opened up about her love life revealing, “I had really good luck this past year and I had a really wonderful, amazing experience”. When she was asked if that “amazing experience” was with Joshua, she confessed, “I’m just going to say that I met somebody last year, I fell in love, I had my first love, and it was something so incredible and indescribable”.

Unfortunately, the love didn’t last long as the couple broke up shortly afterward but had to continue their onscreen relationship

Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake dated for nearly 4 years, breaking up in 2007. As so many couples often comment, they said that although they ended their romantic relationship, they did so mutually, and as friends.

While they weren’t working together at the time, they were forced to reunite a few years later for the comedy flick “Bad Teacher”, – amidst rumours that the “Charlie’s Angels” star was interested in wooing him back. Obviously, Jessica Biel AKA Mrs. Justin Timberlake, won out, but it might have made for some awkward moments on the set.

“The Vampire Diaries” couple Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev were a couple in real life for 3 years before breaking up in May of 2013. At the time, they said they would “continue to work together and remain best friends, which is where the relationship started”.

Of course, they’re still a couple on the show which was renewed for a sixth season earlier this year, but they appear to be handling it rather well, being true to their word.

“No Doubt” frontwoman Gwen Stefani started dating bassist Tony Kanal shortly after the band was formed back in the 80s. Just before they were about to hit the big time, Tony ended their tumultuous 7-year relationship. It was said to be an extremely difficult time that almost caused the demise of “No Doubt”. Gwen wrote their iconic hit, “Don’t Speak” shortly after Tony broke up with her.

The pair now say that performing the song together every night was a “brutal, torturing experience,” and that they were asked about it in every interview, opening the wound on almost an hourly basis.

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Enjoy Up To 35% Off At LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort With Touch ‘n Go eWallet

Want to have a fun family holiday? Then head right over to LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort right now. Thanks to their recent partnership with Touch ‘n Go eWallet, visitors can now enjoy discount up to 35% off.

This is done in line with the country’s 2020 budget plan for a cashless future, that has been fully embraced by the two companies. The pair have now joined forces for a more digital friendly experience at one of the best theme parks in the whole of SEA region.

So from now until 31st December, enjoy a 35% off from your purchase on tickets of up to four people in a single receipt. The tickets promotion is for a one-day pass or combo tickets for either adult, child or senior citizen.

In order to enjoy the promotion, simply purchase the tickets with the eWallet app, that’s it. But be careful, because the admission is only valid on the same day of the ticket purchase, so make sure to plan beforehand.

But wait, there’s more. Users of the eWallet service can also enjoy a 10% discount on merchandises found in the theme park. So you can bring the magic of Lego back to your homes.

If you ever find yourself sweating buckets and need a drink, don’t worry, as Touch ‘n Go has got you covered with another 10% discount on food and beverages on outlets found in LEGOLAND Malaysia.

Please note, this does not include the Bricks Cafe & Bricks Restaurant in LEGOLAND Hotel.

So what are you waiting for? Go download Malaysia’s leading eWallet service, Touch ‘n Go eWallet right now on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

The promotion period ends on 31st December 2019. For more information, updates and terms & condition on the promotion or other on-going promotions, please visit https://www.tngdigital.com.my/promotions or check out https://www.legoland.com.my/.