Rico Blanco debuts at No.1 in Hong Kong

Rico Blanco's song "Neon Lights" from his album "Your Universe" has debuted at No. 1 in Hong Kong's top radio chart.

Beating no less than giant international artists such as Usher and will.i.am, Lady Gaga and Beyonce, Wonder Girls, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Bieber and Ludacris, “Neon Lights” makes its way to the top within a week from its release in Music Bus Hong Kong. Although it has been close to a tradition that Warner Music Philippines has broken its artists into the international scene, no Filipino artist has ever topped the Hong Kong Music Bus Airplay Charts until the single "Neon Lights."

More, Blanco just finished a successful promo tour in Singapore, where Class95 FM also celebrated his birthday, playing a special birthday greeting by the biggest radio DJs every hour for 24-hours on Singapore radio that day.

"Your Universe," Rico Blanco’s debut album, is released by Warner Music Philippines.

source: asianfanatics.net

JoKwon not fond of Gain's sexy outfits

Brown Eyed Girls’ Ga-In revealed that her on-screen husband 2AM’s Jo Kwon is not fond of her sexy outfits.

On Mnet’s Trend Report Feel The Real, Ga-In had a photoshoot with the concept of Madonna. She said, “I know it’s for the shoot but the dress is too short. I told Jo Kwon that I’d be doing a photoshoot and he asked me if it was going to be revealing again.”

She went over the different headbands she had. She commented, “There is one Jo Kwon gave me but I don’t wear it often.” She finds a white t-shirt with holes on it and said, “I’m going to get this for Jo Kwon. He always complains that I don’t get him presents. If he doesn’t wear this…”

It seems like she’s using every excuse to bring him up! Maybe, they’re more than just an on-screen couple.

credits:allkpop.com

Gain’s sexy pics =)

sweet! ^.~

Wonder Girls humiliated in the US...?

On an Internet cafe website, a poster event with Wonder Girls was revealed. The netizen who put up this poster stated that it was an event that would be held at a local Korean mart. In this poster, it states that you can receive a free Wonder Girls CD if you buy a bag of rice. Netizens who saw this poster expressed opinions such as, “Wonder Girls’ humiliation in America” and “Is this how little Wonder Girls are worth in America?”

On the other hand, others have retorted with opinions like, “It’s not easy to buy Korean artists’ CDs in America. This is probably why there was an event like this” and “I hope Wonder Girls will be successful soon.”

credits:allkpop.com

Hmmm... I think they are targeting the wrong audience. Why are they promoting at a local Korean mart? Honestly,it makes them look a bit... you know what I mean. I understand that they're just starting out and all, but geez... Oh well... I suppose this shows we all ought to start somewhere...=(

Cheers for BIANCA!

GO GIRL!!!

I'd have to say I REALLY envy these beauties after being chosen as the final TOP 5 lucky dates for World Date with Kim Bum, a special event celebrating the 7th anniversary of KBS World. But I was very much overwhelmed with happiness and excitement after seeing one pretty Pinay in it, no less than morena beauty Bianca Gonzales herself! After shooting a commercial in the Philippines last year with Maja Salvador, I'm guessing Kim Bum really finds Filipinas attractive as he even personally picked Bianca G. in the final list.

The dates have already started, and here are some pictures worth sharing.

Lots of love to KBS World TV!

pretty tall lady in green is Bianca! ^.~

Sulak Mountain cable car

having dinner

Geez... Who wouldn't even do anything to see this pretty boy up-close and personal? Stay in touch for updates!

Fans defend boy band XLR8 against SuJu album issues

New Pinoy boy band XLR8 is embroiled in controversy over their imaging, debut album and single that K-pop fans say are similar to Super Junior and their recent hit “Sorry Sorry.”

XLR8's eponymous album was launched in March along with its promotional single, “You’re So Hot.” They appeared on GMA-7 variety show, “Party Pilipinas,” alongside K-pop boy band U-Kiss, which was in the country for a mall tour. Fans are quick to defend their idols Kiko Ramos, Arkin Del Rosario, Caleb Santos, Carlo Lazerna, Adrin Muhlack, Hideaki Torio, Melmar Magno and Meljohn Magno against the issues.

“The album cover [of ‘XLR8’] was not based on the ‘Sorry Sorry’ album cover. Their title song was just oh so different from ‘Sorry Sorry,’” one fan wrote on Facebook. “They were not based on Super Junior or any particular group. They were based on the pop trend,” wrote Cris Ramos, who is identified as the mother XLR8 member Kiko.

“I really love XLR8. Not just because of the boys but because of their songs,” one fan said.

XLR8, which is marketed much like a K-pop boy band but with a Pinoy touch, has its fan club, A.FM, and fan forum. The group’s Facebook fan page now has 12,000 members as of this writing. In the past months, the growth in popularity of K-pop music in the country has been further encouraged by visiting K-pop acts Super Junior, FT Island, U-Kiss and 4Minute.

source: Manila Bulletin

"Love cannot be recycled"

Lin Chi-ling to Jerry Yan: Love cannot be recycled

Supermodel Lin Chi-ling responds to ex-lover Jerry Yan's love notes in his new photobook.

For the first time, Jerry Yan candidly discussed his closely-guarded personal life in a new photobook, and reminisced about his romance with Lin Chi-ling in a moving piece. Despite his outpouring display of affections, the supermodel has shut the door coldly in his face. In an intelligent yet almost painful answer while appearing at an environment awareness event, she said, "Love cannot be recycled." Before that, when asked if she would want Jerry back, Chi-ling had only said, "I will cherish all the good memories."

The two were exposed as lovers in 2002 when their infamous bathrobe photos were stolen from Chi-ling's mobile phone when it was sent for repair. It is not known why they split but singer-actor Jerry mentioned in a talkshow last year he had written a letter of repentance for Chi-ling but never sent it. The opening chapter Love Fairytale of his new photobook 9314 Man & Boy is heart-wrenching, to say the least. In it, the former F4 member talked about visiting a post-horseriding accident Chi-ling and how they both had cried, because "a princess' biggest wish is to see her prince". Known for being reserved and emotional, Jerry also wrote that she is too perfect and deserves a better man.

"I let her go because I really love her. If you've really loved someone a lot, you should be able to understand," he penned.

source:xinmsn.com

South Korea's Scary Fame Game

U.S. Marie Claire writer Abigail Haworth writes for the April 2010 issue about the dark side of Korean entertainment.
South Korea's Scary Fame Game
The country's superhot "K-celebs" are flaming out fast.

When South Korean supermodel Daul Kim, 20, killed herself in her ritzy Paris apartment in November, fashion insiders assumed she was a victim of the jet-setting pressure of the job – the loneliness, competition, and frenetic travel that come with global catwalk fame. But Kim’s blog revealed that the cause of her death was rooted in her beginnings back in South Korea, where a celebrity suicide spree has taken the lives on 10 young stars in just over a year.

South Korea’s entertainment industry is renowned for its ability to manufacture new sensations overnight. From hunky boy bands to female film stars, “K-celebs,” as they’re known, are the hottest property in Asia. But invariably, they’re also the property of all-powerful management agencies, which force them to sign so-called slave contracts, tying them to punishing schedules and curtailing their personal freedom. Thrust into the limelight, many homegrown stars are ill-prepared for the pressures of fame.

Kim talked in her blog of feeling “mad depressed and overworked” when she became a model in her late teens in Seoul. Although she’d started a new life in Paris last year, the black moods she’d suffered in Seoul followed her to Europe. In addition to Kim, three South Korean actresses, three actors, one model, and two musicians have taken their own lives since 2008.

Actress Ja-yeon Jang, 26, popular soap star, killed herself last April and left behind a seven-page letter blasting the nation’s “evil and corrupt” entertainment industry. She said that on top of being told what to eat, what to wear, and where to socialize, she was forced to provide sexual favors to her agent’s business associates.

The Korea Times reports that many K-celeb contracts include clauses allowing agencies to keep up to 90 percent of stars’ earning and forbidding them to retire, causing some stars to feel that suicide is the only way out. The price of fame, indeed.

source:asianfanatics.net

Seriously, Kpop agencies need to loosen up big time. What's with the slavery?

If these accusations were really true, I'd be shattered If I suddenly see my favorite Kpop stars in cremated remains.

Super Junior wows PINOY fans at the Big Dome

Korean boy band Super Junior dished out their brand of pop music combined with world-class production in front of their screaming Filipino and Korean fans last night, April 10, at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

The Manila engagement was part of Super Junior's Asia tour dubbed Super Show 2, in support of the group's third studio album. Prior to the Philippines, Super Junior's itinerary included South Korea, Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Taiwan and Malaysia. Manila was the last stop in the tour—which kicked off on July 17, 2009 in Seoul, South Korea—making the Big Dome concert the culminating event. The three-hour concert provided Leeteuk, Lee Donghae, Choi Siwon, Kim Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Ryeowook and Kyuhyun more than enough time to deliver most of their songs plus special video presentations, which were a curious hodgepodge of straight-out boy band posturings and cartoonish themes. As previously reported by PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal), the originally 13-member group was reduced to ten as the three other members attend to personal and professional matters. Some of the songs performed by SuJu were "It's You," "She Wants it," "Miracle," "Disco Drive," "Dancing Out," "Baby Baby," "Soul," "Beautiful," "Heartquake," "Honey," "Blue Tomorrow," "Who Am I," "Our Love," "Gee," "Sunny," "Super Girl," "Carnival," "Sapphire Blue," and the hit single "Sorry, Sorry."

LOUD AND WILD. Super Junior brought their state-of-the-art concert gear and equipment to complement the music and to enhance the overall production numbers. The group is well-known for incorporating colorful animation into their live set to play up to the sensibilities of their young fans. The massive stage resembled the type commonly seen in big rock 'n' roll concerts abroad. It was clearly designed to accommodate the group's large number and its style of performing. But more importantly, it allowed all ten members to be seen by their fans at close range.

Since their arrival in Manila last Friday, April 9, the boys of SuJu have been swarmed by eager fans all hoping to meet them up close. At their press conference held yesterday at Edsa Shangri-La in Ortigas, it was reported that the number of attendees exceeded the capacity allowed by the hotel's function room—something that can also be attributed to the organizers' failure to properly account for their invited guests. Last night was loud and wild as fans tirelessly screamed, yelled and sang along with the group from start to finish. Fans also threw stuffed toys onstage to show their love and admiration for the K-Pop sensations. Super Junior reciprocated the warm reception by shooting water at the audience at random using their plastic water guns.

"We love the Philippines!" Super Junior said to their Filipino and Korean fans as they ended the evening with "Marry U."

source: asianfanatics.net and grabbie20

After School's Raina is... "Oh Bang Shil"?

Frequent followers of Jo Kwon and Ga-In’s We Got Married episodes since last year will definitely know someone who goes by the name of "Oh Bang Shil". The identity of Oh Bang Shil has been shrouded in mystery ever since Jo Kwon bought it up during the sauna episode. Since then, the name has cropped up several times, with Ga-In showing her jealousy at Jo Kwon’s supposedly first love.

Jo Kwon dropped several hints about Oh Bang Shil which got netizens really interested as they begun their mission to try and uncover the identity of this mysterious girl. And the netizens managed to narrowed down their search to After School’s Raina, who seemed to fit all the hints (apart from Egypt).

Check out VJ Isak’s report.

Neither Jo Kwon nor Raina have addressed this issue since. During Kim Heechul’s Young Street radio show (around 1:08) recently, Heechul shouted “Oh Bang Shil” in Raina’s direction to which she played dumb and said, “Who’s that?”.

In an interview with Sports Hankook on the 7th, Raina addressed the issue: “I’m not sure whether or not if I’m Oh Bang Shil... I guess only Jo Kwon knows for certain. Haha. It’s good to see the two (Jo Kwon & Ga-In) being so lovey dovey. It’s to the point where some people would hate me if I got in the way but I don’t pay much attention to it. I guess it’s something that’s bound to happen since the program is so popular.”

credits: allkpop

My oh my!

JoKwon and Ga-In: 200th Day Anniversary

2AM’s leader Jo-Kwon and Brown Eyed Girls member Ga-In are an onscreen couple on the reality show We Got Married. On the 7th, the two celebrated their 200th day anniversary as (make-believe) husband and wife.

Via their me2DAY, the couple uploaded these two pictures captioned, “Long time since the last upload. These photos were just taken.”

In the photo above, Jo Kwon and Ga-In are smiling together as they tilt their heads closer. They also revealed some of the gifts that they received from fans.

Fans who saw these photos said, “Has it really been 200 days? Congratulations“... “I wish it was a real 200 days with Jo Kwon and Ga-In’s relationship“... “Things like this make it hard to tell whether or not they’re actually dating “.

source: allkpop

OHHH!!! My favorite couple!

I hope they stay longer in this show, or better yet, date in real life. Hehehe!

A fan will always be a fan,that is.

Best wishes! ^.^

Charice’s ‘Pyramid’ gets upperhand over Lady Gaga, Beyoncé duet in US chart

Just five weeks after its debut in the US Billboard Dance/Club Play Song chart, international Filipino singer Charice’s song “Pyramid” has had even the likes of Lady Gaga and Beyonce’s song “Telephone” eating dust.

For the week ending April 3, “Pyramid” is up from number 26 to 22 vis-avis “Telephone” which plunges to number 25 from number 18 after peaking at number one in the chart. Charice is one of few Filipino artists who has achieved the feat of entering the Billboard Dance chart. In the ’90s, Jocelyn Enriquez, whose parents hail from Pangasinan, stormed both the dance and pop charts in the US with the songs “A Little Bit of Ecstasy” and “Do You Miss Me?”

Although it has not yet entered the Billboard Hot 100 (considered as the barometer of hit songs in America), Charice’s performance in “Pyramid” has prompted a New York Post music columnist to call her a “pop princess,” a title previous held by Britney Spears.

In that column item, Charice was described as “a new little chick” whose “mountain-and-valley vocals are the only reason you will need to fall in love with her sound.” The music video for “Pyramid” debuted on music channels last March 19. Her album will hit the shelves on May 11, 2010.

source: Manila Bulletin

U-Kiss fans angered by TWITTER remarks

Aigoo... Talk about messing up with a K-pop fan.

Filipino K-pop fans are enraged and are demanding radio talk show host DJ Mo Twister (real name Mohan Gumatay) to apologize for his Twitter posts on boy band U-Kiss. Last March 28, U-Kiss performed on “Party Pilipinas,” the new Sunday musical varitety show on GMA-7 that replaced “SOP.” The performance was part of the boy band’s Philippine promo tour for their album.

DJ Mo then posted on his public Twitter account the following messages:
“djmotwister: finally its an all-English noon time show! Hehehe”
“djmotwister: i stand corrected, these k-pop guys dont look gay, they look like lesbians.”
“djmotwister: im sorry all you k-pop fans but you cant tell me thats a heterosexual man. you just cant.”

Fans immediately set up a Facebook page called “KPOP FANS DEMAND FOR PUBLIC APOLOGY from MO TWISTER!!” As of this writing, the page has 1,804 fans who signed up in support of the move. Fans posted angry messages about DJ Mo’s comments.
“It's very rude of him to say that!”
“If you don't like K-pop it’s Ok...but making fun of the artist is really disappointing...”

Peter Chan, operations manager of Universal Records Philippines, which released U-Kiss’ album in the country, said the issue will not affect the devotion of Filipino K-pop fans to their idols. “Everybody has the right to express their opinion about U-Kiss or any K-Pop artists, since this is a free country. Whether Mo Twister apologizes or not, this does not lessen Pinoy U-Kiss fans' devotion and support for their favorite Korean boy band. I hope this subject can be put to rest,” said Chan in an email sent to Manila Bulletin. Chan said this is his personal opinion and not of the record label. Some fans have also sent a letter to GMA to complain about DJ Mo, who is part of showbiz talk show “Showbiz Central.”

DJ Mo is currently vacationing in Paris.

source:asianfanatics.net