Google pays tribute to the 65th birthday of legendary Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng with a special Google Doodle today.

The Google Doodle, illustrated by Cynthia Yuan Cheng, features a cartoon caricature of Teng singing with a full moon in the background, in reference to one of her most iconic hits, The Moon Represents My Heart (Yue Liang Dai Biao Wor De Xin).

Born on this day in 1953, Teng was one of the most popular Chinese artistes in the 1970s and 1980s.

Able to sing in various languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, English, and even Malay, Teng was known as one of the “Five Great Asian Divas”, with timeless hits like like When Will You Return? (He Zi Jun Hui Lai), Wishing We Last Forever (Dan Yuan Ren Chang Jiu), Sweet Like Honey (Tian Mi Mi), and Lover’s Care (Qing Ren De Guan Huai), among others.

Teng died in 1995 at the age of 42, after suffering a severe respiratory attack while vacationing in Thailand.

Also read: Asia’s eternal idol: Teresa Teng songs still resonate 20 years on

NEW YORK – R&B artist Bruno Mars won the top prize at the Grammy Awards on Sunday (Jan 28), denying rappers Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z the honour of becoming the first hip-hop artist in 14 years to win the coveted album of the year award.

Mars won six Grammys including song of the year for his hit single “That’s What I Like”, and both record and album of the year for “24K Magic”.

Lamar, 30, regarded as one of the most innovative rappers of his generation, won five prizes mostly in rap categories, for his album “DAMN.” and single “Humble”.

Lamar’s victories came at the expense of veteran Jay-Z and his soul-baring album “4:44”. Jay-Z won none of his eight nominations and chose not to perform at the three-hour show.

Rap last year surpassed rock as the dominant genre in US music.

On the red carpet, dozens of musicians wore or held white roses to signal support for women’s equality and freedom from sexual harassment, a theme that was echoed on stage in an emotional performance by Kesha of her single “Praying”.

New York – Pop singer Kesha delivered a powerful statement on behalf of women’s equality at the Grammys on Sunday as she led a fierce performance of “Praying,” her own account of abuse, with A-list back-up from a chorus of stars.

Her face intense and her voice building in ferocity, Kesha brought the crowd at Madison Square Garden to its feet and at times to tears at a time of growing public consciousness about sexual harassment and misconduct.

“Praying” is an autobiographical song clearly directed at Dr. Luke, the producer whom Kesha accuses of raping and psychologically tormenting her.

Even before the rise of the #MeToo movement in response to revelations about Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, Kesha rattled the industry by demanding the end of her contract to work with Dr. Luke, who has denied the assault charges.

“After everything you’ve done / I can thank you for how strong I have become,” Kesha sings.

Kesha performed at the Grammys surrounded by fellow stars including Cyndi Lauper, Bebe Rexha, Camila Cabello and Andra Day, who offered symbolic and literal support.

Kesha embraced them in a bear hug as she finished.

Singer Janelle Monae, introducing Kesha, said that the music industry needed to address its own abuse problems.

“To those who would dare try and silence us, we offer you two words: Time’s Up!” she said, using a slogan for the movement launched on New Year’s Day by hundreds of prominent women in the entertainment industry.

“We say time’s up for pay inequality, discrimination or harassment of any kind, and the abuse of power,” she said.

Despite the rousing reception, Kesha was passed over for the awards. She was not nominated in major categories and came up short for the two pop prizes for which she was in the running.

Before the Grammys, Kesha tweeted that “I needed this song in a very real way” and that she was nervous to perform.

“If you need it, I hope this song finds you,” she wrote.

TOKYO –  Have you ever been a foreigner in Tokyo, clueless about what your helpful Japanese friend was saying? An online music video featuring a confused Asian tourist in Tokyo and his new Japanese friends has become a global sensation, collecting millions of views on popular video platforms and prompting viewers around the globe to create and share their own versions.

The 5-minute video, named “Tokyo Bon 2020,” features a clueless Asian tourist, performed by Malaysian actor Namewee, wandering on the streets of Tokyo. His hilarious interaction with a Japanese lady and a high school girl who speak “Japanglish” — English words that have been assimilated into Japanese, often taking on somewhat different meanings — is the highlight of the video.

For a native English speaker, the Japanglish words might sound a bit surreal, like something out of a magic spell: “Makudonarudo” (McDonald’s), “Kitto Katto” (Kit Kat), “Dizunilando” (Disneyland) and so on. In the song, these words are repeated in a catchy tune along with some Japanese doing “Bon-odori,” a dance often performed at summer festivals in the country.

If you are a non-Japanglish speaker, don’t worry — subtitles in Japanese, English and Chinese are shown in the video. It also features figures and tourist spots that symbolize Japan, such as the landmark Tokyo Tower, a sumo tournament, a Japanese-style garden and performers dressed as ninjas.

The video was released on YouTube last November and went viral in China first, where the clip was shared on various social media platforms, including Weibo. Its popularity expanded to other Asian countries and regions including Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia, before it was picked up by 9gag, a social media platform popular in the US and Europe, that brought in 12 million views in just two days. Total views across all platforms now exceed 100 million.

Read the full story here.