Determined to bid farewell in typical Big Bang fashion, the iconic K-pop boy band went all out in every aspect — fashion, sound, performance, camera work and stage design — at its final concerts in Seoul this past weekend.

Some 64,000 flocked to the “0 To 10 Final in Seoul” concerts, held at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Saturday and Sunday, according to YG Entertainment, with many from overseas.

The shows marked the last installation in Big Bang’s 10-year-anniversary project — which included an art exhibit in Seongsu-dong and a film of its world tour — that has been ongoing since last year.

Sunday’s concert kicked off with “My Heaven,” “We Like 2 Party” and “Hands Up.” The group also performed new songs from its recent album “MADE: The Full Album,” “Fxxk It” and “Last Dance.” Throbbing dance hits such as “Bang Bang Bang” and “Fantastic Baby” closed the show, followed by an encore during which Big Bang circled the stadium on a moving platform.

A gigantic pyramid lift installed onstage allowed the band members to move in different formations for each song.

The group’s five members delivered energetic performances until the very end. “This is the last concert all five of us will be able to participate in for a long time. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life,” said T.O.P.

The rapper, 29, will begin his 19-month mandatory military service on Feb. 9, upon which Big Bang as a group will go on a hiatus. G-Dragon and Taeyang are also expected to enlist later this year.

“You are the ones who shared memories with us for 10 years, who let us grow with your passion,” T.O.P told the sea of fans waving yellow glow sticks.

“I’ve been running forward since I was 19. There was a sense of fear and loneliness in going to a new environment, but I feel at peace now. Everyone has to go,” he said on his military service. “I’m thankful I’m able to have a brilliant ending.”

But Big Bang made sure to end on a hopeful note. “This is not our last,” said Taeyang. “Our first 10 years have passed by so quickly. Likewise, we’re sure the day when we meet again will come soon. Don’t worry.”

G-Dragon expressed wistfulness but indicated that individual members would actively release music as solo acts.

“We should have met more often,” he told fans. “I’m sorry to be late. But I’m happy we’re starting the year together. I look forward to 2017.

“Our long hiatus will pass by quickly with each member’s solo acts in between. There’s nothing to be too sad about,” he added.

Songstress Datuk Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin will sue a trader who used photos of her and her husband Datuk Seri Khalid Mohamad Jiwa to sell sexual stimulant pills online, reported Kosmo!.

Siti, 38, said that she was shocked to see the advertisement to promote the pills appearing on social media.

The advertisement claims to help with infertility.

The advertisement appears along with a fake article claiming that Siti and her husband used the pills.

“I am warning the trader to stop using our names and photos (to sell the product) as we have never used the product.

“We won’t think twice about taking legal action if the trader continues using our names and photos to sell the product,” she said.

The daily said that the sex stimulants, sold at between RM150 (S$48) and RM200 per bottle, are also being shipped overseas.

Love them or hate them, the Golden Globes are always a hell of a night. The 2017 ceremony brought a deluge of wins for La La Land, political speeches and honors for newbies like Atlanta and The Crown.

Below, our roundup of the best and worst from the three-hour ceremony.

367612

2017-01-09 10:55:02

Photo Gallery

74th annual Golden Globe Awards

Source:

AFP

Reuters

• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–

The Best

The La La Land opener

There’s nothing Hollywood loves more than Hollywood – and, of course, making fun of it. Fallon’s opening number, a tribute to awards darling La La Land, was the perfect way to kick off an awards show in the city of stars.

It began – as many Los Angeles days do – with a bunch of people sitting in traffic. This time, the freeway was replaced by the Golden Globes carpet, and a sea of stretch limos. The Stranger Things squad rapped, Nicole Kidman and Amy Adams danced, and Westworld’s Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) and Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington made appearances.

Of course, Justin Timberlake and Fallon also shared a Ryan Gosling/Emma Stone-style dance (only after Fallon hilariously turned down Tina Fey). We’d watch that remake.

Hugh Laurie’s HFPA joke

Despite dramatic turns like his Globe-winning work in The Night Manager, Laurie is a finely honed comedian, delivering wisecracks with a sarcastic twinkle in his eye.

“The last Golden Globes,” he said while accepting his award. “I don’t mean to be gloomy but it has the words ‘Hollywood,’ ‘foreign’ and ‘press’ in it,” he said, referencing the coming Donald Trump administration.

Dev Patel and Sunny Pawar co-presenting and melting our hearts

Sorry Jacob Tremblay, sorry Stranger Things kids, but the most popular pint-sized red carpet celeb is Lion’s Sunny Pawar, rocking his kicks and having to be lifted magnificently into the air by Dev Patel to introduce Lion’s Best Motion Picture – Drama nomination.

Ryan Reynolds and Andrew Garfield kiss

While we were busy watching one of our many internet boyfriends, Ryan Gosling, talk about being a dreamy pianist in La La Land, the other Canadian Ryan (Reynolds) and Andrew Garfield shared an intimate moment. Thankfully, the internet was there for us – and made sure it was a moment we didn’t miss.

And just like that: A new bromance is born. We totally ‘ship it.

Read also: 

Meryl Streep tears into Trump in Golden Globes speech

‘La La Land’ dances into lead at Golden Globes

Read the full story here

Mashable is the go-to source for tech, digital culture, and entertainment content for its dedicated and influential audience around the world.

Local singer Nathan Hartono has another string to his bow. The crooner is the new ambassador for the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL).

The announcement came at a press conference held at St. Margaret’s Secondary School yesterday, where CPCLL also unveiled its new logo and slogan – Ai Shang Hua Wen, which loosely translates to Fall In Love With Chinese.

Also in attendance was guest of honour, CPCLL chairman and Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Ms Low Yen Ling.

Hartono, 26, hit a new level of success when he came in second in the reality singing contest Sing! China in October last year.

His journey to learn Chinese was not smooth, but he has learnt first-hand how useful it can be.

Hartono’s struggle started when he took Higher Chinese in upper primary.

He comes from an English-speaking family. Hartono recalled how his Chinese teacher was once so frustrated with him, he was made to stand outside the classroom and pull his earlobes.

“Chinese became an unclimbable mountain,” the former Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) student told The New Paper.

His struggle continued in secondary school.

He was failing Chinese.

Said Hartono: “It discouraged me and since I didn’t have to use Chinese on a daily basis, I began to avoid it like crazy… I learnt just enough to survive.”

But when he got to junior college, he started having an urge to learn Chinese.

“I realised that mastering my second language could open up a lot of opportunities. I guess it just came with age – I became wiser,” he said.

Even then, he had a lot of lost ground to make up, and it was not until he decided to take part in Sing! China, after being approached a second time by the producers, that he took it seriously.

321812

2016-07-17 11:12:40

Photo Gallery

Local singer Nathan Hartono wows Sing! China judges

Source: The Straits Times, The New Paper, YouTube screengrabs, HBO Asia, Music & Movement

• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–
• 
  
  <!–

DEPTH

“We had pre-production meetings, and it was quite evident that I was out of my depth,” he said.

“I could barely string a proper sentence together.”

But spending four months in China had its benefits. Hartono could finally complete sentences in Mandarin without pausing or inserting English words.

“It is all about proactive speaking. A lot of the time, people are afraid to speak their second language because they are not confident.

“But if they keep practising, their confidence will rise,” he said.

Yesterday, the CPCLL also announced that it is organising the 1st National Tertiary Chinese Reading Competition cum prize giving ceremony and will be launching a new training initiative for infant Edu-carers this year.

Said Ms Low: “It is a golden period for infants and young children to pick up language skills as that is the time when they absorb the most.”

She added that she was glad to have Hartono as CPCLL’s new ambassador.

“His determination and perseverance to improve his Mandarin during Sing! China made him a good example for the younger generation,” said Ms Low.

If yesterday’s reception at St. Margaret’s was anything to go by, she is clearly right.

Hartono, who sang three Mandarin songs and played charades with the students, was obviously a hit with them, eliciting plenty of screams in the packed hall.

Secondary 4 students Megan Lah and Tanita Giri, both 16, said they were inspired by Hartono as he does not come from a background where he gets to speak Mandarin often.

Tanita, who is half Chinese and half Indian, said: “I am not fluent in Mandarin myself, but like what Nathan said, I think we should not dislike the language, and instead, give it an opportunity.”

Hartono will be touring different schools and participating in activities organised by CPCLL.

huienl@sph.com.sg

Read also: Local singer Nathan Hartono wows Sing! China judges, gets Jay Chou as mentor

Nathan Hartono in the finals of China singing contest

This article was first published on Jan 10, 2017.
Get The New Paper for more stories.