~Saru-ya~

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

After reading the review below, I can't wait to get a copy of it! It has been released in the US since mid November but I have not seen a single copy available in the local retails yet. Our stores are slow...

Ramiro Burr: Shakira's Tour DVD is the next best thing to live concert [Source]

For the Shakira fans who were rocked by her U.S. concerts last fall, the experience is only a thrilling memory today.
Now they can relive the excitement with Shakira's just-released DVD "Oral Fixation Tour," a 16-track DVD that includes several bonus cuts.

Shakira also contributed three songs to the movie "Love in the Time of Cholera," an adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez's novel. Two are new: "Hay Amores" and "Despedida," both written and produced by Shakira with Pedro Aznar and soundtrack composer Antonio Pinto ("City of God"). The third is "Pienso en Ti," a track from her CD "Pies Descalzos."

Shakira talked about the songs and the movie at a recent Los Angeles press conference, which was made available to music writers via podcast.

"To create music for a movie based on one of the most extraordinary writers in history, and also a very close friend of mine, García Márquez, was an opportunity that I did not want to miss," she said. "That's why I accepted the challenge. I can't deny that making music for this movie has been one of the biggest challenges in my history as a person, as a musician, as a songwriter and as a producer.

"The big question mark was, 'How do you make music for a movie inspired by a masterpiece that already has so much music in it'? The works of García Márquez are very distinctive because of its cadence and its rhythm and the musicality and its metaphors."

"Love in the Time of Cholera," which is now playing in San Antonio, stars Javier Bardem and Catalina Sandino Moreno.

"It's an honor to be a part of a movie that captures so well the very essence of my country," Shakira said. "The Colombia of García Márquez, the Colombia of such beauty and contrasts and poetry; the Colombia that nurtured me like a mother, the Colombia that I so profoundly love."

With the latest in sound and stage technology, most new DVDs do a fine job of presenting a captivating effects-laden show, giving home viewers a sense of being there. Shakira's "Oral Fixation Tour" DVD does not disappoint.

The sound is stunning, especially if you have a home theater setup. The visuals are no less captivating, with mesmerizing overhead shots and tight close-ups.

At the same Los Angeles press conference, Shakira described how she approached her recent tour and DVD.

"My music is something I create in the isolation of my life and my recording studio and my home," she said. "But to bring all that music onto the stage and share it with thousands of people and see how they enjoy themselves and they're having a good time, that's what I live for, really. It's something that doesn't compare to anything else in the world."

The tour lasted 14 months and stopped in 140 cities. An entire month was dedicated to preparing the production and the design of the show.

"I dedicated a few hours every day to look for new moves and ideas for the choreography," Shakira said. "Another big part of the day was dedicated to re-arranging some of the songs with the musicians, which is something I get involved in to the most extreme details. I'm an arranger myself, so it's something that I really enjoy — reshaping the songs, especially for the live approach."

DVD extras include two documentaries, "Pies Descalzos (Barefoot)," about the Shakira foundation dedicated to building a school for underprivileged students in Colombia, and "Around the World in 397 Days," a behind-the-scenes tour diary.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Is this true????

[Source]MediaTakeOut has reported that Rihanna's dad is actually making a living by selling clothes out of the trunk of his car. Well there's certainly nothing wrong with this, if that is his personal interest. But will it sorta affect his daughter's reputation as the Umbrella hitmaker? Previously, she had already revealed the bad past of her father [source]. Let's see how will she respond to this...

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Gwen Stefani's gig in danger?

[Source] KUALA LUMPUR: Federal Territory PAS Youth Exco members have handed a memorandum to Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Hakim Borhan calling for the cancellation of Gwen Stefani’s The Sweet Escape 2007 concert next Tuesday.

Stefani, 38, will be performing at Putra Indoor Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur at 8.30pm.
A five-man team, headed by Kamaruzaman Mohamad, handed the memorandum yesterday to KL City Hall Enforcement Inspector Adnan Baba at the City Hall lobby. Adnan passed it on to the Special Officer to the Mayor, Mohd Nazam Harun.
“This concert does not bring any good to Malaysians except invite youngsters to enjoy themselves, mix around too freely, get drunk and commit sins,” he said.
Asked if he had seen any of her concerts, Kamaruzaman said he had not but had seen her pictures on the Internet and advertisements on television and they were indecent.
Earlier, the team also handed over a memorandum to Maxis Communications Bhd, the parent company of Hotlink, the concert’s presenter.

I just don't understand why are certain parties making such a big fuss over the concert. Get drunk and commit sins?! Hell, I think some of our local acts are able to do so, and yet their concerts are not getting as much attention as Gwen's. Ugh! Let's see what's going to happen...

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Shakira Renews Contract With Panasonic

[Source]It has been reported that Shakira has recently renewed her contract with Panasonic.

Shakira who was signed with Panasonic last March where she created commercials and ads for Panasonic audio visual products including LUMIX digital still cameras for the Latin American market.

The recent commercials have been filmed in the Bahamas and Shakira will represent Panasonic until March of 2008.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Shakira thrills me all the time. She's an ultimate Spanish machine who works her honest hips off! Simply oral fixated.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Britney Gone Wild for the Nth time.

Sometimes being a star is a drawback in being yourself. Behavior, attitude and appearance in the public is well restricted in order to protect the established image. Well, if the real behavior is healthy and positive, then there isn't much of a problem. But when they are not so good, and might disrupt the impression of the public on him/her, then it's definitely better to be hidden. Arguments that Britney is having a downturn on her career doesn't support her actions in garnering public attention in the bad way. Truly, good girl has gone bad. Too bad Rihanna had used the title for her album, or else Britney can really consider using it for her next studio album, which she is already putting effort into. Anyhow, here's a recent article (only a partial of it) from US magazine [source]:

My Shocking 6 Hours with Topless Britney

Britney Spears is on a tramp-age!

The latest man to fall into the hard-partying pop star’s orbit is Matt Encinias, a 21-year-old college student who tells Us Weekly the exclusive details of his twisted night with Spears in the latest issue.

In just five hours, Encinias went from being an extra in her latest video to pounding drinks and locking lips with the single mom of two in a rooftop pool at L.A’s Standard Downtown hotel.

Although Spears was expecting her two young sons to be dropped off at her Beverly Hills home at noon (as per her custody arrangement with their father, Kevin Federline), the singer had arranged to have the pool reopened at 2 am for the exclusive use of her group, which included then-assistant Shannon Funk and some hand-picked male extras from her video shoot.

“Britney was the first one to undress, and then everyone else followed,” Encinias tells Us. “I turned around and saw that she was topless and she had fake tattoos of flowers on her nipples from the shoot.”

“I was told all she wanted to do that night was kiss a boy,” the 5’10” California native continues. "And that’s what she did. Mission accomplished.”

It was when the alcohol started running low that an inebriated Spears, 25, suggested a game of Truth or Dare. “I was dared to get naked and get out of the pool and walk as though I was on a catwalk in a fashion show,” says Encinias. “Britney was laughing really hard.”

But what happened later when they went back to Britney’s hotel room? For more on Spears’ wild night at the Standard Hotel, including the latest details on her custody battle with Kevin Federline, pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands this week.

Goodness gracious, desperation is all I can say. All these years, we have seen Britney turning from an innocent girl who strutted her stuff on her very first video, Baby One More Time to a sexy lady in Do Something, to a mom, and now, probably a desperate housewife? From the article above, it wasn't stated what happened in the room later on. And guess what, the answer is actually published in another website. According to The Post Chronicle:

He revealed: "I went in and found Britney lying on the bed with her knees up and just a pair of pink panties on. She was looking like she was ready - and I wanted to finalise it."
Encinias claims Britney wanted him to stay the night, but his friend collapsed and the singer's bodyguard told him to take him home.

So, after all these, what do y'all think of Britney? Did Kevin, her ex-husband changed her? IMO, yes, and he sorta ruined her life, perhaps.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

7 Moonmen nominations for Beyonce, Justin.

[Source] With seven each, Beyonce and Justin Timberlake lead the nominations for the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, to be handed out Sept. 9 in Las Vegas. The two artists will square off in the video of the year category, with their songs "Irreplaceable" and "What Goes Around ... Comes Around" competing against Amy Winehouse's "Rehab," Justice's "Dance," Kanye West's "Stronger" and Rihanna's "Umbrella" featuring Jay-Z.

Other top nominees include West and Rihanna with five and Winehouse with three. Timbaland will serve as the musical director for the event as the Palms Casino Resort. Performances are confirmed from West, Winehouse, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Fall Out Boy, Foo Fighters and Lily Allen, with more to be announced. Read the full story from Billboard.

----------------

There are many categories which got the cut from MTV whilst the new, rather weird ones were introduced. Best Collabo got a new name, which is Best Earth-shattering Collaboration. There's also a new category called Quadruple Threat of the Year, where nominees have certain degree of success in multiple fields (music, movie, concert, and what is the other one???). In addition, there's also Monster Single of the Year, which, surprisingly didn't include Irreplaceable as one of the nominated songs. No more viewers choice awards. Instead, viewers can now choose the winner for Best new Artist (which I think will most probably go to Carrie Underwood, who is contending agaisnt Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, just to name a few). Here's the aprtial list of the nominees:

Video of the Year
Amy Winehouse - "Rehab"
Beyoncé - "Irreplaceable"
Justice - "D.A.N.C.E."
Justin Timberlake - "What Goes Around ... "
Kanye West - "Stronger"
Rihanna (featuring Jay-Z) - "Umbrella"

Male Artist of the Year
Akon - "Don't Matter," "I Wanna Love You" (featuring Snoop Dogg), "Smack That" (featuring Eminem)
Kanye West - "Can't Tell Me Nothing," "Stronger," "Classic (Better Than I've Ever Been" — DJ Premier remix, featuring Nas, KRS-One and Rakim)
Justin Timberlake - "Let Me Talk To You/ My Love," "SexyBack" (featuring Timbaland), "What Goes Around ... "
T.I. - "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)," "You Know What It Is" (featuring Wyclef Jean), "What You Know"
Robin Thicke - "Can U Believe," "Lost Without U," "Wanna Love You Girl" (remix, featuring Busta Rhymes and Pharrell)

Female Artist of the Year
Amy Winehouse - "Rehab," "You Know I'm No Good"
Beyoncé - "Irreplaceable," "Beautiful Liar" (featuring Shakira)
Fergie - "Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal)," "Glamorous" (featuring Ludacris), Fergalicious" (featuring Will.I.Am)
Nelly Furtado - "Maneater," "Say It Right"
Rihanna - "Umbrella" (featuring Jay-Z)

Best New Artist
Amy Winehouse - "Rehab," "You Know I'm No Good"
Carrie Underwood - "Before He Cheats"
Gym Class Heroes - "Clothes Off," "Cupid's Chokehold/ Breakfast in America"
Lily Allen - "Alfie," "Smile," "LDN"
Peter Bjorn and John - "Young Folks"

Best Group
Fall Out Boy - "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race," "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs"
Gym Class Heroes - "Clothes Off," "Cupid's Chokehold/ Breakfast in America"
Linkin Park - "What I've Done"
Maroon 5 - "Makes Me Wonder"
White Stripes - "Icky Thump"

Most Earthshattering Collaboration
Akon (featuring Eminem) - "Smack That"
Beyoncé and Shakira - "Beautiful Liar"
Justin Timberlake (featuring Timbaland) - "SexyBack"
Gwen Stefani (featuring Akon) - "The Sweet Escape"
U2 (featuring Green Day) - "The Saints Are Coming"

Quadruple Threat of the Year
Beyoncé
Bono
Jay-Z
Justin Timberlake
Kanye West

Monster Single of the Year
Avril Lavigne - "Girlfriend"
Daughtry - "Home"
Fall Out Boy - "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs"
Lil Mama - "Lip Gloss (No Music)"
T-Pain (featuring Yung Joc) - "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')"
Timbaland (featuring Keri Hilson, D.O.E. and Sebastian) - "The Way I Are"
MIMS - "This Is Why I'm Hot"
Plain White T's - "Hey There, Delilah"
Rihanna (featuring Jay-Z) - "Umbrella"
Shop Boyz - "Party Like A Rock Star"

Best Director
Beyoncé and Shakira - "Beautiful Liar" (director: Jake Nava)
Christina Aguilera - "Candyman" (directors: Mathew Rolston and Christina Aguilera)
Justin Timberlake - "What Goes Around ..." (director: Samuel Bayer)
Kanye West - "Stronger" (director: Hype Williams)
Linkin Park - "What I've Done" (director: Joseph Hahn)
»ihanna (featuring Jay-Z) - "Umbrella" (director: Chris Applebaum)

Best Choreography in a Video
Beyoncé and Shakira - "Beautiful Liar" (choreographer: Frank Gatson)
Chris Brown - "Wall To Wall" (choreographers: Rich & Tone and Flii Styles)
Ciara - "Like A Boy" (choreographer: Jamaica Craft)
Eve - "Tambourine" (choreographer: Tahesha Scott)
Justin Timberlake (featuring Timbaland) - "SexyBack" (choreographer: Marty Kuldeka)

Nominees in italics are my own preference to win the award which it is nominated in. Anyway, I came across a website where viewers voiced up their reaction towards the list. Let's see what few of them have to say:

The Future: I don't understand the VMA'S blind obsession with Beyonce.

OJODIAMANTE: I'm Surprised at No KELLY CLARKSON

AltorRDS: I think I'm the only one satisfied with the new categories and nominations. I am particularly happy because Amy Winehouse got some great recognition.

Xtina: Another flop of a VMA's in my opinion. Disappointed once again!!

Atypical: Boooo to these dumb new categories.

Troy: And Beyonce does NOT need 7 nominations. Ridiculous!

For more, visit this forum. At the same time, TIME has used the word desperate against this year's list. read it here.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Rumor: Rihanna envies Beyonce in NYC Concert

[Source] August 06, 2007. MediaTakeOut.com has received numerous reports that Rihanna attended Beyonce's New York City performance on Saturday night. Here's one account of what happened on that fateful evening:

Rihanna was the only person at [New York's] Madison Square Garden sitting when Beyonce was opened and performed. She had her arms folded with a nasty pout on her mouth the whole show.

Irregardlesss [sic], Beyonce gave a great performance. She remained professional despite having to look in the crowd for her man Jigga, only to see his mistress frowning and sitting [near] him. That goes to show how irreplacable she is...

Rihanna, might be able to have her man. But she'll never have her success...

Come notable comments:

1) In favour of Rihanna:

DG1

MTO y'all lying. Go to Ultimate Rhianna.com and they got pics of her cheesin, with her hands all up in the air. pleaze RiRi enjoyed that show. She a fan.

Sweetness1

I had tickets to a Janet Jackson show years ago and sat right in the middle of alot of celebs..and not one of them was jumpin up,hoopin and friggin hollaring like the fans were..

Celebs dont act like that usually..doesnt mean
RiRi had an attitude.

2) Not in favour of Rihanna:

lol1431

I WAS THERE, DAT BITCH WAS TIGHT THE WHOLE NIGHT LOL

disisreality

wow...... rhi rhi u really got it bad!!!!! u need to recognize n realize dat u cant eva and wont (WONT)be able to even fit in bey's shoes so u need to loose the attitude, sit back n learn.okkkkkkkk

beyisthebest

LMAO...If I was Rhianna I would be VERY jealous. I mean I'm not trying to knock Rhianna down but majority of ppl think that she is talentless and I agree. She can't sing or dance and like someone said she should just be happy that she got a record deal b/c that was a miracle. She aint got nothing on Bey so I don't know if they have beef but if they do Bey wins at the end of every day. No one does a performance like Bey and I heard that Jay was there smiling the whole time and that he wasn't no where near Rhianna. So whatever the case may be Bey definitely ain't got nothing to worry about b/c she is on top and she's been on top for I don't know how many years and that is why her haters are getting so irritated. I know Bey is laughing her ass off at the haters and enjoying every minute of it.

Note: I clearly think that this rumor is untrue. Rihanna takes Beyonce as her influence, which means she has some respect for her senior, at least.

Rihanna Takes On Britney Spears

August 05, 2007. MediaTakeOut.com got a hold of Rihannas recent spread in Maxim Magazine in Germany. Here's an excerpt of the interview:

What was the latest crazy thing you did?
I got a tatoo - while I was interviewed. We were sitting at a tatoo studio in New York and I thought. Come on Rihana, since you are here already, you can do it. So I got a Sanskrit tatoo on my lower back.

On your butt?
No, a little higher.

Is that your first tatoo?
No, it is already the fourth. I also have clef on my on my right foot and a little tatoo in my right and left ear.

I am sure your boyfriend thinks the tatoos are totally sexy.
Boyfriend? No. I have to pass. Unfortunately I have no time for that.

Can men trust you anyway or are you very trustworthy?
I never cheated on a boy with whom I was together. However, my experiences with love affairs are still limited.

Do you ask yourself sometimes how it came that went up all the way?
Of course. Especially in the beginning I was truely shocked. I was only 17 and people could buy my records all over the world. I am a girl from Barbados – what did I know about the world three years ago? I never would have thought that I ever would travel to Germany – that is absolutely crazy.

What influence has the success on you? Are you more arrogant, bitchier?
I don’t think so. I don’t want that. In reality I am quite shy, maybe that is perceived as arrogant.

Shy? As a pop star?
Now you are shocked, aren’t you? It already got better. Before I was incredibly irritated by my shyness. I was fed up with this girl who didn’t have the heart to do things and was always afraid.

Is that the reason you changed your styling? It appears now…
… more mature, I know. Two years you could’nt have dressed up so provocative. I wasn’t allowed to. My manager didn’t allow to much openness/candidness. Now I also wear belly free clothes and hot pants. I like it sexy.

Did you ever get wasted?
I do like to go out. Here in Europe I allowed to drink alcohol. I never have been really drunk. One, two cocktails, that’s it.

Are you afraid to end up like Britney Spears?
No, I am not afraid of that. That doesn’t suit me. I am not going to slip off / slump. It just began to take off.

Check [source] out for pictures.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

It has been long since I updated myself with the spanking new music which is making hot waves in the industry right now. Lately, I'm pretty much hooked up with Rihanna's new album, Good Girl Gone Bad. Well, the album is most notable for the current hit, Umbrella, but there are a couple of songs to look out for too, such as Breakin Dishes, Don't Stop The Music and Shut Up and Drive (which happens to be the next single to be issued). Unlike her previous albums which were more reggae tone inspired, the sound from this album has been repackaged and reinvented in order to build a wider appeal, and hell, it did. Looks like Rihanna's going to make a big name for herself as she turns bad.

Her hit single, Umbrella.

Singing Shut Up and Drive live.

Another mesmerizing summer song is Sean Kingston's Beautiful Girl. As it samples heavily on Stand by Me by ben E. King, this new song is undoubtedly sweet, spicy and sexy all at once. You might not have heard of SK, but with this song, his invisibility is now void.

Enjoy!

She might be busy touring, but concert is not just the only thing in her mind. With almost 3 million concert patrons to date, Shakira has truly established herself as a Diva in the making. Las de la Intuicion or Pure Intuition has been released for quite some time now. The up-tempo song is simply superb. Love the beats, love the lyrics.

Shakira, in her latest commercial for Panasonic Viega.

Is purple the "It" color now?

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Beyonce gets the crosses...

And NO, I'm not crazy.

Friday, April 20, 2007

OMFG! Rainie Yang, the singer-host-actress who is well popular all over the Asian countries has officially challenged Jake Gyllenhaal to the brokeback mountains in the latest lesbian film she participated in, called <刺青>. Wow, she's really stepping up the game and trying to nick the the top female entertainer in Taiwan. The movie seems to be quite explicit in a way that she did things that requires parental guidance as reported in this article. To date, the movie has done well in Taiwan with a box-office of $20million in the province. Bravo!

Have a look at the "french" scene from the movie!

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Here's one short update on the new look of Vikki Zhao. The smokey eyes and dark sultry look really works on her. Don't y'all think so? The cute, innocent look has long been forgotten, and became history. On the other hand, Karena Lau did not execute it in the same way. She brought it to the extreme and made it, evil looking, which, looks a bit, fashionably u.g.l.y. Right?

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Yet another no.1 video to watch out for! I have mentioned about this hot video before, and here it is, a single post devoted for it. Beautiful Liar is the latest offering, marking the first collaboration and team up between two goddess of the music industry, Beyonce and Shakira, two of my favorite stars up till this very second. The like the song itself, though doesn't crave for it, but for the video, it's totally awesome! They just looked so alike in the video! Check it out!

Basically, at the beginning of the video, both faces of Shakira and Beyonce are masked behind smoke. As the video progresses they are featured against several different backgrounds, including: a sunrise (Beyonce) and sunset (Shakira); sheets blown in the wind; bamboo covered in yellow orchids; a room with blue neon lighting and Arabic writing on the walls; and finally a background of stormy weather. Slow dance moves and belly dancing are featured heavily throughout the video, with a breakdown containing Arabic-style dance moves after the bridge. Spectacular moments when both of them wear matching hairstyles and black dresses for the entirety of video. [source]

Screenshots from the video! Official Battle of the Divas!