The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio
The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio |
- Mariah Carey increases security in feud with Nicki Minaj
- 'Downton Abbey' sets PBS record
- Glimmer of hope at the 27th Anugerah Juara Lagu
| Mariah Carey increases security in feud with Nicki Minaj Posted: 07 Jan 2013 08:35 PM PST NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pop diva Mariah Carey said she hired increased security following what she described as threats reportedly made against her by fellow American Idol judge Nicki Minaj, according to an interview on ABC News. Carey, 42, one of three new judges to join the American Idol panel for the hit talent show's new season on January 16, told Barbara Walters in an interview airing on Monday, "it felt like an unsafe work environment." "Anytime anybody's reeling threats at somebody, you know, it's not appropriate," Carey (pic) said. "I'm a professional. I'm not used to that type of environment," she said, adding that she hired extra security. The diva was alluding to widely reported tension between her and Minaj, who were seen arguing with one another in a video from the show's audition phase. Walters has reported that, according to Carey, others on the Idol set heard Minaj go further and say, off-camera, "If I had a gun, I would shoot that bitch." Minaj, a Trinidadian-born singer and songwriter, previously denied making any remarks about firearms, but Carey told Walters that beefing up her security "was the appropriate thing to do." "Sitting there on the road with two babies, I'm not going to take any chances," she said, referring to her 20-month old twins with husband Nick Cannon. But in a sign of media savvy, she noted that "for all the drama, I hope it helps the show." Walters also asked Carey about reports she is being paid US$18 million for each Idol season. "I think we're in the ballpark, (but) I can't even talk about those things," the singer replied. |
| 'Downton Abbey' sets PBS record Posted: 07 Jan 2013 07:50 PM PST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British period drama Downton Abbey scored rave reviews and a record 7.9 million viewers for public broadcasting channel PBS as viewers tuned in to watch a wedding and financial calamity during the award-winning show's third season U.S. premiere on Sunday. Fans witnessed the wedding of Matthew and Lady Mary Crawley, after two seasons in which viewers were kept wondering if they would ever tie the knot. According to PBS, the ratings for season 3 quadrupled the average viewings for PBS primetime shows, which usually is 2 million viewers, and nearly doubled the premiere of the second season, which kicked off with 4.2 million viewers in January 2012. The joy over the wedding was offset by news that Lord Grantham, the owner of the grand estate, had lost his fortune to bad investments. American actress Shirley MacLaine debuted in the role of the feisty Martha Levinson, the mother of Lord Grantham's American wife Cora. She entertained viewers with her witty exchanges with Downton matriarch Violet Crawley, played by Maggie Smith. Downton Abbey, created by British screenwriter Julian Fellowes, has become both a critical success and a cult favorite among its many U.S. fans. It has won seven Emmy awards and will be going into Sunday's Golden Globe awards with three nominations in major television categories including best drama series. Vanity Fair, which live-tweets humorous comments during the show, leads a strong online following of fans who discuss aspects of the show ranging from dresses and dances to the dramatic twists. "The Subcommittee on Preventing Edith's Happiness resolves to kill off her boyfriend, put thumbtacks in her evening shoes," the magazine tweeted, referring to the unlucky-in-love Lady Edith Crawley. PBS said that the show garnered nearly 100,000 tweets during its Sunday premiere. |
| Glimmer of hope at the 27th Anugerah Juara Lagu Posted: 08 Jan 2013 01:20 AM PST It was all about powerful vocals and fancy performances in the Anugerah Juara Lagu on Sunday. LAST week, the biggest news in the local music scene was not that Los Angeles-based singer Yunalis Zarai had been signed under the international label, Verve Music Group (which is headed by US music maker David Foster), but rather that she was unable to return to Malaysia for a much-anticipated live performance in the 27th edition of the annual Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL27). Held on Sunday at the Putra Indoor Stadium of the Bukit Jalil National Sports Complex in Kuala Lumpur, AJL27 was a grand event with a simple stage that changed into dramatic sets to complement each nominee's performance. More than that, though, AJL27 saw 12 talented contenders – Bedroom Sanctuary, Black and RJ, Shila Hamzah, Stacy, Hafiz Suip and Adira, Amir Jahari, Mojo, Hazama and Amy Search, Jimmy Palikat and One Nation Emcees, Yuna (who was represented by Aizat Amdan) and Hafiz – giving impressive performances throughout the night. While most of the nominees showed off powerful vocals and heartfelt performances, others decided to be a lot more relaxed and playful with their sets, focusing instead on entertaining the audience. And what an audience! The stadium (which has a capacity of about 9,000 people) was filled to the brim, a strong indication of Muzik Muzik's unwavering popularity even after more than two decades of being on air. To those unfamiliar with the awards, AJL is an annual music event which honours Malaysia's top artistes and songwriters. The finalists are chosen based on their weekly placements on Muzik Muzik – as voted by judges and viewers. AJL winners are also chosen based on a panel of judges and viewer votes. There are only three categories in contention in AJL: Best song, best vocals and best performance. This year, Yuna's mellow Terukir Di Bintang won the coveted prize of best song (which got her RM35,000), even though singer Aizat really did not do justice to the song. The only thing memorable about his Parisian-themed performance on Sunday was, as one twitterer commented, the red mug he held throughout the set. In second place (RM15,000) was Idola, a song composed by Audi Mok with lyrics by Azlan of Azlan & The Typewriter, which performed the track. Meanwhile, popular singer-songwriter Ajai's Ku Akui, sung by Hafiz, won the third spot which carried a RM12,000 prize. In the best performance category (RM10,000), which is based on an artiste's performance on awards night, it was Black and RJ's Teman Pengganti (written by Malique) that captured everyone's attention. The inclusion of a rotating divider in the middle of the stage, with Black sitting and singing on one side and RJ rapping on the other was a clever way of amping up their act. Still, it was Black's powerful vocals and the song's stirring lyrics that truly made Teman Pengganti one of the top favourites of 2012. Another strong vocalist, Hafiz Suip, managed a hattrick by again winning in the best vocals category (RM10,000) with Ku Akui. Here is a young singer (he's 22) from Kuching, Sarawak, who has put his music training that bagan from the reality-based show Akademi Fantasia to good use, and who has been consistent with the standards of his work. Other songs that were in the finals included Lagu (Bedroom Sanctuary), Patah Seribu (Shila), Pelangi Senja (Stacy), Ombak Rindu (Hafiz and Adira), Tanpamu (Amir), Andaiku Bercinta Lagi (Mojo), Simetri (Hazama and Amy) and Anak Kampung (Palikat and One Nation Emcees). AJL27 also saw some wonderful performances by Ziana Zain, Misha Omar and Royal FT Force, as well as a special rock-heavy segment that featured rock legends Rahmat (of Mega), Aris Ariwatan, Joey (Bumiputera Rockers) and Ramli Sarip alongside guitarists Rodi (Kristal), AG Coco, Edrie Hashim and Man Kidal. Some of the songs presented in the segment – which was a nod to Malaysia's famous "rock kapak" genre – were Bayangan Gurauan, Lamunan Terhenti, Seribu Tahun Takkan Mungkin and Kamelia. Judging from the vocal performances as well as the quality of songs in competition that were showcased two nights ago, one could see just how far the country's music scene has gone. Power and rock ballads no longer dominate the charts (though they are both still wildly popular genres) with more indie, folk, alternative rock and hip hop tunes making waves and garnering more faithful followers each year. Also, a new generation of songwriters and composers have cropped up, giving us hope that the industry – however bleak it may seem on the surface sometimes – will not only survive but grow substantially, too. |
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