The Star Online: Entertainment: Music
The Star Online: Entertainment: Music |
- Psy back in saddle with new single 'Gentleman'
- Madonna's a bully, says Malawi govt
- Adele is the richest young music millionaire
| Psy back in saddle with new single 'Gentleman' Posted: 12 Apr 2013 01:08 AM PDT SEOUL: "Gangnam Style" star Psy Friday unveiled the highly anticipated follow-up to his global hit with another catchy dance tune infused with his signature self-mocking humour. Even Kim Jong-Un's threats of nuclear war couldn't divert world attention from the main event on the Korean peninsula this week as "Gentleman" hit online music stores in a midnight rolling release across 119 nations. With fans and critics waiting to see whether the "Gangnam Style" star and his invisible horse-riding dance are more than just a one-hit wonder, the new electro-dance song offers an equally simple and catchy melody. The song - a satire of a self-proclaimed "gentleman" trying to woo women at a party - contains more English lyrics than "Gangnam Style" in an apparent effort to appeal to the singer's newfound global fans. "Let me tell you about myself. I'm such a charmer with guts, vigour and humour," Psy sings in Korean before bursting out in English repeatedly, "I'm a mother father gentleman." "Gonna make you sweat. Gonna make you wet. You know who I am? Wet Psy!" he sings in English. The crucial music video has not been released yet and is expected to be unveiled around a promotional concert in Seoul on Saturday featuring the new song and accompanying dance routines which will be streamed live on YouTube. The 35-year-old rapper also offered a possible glimpse of what might be the next dance craze in a teasing video message showing off some new moves (www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQZTZHashKg&list=PLEC422D53B7588DC7&index=1). It was the video of "Gangnam Style", and in particular Psy's signature horse-riding dance, that pushed him to global stardom last year after it was posted on YouTube and turned into a viral sensation. A satire on the luxury lifestyle of Seoul's upscale Gangnam district, it has become the most-watched YouTube video of all time, registering more than 1.5 billion views since it debuted last July. The song topped charts around the world, and inspired a horde of online tributes and parodies, as well as flash mobs of thousands of dancing fans in cities such as Paris and Milan. Psy has promised a "Psy style" take on a traditional Korean dance for the new "Gentleman" video. "This is another very rousing song.... The dance is one known to all Koreans but new to foreigners. This will be presented in Psy style," he told a South Korean TV news programme earlier this month. First reactions to the new song were mixed, with some fans hailing it as another pop sensation while others were reserving judgement until the video is unveiled. "'Gangnam Style' was pretty awesome but this new song is equally cool... the repeated phrase is very addictive," said an online commentator in Seoul. "This is too similar to 'Gangnam Style' but only far less fun.... I think I'll wait until I see how good the music video is," tweeted @dark_serika. The big release comes at a delicate time, with military tensions soaring on the Korean peninsula, and North Korea expected to carry out a provocative missile launch at any moment. The North has even advised foreigners living in South Korea to consider leaving the country, to avoid being caught in a "thermo-nuclear war". South Koreans who have lived with the North's hostile rhetoric for decades have remained largely unfazed by the crisis, and discussion of Psy's new single completely overshadowed Pyongyang's threats on news portals and chat rooms. "Gangnam Style" was always going to be a hard act to follow, and many have forecast that the new single will inevitably fall flat. But Psy is no novice, and Seoul music critic Gu Ja-Hyoung said the singer was capable of sustaining his global appeal. Already an established artist in South Korea with six albums under his belt, Psy has been building and polishing his own style of quirky, explosive music and flamboyant stage persona since his debut in 2001. "He wasn't just some lucky guy who happened to win accidental stardom. It's just that the world belatedly got to know about him thanks to YouTube," Gu said. "It will be hard to match the kind of success achieved by 'Gangnam Style' but the new song will let the world know again that he remains the brilliant showman he always was and always will be," he added.-AFP |
| Madonna's a bully, says Malawi govt Posted: 11 Apr 2013 08:57 PM PDT LILONGWE (Reuters) - The Malawi government has branded pop star Madonna an "uncouth" bully who exaggerates her charitable work in the country and demands preferential treatment when she visits. Malawi President Joyce Banda's government accused the Material Girl of bullying officials after she complained about her latest trip to the southern African country this month. "Among the many things that Madonna needs to learn as a matter of urgency is the decency of telling the truth," said an 11-point statement from Malawi's State House. Media reports said Madonna and her children were forced to join a check-in queue and go through security with ordinary passengers at a Malawi airport when they left the country. The Holiday singer dismissed Malawi's comments as "lies" in a statement on the website of her Raising Malawi foundation. "I'm saddened that Malawi's President Joyce Banda has chosen to release lies about what we've accomplished, my intentions, how I personally conducted myself while visiting Malawi and other untruths," Madonna said. Malawi said Madonna expected the government to be forever chained in an "obligation of gratitude" towards her for adopting two Malawian children and contributing to the construction of classrooms in the country. "Kindness, as far as its ordinary meaning is concerned, is free and anonymous. If it can't be free and silent, it is not kindness; it is something else," the statement said. "Blackmail is the closest it becomes." The singer said she came to Malawi seven years ago with honourable intentions and returned earlier this month to view the new schools built by her foundation. "I did not ever ask or demand special treatment at the airport or elsewhere during my visit," Madonna said. "I will not be distracted or discouraged by other people's political agendas. I made a promise to the children of Malawi and I am keeping that promise." She said the disagreement was rooted in her history with President Banda's sister, Anjimile Mtila Oponyo, who once headed Raising Malawi. Oponyo was fired and sued the charity for wrongful termination. The Malawi government said in its statement the current dispute had nothing to do with Oponyo, however. "For her to accuse Mrs. Oponyo for indiscretions that have clearly arisen from her personal frustrations that her ego has not been massaged by the state is uncouth, and speaks volumes of a musician who desperately thinks she must generate recognition by bullying state officials instead of playing decent music on the stage." |
| Adele is the richest young music millionaire Posted: 11 Apr 2013 08:49 PM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - Former Beatle Paul McCartney's 680-million-pound fortune put him at the top of a list ranking the UK and Ireland's richest musicians that also highlighted Adele as the wealthiest young music millionaire. McCartney was followed closely by music and stage impresario Andrew Lloyd-Webber at 620 million pounds, Irish rock band U2 and singer Elton John in the Sunday Times Rich List 2013 to be published on 21 April, an emailed statement from the paper said. McCartney, 70, has topped all the charts for the country's wealthiest musicians since the Rich List began in 1989, when the former Beatle was worth just 80 million pounds. Aside from starring roles at Queen Elizabeth's diamond jubilee as well as the closing and opening ceremonies for the London Olympics, McCartney's On the Run tour grossed US$57 million from 18 dates in 2012. His total was also boosted by wife Nancy Shevell's stake in her father's New England Motor Freight trucking operation. Profits from Lloyd-Webber's hugely successful stage shows, such as Phantom Of The Opera, Evita and Cats, helped to boost the composer and theatre owner's fortune to keep him in second place ahead of U2 at 520 million pounds and Candle In The Wind singer John in third at 240 million pounds. Rolling Stone Mick Jagger came joint fifth at 200 million pounds alongside former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and her soccer player husband David Beckham. Adele topped the 2013 Young Music Rich List of entertainers aged 30 and under with a 30 million pound fortune. With the continued worldwide success of her album 21, this was a 50 percent increase on the 20 million pounds which put the Oscar-winning singer-songwriter atop the list in 2012. New entries to the youngsters' list, each worth 5 million pounds, included singer-songwriters Emeli Sandé, aged 26, Ed Sheeran, 22, and all five members of boy band One Direction, Niall Horan, 19, Zayn Malik, 20, Liam Payne, 19, Harry Styles, 19, and Louis Tomlinson, 21. One Direction have become Britain's richest boy band, with combined wealth of 25 million pounds. This puts them just 1 million pounds ahead of the combined wealth of the four members of JLS, Jonathan (JB) Gill, 26, Marvin Humes, 28, Aston Merrygold, 25, and Ortisé Williams, 26, who now share a total fortune of 24 million pounds. |
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