Xpax presents G-Dragon 2013 1st World Tour: One Of A Kind in Malaysia

Co-organisers Running Into The Sun (RITS) and Woohoo! Experience are pleased to announce Xpax, Celcom Axiata Berhad’s main prepaid brand for youth, as the presenter for the ‘G-Dragon 2013 World Tour: One Of A Kind in Malaysia’ concert. Celcom customers will now enjoy a special discount on selected categories of tickets when they purchase tickets between 20 – 26 May 2013.

All Celcom prepaid and postpaid customers will be entitled to a 20% discount off ‘G-Dragon 2013 World Tour: One Of A Kind in Malaysia’ tickets when they purchase a minimum of 2 Cat 2 (RM488) or Cat 4 (RM188) tickets from 20-26 May 2013. Celcom prepaid and postpaid customers will only  have to flash their mobile phones to enjoy this discount. This promotion is only valid for purchases made at Ticketcharge or Redtix outlets.

Zalman Aefendy Zainal Abidin, Chief Marketing Officer of Celcom Axiata Berhad, said, “Xpax is proud and truly excited to host the phenomenal G-Dragon, who lives up to our brand promise in bringing the ultimate, must-go live music experiences of the year through our TIME TO MUXIC – The Ultimate Live Music Series which brings the best of local and international music exclusively to our Xpax customers.”

Xpax customers also stand to win more tickets and merchandise by purchasing reloads, subscribing to broadband data plans, or downloading content and apps from The Cube – Celcom’s own branded multimedia channel. Best of all, customers who switch from their current provider to Celcom between 20 May to 13 June will stand a chance to win tickets, concert rehearsal passes and a G-Dragon themed fashion makeover.

G-Dragon 2013 World Tour: One Of A Kind in Malaysia concert tickets is launched on 11 May 2013, and VIP tickets were sold out within an hour, leaving limited Cat 3 tickets, as well as Cat 2 and Cat 4 tickets for sale. Merchandise enjoyed brisk sales during the ticket launch, and limited stocks are available for pre-sale on the RITS website page – runningintothesun.com

Fans and media alike have been abuzz with excitement about G-Dragon’s Malaysian stop, and RITS and Woohoo! Experience are pleased to have Acer and Intel as the main sponsors for this eagerly-awaited concert.

“Acer is pleased to collaborate with the organizer of the much-anticipated G-Dragon’s 1^st World Tour Concert in Malaysia. We believe that this One of a Kind concert offers the same value proposition as Acer to a group audience who appreciate uncompromised performance and entertainment. We are also very excited to have Intel, our long term technology partner, on this collaboration to reinforce our commitment to deliver greater products and better experience to users together. ” said Mr Ricky Tan, General Manager of Acer Sales & Services Sdn Bhd.

Acknowledging the significance of having Xpax as the presenter and Acer and Intel as main sponsors, Ms Beatrice Chia-Richmond, Managing Director of Running Into The Sun Sdn Bhd, said “We’re extremely delighted that Xpax has come on board as our presenter and this history-making partnership marks the first time that a Telco is presenting a Korean concert, proof of the power of G-Dragon as a leader in the K-Pop industry. Acer and Intel are established brands, well-known among the public and we’re pleased to have them come in to support this concert and look forward to working together.”

G-Dragon, the leader of global superstars BIGBANG who put on an explosive performance here at their one-night only concert last year, will be holding his first-ever solo concert in Malaysia, to be held at Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil on 22 June 2013,  8pm. This will be the only outdoor concert of his tour, and Malaysian fans can look forward to an exhilarating night of high-energy performances bolstered by this unique open-air experience and the roaring support of thousands of partying fans.

Boasting exquisite sets and props, including a glamorous glass car, along with visually stunning pyrotechnics, lasers and aerial stage stunts, fans can anticipate a truly fantastic feast sure to enthrall the senses. With dazzling choreography by renowned choreographers Travis Payne and Stacey Walker, both of whom worked extensively on Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” tour, audiences can look forward to adrenaline-charged performances by G-Dragon and his crew.

G-Dragon will be staging 26 concerts in 13 cities across 8 countries, drawing over 550,000 fans to his shows. This tour marks the first time that a Korean solo artist will be holding concerts in four of Japan’s domes.

‘G-Dragon 2013 World Tour: One Of A Kind in Malaysia’ is presented by Xpax, with main sponsors Acer and Intel, co-organised by Running Into The Sun and Woohoo! Experience, and produced by YG Entertainment and Live Nation Entertainment. 

Pr: Running Into The Sun

Stickers selling well on Line app

Jaejoong posted a photo of himself on Line with stickers on March 1.

Line, a smartphone application developed by Naver operator NHN, reported its 2013 first quarter earnings, revealing that its revenue was $58.9 million. 80% came from Japan, where the application was first introduced. Half of the revenue came from in-app purchasing, and paid stickers contributed another 30%.

Recently, Line revealed that it passed 150 million registered users and planned to extend its services to Europe and South America. In Spain, for example, they gained more than 10 million users after the rollout of the app for iOS and Android, backed by effective TV ads.

Line is a messaging application that includes games, multiple-user chats and special features, like kawaii emoticons called ‘stickers’ that can be attached not only to messages but to photos as well.

K-pop celebrities also use Line to communicate with their international fan base and to share exclusive in-app content. JYJ, for example, shares behind-the-scenes photos and audio/video messages and hosts random chats with members, while Big Bang leader G-Dragon released his MichiGO track exclusively through Line.

Other celebrities using the service include FT Island, Super Junior, 2AM, 2PM, the Wonder Girls, Miss A, Kara, Girls’ Generation, ZE:A and Lee Min-ho.

Are you following any K-pop favourites through Line?

Sources: Techcrunch (1, 2)
Photo Source: JYJ account on LINE application

Ticketing details for G-Dragon’s concert in Malaysia

Co-organisers Running Into The Sun (RITS) and Woohoo! Experience are pleased to announce that there will be 4 ticket categories at RM588, RM488, RM388 and RM188 for the G-Dragon 2013 World Tour: One Of A Kind In Malaysia concert.

Since the announcement of G-Dragon’s maiden solo concert in Malaysia, fans and media alike have been abuzz with anticipation about the staging of the K-Pop maestro’s show; to help cope with the expected rush for tickets when they go on sale, a special ticket launch event will be held on 11 May 2013, 10am – 5pm at fahrenheit88.

12 ticketing counters have been arranged for at the launch and online and outlet bookings will only begin on 11 May from 2pm onwards to help ease the expected high traffic when sales start.

Cat 1 (RM588) tickets will only be available at the launch, and to thank fans for their support, RITS has specially arranged for Cat 1 ticket holders to receive autographed posters on concert day, with collection details to be released at a later date via the RITS website and Facebook page.

In anticipation of a rush for merchandise on concert day, two merchandise counters will be set up at the launch for pre-sales; 1 counter will cater exclusively to ticket-holders while the other will be open to the general public. Merchandise may be viewed on the RITS website or Facebook page, and those wishing to make a pre-purchase at the launch will have to fill up a form and pay in cash only, with collection of merchandise on concert day. Collection details will be released at a later date via RITS website and Facebook page.

“G-Dragon has put on spectacular shows in Japan and Seoul, thrilling hundreds of thousands of fans with his exhilarating, adrenaline-pumping performances. Malaysia was listed as one of Bigbang’s most memorable stops on their concert tour, and we can’t wait to bring G-Dragon back for another mega outdoor party with his fans,” says Ms Beatrice Chia-Richmond, Managing Director of Running Into The Sun.

G-Dragon, the leader of global superstars BIGBANG who put on an explosive performance here at their one-night only concert last year, will be holding his first-ever solo concert in Malaysia, to be held at Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil on 22 Jun 2013, 8pm. This will be the only outdoor concert of his tour, and Malaysian fans can look forward to an exhilarating night of high-energy performances bolstered by this unique open-air experience. With dazzling choreography by renowned choreographers Travis Payne and Stacey Walker, both of whom worked extensively on Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It’ tour, audiences can look forward to adrenaline-charged performances by G-Dragon and his crew.

G-Dragon will be staging 26 concerts in 13 cities across 8 countries, drawing over 550,000 fans to his shows. This tour marks the first time that a Korean solo artiste will be holding concerts in four of Japan’s domes.

G-Dragon 2013 World Tour : One Of A Kind is co-organised by Running Into The Sun and Woohoo! Experience, and produced by YG Entertainment and Live Nation Entertainment.

APPENDIX:

A. Concert Details:

Date: 22 June 2013

Time: 8pm

Venue: Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil

Ticket Prices: Cat 1 VIP (Fixed Seating) -RM588 *with autographed poster

Cat 2 Premier Rockpit (Free Standing) – RM488

Cat 3 (Fixed Seating) – RM388

Cat 4 (Free Standing) – RM188

*Prices exclude processing fee

B. How To Make A Purchase:

FAHRENHEIT88

Location: Fahrenheit88 Concourse, Ground Floor, 179 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tickets on sale: 11 May 2013, 10.00am – 5.00pm

Payment: Payment can be made via credit card (Visa, Mastercard), debit card and cash

Concierge: +603 2148 5488

REDTIX

Tickets on sale: 11 May 2013, 2pm onwards

Online: http://www.airasiaredtix.com

Outlets: For list of Redtix outlets, please refer to Redtix website

Payment: Payment can be made via credit card (Visa, Mastercard), debit card and cash at all outlets

TICKETCHARGE

Tickets on sale: 11 May 2013, 2pm onwards

Online: ticketcharge.com.my

Outlets: For list of Ticketcharge outlets, please refer to Ticketcharge website

Payment: Payment can be made via credit card (Visa, Mastercard), debit card and cash at all outlets

C. Merchandise Pre-sale at fahrenheit88

• 2 merchandise counters at ticket launch: 1 for ticket-holders, 1 for general public
• Cash only
• Collection on concert day; details to be released on RITS website and Facebook page closer to concert day
• Merchandise can be viewed at RITS website and Facebook page

E. Ticketing Notes:

• VIP tickets will only be available at fahrenheit88 on 11 May.
• For the category of tickets available via Ticketcharge and Redtix, please refer to their respective websites.
• Ticketing counters will open at fahrenheit88 from 10am – 5pm. Fans are advised not to queue overnight for safety reasons.
• Ticketcharge and Redtix online channels and outlets will start selling tickets on 11 May 2013 from 2pm onwards.
• Overseas fans can purchase tickets online via Ticketcharge and Redtix with a credit card (Visa and Mastercard)
• For safety reasons, the age limit for tickets are 6 years old for all seated tickets and 12 years old for Premier Rockpit tickets.
• Each transaction is capped at a maximum of 8 tickets to prevent any black market reselling of tickets and to ensure availability of tickets.

Pr: Running Into The Sun

G-Dragon says Hi to Singapore

Following our previous post, G-Dragon is here to say hi to all Singapore fans! Check out the video below:

Sources: (News & Video) – Rock Records Singapore ; Photo – Soompi

How to be a K-Pop star, or maybe not

We’ve all heard stories about life being a K-pop star, but the K-pop industry is tough and you may or may not want to pursue it after reading this.

How to be a K-pop star?

With agencies churning out rookies one after another, one might pose the question: what is exactly needed to be a K-pop idol? If you aspire to follow your bias into the music industry, here is what you need, based on the analysis of contemporary singers.

BOYS WILL BE BOYS … or maybe not

If we were to become a pop star 15-20 years ago, it would have been the macho type of male. You know, be manly, sweat like a horse, be hairy and have a deep, deep voice or at least a very masculine one. Sort of a second Freddie Mercury.  Nowadays, however, the trend is for boys to be more … ambiguous. Girly, even. If you cannot sing, you better be a good dancer – or a rapper.

You have two choices. If you are a more feminine type, you don’t need abs. They will be delighted to look at your face only. If you are a more masculine type, abs are unavoidable. Be prepared for long hours in the gym. Then there are the mixed types, the baby faces with a body builder’s muscles. Those are the freakiest, frankly.

The uninitiated would never be able to tell he’s a boy (Ren from Nu’est).

POLES FOR PIN-UP GIRLS

As for the girls, besides being perfectly pretty, you have to be thin. Some agencies time and time again try to launch bands or singers who do not look like the average pole thin beauty – these are the rare exceptions (like Big Mama or Lee Hi). Long legs are a must, as basically every girl band goes for the shortest possible outfits. Curiously enough, it seems like you cannot have your upper body revealed, so tops and shirts would always be high or as closed as possible, but legs can be shown as much as you like. The requirement nowadays seems to be a double standard for girls; you need to be cute-innocent and bitchy sexy at the same time. Preferably, you should sing like a 12 year old and dance like a stripper, at the same time.

Girls bring the… legs out… (Girls’ Generation)

10+1 RULES:

Be young. Well, above 15 but preferably below 25. Agencies are not very much known for recruiting “mature” men and women. Probably because kids are still formidable and easier to govern. If you are lucky you may be in the business for a long time, like Shinhwa, and then your age would not really matter much. But for starters, if you are 30, it will be difficult to sell you to predominantly teen audiences.

Cutesiness or aegyo is what a new K-pop idol should be capable of. Even those macho rappers show their tender sides from time to time. But don’t be extreme. Syrupy aegyo will be too much for foreign audiences. If someone is naturally cute in certain situations, that can be a big plus in endearing themselves to people. Overflowing aegyo may have reverse effects with older audiences. If you strive to engage a wider audience, you need to know when to do aegyo. If you are fine with 12 year olds or uncle fans only, just do it.

Some stars are simply not suited for aegyo… (Yunho)

You have to be fashionable, though some newbies might take it to the extremes in the company’s desperate attempt to ‘stand out’. Some stars, like G-Dragon are able to pull of the most extreme fashion styles and look good even in a potato sack but you need to keep in mind that this requires a certain natural personality. If you are only trying to look cool in certain fashion items, it will show. The best is to harmonize your fashion with your personality. Some agencies have concepts for artists and you might need to wear items you are uncomfortable with, just to build up an image. In the long run, fake images will be destroyed one way or another. Take Jaejoong for example, whose initial image was an Ice Prince dressed in ridiculous otherworldly clothes. Soon fans learned the guy is far from being icy.

The Ice Prince image forever shattered… and we all love him for his goofy side, don’t we? 

You have to have a pretty face. No more Shindongs in the industry. It’s very rare for agencies to give a chance to guys like Shindong. The trend shows that you have to be very pretty and if you are not, either you are not accepted or told to go under the knife. For sceptics, do you really think every K-pop idol is born with a perfect ratio face? Currently there are more than 200 active K-pop bands on the market, with an average of five members. A thousand naturally perfect faces?

Have some talent. Truth is you don’t have to be the next Michael Jackson or Jennifer Lopez to be discovered by a K-pop agency. As demonstrated by some of the newest rookies, it is not necessary to possess the best singing skills. Some bands employ one or two members who actually can sing, and they are given the most difficult parts. The rest can sing whatever they can, and there is always autotune to help out. Very few bands are capable of delivering a live performance without pre-recorded audio. Dance skills can be basic too, as the company will always select some members who are great dancers, and they will pull it off in a way you won’t notice that the rest are just doing basic formation routines. Of course this is not always the case, as some agencies (big or indie) prefer talent over everything else. If you are very talented and happen to be pretty (or don’t mind if they make you pretty), you have bigger chances to become really famous and admired.

Endurance and patience are key words in the industry. Even if you are perfectly pretty and gifted as a singer/dancer, if you cannot endure harsh environments and slave work, you better not dream about becoming a K-pop star. Even though training periods have radically gone down compared to what had been the norm before, training is still nerve-wrecking. Trainees work long hours, besides going to school, and they need to deal with the mental hardships of rude criticism from their trainers. Even after debuting you might work your buttocks off and not be paid (well enough) for a certain period of time until your performances pay the investment back to your agency. Cramped in idol dorms, you might need to live like this for years before you would be able to afford to buy a flat. If you happen to be cast in an average band, you might not be able to earn as much as you dreamt about.

Is the K-Pop industry too tough? Let us know about your thoughts in the comments.

Be smart. If you are not smart, you will quickly end your career with any stupid move. Where trainees abound like a flock of sheep, you are quickly replaceable. Think before you act and keep in mind that the whole world is watching you. You are an idol, literally speaking: a role model for young fans. What you do, how you speak and how you act affects ductile young followers. Don’t underestimate this!

Fame doesn’t last forever. At least, not in K-pop, where bands come and go and can easily be forgotten. Don’t neglect your studies, you might need that degree 10 years later when nobody remembers your face anymore. Even the most famous and richest idols plan ahead, they invest their hard-earned money for their future. They buy property, they open shops, restaurants or otherwise build up a business, so they have an income after fading out as an idol.

Smart boy: Junsu is known to be the richest idol in terms of real estate property. 

Be versatile. Nowadays, if a K-pop idol is merely a singer or a dancer, it is difficult to compete with look-alikes and the constant stream of up-and-coming rookies. There is not a minute of rest in K-pop. Many idols seek opportunities in variety shows, television dramas and movies, because the more feet you stand on, the more stable you are, and the more visible you become to industry leaders and the audience alike. True, as my colleague Brandi pointed out, this carries the danger that you are not able to focus on one area of expertise and become superficially trained in multiple crafts. On the other hand, competition is so huge nowadays that K-pop idols need to grab whatever opportunity comes along, simply to stay alive. The luckiest will achieve new heights this way, like Yoochun did, others will stumble and fall. Like a natural selection process.

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Be emotionally stable. It’s difficult. It’s difficult when you have to keep up the pace, follow strict schedules, fight sasaeng fans, deal with constant criticism, and you cannot see your family as often as your soul would need, either. You will be tired, and you will eventually face depression. Even some of the biggest stars have to go through this phase now and again. Have friends you can confide in. Keep your original surroundings as much as you can, try to stay on the ground and play it cool. If you take things too seriously, that’s going to have a toll on your mental stability. We all know about the celebrities who committed suicide because they were no longer able to cope. Seek professional advice if you feel down. It’s not very much accepted in Korea but you have to think of your own health and not what others think is right.

Kim Hyun-joong tells how friendship helps him cope with stress.

Eat well! In the desperate fight for survival in the industry, many K-pop idols resort to torturing diets and workout programs. Unfortunately, many girls as well as boys feel they need to be pole thin to be pretty. This comes down to the stupidity of the ‘fans’, actually, who point out even the slightest weight gain, even if the person is not overweight or unhealthy looking at all. But as public figures, K-pop stars are the ones who can change this. If they advocate healthier diets that show a balance, eventually fans will approve. If the idol resorts to eating almost nothing for weeks, fans will think this is the normal way to live.

Would you still want to be a K-pop star? Let us know about your thoughts in the comments.

Photo sources: WordPress, Geocities, 10wallpaper, All about Korea, Wikimedia Commons (cc-by),
Video Sources: Youtube (1, 2)