Gretchen Ho signs with TV5
CIGNAL TV and TV5 announced that TV host and athlete Gretchen Ho has joined the network’s weekday primetime news show The Big Story on One News. She will also join TV5’s primetime newscast Frontline Pilipinas. Ms. Ho also produces and stars in Woman in Action, the TV counterpart of her current advocacy of the same name, launching on Cignal TV’s One News and One PH soon.
ABS-CBN officially launches boy group BGYO
AFTER two years of training under a coterie of Filipino and Korean vocal and dance coaches, ABS-CBN has finally officially launched P-Pop (Pilipino Pop) boy group BGYO via a digital showcase that ended with the premiere of the music video of the group’s first single, “Light.” The five-member group is composed of Akira Morishita, JL Toreliza, Mikki Claver, Nate Porcalla, and Gelo Rivera. The eight-member girl group BINI, is also set to be officially launched within the month.
HBO Max film Unpregnant premieres Feb. 6
HBO Max and WarnerMax’s original feature film, Unpregnant, adapted from the young adult HarperCollins novel of the same name, will premiere in Asia for the first time on Feb. 6 at 9 p.m. exclusively on HBO GO and HBO. Starring Haley Lu Richardson and Barbie Ferreira, the film has a mix of humor and grounded human emotion as it tackles complicated friendships and the difficult road to adulthood. The film follows Ivy League-bound Veronica, 17, who never thought she would want to fail a test — that is, until she finds herself clutching a pregnancy test. With conservative parents, an incompetent boyfriend, no car, and a promising college-bound future now disappearing before her eyes, Veronica considers a decision she never imagined she would have to make. She turns to the only person who will not judge: her ex-best friend and legendary misfit Bailey, and they embark on a 1,000 mile hilarious road trip to New Mexico over three days where they discover sometimes the most important choice you will make in life is who your friends are. Unpregnant is adapted from a book of the same name by authors Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan. Stream or download Unpregnant on HBO GO. Download the app at the App Store or Play Store and enjoy a free trial. One can also access HBO GO via Cignal or at https://www.hbogoasia.com/. HBO GO can be accessed via Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV — and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.
Lupin returns to Netflix in summer
THE FRENCH series Lupin will return this summer with five new episodes, Netflix announced. The first season of the series has been Number 1 in Netflix’s Top 10 across more than 10 countries. The French mystery thriller streaming series follows a professional thief Assane Diop (played by Omar Sy), who, inspired by a book about a gentleman thief, sets out to get revenge on the Pellegrini family who had framed his father for theft.
SZA’s ‘Good Days’ makes a splash in PHL
SZA’s single “Good Days” is officially her biggest hit to date in the Philippines and elsewhere in the world. The soulful single peaked at No. 2 in the Spotify Philippines Viral 50 and a top 15 placement at Spotify Philippines Top 50. Over at mainstream radio, the R&B songstress is performing well on several top 40 stations. Last week, “Good Days” ranked No. 5 on 99.5 Play FM, a major pop station; No. 7 on Wave 89.1 FM, an urban-leaning station; and has gained prominent spots on Magic 89.9 (No. 23), and more. “Good Days,” the second track following 2020’s “Hit Different,” is one of her two new releases since 2017’s multi-platinum debut, CTRL. Written and produced by SZA, Jacob Collier, Carlos Muñoz, Carter Lang, and Christopher Ruelas and mixed by Shawn Everett, the laid-back tune was released as a surprise drop on Christmas eve last year. More than a week after its debut, the buzzy empowerment anthem skyrocketed at No. 1 on US Spotify Streaming Chart, and has since peaked within the top 10 of other major music markets including the US, UK, Australia, Ireland, Belgium, and New Zealand. To date, the track has racked up more than 75 million streams on Spotify and more than 20 million cumulative hits on YouTube in just a month. SZA’s “Good Days” is now available on all streaming platforms worldwide via Top Dawg, RCA, and Sony Music.
Ritt Momney’s ‘Put Your Records On,’ a hit in PHL
RITT Momney’s rework of Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Put Your Records On” reached a top 10 peak on Spotify Philippines’ Top 50 last week, and continues to be played on mainstream radio stations such as Monster RX 93.1 (No. 8), 99.5 Play FM (No. 8), and more. The 21-year-old producer and singer-songwriter Jack Rutter, who is behind the Salt Lake City-based music project, is amazed by the attention that his take on the 2006 song is receiving. “I didn’t expect the cover to be anything more than a fun little release in between albums,” he shares in a statement. “I was super surprised to see it taking off on TikTok. It’s been the coolest thing ever to see people from other countries enjoying it.” The hip-hop-flavored, electro pop tune initially gained significant traction via online video platform, TikTok before it blew up on several music markets worldwide, including a top 10 placement on Australia and New Zealand’s official charts, and a No. 1 peak on Spotify US and Global Viral 50 charts late last year. “Put Your Records On” is now available on all streaming platforms worldwide via Disruptor Records, Columbia Records, and Sony Music.
Smart Signature introduces Netflix postpaid bundles
SMART Communications, Inc. has upgraded its Smart Signature SIM-Only Plans by exclusively bundling them with a Netflix Mobile Plan subscription. By signing up with any Smart Signature SIM-Only Plan, subscribers get a monthly Netflix Mobile Plan subscription throughout their 12-month contract so they watch the thousands of shows, series, documentaries, specials, and feature films that stream on Netflix. Signature SIM-Only Plans start at P999 per month with Plan S, inclusive of 10 GB open access data monthly, unlimited All-Net texts, unlimited All-Net calls, and 150 minutes of calls to PLDT — along with the bundled Netflix Mobile Plan subscription.
