Nicole Laurel releases new Christmas song
SINGER Nicole Laurel is set to release her new song, “Christmas Without You” on Nov. 26 on all digital platforms. “Christmas Without You” is a prequel of sorts to last year’s original composition “See You This Christmas.” The new composition describes a couple saying their goodbyes and exchanging well wishes as one of them needs to leave to work abroad to support their loved one. The song’s music video will be released on Dec. 2.
Mariah Carey releases new holiday song
AFTER establishing a reputation for spreading yuletide cheer every year with “All Want For Christmas Is You,” the multi-platinum singer Mariah Carey teams up with award-winning R&B singers Khalid and Kirk Franklin for the holiday-inspired single, “Fall In Love at Christmas.” Recorded in Atlanta and Los Angeles at Ms. Carey’s Butterfly Lounge recording studios, the R&B and gospel-infused ballad arrives just in time for the season. The all-star collaboration was released by Ms. Carey’s imprint, MARIAH, in partnership with RCA Records and RCA Inspiration, and was written and produced by Carey, Franklin, and Daniel Moore II. What promises to be a new holiday classic, “Fall in Love at Christmas” is now streaming on all digital platforms worldwide. The three artists also released the music video for “Fall in Love at Christmas,” which was directed by Carey and Bryan Tanaka. A special three-track release can be purchased on the official Mariah Carey Store. It is available for pre-order now at the website. Following the release of “Fall in Love at Christmas,” Mariah Carey will continue celebrating the season with a new holiday event on Apple TV+ in December, featuring the exclusive performance of “Fall in Love at Christmas” with Messrs. Khalid and Franklin. Listen to “Fall in Love at Christmas” at https://smarturl.it/FILAC. Watch the “Fall in Love at Christmas” video at https://smarturl.it/FILAC/YouTube.
Love is a gamble in Dionela’s latest single
DIONELA is riding the soul train with the release of his new single “Sugal,” released by MCA Music, Inc. The soothing R&B track equates loving someone to betting one’s heart in a gamble: it’s a risky endeavor that has no assurance of winning or losing, but it’s part of growing up. “The song is about being courageous in falling in love again after so many heartbreaks from your past toxic relationships,” the “Agaw” singer-songwriter/producer says in a release. “Sugal” is written and produced by Dionela. The song follows the online success of “Agaw,” which has amassed over a million streams to date, and the moody tune “Gone,” released in 2020. “Sugal” is out now on all streaming platforms worldwide.
Columbia Pictures announces film lineup
THREE tentpole Marvel films, sequels to classic thrillers, and action-adventures based on popular games are in Columbia Pictures’ lineup of upcoming titles to be released on the big screen from Nov. 2021 to Feb. 2022. The films are: the thriller Don’t Breathe 2 (Nov. 17); Marvel’s action film Venom: Let There Be Carnage (Dec. 8); horror film Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (Dec. 15); superhero film Spider-man: No Way Home (Jan. 8, 2022); Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Jan. 26, 2022); Marvel’s Morbius (Feb.9, 2022); and video-game spin-off Uncharted (Feb. 23, 2022).
James Arthur releases 4th album
BRITISH singer-songwriter James Arthur is back with his fourth studio album, It’ll All Make Sense in the End. Having written and recorded bulk of the songs during the lockdown, the singer spent some time ruminating on the changes in his personal life, while using it as inspiration for his music-making journey. This enabled him and his collaborators to work at their convenience. “And all of a sudden, the music started sounding great,” the former X Factor UK winner said in a statement. “From day one there was a sound that I wanted to go for. Even early on, it sounded like a real album, a proper body of work. This is the first time I’ve made an album all in one place and you can hear this in the music. There’s something really comfortable about working in your own home — I was able to be more vulnerable than ever.” It’ll All Make Sense in the End is available on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music. For more details, visit his website.
Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons to perform at 2021 TV EMAs
FIVE more acts have been added to the upcoming MTV EMAs 2021 show. Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons, YUNGBLUD, Griff, and girl in red are joining Maluma, Kim Petras, Måneskin, and World Stage’s OneRepublic for a star-studded night on Nov. 14 at 9 p.m. CET in Budapest, Hungary at the Papp László Budapest Sportaréna. Fans in Asia can catch the same-day premiere on the MTV Asia channel at 8 p.m. (SG, MY, PH) on Nov. 15. Additional performers and presenters will be announced at a later date. Voting is now open at mtvema.com until Nov. 10 at 11:59 p.m. CET.
Parasouls wax nostalgic of teenage past on debut EP
THE INDIE pop trio Parasouls has released their six-track debut EP, Drifters, Dream Makers under Lilystars Records. The Filipino indie band’s record documents the easygoing days of being young and carefree, while waxing nostalgic of the people, places, and events that shaped their consciousness through the years. According to guitarist and vocalist Dani Dimaano, Drifters, Dream Makers also serves as a love letter to a closed chapter in her life. “It’s like opening a time capsule: an adventure through time and space to a simpler, more reminiscent happy time of life. Drifters, Dream Makers is about the little things that you want to remember. It’s for the drifters and the dream makers. And who says you can’t be both?” The album was written and produced by the band. Drifters, Dream Makers is out now on all streaming platforms worldwide.
LENS Create contest accepting entries
RAKUTEN Viber is now accepting entries to LENS Create, a virtual search for the next favorite Viber Lens design. Viber Lenses add augmented reality (AR) to its in-app camera, allowing users to make their chats more expressive and creative. Viber Lenses include AR filters featuring funny faces, animal masks, Viber characters, and seasonal lenses. Rakuten Viber partners such as the World Health Organization, FC Barcelona, and local partner Globe have also created their own Viber Lenses. To join LENS Create, submit an artwork to the official Lens Create Community and get as many likes as possible. The most liked entries have a higher chance of winning, but muralist, illustrator and Viber Lens designer, Jappy Agoncillo, and the Rakuten Viber Creative team will declare the final winning designs. Rakuten Viber will be giving out up to P100,000 worth of prizes. They will also get tools, resources, and special offers from design and online education platforms to help the winners develop their craft. Selected designs will be turned into Viber Lenses and will be pinned as featured Lenses for up to two weeks. Entries will be accepted starting Nov. 5. The first batch of winners will be announced on Nov. 15 and these user-created designs will be available as Viber Lenses on Nov. 29.
Sony Music PH signs HBOM, REN, and Michael Bars
SONY Music Philippines has signed hip-hop artists HBOM, REN, and Michael Bars. The record label promises to introduce these new music discoveries to the streaming generation through its sustainable promotional, marketing, and artist development efforts. The new roster is led by hip-hop veteran HBOM, an artist, entrepreneur, songwriter/composer, and music visionary who has over 8 million streams across all music platforms worldwide and four acclaimed albums under his belt, HBOM is responsible for leading his own music movement. HBOM’s new single “Witness,” a chill-hop jam about minding one’s own business, and settling down, will be released on Nov. 10. Also joining the roster is 19-year-old Michael Bars, who recently worked with Filipino hip-hop artist Michael Pacquiao on the viral banger “Pac-Man.” The young South Africa-based rapper and producer has more than 8.7 million streams across all combined digital platforms worldwide. His new single “Never Stop,” recently dropped on Nov. 3, and features 10-year-old R&B singer Sky. Rounding up the roster is Filipino rap artist REN, formerly known as Balasubas. As a talented rapper, the Dongalo Wreckords member has amassed over 5 million views on YouTube alone in less than two years. REN recently released his first official single “In Throw” under Sony Music Philippines.
Hallypop adds new programs
HALLYPOP adds four new programs to its lineup of shows. Beginning Nov. 7, KBS Song Festival, a mainstay yearender music show in Korea since 1965, will air every Sunday, 6:30 p.m. Viewers can get a glimpse at the lives of four K-pop idols as they create their own fashion style in the interactive fashion-beauty show, A Style for You featuring Heechul (Super Junior), Bora (Sistar), Hara (Kara), and Hani (EXID). The pilot episode will air on Nov. 8, 7 p.m. It is an hour of music and conversation at Yu Huiyeol’s Sketchbook. Hosted by Yu Huiyeol, and his one-man band, Toy, the show airs every Wednesday, starting Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. Finally, Korean celebrity fathers will look after their children for 48 hours while the mothers spend needed “me time” in the reality-variety show, The Return of Superman. This will air every Friday, starting Nov. 12, 7 p.m.
Short PH animated film wins in Italy, vies at Animahenasyon
A SHORT animation written and directed by a De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde film student will compete at Animahenasyon 15: The 2021 Philippine Animation Festival from Nov. 12 to 14. This after the animated film, CITSALP, by Jean A. Evangelista won the Porto Cesareo Film Festival Marine Protected Area Award or “the best audiovisual work dedicated to the sea” in Italy. CITSALP tells about the negative effects of plastics in the world and the responsible consumption and production of plastics. CITSALP was also selected to vie in different international animation and film festivals in Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Greece, Indonesia, Poland, Romania, and the US, aside from Italy and the Philippines. Animahenasyon 15, which is organized by the Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc., is comprised of animated films in competition or Anikompetisyon and a three-day conference. To purchase tickets, visit their website at https://www.animationcouncil.org/animahenasyon. CITSALP and 19 other finalists of Anikompetisyon will be shown online at the Animahenasyon Facebook page on Nov. 12 from 2:45 to 6:15 p.m. The Top 5 winners will each receive a trophy, certificate and P20,000 while the other finalists will each receive a certificate.
Mobile Legends world championship will be held in Singapore
THE MOBILE Legends: Bang Bang World Championship (M3) will be held in Singapore once again from Dec. 6 to 19, with 16 teams across the globe participating in the international flagship tournament. In its third iteration, M3 will see new regions — such as the Middle East, North America, LATAM, and Turkey — compete for the title and a combined prize pool of $800,000. The participating teams will be seeded into three pools, and further grouped into four different batches through a lottery to ensure that no teams from the same region will be in the same group. All teams will be competing offline. There will be new in-game campaigns introduced which fans will be able to find out more details in the coming weeks, such as: M3 Battle Pass, M3 Exclusive Skin, and Guess the M3 winner. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Esports is one of the fastest-growing esports leagues worldwide, with MPL Indonesia S8 recently smashing records peak-concurrent views of 2.39 million.
Filipino animated short makes waves
IAMANNIKA, a Filipino animated short film that promotes gender equality and women empowerment, tackles the long-persisting social discrimination against women through the lens of a 10-year-old girl named Annika. Annika comes across a school requirement for her online class that leaves her pondering the normalized unrealistic expectations for women. With the guidance of her mother, the girl understands the role and strengths of women in the modern world. The five-minute short — directed by Dan Verzosa, a De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Digital Filmmaking student — took home the Southeast Asia Audience Award at the recently concluded Southeast Asia Competition of Short Animations – CRAFT International Animation Festival in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. IAMANNIKA likewise bagged several awards at Realifilm; the top prize at the Safe Communities category of Global Peace Foundation and Consuelo Zobel Alger Foundation’s short film competition; and was selected as part of the 16th International Student Animation Festival in Brazil and the 9th Seoul Guro International Kids Film Festival.
Airbnb offers special Sex and the City rental
IT’S BEEN 20+ years since unlucky-in-love advice columnist Carrie Bradshaw and her friends arrived on Sex and the City. In the buildup for the newest chapter, And Just Like That…, actress Sarah Jessica Parker is adding Airbnb Host to her repertoire and offering US-based fans a once-in-a-lifetime stay at Carrie’s apartment. She will host two, one-night stays for up to two guests each at a re-creation of Carrie’s brownstone on Nov. 12 and 13 for $23 a night, in honor of the 23 years since we were first introduced to the fashion-forward icon and her friends. The experience includes a virtual greeting at check-in from Sarah Jessica Parker, and a narration reminiscent of each episode’s thought-provoking intro; the opportunity to descend the steps of her brownstone and stroll the streets of Manhattan; Cosmopolitans for a toast; the chance to admire and play dress-up in Carrie’s iconic closet, complete with her favorite looks; and a styling session and photoshoot. To celebrate Carrie’s return to television screens, Airbnb will make a one-time donation to The Studio Museum in Harlem, a contemporary art museum championing the work of artists of African descent. Sex and the City fans interested in walking in Carrie’s shoes can request to book these stays beginning Monday, Nov. 8, at noon ET at airbnb.com/sexandthecity.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
THE MAKATI Central Business District officially welcomed the holiday season this year as Ayala Land and local government officials lit up the Christmas decorations at Ayala Avenue. For over six decades now, the two-kilometer stretch of Ayala Avenue has been decorated for Christmas. This year it features palm trees adorned with capiz and string lights highlighted by a centerpiece that showcases Filipino parols, combining elements of the Kapampangan parol and cathedral stained-glass windows. “Christmas is a time for hope, and many consider the lighting of the decorations at Ayala Avenue to be synonymous with the beginning of the Christmas season. It is a familiar and well-loved tradition that has brought joy to Filipinos for decades. More than just ornaments, these lights symbolize brighter days to come,” said Ayala Land Chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala. The decorations were designed by event stylist Zenas Pineda. Sustainability plays a big part in this year’s display — most of the materials that were used are recycled, including the elegant capiz chandeliers from previous years.
