Entertainment News (02/27/24)

Julie Anne San Jose, Erik Santos unite for concert
ON MARCH 2 at 8 p.m., Julie Anne San Jose and Erik Santos will pair up for a concert called Love Bound at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. It marks the first time the two will share a stage. Mr. Santos boasts a 20-year career and is known for classic OPM ballads like “I’ll Never Go,” “Kung Akin Ang Mundo,” “Say You’ll Never Go,” and “Pagbigyang Muli.” Meanwhile, bestselling recording artist Ms. San Jose will be coming from her Queendom concert last December as the youngest recipient of the Diamond Record Award from the Philippine Association of the Record Industry. Love Bound concert tickets are now available at all SM Tickets and TicketWorld outlets, and cost between P1,500 to P8,500.
SZA releases 5 new tracks
TOP Dawg Entertainment and RCA Records’ four-time Grammy award-winning artist SZA has released a five-track audio bundle for her recent single “Saturn.” The bundle includes the titular track’s live version, first heard during the 2024 Grammy Awards, plus the main, sped-up, a cappella, and instrumental versions. The five iterations spin off from the main version of “Saturn,” written and produced by SZA, Carter Lang, Rob Bisel, Solomonophonic, and Monsune. The bundle is now out on all streaming platforms.
Instituto Cervantes screens women’s films
TO HONOR the works and culture created by women for women, Instituto Cervantes will be screening films that shed light on women on March 7, 14, 16, and 21, all at 2 p.m. They are open for free to the general audience via online registration and will take place at Instituto Cervantes’ Intramuros, Manila office. “Espacio femenino” (Women’s Space), the film series dedicated to female culture and the production made by women filmmakers, will consist of three documentaries, one fiction film, and one session of short films. Visit https://cultura.cervantes.es/manila/en/espacio-femenino.-imaginarios-alborotados/167699 for details.
Lay Zhang, Lauv team up for new single
THE COLLABORATION between Asian star Lay Zhang and American pop sensation Lauv has arrived in the form of a new single, “Run Back to You.” Released over the weekend, it has pop melodies and nostalgic retro vibes and talks about the complications of relationships. The accompanying music video features a special appearance by Twitch streamer and digital sensation, Valkyrae. The song also sets the stage for Lay Zhang’s upcoming album. “Run Back to You” is now available on streaming platforms worldwide.
Korean film Concrete Utopia now on Viu PHL
SOUTH Korean disaster thriller Concrete Utopia, starring Lee Byung-hun, Park Seo-jun, and Park Bo-young, is now streaming on the Viu Philippines platform. Loosely based on the second part of the hit webtoon Joyful Outcast by Kim Sung-nyung, Concrete Utopia follows survivors who gather in an apartment which is the last remaining building in Seoul in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, who gradually descend into ruthless tribalism. Directed by Um Tae-hwa, the film stars an ensemble which includes Lee Byung-hun, Park Seo-jun, Park Bo-young, Park Ji-hu, Kim Do-yoon, and Kim Sun-young. In Korea, it was hailed as a sobering parable and picked by the Korean Film Council to represent South Korea in the selection for Best International Feature Film at the 2024 Academy Awards. Concrete Utopia is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures.
MGMT, Christine and the Queens release single
PART of the newly released MGMT album Loss Of Life is the landmark track “Dancing in Babylon,” the first collaboration between MGMT and Chrisine and the Queens. The song and video both feature the latter’s figurehead Chris. The video’s director is Ray Tintori, who previously helmed videos for the band’s songs “Time To Pretend,” “Electric Feel,” and “Kids.” It also stars John Cameron Mitchell, Julian Morris, and artist Landon Ross. On the Loss of Life album, additional production was supplied by Daniel Lopatin and James Richardson. “Dancing in Babylon” is available on that album, now streaming on all platforms worldwide.
Arthur Miguel and dwta collaborate on new single
Filipino singer-songwriters dwta and Arthur Miguel are working together for the second time. Following up the first song, “Lihim,” is the love song “Tahan Na.” According to dwta — which is the stage name of Jhasmine Villanueva — the heartfelt track illustrates the beauty of not giving up hope for love despite being constantly let down. “In the end, it’s a song about staying strong, not giving up, and believing in the transformative power of love,” she said. The stripped-down, alt-country song was written by dwta in 2022 and has gone through multiple iterations since then. “Tahan Na” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment.