Manfred Tham
Celebrities are definitely one of the easiest sources for quotes, both meaningful and meaningless. From the metaphysical contemplations of Jaden Smith (‘How Can Mirrors Be Real If Eyes Aren’t Real’ is a favorite) to empowering lines from the likes of Emma Watson or Anne Hathaway, quotes are a-plenty. Plus, famous people do some odd things too, so antics aren’t in short supply.
So here! A list of the most interesting, thought-provoking or just hilarious quotes and antics from MTV World Stage 2015.
A-Pink: How to be cool
In their press conference, A-Pink was asked a question every teen on the cusp on the puberty wants to know: “How do I look cool?”
A quick discussion sparked amongst the girls and although we’d love to tell you what transpired, we’re not fluent in Korean. But by proxy of their translator, we were enlightened to the answer they settled on. It’s simply: “The best way is to smile because it makes you feel cool.”
Clothes might make the man but when it comes to sub-zero coolness, A-pink says it’s all about the mind-set.
What’s next for Sekai No Owari?
Known for their outlandish outfits and over the top concerts, Sekai No Owari describes themselves almost oxymoronically as “dark” and “shiny”.
As a creator group with their own distinct, garish flair, Sekai No Owari was asked what the future holds for them.
All 4 members began pondering but it was lead singer, Satoshi Fukase, who found his voice first. Clearing his throat, he cheekily mentioned that their pianist, Fujisaki Saori wants to “create more sexy songs”, leaving the lass blushing as she stumbled to explain herself.
For a group whose DJ literally wears a clown mask at all times, we’re definitely interested to see how “dark” and “shiny” intersect with “sexy”.
Carly Rae Jepsen’s process
Singer of 2 near incessant ear worms we can’t help but sing along to, Carly Rae Jepsen also gave us brief insight into her creation process. According to her, “over 200 songs were written for “E.MO.TION” before the number was cut down by label mates and herself as she went through them. Most of us don’t even look through our tweets for typos and she made more than 200 songs only to pick out 12? That’s dedication.
A curious little dilemma was also presented to Jepsen during her press conference. If she could to go back in time to meet herself in 2007 (after placing third on Canadian Idol), what would she tell herself?
After fighting down some sniggers, Jepsen had some melancholic words to give in response: “We all have things we look back to fondly and things we cringe about. I can look back and think “Yeah, that was the right choice” but I also think of something I wore last week and say, “Girl, what were you thinking?”” .
And if you’re looking for something to live life by, Jepsen says that we should always do the thing we know we’ll regret if we don’t, and not to always listen to other’s advice.
Jepsen recently had a run on Broadway as Cinderella, a role that she says she took on despite having some tell her to focus on her music instead. She gushed on about her amazing experience as the glass-slippered princess, adding that her time in New York inspired her music too.
Jason Derulo: Wisdom and Fun
Already skyrocketing this year with radio’s most added pop song, “Want to Want Me”, Jason Derulo bounded into his press conference full of charm.
But despite his big grin, Derulo dropped some serious advice for prospective artists who want to break into the music industry.
“They [the industry] don’t want just potential anymore. They’re looking for a finished product.”
He stressed the importance of building a fanbase on both the platform you are on and social media. It was pretty harsh advice but Derulo jumped back to his usual energetic self (literally jumped) when he was asked if his music has changed to suit trends and the industry.
Delivering with gusto, Derulo showed us his “usual” response to such questions with his non sequitur: “No, you changed!” (complete with a finger gun) before breaking down in laughter. The outburst was so sudden that it caught MTV VJs, Alan and HanLi, off guard and they sat in stunned silence.
We also loved when someone asked Derulo about his (now retired) signature of his own name being sung in his tracks. He cheekily turns and says “What was that? Sing that again.” Causing the young lady who sang the tune to blush and stumble over her words.
The Main Event
Amidst the banshee-like screaming of enthusiastic fans, there were numerous moments of MTV World Stage that we’ll remember for some time. Since we’ve got a word limit though, here’s a list of the best.
One of the first things we noticed was the dedication of the photographers. Though unseen by most of the 20,000 fans present, we saw the clunky cameras brought up scaffolds as the photographers slinked up to get the best shots possible. There were moments where we worried for their safety, but they all made their precarious way up without incident.
It’s almost impossible to see an accordion nowadays and Sekai No Owari’s Saori pulls one out on stage! We definitely appreciate the variety of instruments they brought with their sound.
Even though she said she would, Carly Rae Jepsen managed to steel herself against flinching when the pyrotechnics went off in front of her during her set. Sparks literally flew as she sang “Call Me Maybe” though we wished she did jump a little as the night sky lit up – it would have been super cute.
Definitely the most psyched-up performer of the day, Derulo’s quotable quotes continued into his set at the closure of MTV World Stage. Flashing a wolfish grin, Derulo quips after seeing all the couples in the audience: “if you ain’t single, I bet by the end of this song, you’ll be “Riding Solo””.
Information
MTV World Stage 2015 was held on September 12 in Kuala Lumpur’s Sunway Lagoon