No hint of Adele in KZ Tandingan’s cover of Rolling in the Deep

Kz’s cover of Rolling in the Deep has been making the rounds online. The song by Adele is one of the most recognizable tunes in this decade and could easily cast a huge shadow on anyone brave enough to make the song his own. But this is not the case for Kz.

Kz’s cover is entirely new and creative. No trace of Adele’s interpretation is heard in her voice or in the musical arrangement. The uniqueness of her take on Adele’s song surprised everyone including her contenders. She won the most votes in that episode of Singer 2018, her debut performance in China as an artist.

Singer 2018 is China’s singing competition graced by popular artists vying for the votes of Chinese viewers. Aside from Kz, another non-Chinese speaking contender is Jessie J who has topped the votes since she started in the first episode.

Kz won episode 5, beating even Jessie J who only placed second in this round. Despite social media constantly pitting them against each other, there is no animosity between Kz and Jessie J. Jessie J renowned worldwide for her hits is an inspiration to Kz.

Kz’s ticket to the music industry was X-Factor Philippines which she won in 2012.

Watch the performance here.

 

Watch the trailer of Paul Soriano’s Siargao (2017).

Great cinematography, editing, story and lines. Siargao was a cut above the rest in the recent 2017 Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

Siargao introduces the waves of Siargao and its idyllic lifestyle, the interesting lives of vlogger Laura and musician Diego. Laura and Diego engage in light banter keeping the lines casual and conversational. It is only when viewers get to know them better, that their stories start to unfold. There is enough drama for depth in the near end, but not too much as to deviate from its general summer/fun mood.

The story is not your typical “falling in love” romance spiel. It attempts to explore what happens after two people fall for each other. Is love enough? The movie finishes with a satisfying ending. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Five ways to fight discontent bred by social media (career tips)

Every Instagram or Facebook post is a point of reflection and comparison. With the prevalence of social media, not everyone survives them unscathed. How do you go on with your self-esteem still intact?

One. Create a career blueprint you believe in, grounded on your personal circumstances.

Second. Understand that what you see on social media is the filtered final ouput, rarely the steps that led them there. 

Third. Whether you are on a traditional or alternative career path, know that starting a career and moving to your desired trajectory requires hard work. There are no shortcuts. Whirlwind successes usually happen only in movies.

Fourth. Choose to be happy. Celebrate your successes and appreciate the people who support you. 

Fifth. Be fair to yourself. Comparing yourself to other people can be good because you are able to guage yourself. But do not use standards that are not fair to you. The goal is to benchmark, not to decapacitate.

The pressure brought about by social media will always be felt, now more than ever. In healthy doses, pressure, can be good because it pushes you to assess where you are in life and the changes you need to make, if any. Dwelling on the negative feelings however could be counterproductive. Everyone, including you, knows this. Yet, every now and then you will find yourself trapped in that dark corner of your mind. Emerging from it is not always easy; it may take time. Always, it is a personal decision that you make at your own pace. And once you do, the real work begins.

2 things Millennials want to say to their bosses

Don’t stop at the “what, when and how.” Give us the “whys.” When we understand the role we play, we become more engaged in performing our part in the organization. We are at our best when we are fired up. The more immersed we are in what we do, the more productive and innovative we become. 

Encourage feedback. Gone are the days where employers or managers speak and employees simply follow. As engaged millennials we prefer to have a voice in the work we do every day. We like dialog, we like feedback.

Tending to have easy access to information and communication tools (thanks to the internet and our social network), we tend to see flaws quickly, ruminate about them, and find other like-minded people in the work environment. If your organization does not have a safe space for feedback, millennials may turn to hushed, un-moderated and unhealthy conversations that feed discontent. In any event, not only do you lose your employees’ confidence and possibly develop a demotivated workforce, you also fail to take advantage of what could have been otherwise valuable feedback on processes, strategies or company rules and guidelines in need of some tuning up.

“Baka Bukas” Review: Unrequited love, as normal as it gets

In Baka Bukas, the protagonist Alex is in love with her bestfriend Jess. Things between them change when Alex is outed and finally reveals to Jess that she has always liked girls. Jess starts to see Alex differently and develops romantic feelings for Alex. The two girls become romantically linked. Are Jess’ feelings real and where is the relationship headed? What does it mean to be in love with your best friend, the straightest girl you know?

The movie explores a love between two young millennials who happen to be females. The characters challenge the Filipino stereotype of what “lesbian” is. The girls in this film do not fall into the stereotypical tomboy or tibo (butch) lesbians. Alex and Jess are feminine and live your typical twentysomething lives. Alex is comfortable with who she is and has a loving mother who supports her lifestyle and friends who accept her for who she is. The film does a good job showing how good it can be for an out female.

My only hesitation about the movie is the part where Alex describes what it is like for a girl to date another girl. She says it is just like two best friends but with benefits. This is misleading. It confirms the misnomer that a relationship between two girls is mostly platonic and asexual. Except for one kiss in a dark, abandoned, solitary room, the movie proceeds without any intimate scenes between the main characters. Nowhere in the movie would you see or feel any sexual tension. And I think the creator Samantha Lee knows this shortcoming. In the beginning of the film, Alex pitches a story for a film about two girls in love. Her storyline is outright rejected by a panel of critics. The Filipino audience is not ready to see a show with two women passionately kissing on screen. They would have to show a lot of handholding and mere implied kissing, says one panelist. This is exactly what happened in this film. What we see is a sanitized film where intimacy is limited to handholding and hugging. We do not see a progression from friends to lovers.

In spite of this disability, the film is good in all other respects. We see that lesbians are not confused about their sexuality and are whole human beings with normal struggles just like straight people do. Unrequited love is as normal as it gets for any on-screen couple, LGBT or not.

Trailer here.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bakabukas/