Star-studded cast in Hong Hong for Mnet Asian Music Awards ceremony
Pop stars from across the world congregate at AsiaWorld-Expo to celebrate the region's music
PUBLISHED : Friday, 22 November, 2013, 2:20pm
UPDATED : Friday, 22 November, 2013, 4:59pm
Darren Wee [email protected]
Members from South Korean K-pop group Exo pose during a news conference before Mnet Asian Music Awards. Photo: Reuters
The fifth Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) take place in Hong Kong on Friday for the second consecutive year.
An array of Korean and international artists – including Motown legend Stevie Wonder – will perform in front of a 10,000 sell-out audience at the AsiaWorld-Expo in an extravaganza broadcast live to 2.4 billion viewers in 94 countries.
As well as Hall of Fame star Wonder, the set list includes the cream of K-pop Big Bang, EXO and 2NE1 and international stars, Ylvis, Icona Pop, Aaron Kwok Fu-shing and Paris Hilton. Wonder is expected to sing his smash 1984 hit “I Just Called to Say I Love You” in a duet with Korean singer Hyorin and Kwok will collaborate with Korean duo Trouble Maker.
Norwegian brothers Ylvis, whose video for “The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)” has nearly reached 240 million views on YouTube, will collaborate with Korean girl group Crayon Pop for their first performance in Asia.
“We’re going to spread the gospel [of K-pop] in Norway,” Vegard Ylvisåker said. “We love Psy and ‘Gangnam Style’ and we watched it hundreds of times.”
Crayon Pop has been nominated for four awards and is planning a flash mob performance in Hong Kong.
Mainland singer Zhu Jiajia said he had lost 15kg since winning reality singing competition Superstar China earlier this year. He said he had rehearsed with Park Jae-jung, who won Superstar K just several days ago, in Korea for their duet.
Swedish duo Icona Pop will collaborate with 2NE1 member CL. Caroline Hjelt said: “We’re going to create a party together with everyone in the audience.”
Big Bang member G-Dragon said he had recorded with Justin Bieber and their collaboration would be out early next year.
Nineteen K-pop and six international awards will be given out. Winners were chosen based on online voting, surveys, judge and committee evaluation and sales.
Nearly 13 million votes have been cast, more than seven million of which came from the mainland.
Shin Hyung-kwan, head executive of this year’s awards, said, “MAMA was started with the aim of becoming the Grammys of Asia and now it has become the leader of Asian pop culture.”
