It’s New year’s Eve and it’s that time of the year where you look back and reflect on a year gone by. Has it been a good year? Did you achieve all that you set out to achieve? Well for me I think that as long as you’re friends and loved ones have stuck by you and stayed by you’re side then you’ve had a very successful year because without the people who care about you, you would not be able to achieve much.
The love of true friends and family members cannot be traded for any amount of success you achieve by yourself.
But still on the topic of looking back at the year gone by, I’ve had the chance to meet some very interesting people along the way. All during the course of striving to make POPCulture Online a better magazine with unique content. So cheers to the celebs I’ve met and interviewed this year and thanks for helping us to make our magazine better.
SDN48
This would probably be one of the most comfortable interviews I had with Japanese artistes this year. In fact it’s been a year filled with interviews with Japanese artistes. The girls of SDN48 were easy to talk to despite the language barrier which we got through thanks to one of the members having studied in America.
AKB48
This probably got the ball rolling for us in terms of breaking into the Japanese Idols scene. All this were a part of a series of concerts in Singapore this year where the AKB48 experience was brought here for people to experience and understand better. It’s a fantastic franchise and if you have the chance you should catch it next year.
May’n
Having the chance to speak to May’n was part of her first ever solo concert here in Singapore, just before ScreenSingapore in fact. Definitely a milestone interview for me because I’ve spent most of my time interviewing international celebs and this marked the first time I could speak to a Japanese artiste about her music, hopes and dreams.
KANAME☆ and USAGI
They are cosplayers and celebrities in their own right. In Japan this culture is huge and though the more conservative population may this it’s an odd practice, I think it should be looked upon as an art. In fact, they are actors portraying different characters and outfits without the privacy of a studio set.
angela
Now my interview with Japanese band angela was brilliant. We got along so well that we were talking about Michael Jackson and exchanging dance moves before this shot. They are larger than life when they’re on stage but seeing them as normal people during the interview served as a good reminder to always stay grounded.
LiSA
I met LiSA twice this year and she remembered me as “the one with the hard questions”. In a space of a few months I saw this young artiste mature as she prepared for a big appearance and concert for AFA11 which is a big deal in Singapore for the Japanese sub culture followers. I think she did well and I’m sure there will be more to come from her.
Kalafina
Probably the most priceless shot of the year for me. Try getting within 10 metres of them if you’re not part of the press and you’ll understand. They are huge in Japan and everything about them from stage appearance, presence and as personalities are one to be admired.
Charice
Ah yes, the protege of David Foster is not very tall, in fact she’s a tiny person but her personality was huge. She filled the room with her warmth and passion for music the moment we started the interview. Didn’t get a chance to take a picture with her (I would have looked like Yao Ming next to her) but hey I was like 2 metres away from her.
Maroon 5
I caused a 10 minute debate with these guys. They were all trying to work out which superhero they’d want to be and just as they thought they could escape, Adam said “No let’s settle this now” but in the end he himself couldn’t decide which superhero he wanted to be. It was quite entertaining.
David Garrett
I pride my reporting skills during this interview. I guess as an artiste myself having hosted many high profile events, I was unfazed by how huge these artistes were whenever I interviewed them. My intention has always been to make the artiste feel at ease so I can get the best out of his or her personality in the course of their answers. Well I made David Garrett a little too comfortable as we were talking like friends through out the round table interview.
Switchfoot
My hero! No seriously come on! Anyone born in the 80s would know Switchfoot and surely would have grown to love their music. I had the chance to interview the band and take a picture with Jon Foreman the lead vocalist and guitarist. Man I was starstruck and that doesn’t happen very often.
C.B. Cebulski
They this guy at one point wrote content for Ironman comics and is now an international talent scout looking for top undiscovered artists. He actually gave local artist Ben Ang his big break after looking at his portfolio last year and now Ben has drawn 2 covers for Marvel – Spiderman and X23. So as part of my docu-drama for POPCulture Online, it was really swell to be able to speak to C.B. and film a segment with him.
Yam Ah Mee
Ok this one is to wrap up my encounters with local celebs. Who would have thought a returning officer would be an overnight celebrity. He’s a really nice guy and obliged the many people who requested to take pictures with him.
So there you have it, those are most of my encounters with celebrities this year. What will next year hold? Well I honestly don’t know but you can always check back here or my magazine www.popcultureonline.net for all the latest updates.
Thanks again for your support both for me and for POPCulture Online.
Remember what I said about success, with your loved ones you will always be successful! In the words of Ellen Degeneres, BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER
E Danker
Editor of POPCulture Online
Follow Elliott on twitter @ElliottDanker
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