
Magic Man 2 review: Jackson Wang's alchemy of the self
'Access' throws us back into club-mode swagger with a hypnotic electro-pop beat, but it feels more like armor than indulgence, a reminder that not all confidence is genuine. 'BUCK,' his collaboration with Diljit Dosanjh, marks a shift in energy. It's fierce, pulsing with desi flair and East-meets-West bravado. From there, the energy blurs into a haze on 'GBAD,' where live instrumentation and synth overlays melt into a meditation on moral ambiguity. The groove is dark, the emotion ambiguous, perfect for midnight introspection about setting boundaries and why being 'bad' may not be 'BAD' thing.'Hate to Love' sees Jackson stuck in a toxic loop, battling attachment with guitar and synth textures echoing the emotional push and pull. By track seven, the emotional walls begin to collapse and he slowly progresses towards realisation. 'One Time' is one of the most lyrically devastating cuts: 'The people I loved... it was all lies.' There's no metaphor, just Jackson, bare and betrayed.'Everything' and 'Dear': plunge even deeper. The former aches with loneliness, while the latter sees him calling out to his parents in a near-whispered plea: 'Don't let me drown'. It's a haunting moment of childlike vulnerability. In 'Sophie Ricky', named after his parents, Jackson reflects on legacy, sacrifice, and pressure with rhythmic cadence. 'Could I put aside all my vices?' he asks, caught between gratitude and anxiety.The album closes with 'Made Me a Man', a heartfelt acoustic number that doesn't aim to resolve the pain, but to honour the person who helped him find peace through it. 'You were the light when I was lost in the dark', he sings, voice raw but calm. It's the kind of finale that speaks of acceptance rather than victory.Lyrically, Jackson Wang's evolution is striking. There's no performative sadness or over-saturated metaphor here. Lines like 'I learned how to run before I could walk / They silenced my voice before I could talk' (from 'Made Me a Man') and 'This shit could get lonely' (from 'Everything') hit not because they're clever, but because they're true. There's maturity in his pen.advertisementWith 'Magic Man 2', Jackson Wang doesn't reinvent himself, he reveals himself. This album isn't chasing radio hits or viral hooks. It's an emotional map from chaos to clarity, from rage to reflection. In a music industry obsessed with curated vulnerability, Jackson offers us something far rarer: honesty without agenda. This is the work of a man who has lived, lost, and decided to tell the story in his own voice, on his own terms.'Magic Man 2' is messy. It's brave. And ultimately, it's magic.- Ends

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The Hindu
13 hours ago
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Business Standard
a day ago
- Business Standard
Hong Kong Throws City-Wide First Birthday Party for its Much-Loved Panda Twins
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Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui said, "Thanks to the meticulous care of the Mainland giant panda experts and the Ocean Park's animal care team, the Hong Kong-born panda cubs, Jia Jia and De De, have grown exponentially. They have brought joy to the public and sparked a citywide panda craze. I sincerely invite everyone in Hong Kong and visitors from around the world to celebrate the one-year-old birthday of Jia Jia and De De. I would also like to thank Mr Kasing Lung, a Hong Kong artist, for designing a special edition of LABUBU to commemorate the first birthday of the twin cubs. This allows us to leverage a globally recognised IP to promote Hong Kong and panda tourism worldwide." Global Twin Power: Influencers from Around the World Send Birthday Wishes A lineup of international twin influencers has been brought together by the HKTB to celebrate the occasion, including the Stokes Twins from the United States (190 million followers), the Rybka Twins from Australia (24 million followers), and the Shake Twins from South Korea (3.2 million followers), as well as hugely popular child influencer Wang Xiaomai from Mainland (26 million followers) and renowned panda photographer Kojiro Mizuo from Japan. These internationally acclaimed influencers will deliver heartfelt birthday messages in Mandarin, English, Japanese, and Korean to mark the first birthday of the giant panda twins. August Lucky Draw: Win the Birthday-edition LABUBU to Celebrate Panda's Birthday Throughout August, the CSTB, the HKTB, and Ocean Park are hosting a "LABUBU x Panda Twins Lucky Draw". The promotion is the HKTB's first collaboration with Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung - creator of the hugely popular LABUBU - who has designed an exclusive birthday edition. Standing 18 centimetres tall, the special edition LABUBU wears a birthday hat and is covered in sprinkle green and a transparent gradient finish inspired by bamboo. LABUBU has heart motifs in its eyes as it cradles miniature versions of Jia Jia and De De. The artist declared, "I am delighted to collaborate with the HKTB and design this Panda Twins birthday special edition of LABUBU to share Hong Kong's joyful energy with fans worldwide, and to play a part in promoting our city." A lucky draw for the special edition LABUBU will be held throughout August. All locals and visitors can pre-register on the event website. From 1 August to 31 August, they can participate in the lucky draw when visiting the Park for a chance to win one of approximately 300 birthday gift boxes containing the birthday-edition LABUBU and a commemorative birthday card. Additional gift boxes will be available during the birthday celebrations from 15 to 17 August. For more details, please visit Trade Promotion Competition Licence No.: 60184 - 60369 (Only applicable to lucky draw). Jazzie Sillona (@jazziesillona), a popular content creator based in Hong Kong, has also produced a Hong Kong Travel Vlog following LABUBU and the panda twins to Victoria Harbour, Ocean Park, and other city landmarks. The clip will be uploaded to HKTB's social media channels. (Reference link: Panda Fever Takes Over: Street Signs Get A Panda-Themed Makeover From late July, the CSTB and HKTB will transform Hong Kong's tourism hotspots with panda-themed street signs in 32 streets in batches, each featuring customised designs that blend photos of the twin pandas with symbols of local cuisine, cultural elements, and landmarks. Seven signs will feature unique, site-specific artwork. The sign on First Street in Sai Ying Pun, for example, will show the twins in party hats with their birthday cake, while the sign in Fire Dragon Path in Causeway Bay will feature the twins joining the historic Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance. In addition, HKTB will install new panda-themed decorations at the Kowloon Visitor Centre at the Star Ferry Pier in Tsim Sha Tsui. Approximately 40 different Ocean Park panda-themed souvenirs will also be available for visitors who wish to take home a memento of the celebrations. On the twins' birthday - 15 August - HKTB, Ocean Park, and MTR Corporation will jointly present the livestreams of the giant pandas' birthday party. Commuters will be able to watch a 30-minute interactive live broadcast of the celebrations at Ocean Park on the giant screens in Hong Kong, Causeway Bay, and Tsim Sha Tsui MTR stations at a designated time. "Hong Kong Summer Viva": A City-wide Fiesta with Deals Galore The birthday celebrations coincide with the HKTB's "Hong Kong Summer Viva" campaign, which targets both locals and visitors and features over 260 special offers from theme parks, hotels, restaurants, and retailers. You can browse all the deals on a dedicated page on the Discover Hong Kong website ( Members of the media can download the photos from the following links Photos & categoryTypeId=2 & cachedCriteria=1 The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is a government-subvented body tasked to market and promote Hong Kong as a travel destination worldwide and enhance visitors' experience once they arrive. These include making recommendations to the Government and other relevant bodies on the range and quality of visitor facilities. The HKTB's missions are to maximise the social and economic contribution made by tourism to the community of Hong Kong and to consolidate Hong Kong's position as a unique, world-class, and most desired destination.