Latest news with #Melly
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Indonesia's 'Soundtrack Queen' makes good her promise with magical show
LAST year acclaimed Indonesian singer-songwriter Melly Goeslaw promised Malaysian fans that she would be returning to the Axiata Arena for yet another concert, the third in her on-going Ada Apa Dengan Melly & Friends? series. If her concert on June 1 last year was themed Graduation Night, this year's was Prom Night naturally. The Indonesian music legend, dubbed the Queen Of Soundtracks, put another 9,000 fans under her musical spell for two-and-a-half hours at the arena as she sang 26 of her hits, including medleys, with ample sing-along opportunities for the cheering audience. Ably assisted by four pop musicians headed by her husband Anto Hoed, plus a 12-member orchestra, the 51-year-old singer also had three guest artistes namely Indonesian actor Nicholas Saputra of the hit 2002 movie 'Ada Apa Dengan Cinta?' (AADC) which she scored, promising new Indonesian pop singer Dinda Ghania, and Malaysia's very own award-winning singer Aina Abdul. Several Malaysian and Indonesian artistes attended the 9pm concert, and Melly introduced them at the start of the show. They included Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza, Datuk Amy, Elite and Indonesian singer-actor Raffi Ahmad. Melly's evening began with the fast-paced 'Ku Bahagia'. This popular song from the soundtrack of AADC saw her guests sing along from the word "go" and ended with Melly saying: "Thank you Malaysia, I love you all." UNIVERSAL After her second song 'Ingin Mencintai Dan Dicintai', she remarked: "Music is the universal language. We may not speak the same language, but all of us love good music." As the guitarists strummed their instruments louder, the guests knew that Melly's next song was 'Pencinta Wanita', made popular by Irwansyah, the star of the 2006 tear-jerker movie 'Heart'. Fans sportingly sang the first few lines as well as the chorus, and Melly remarked that "party time has finally begun". SAD SONG After 'Malam Pertama', a song about first dates, Melly belted out 'Suara Hati Seorang Kekasih', a sad song about the challenges of a relationship, and 'Sampai Ku Menutup Mata', a poignant anthem about endless love. Melly introduced her fans to 'Jika', the song which landed her in KL back in the early 2000s, and it sounded great with a jazzy new arrangement. 'Jika' was followed by another good rearrangement, 'Gantung', a sentimental number about abruptly ended relationships. THICK Melly said: "True friends stand by you through thick and thin, you will only know who they are when you are down." This signalled her next song 'Cinta Sejati', which sounded like an ode to romantic love but was really about friendship. Melly's first medley came next in the form of 'Bimbang' and 'Denting'. The first song was a sing-along about fighting feelings of love while the second was about sleepless nights. WHITE Melly then introduced one of her favourite Malaysian singers, whom she dubbed as the country's Lady Gaga. Aina Abdul emerged majestically on stage, dressed in a flowing white dress inspired by the white peacock, to deliver a power-packed and soulful version of 'Cinta', the theme from Kabir Bhatia's hit 2006 movie of the same name. Melly then talked about three of her favourite Malaysian singers and hinted that her next medley would feature popular songs from two of them in the audience. She sang 'Janji Manismu' made popular by Datuk Aishah Ariffin, 'Isabella' made popular by Search and 'Betapa Ku Cinta Padamu' made popular by Siti. MARCELL Another monster hit from AADC came shortly after the less known 'Di Mana Malumu', a song about treating one's partner cruelly. It was 'Hanya Memuji', which was made popular by Indonesian singers Shanty and Marcell Siahaan and has always been in Melly's "must sing" list. Melly's next two songs were 'Tentang Seseorang', an ode to her Mr Right, and 'Berdua Lebih Baik', the most "sunshiny" song for the concert. MOTHERS Melly's second guest singer came next, looking sweet and stunning. Dinda performed 'Jangan Pernah Berubah' with Melly and 'Bunda', a passionate tribute to mothers. The final guest artiste emerged next as a poet. Nicholas recited a poem by his AADC character Rangga, as fans cheered and screamed, and this heralded Melly's return to the stage to sing the title track of AADC in a medley which included Ratusan Purnama. BBB The theme song for another well-known romantic comedy 'Eiffel I'm In Love' (2003) was Melly's next number. Titled 'Tak Tahan Lagi', it also proved a fan favourite. Melly then got everyone dancing with 'Let's Dance Together', her 2006 duet with BBB, and 'Hey Ladies', a 2009 hit for Datuk Seri Rossa. "I've had a great time in KL and I've also visited the wonderful Cameron Highlands. Thank you so much Malaysia," said Melly. CAMERON HIGHLANDS The singer had a brief drink before giving her fans 'Salah', 'Bagaikan Langit', 'I Just Wanna Say' and 'Demikianlah', and all three guests joined her. While Melly may not be a powerhouse diva like Krisdayanti, she is very much a star in Indonesia. Indonesia's best known female composer and lyricist, she is a "hit maker" whose songs have adorned many drama and movie soundtracks.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Melly Goeslaw gives Malaysian fans a most colourful 'Prom Night'
KUALA LUMPUR: Popular Indonesian singer-songwriter Melly Goeslaw had more than 9,000 guests dancing and singing at their seats throughout her two-and-a-half-hour concert at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil here. Her 9pm show organised by Icon Entertainment was the third season of "Ada Apa Dengan Melly & Friends?" which was also staged at the same venue last year. The concert was themed "Prom Night" and saw Melly, her musicians, backup singers and dancers all dressed in colourful and fanciful costumes. The 51-year-old artiste performed 26 songs, with several medleys. Among the hits that she performed were "Ingin Mencintai Dan Dicintai", "Berdua Lebih Baik", "Hey Ladies", and "Ku Bahagia". Melly also performed covers of Malaysian songs "Janji Manismu" (Datuk Aishah Ariffin), "Isabella" (Search) and "Betapa Ku Cinta Padamu" (Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza). Her guest artistes for the evening were Aina Abdul, Nicholas Saputra and Dinda Ghania, and Radin of Era served as the master of ceremonies. Among the artistes who attended the concert were Datuk M. Nasir, Siti Nurhaliza, Datuk Amy Search, Elite and Raffi Ahmad. From their seats, Siti Nurhaliza joined Melly in the song "Betapa Ku Cinta Padamu" while Amy joined her in "Isabella". Born in Bandung, Melly began singing as a backup vocalist for Elfa Secioria while she was still in secondary school. She is the daughter of the late veteran Indonesian pop singer Melky Goeslaw. In 1995, she formed the band Potret with her musician husband Anto Hoed. After releasing several albums with Potret, Melly began a solo career, releasing her eponymous debut album "Melly" in 1999. She reached the peak of her popularity in 2002 when she composed the soundtrack of the best-selling movie "Ada Apa Dengan Cinta?". Melly's onstage persona has been compared to Icelandic pop queen Bjork, with eccentric costumes and "wild" hairstyles. "Ada Apa Dengan Cinta?" garnered her a Citra Award at the 2004 Indonesian Film Festival. She has written and composed more than 500 songs, produced movie soundtracks and judged reality talent contests in her three-decade career.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Hen do guests walk out after being shoved in restaurant corner away from the main crowd - as bride's camp are branded 'mean girls'
A group of women walked out of a hen do dinner after discovering they'd been seated at a separate table in the far corner of the restaurant - and now the fallout is viral on TikTok. The drama was captured in a six-second video posted by UK-based TikTok user @mellyal, which shows her and three other guests sitting apart from the main party. The caption reads: 'POV: You get invited to a hen do only to be sat on the other side of the restaurant in the corner.' The clip has already garnered hundreds of thousands of likes and sparked a fierce debate in the comments, many of which apparently came from the bride herself, her friends and family, defending the decision to seat the guests on a separate table. They say it was because there was not space for the whole group. However, most of those comments have since been deleted, with Melly alleging that some were so 'diabolical' they violated TikTok's community standards. Viewers were quick to voice their disbelief and outrage at the reception the women claimed she received at the event - alleging that other guests didn't acknowledge her and had their backs to the corner. 'No but this is actually so bad! Why were you invited to be put in a corner?' asked one commenter. Another wrote: 'The absolute attitude, cockiness and passive aggressiveness from whoever [the bride] is tells me you had a lucky escape leaving! It's giving childish mean girl vibes and was definitely deliberate.' This TikToker shared a viral six-second video showing she and three other guests sitting in an isolated corner table at a hen do Speculation soon emerged with some asking whether the women had been invited not for their company, but for their contribution to the bill. 'Girl you were invited to spread the cost lmao had this happen to me too,' one TikTok user claimed, while another echoed: 'Yeah you were invited to bring the cost down…' A third added: 'You guys were invited as a "rent a crowd". Table fillers to make her look super popular. 'She and the organiser should have gone out of their way to welcome you if they wanted you there… they didn't, they just wanted the numbers.' The bride had defended the decision in now-deleted responses, with her camp claiming there simply wasn't enough space to seat all 33 guests at one table. But that excuse didn't sit well with viewers, one of whom replied: 'Their comments about not being able to accommodate 33 people… why book it then?' After the original video exploded online, Melly posted a follow-up explaining the context behind her post, and why she apparently eventually left the event. 'I only know this bride because she's a colleague of mine,' she said. 'I've only known her for about three months, I don't know anything about her family, her friends, I've never met any of the people who attended in my entire life.' Seated a distance away from the main table, the group apparently walked out and left the event Later, Melly claimed she had received threats and anonymous calls telling her to take the video down She went on to explain that the entire event had been booked weeks in advance as a 'surprise hen-do', and that it was 'definitely' pre-planned for her group to sit in the corner. 'To all the family and friends commenting "this was just how it was" - fair enough,' she said. 'But I saw the seating plan and it was arranged for us to be in the corner and there was definitely space.' She continued: 'If there was no space, at least have the people who don't know anyone be involved because it's very, very awkward, it's an awkward situation to be put in.' The apparent lack of warmth from the main group only made things worse, with Melly saying that nobody made any attempt at friendly conversation. She said that neither she nor her companions were acknowledged by the main table and received, at best, a strained smile and, at worst, an eye-roll from a fellow guest as she took her seat. Initially, she says she shared the clip for fun and had no idea it would gain such traction online. But the backlash from the bride's circle apparently soon turned toxic. Commenters were quick to come to Melly's defence, arguing the bride shouldn't have invited more people than she could comfortably accommodate In the video, Melly explained: 'This all happened because they chimed in, and that's not on me.' She also dismissed accusations that she posted the video to bully the bride. 'I hadn't mentioned any names or shown any faces other than those of the other women seated with me,' she explained. According to Melly, once the video began circulating, she received anonymous messages and calls demanding she take it down. Despite the attempts to silence her, according to Melly, public support appears to remain firmly on her side. One TikTok user said: 'Why on earth would anyone book a hen in a restaurant where you can't even seat your whole party together! 'Absolutely shocking, and good for you walking out, I wouldn't waste my time either.' Another wrote: 'I don't understand how people are okay with doing this to their guests.' And with some comments now wiped from the post, many viewers are most saddened by having missed out on the 'drama' of the original comments.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
YNW Melly must remain in jail before retrial, judge orders
Broward rapper YNW Melly must remain behind bars until his double murder retrial, a has judge ordered. In a March motion, Melly, whose legal name is Jamell Demons, had sought release for the second time since his 2023 trial ended in a hung jury. By that point, he had been imprisoned for more than 2,000 days, his attorneys said, since his arrest in 2019. Demons, a rising star in the rap world at the time, is accused of suddenly shooting his friends, Christopher 'Juvy' Thomas Jr. and Anthony 'Sakchaser' Williams, inside a Jeep after an overnight recording session in Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 26, 2018. In the motion for bond, Demons' attorneys argued that he was the subject of 'extreme mental abuse at the hands of the Broward Sheriff's Office,' and has 'not had any contact with the outside world' in three years, including his family, issues also raised in a federal lawsuit his attorneys filed last year. He had also been forbidden from talking to other inmates, they said. Judge Martin Fein had deferred ruling after a lengthy hearing last week over the motion for bond. In his order on Monday, he concluded that prosecutors had sufficiently established evidence of Demons' guilt in the murders of his friends. 'State's evidence is arguably sufficient to convict and is not contradicted in a material respect such that there is a substantial question of fact as to the guilt or innocence of the Defendant,' the order concludes. Melly had previously been denied bond in 2023, following the mistrial. Fein's order referred to that decision, in which Judge John Murphy concluded that the lack of a unanimous decision in the trial did not 'alter the nature or weight of the evidence of Defendant's guilt.' Sun Sentinel staff writer Rafael Olmeda contributed to this report. This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.
Express Tribune
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
YNW Melly update: Rapper requests pretrial release on bond in double-murder case
Rapper YNW Melly, born Jamell Demons, appeared in a Florida courtroom this week as his legal team pushed for his release on bond ahead of a high-profile retrial for double murder. The judge's ruling, expected in the coming days, could significantly shape the next chapter of a case that has gripped both the hip-hop world and the public since 2018. Melly is accused of killing two close friends and members of the YNW Collective—Christopher Thomas Jr. and Anthony Williams—before allegedly staging the crime scene to appear like a drive-by shooting. The incident occurred in October 2018, and if convicted at his upcoming retrial in September, Melly could face the death penalty. YNW Melly could be released from jail today if the judge grants his bond motion. He has been behind bars for six years. — No Jumper (@nojumper) May 6, 2025 His first trial ended in a mistrial in July 2023 after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict. During Tuesday's hearing in Broward County, Melly's attorneys argued that the rapper has been subject to prolonged incarceration and mistreatment by jail officials, including limited access to his family and lawyers. They proposed stringent conditions for release, including house arrest, a GPS ankle monitor, and a 24/7 private security detail reporting to the court. Melly's record label has offered to cover the bond. Prosecutors remain firmly opposed to any bond, citing the capital nature of the charges and accusing Melly of witness tampering in an ongoing related case. They also pointed to ballistic evidence and mobile phone data allegedly placing him at the crime scene. The family of one of the victims has voiced strong opposition to Melly's release. Melly has now been behind bars for over 2,000 days. His legal team argues that the psychological and emotional toll of prolonged detention—combined with the absence of a conviction—warrants pretrial release under monitored conditions. Despite his incarceration, Melly has continued to release music and maintain a presence in the industry, keeping public interest in his case high. As the court weighs the bond request, fans, legal observers, and the broader public remain glued to a saga that continues to raise questions about justice, celebrity, and due process in America's legal system.
