MTV World Stage is set to drive the crowd wild next week on the 12th of September 2015 at SurfBeach, Sunway Lagoon! This time around, K-pop girl group Apink , Japanese band SEKAI NO OWARI, Jason Derulo and Carly Rae Jepsen will be performing alongside MTV’s #MostWanted act, Stacy, who was voted for by Malaysians.
Recorded live for global telecast, the one-night only outdoor event is one of the biggest Southeast Asia music nights of the year, which brings multi-genre talents onto a single stage. Passes are strictly by INVITE only, and one way you could still win passes this last minute is to participate in the MTV World Stage roadshow! The details will be down below.
To learn more about MTV World Stage 2015 and all the craziness that’s about to unfold, we spoke to MTV VJs Hanli Hoefer and Alan Wong, who are also the hosts for the exciting event. We also learned so much more about the two wacky VJs, so find out more here:
Q: You’re hosting the MTV World Stage this year again! What can we expect?
Alan: The unexpected! This is our third year and each year, it gets more exciting and energetic. For us, we sure do look forward to that moment of stepping on stage and seeing everyone. It’s a pretty special experience.
Hanli: Every year, the lineup changes the show. This year, we’re so proud and raved with the lineup. The crowd’s going to go absolutely crazy for Jason Derulo. We’re just really excited to kickstart the party once again. So far, the feedback on MTV World Stage has been really positive. I can feel the fans’ excitement.
Alan: I can tell that the crowd is going to be really energetic, especially because of the artists. Far East Movement brings a different kind of crowd compared to Carly Rae Jepsen. The fact that Jason Derulo and Carly Rae Jepsen are going to be up there, together with Apink and SEKAI NO OWARI, it’s going to be a very positive vibe.
Q: Who are you most excited to see?
Hanli: Jason Derulo. He just makes you wanna dance!
Alan: I have been listening to SEKAI NO OWARI’s music and I like it. It’s got this really upbeat kind of pop vibe to it, so I’m looking forward to seeing them on stage. It should be an interesting performance.
Q: Tell us more about the MTV World Stage roadshow happening this weekend.
Hanli: The roadshow is just like the appetiser of how insane MTV World Stage is going to be. This year, we expect the crowd to be triple of what it was last year. We’re giving away passes at the roadshows, so people need to come down and participate to win them. It’s so simple! We just want to give them away.
Alan: This is the first taster. It’s our first idea of how the fans are going to be like. Different artists obviously pull their own fan base to the community. So, we’re gonna have Carly Rae Jepsen fans, Apink fans and Jason Derulo fans come together. Every year, the different parts come together to form one specific identity.
Hanli: Yeah, it just becomes one big party and they are all huge fans of the artists. They sing along, they dance, they know all the choreography. We’re also giving away meet and greet passes at the roadshows. It gets really competitive!
Alan: They have to do stuff for the passes, like perform one of the songs or something like that. They get really involved with it, especially the K-pop fans. This Saturday and Sunday, Blue Concourse, Sunway Pyramid. Make sure to be there!
Q: Were you guys involved with picking the MTV #MostWanted act?
Alan: We have friends here in Malaysia and it was kinda fun to watch the whole voting thing unfold online. In the end, I think it was overwhelmingly supportive for Stacy. It’s really exciting.
Hanli: I’m also really excited to be introduced to her. She’s got such a strong following. Yeah, she’s really blowing up and this will be an awesome chance to help her get there.
Q: What’s your favourite part about the whole MTV World Stage experience?
Hanli: It’s the adrenaline that comes from the fans. It’s really the people in the crowd. It would not be World Stage without them. I genuinely look forward to that. Even though we’re up on stage, we just know everyone is having such a great time and it’s almost addictive to have that buzz.
Alan: The buzz happens throughout the entire show. From the moment we step up on stage, it hits intensely and it kind of mellows out. It’s that moment in the middle that I really enjoy. You can’t even control it. If there’s a mistake at that point, no one cares. We’ll fix it and move on. That’s the exciting moment because you can let go and just party.
Hanli: Of course, the music as well. The sound quality and the MTV production. It’s always the best. No matter where you are, you’re going to get crystal clear sound, lights in the whole stage set up and even though backstage we’re half working, everyone is dancing.
Alan: Seeing artists dance to the other artists perform is really fun. When you see an artist supporting the other act and he’s dancing backstage, you’ll realise that they’re all just music lovers like us.
Q: What do you guys learn about each other? Clearly, you spend a lot of time together.
Alan: We’re both pretty weird. We’re goofy and we don’t realise how goofy we are. When someone else is with us, or someone is new to the set, we don’t realise the things we say in between takes and we forget that people are listening. We’ve just gotten used to all of the weird things and now, I think it’s funny when people come in to watch what we do. Only the most normal parts of us get put on camera. The weirder parts are still kind of hidden.
Hanli: I feel like we’ve kind of become so used to each other’s weirdness that when he speaks to himself, it doesn’t even phase me anymore.
Q: Tell us a little bit about The MTV Show.
Alan: It’s the fourth season this year and it’s a little bit different. Instead of being in our normal studio, we’re filming in Zouk Singapore. It’s exciting and there’s a lot of energy.
Hanli: At first, we were like, “It’s so weird being in a club during the day.” But, now it’s like home. There are a lot of comfy couches. It creates a different vibe and the whole energy of the show has evolved. It’s more authentic. There’s more realness and to an extent, we’re a little bit less apologetic and more opinionated than we were before. The content that we have is very music-centric and we talk a lot about what’s going on in the industry and it’s also very user friendly.
Alan: When we started off, we were brand new as VJs. We started off on the second season of The MTV Show and we were feeling out what MTV was asking of us and then after two years, we’re being given the freedom to go off and just be us a little bit more. I think we now have more confidence to just be silly.
Hanli: The other day we had my dogs on the show. And another day, I pranked Alan and I made him try a turmeric face mask. But, turmeric stains your face yellow, and he didn’t know that. So he came out of the bathroom with a bright yellow face. We’re having a lot of fun this year!
Q: Did you watch the VMAs last week? What are your thoughts on that?
Alan: Well, I definitely cannot do the Miley Cyrus thing. I’ve tried. MTV always breaks boundaries and reinvents the idea of pop culture. So, hey, as long as we continue doing that, I think I’m happy to be a part of it.
Hanli: We delivered, like we promised. We never said that it was going to be a tame show. The VMAs is the craziest awards show out there. And, once again, this year, it was. Miley did it. She delivered.
Q: Who do you both follow music-wise?
Alan: I’m an Imagine Dragons fan. I missed them when they were performing here. I also like Foster The People.
Hanli: It really varies. Every month I have a different album playing. I’ve been listening to a lot of Hozier. But, I’ve also been listening to a lot of Ludacris. I also checked out Miley Cyrus’ free album. It’s really psychedelic, which I love, like Tame Impala stuff. So, it really varies. Oh yeah, Joss Stone! Classic songs.
Q: Do you guys still get starstruck when you meet artists?
Alan: It depends on who. Some people have like a superior aura and you know.. Some others are so down to earth.
Hanli: It’s just initially. But it depends on who and it depends on the vibe they give off. If an artist comes in with six bodyguards without saying anything with sunglasses on, anyone would be intimidated. When we interview artists for MTV, we’re not asking things that they don’t wanna talk about. We want to talk about their music. The conversation flows.
Alan: We want to be their friend, instead of bullet at them and try to pinpoint at information I need. I got to let them talk about what’s important to them. MTV interviews are not serious. It’s very casual and comfortable, relaxed. Those are the best, usually.
Q: If you could spend one day with an artist, who would it be?
Hanli: Amy Winehouse.
Alan: It used to be Bruno Mars. Maybe Elvis Presley. Hmm. I want to hang out with Philip Seymour Hoffman. I want to pick his brains about acting and his movies.
Don’t miss the MTV World Stage roadshow on the 5th and 6th September 2015 (THIS WEEKEND!), happening from 12pm to 6pm at Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall (Blue Concourse) and stand a chance to win passes to attend MTV World Stage on the 12th of September 2015 at the SurfBeach, Sunway Lagoon. The show will premiere on MTV in Asia on Saturday, 26 September at 3.30pm (MY).
Log on to the official website for MTV World Stage 2015 or follow MTVAsia on Facebook to stay updated! You can also look up the hashtag #worldstagemy on social media.
