20/02/2026

LYFE FRIDAY | FEB 20, 2026

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Malaysian Paper

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Pop brat closes neon green party with mockumentary BRITISH pop star Charli XCX was everywhere in 2024, when the “brat summer” cultural phenomenon her album unleashed even made its way into US presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ campaign. Some two years since the neon-green party album Brat vaulted her into stardom, Charli is characteristically closing that chapter on her own terms with mockumentary The Moment . “It’s up to the world, but for me it’s over. “You can’t dread the end when it’s over, to quote the film,” she told journalists at the Berlin Film Festival on Saturday when asked whether the “brat summer” cultural blend of music and carefree fashion was over. Charli plays a version of herself in the film, which divided critics when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last month. The film celebrated its Berlin premiere at the luxurious Zoo Palast theatre, where fans had lined up for hours, despite low temperatures, for a glimpse. Films seem to be Charli’s focus for now, with roles in two other films at Sundance, The Gallerist and I Want Your S*x , as well as in the upcoming horror remake Faces of Death . The other version of Charli has also shot to stardom from a niche fan base and must navigate the next steps, even if they are at odds with what her studio envisions for her career. “The scenarios that we show in the film are not true. “But given a different set of circumstances, they might, and I think I have definitely come close to those circumstances, especially having been in the music industry for so long,” she said. Alexander Skarsgard has a role as an off putting director sent by the studio to film her concert, while Kylie Jenner, of Kardashian fame, model Julia Fox and comedian Rachel Sennott have cameos in the film as fictional versions of themselves. The popstar said making the film with director Aidan Zamiri was cathartic in that it allowed her to channel many of the same frustrations she has felt in the real world. “We’ve always been very interested in the lifespan of art, the idea of the tension of sort of staying too long, overstaying your welcome in a cultural space,” said Charli.

From left: Lisa, Jisoo, Jennie and Rose of Blackpink will team up with the National Museum of Korea to mark the Feb 27 release of its new EP Deadline . – AFPPIC

Spotlighting K-heritage

The tour follows the group’s upcoming fifth full-length album Arirang , due out on March 20. To mark the release, BigHit will also host BTS The City Arirang Seoul, an immersive BTS-themed cultural event combining music, media art and urban installations – from March 20 to April 1 across the South Korean capital. – Bernama-Yonhap full-group project in three years and five months since Born Pink in September 2022. The girl group will provide voice commentary on eight of the museum’s signature artefacts, allowing visitors to hear descriptions of Korea’s historical treasures in the members’ voices. The museum’s exterior will be illuminated in the group’s signature colour, pink, to mark the release. BTS has chosen Gwanghwamun Square, an iconic landmark in the heart of Seoul, as the venue for a free concert on March 21 to mark the release of its fifth full-length album Arirang , which is named after Korea’s most famous folk song. BigHit Music, the band’s agency, said the landmark was selected because it reflects the symbolic weight carried by the title. The performance is expected to fuse Korean traditional heritage with state-of-the-art stage production. Police estimated as many as 260,000 fans could gather in and around Gwanghwamun Square, although the concert venue itself will accommodate only about 15,000 ticket holders. The concert will also be streamed live on Netflix to more than 190 countries, giving global viewers a glimpse of Korea’s cultural heritage alongside the group’s performance. Cultural critic Jung Duk-hyun said the initiatives by BTS and Blackpink could have an impact beyond music. “If traditional culture is presented purely through promotional materials, people might resist it. “But when beloved artistes introduce it naturally, the effect can be far greater. Every move these artistes make now forms part of K-culture,” he said.

global stage, Yonhap News Agency reported. Blackpink will team up with the National Museum of Korea in central Seoul to mark the Feb 27 release of its new EP Deadline . The quartet has become the first K-pop act to launch a large-scale collaboration with the national museum, Bernama reported. The “National Museum of Korea × Blackpink” project will begin on Feb 26 for an 11-day run in partnership with the museum and the global music streaming platform Spotify, according to the group’s agency YG Entertainment. Deadline will mark the band’s first

G LOBAL K-pop icons BTS and Blackpink are tapping into national heritage for major new projects, collaborating with historic landmarks and national institutions to spotlight traditional Korean culture on the o K-pop icons collab with historic landmarks for comeback projects

Charli plays a version of herself in the film. – PIC FROM AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

From left: Jimin, J-Hope, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Suga and V of BTS have chosen Gwanghwamun Square as the venue for a free concert on March 21. – PIC FROM AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

BTS to stream new world tour shows in cinemas worldwide K-POP boy group BTS will livestream the opening shows of its new world tour Arirang in cinemas across South Korea and around the world, its agency BigHit Music said, Yonhap News Agency reported. 3,500 theatres in 75 countries. Some regions will show delayed broadcasts due to time differences, the company said. BigHit described as the biggest world tour ever by a K-pop act, spanning 82 concerts in 34 cities. in Tampa, Stanford Stadium in California, AT&T Stadium in Arlington and Allianz Arena in Munich.

The group has already achieved record attendance at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where it is scheduled to perform for 120,000 fans during a two-day concert on July 6 to 7, the agency said.

Tickets for 41 shows in North America and Europe have already sold out, including those in Goyang. BTS will also become the first Korean act to hold standalone concerts at major global stadiums, including Raymond James Stadium

In South Korea, leading multiplex chains CGV, Lotte Cinema and Megabox will host the live viewing events, with ticket reservations opening at 10am on Feb 25. The shows mark the start of what

The screenings will feature the band’s concerts in Goyang, just northwest of Seoul, on April 11 and in Tokyo on April 18 at more than