Posts tagged with "squid game"

headphones image by Alex Bogdan for use by 360 Magazine

Regard × Years & Years – Hallucination

Clocking over 5 million streams, Regard‘s latest single “HALLUCINATION” with pop royalty Years & Years is climbing the charts globally. The pair released the official music video for the track, honing in a dystopian era.  Watch the video HERE.

In a darkened room lit only by eccentric characters, a dance competition takes place, with evident inspiration coming from the likes of the 1969 Sydney Pollack film, They Shoot Horses Don’t They, Squid Game, and Black Mirror. The music video showcases a cut-throat survival game, one with Regard as the puppet master and Years & Years striving to survive, plagued by intense competitiveness.  

Complete with contemporary choreography, extravagant fashion and costumes, and a tense storyline, the video is a perfect contradiction to the ‘80s inspired synth-pop dance record.

Speaking about the video, director Sophia Ray says: “The concept for the video was inspired by the 1969 Sydney Pollack film They Shoot Horses Don’t They, we wanted to take the themes from this cult classic and then give the video our own creative spin on them. Setting it in a contemporary, perplexing, dystopian space. The video places Olly Alexander, as an apprehensive contestant, at the center of a ‘Dance-to-the-Death’ endurance marathon, where he has to sweat, pant, dive, and dance his way to an exhausted victory (driven by Meshach Henry’s trailblazing choreography). Regard, all the while, being a mysteriously sinister driving force behind-the-scenes of this dark competition.” 

With nominations for a BRIT Award, American Music Award, and iHeart Radio Awards under his belt, the new single—and Regard‘s first release of 2022—is yet another example of the powerhouse producer’s versatility as he experiments with themes of 80s disco and synth-pop. The collaboration with Years & Years adds to his impressive record of collaborators including RAYE, Troye Sivan, Tate McRae, and more recently Kwabs on their single “Signals,” marking the singer’s first release since 2015.

About Regard

It was by accident that REGARD found his stage name. The word, “regardé,” came to the DJ during French class in high school. “To see” became the core behind Regard’s music. “When I perform,” he says, “I look at the people and how they feel the music.” For REGARD, his deep house mixes consist not only of sound, but also of sight. Performance is a reciprocal and intimate relationship between the DJ and the audience. Kosovan DJ and producer REGARD garnered global attention with his debut single “Ride It” which became an international hit, taking the internet and TikTok by storm and quickly followed it up with his second hit single and BRIT nominated “Secrets” featuring South London singer RAYE. He has gone on to achieve over 10X top 10 single chart placements globally. In the UK, “Ride It” has sold over 1 million records to date (2x Platinum), while “Secrets” was recently certified Platinum.

Squid Game EP via Casablanca Records for use by 360 Magazine

SQUID GAME EP

LET’S PLAY EP AVAILABLE TODAY

INSPIRED BY NETFLIX’S MOST-WATCHED SERIES

INCLUDES TOKiMONSTA “THE FLOWER BLOOMS”

ALSO FEATURES NEW MUSIC FROM ALOK, CHEAT CODES, AND MAYTREE

LISTEN HERE.

Casablanca Records releases Squid Game (Let’s Play) EP inspired by Squid Game, Netflix’s most-watched series – reaching over 142 million households globally. The brand-new EP features TOKiMONSTA’s new song entitled “The Flower Blooms.”  Squid Game (Let’s Play) EP also includes new music from ALOKCheat Codes, and MayTree.

Listen to Squid Game (Let’s Play) EP HERE via Casablanca Records. 

TOKiMONSTA comments on “The Flower Blooms” and Squid Game. “Like so many, I watched Squid Games and loved it. As a Korean American, seeing this type of representation paired with boundary breaking acceptance is important for Asian minorities living in Western societies.  That being said, after watching it I felt inspired to write something unique and tied to my Korean roots. In Korean, the “Red Light, Green Light” moment is based on a Korean game I grew up with—the words actually saying “The hibiscus flower is blooming/blossoming.”  I created a fun song, using my own voice to sing the lyric in Korean.”

The history making South Korean Netflix series, Squid Game, follows Gi-hun.  Laid off and divorced with high-interest loans and a gambling debt, Gi-hun is at his wit’s end when a strange man presents him a business card featuring a circle, triangle and square. The man invites Gi-hun to a survival game. The prize money? 45.6 billion won. Grasping at straws, Gi-hun accepts the offer and lands himself in a mysterious place with a total of 456 participants; among them is Sang-woo, Gi-hun’s former neighbor who initially seemed to be living the high life, Il-nam the terminally ill elder, Sae-byeok the North Korean defector, Deok-su the gangster, Mi-nyeo the con artist and Ali the migrant worker. The rule is simple: Everyone has to participate in a well-known, classic childhood game. The stakes? Their lives. Winner takes all.  Trust no one, not even yourself.  Here, winning is the only thing that matters.

Squid Game has also been confirmed to have a second season.

Squid Game (Let’s Play) EP Tracklisting:

1. Alok “Squid Game (Let’s Play)”

2. Cheat Codes “Way Back Then (Squid Game Remix)”

3. TOKiMONSTA “The Flower Blooms”

4. MayTree “Squid Game (acapella)”

About Netflix

Netflix is the world’s leading streaming entertainment service with 214 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries, feature films and mobile games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any Internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

ABOUT CASABLANCA RECORDS

Casablanca Records, the legendary label of the 70’s, defined the sound of its era. During the infamous days of Studio 54, Casablanca launched the careers of artists such as Kiss, Parliament, Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder. Founded by industry icon Neil Bogart, the label is currently helmed by Brett Alperowitz with a focus on Dance and Electronic music. Working with a global roster of both established superstars and emerging new talent, Casablanca Records is home to Dillon Francis, Felix Jaehn, Jonasu, KUNGS, Martin Solveig, Navos, Purple Disco Machine, and SG Lewis.

Rita Azar for use by 360 Magazine

FASTEST GROWING TOURIST ATTRACTION OF KOREA – INCHEON

Korea has quickly earned increasing global interest and attention with the rise of online cultural trends. So many people are intrigued by the experience of Korean culture, and since Korea has been continuously recuperating from COVID-19, the Incheon Tourism Organization predicts that international tourists will be able to indulge in trips to Korea very soon.

Seoul has been often regarded as the leading tourist attraction in Korea, but Incheon may triumph over Seoul modernly. Conveniently located by the sea amongst islands and numerous filming locations of Korean cultural content, tourists can now encounter trips in the area with Incheon’s smart tourist platform.

Incheon Tourism Organization suggests the following tourist locations to get to know the true essence of Incheon.

Wolmido Island – Location from Squid Game

Wolmi Theme Park (Wolmi My Land) opened in 1992 and is the oldest amusement park in Wolmido. The park has become exceptionally popular as it was the filming location of Squid Game, where Deoksu meets his gang members. Fans come near and far to get photo ops at Wolmi There Park, indulging in dalgona like the characters from Squid Game and to admire the breathtaking sunsets.

Yeongjongdo Island – The Heart of Korean Content

Yeongjongdo Island is typically the first site that tourists encounter, as many international airlines arrive in Korea via Incheon International Airport. One of the top art and entertainment resorts in Yeongjongdo Island, Paradise City, is noteworthy for the multitude of music videos, photoshoots and fan meeting sites for K-Pop artists. Paradise City isn’t the only filming location for Korean content from TV series to reality shows in Yeongjongdo Island. Eurwangni Beach is where BTS filmed one of their music videos, and is a must-visit for those looking to appreciate a stunning sunset in Korea.

Incheon Open Port – Smart Travel via Incheon Easy App

Incheon Open Port may just be the most significant historic tourist attraction that allows for an experience of the 19th century, and the present. Domestic and international visitors can take pleasure in these trips by using the Incheon Easy app. The app includes tourism suggestions, transportation reservations and a luggage keeping service. Download the Incheon Easy app if you plan on traveling to Incheon soon. (Available on Google Play and App Store).

If you’re in search of the perfect tourist destination that will submerge you in culture, entertainment and history, you’ve found exactly that in Incheon.

art by Kaelen for use by 360 Magazine

The Silent Sea – Netflix

By: Kai Yeo

Korean dramas have been popular, but it seems like they are even more on the rise in 2021. Ahem, Squid Game. K-dramas are known for their high production value, character arcs and engrossing storylines. While most of them are only 16-20 episodes, quality acting allows the audience to build a connection and become emotionally invested.

Looking for something to binge over the holidays? Part of the Top 10 trending shows on Netflix is a K-drama titled The Silent Sea. A Netflix original, sci-fi series that has been catching global attention, and is already at a 70% score less than a week after release. On top of positive reviews, the fascinating plot has been all the buzz on film socials. Before you start this series, you probably want to know the gist of what it is about – we got you covered.

The Silent Sea

The Silent Sea narrates the story of an earth that has been ravaged by drought, and a large crew must travel to an abandoned base on the moon to retrieve a sample. This sample supposedly contains what will save the world… but we are not quite sure what it is yet. Watch the trailer here.

The Synopsis via Netflix:

“During a perilous 24-hour mission on the moon, space explorers try to retrieve samples from an abandoned research facility steeped in classified secrets.”

Will they ever return to Earth? What lies ahead on their mission? So many questions and no answers, you’ll just have to tune in to find out. What we do know, though, is the stellar cast in this new release. Starting with the instantly recognizable leads: Train to Busan’s Gong Yoo and Sense8’s Bae Doona, acting as the caption of the mission and lead scientist respectively.

If you’ve been keeping up with the Korean film industry, most of these other actors might also be familiar to you:

With such a big crew, many unprecedented things happen, but The Silent Sea provides a lot of mystery and interesting plot twists by the end. While saying anything more would include spoilers, it was certainly a wild ride. A refined production that will be high on our sci-fi list for a little bit.

Alex Bogdan image for use by 360 Magazine

CFDA Fashion Awards

Squid Game Star, Hoyeon Jung, Karrueche Tran And Stars Drink Clean Inside the 2021 CFDA Fashion Awards In New York 

Leading independent, award-winning No/Low spirits brand CleanCo was the drink of choice for celebrity and style attendees inside the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) awards this evening; with some of the biggest names in fashion choosing to imbibe Clean during the exclusive event.

Squid Game star and model, Ho-Yeon Jung and Mary-Kate Olsen were among the many high-profile stars choosing Clean over full-strength alcoholic serves, as the health and wellbeing trend gains momentum. This year marks a major shift for the event, as it the first time the prestigious fashion awards have chosen to include a full-service Clean bar at the event in The Pool + The Grill, New York City, also formally The Four Seasons Restaurant.

Clean cocktails were designed specifically for guests, including the Clean CFDA Martini; a recipe born from a collaboration with Tom Ford and CleanCo mixologists. The reimagined formula is inspired by a classic Dry Martini, combined into an elegant non-alcoholic cocktail made from Clean G, vermouth replacement, Clean T, honey and quintessentially British tea, Earl Grey. Guests including Latoia Fitzgerald and Karrueche Tran, also sipped on tailor-made creations including a Clean 75 (a take on the iconic ‘French 75’), as well as simple serves including a Clean G&T and Clean Paloma.

CleanCo, which has just launched in the US, is for those who want to drink Clean or lighten their serves with full-strength and no-alcohol combinations without compromising on flavor. The awards saw a talented array of icons and honorees join America’s biggest fundraiser for CFDA Scholarship programs.

The annual CFDA Fashion Awards celebrate and uphold excellence in design, nurture innovation, and foster connection across a diverse community. This year the CFDA’s membership featured more than 450 of America’s very best womenswear, menswear, jewelry, and accessories designers.

Additionally, this fall, the CFDA welcomed CleanCo as an Official Partner for 2021 to their renowned fashion celebration.

cocktail illustration by Mina Tocalini for 360 Magazine

Replay Introduces Squid Arcade

We’ve already come too far to end this now. Replay Lincoln Park, Chicago’s favorite pop-up bar at 2833 N. Sheffield, is back again with the announcement of their latest pop up installment, Squid Arcade. The games begin Friday, November 5 through Sunday, November 28, as this Lincoln Park bar transforms its gaming areas into a Squid Game inspired haven (or hell) with childhood inspired tabletop games throughout, weekly karaoke, along with K-Pop DJ guests during their weekly DJ sets, weekly Squid Game inspired competitions, themed cocktails and food menu, a Squid Game costume celebration, and a marbles guessing game where participants can win $583,855.00 won! This event and all of the games are free, with no reservations, tickets, or tokens required.   

During this limited time pop-up, there will be themed events inspired by the South Korean drama series that include themed karaoke, weekly competitions like Dalgona Cooking Cutting, Red Light/Green Light and Marbles, where participants have the opportunity to guess how many marbles are in Replay’s Pig Jar, with the winner winning $583,855.00 won, or $500 in cash. Patrons will enjoy DJ sets on Thursday through Saturday with guest K-Pop DJs throughout and a Squid Game costume celebration on November 13 where fans have the opportunity to reuse their costumes for one more night. Fans will also have the opportunity to sip on featured cocktails named Dalgona, Watch You Temper(ed), They were stones…, The Squid Game, VIP as well as Red Light and Green Light Shots. A themed food menu will also be available. 

“The popularity of this show right now is insane, so we wanted to pay tribute and continue the hype with a pop up inspired by the games for Chicagoans to immerse themselves in,” said Mark Kwiatkowski, owner of Replay Lincoln Park. “Whether you are a guard, a participant or a VIP, we invite you all to stop by and enjoy some games with some tempting prizes.” 

The Squid Arcade inspired pop-up is 21+ and is reservation free. Covid-19 restrictions will be practiced, and protocols will be strictly observed to ensure the safety of patrons and employees. Please note, this is not an official event sanctioned by Squid Game.  

Replay Lincoln Park features over 60+ free vintage arcade games, including pinball, air hockey, skeeball, and more. With no cover or tokens needed, Replay Lincoln Park invites guests for great fun from 5 p.m. – 2 a.m. Monday – Thursday, Friday 3 p.m. – 2 a.m., 12 p.m. – 3 a.m. Saturday, and 12 p.m. – 2 a.m. Sunday.

Best Places to Buy a Halloween Costume

By: Skyler Johnson

Looking for Halloween costumes can be difficult, especially when there are so many costumes and places to choose from! It’s hard to know where to look, especially since so many of the year’s most popular costumes require either a high knowledge of sewing or high a payment at a costume shop. Chances are you might be able to find a Bridgerton dress in your grandmother’s attic, but a Harley Quinn bat or a Cruella wig might be harder. So, I’ve examined a list of over twenty different online retailers to find the best places to buy from, considering price, quality, and selection. I’ve done my research and looked at all the biggest costumes for 2021, including Wanda Maximoff and Loki from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, to determine the best overall options. Here are the best outfits for…

Your Wallet

Overall, Amazon and Party City have the lowest costs. Because of Amazon’s wide selection, you’re likely to find inexpensive stuff and a wide variety if you just do some digging. You may spend more at Party City, but shipping is from a store location and not an individual seller, so shipping in this case can be cheaper. If you don’t want to support either of those large businesses, you may be out of luck. Shopping on smaller online shops like Candy Apple may provide you with cheaper goods, but you’ll have to do a bit of digging and  might not get attire in the condition that you’re hoping for. Another solution is to consider thrifting your Halloween costume. While it is unlikely that you will find a brand new, full, cost-effective costume, thrifting can be a great way to find several pieces at a good price over time if you are planning on being a more modern character.

Your Specific Taste

Obsessed with dressing like a Squid Game character after your latest binge watch? Although the show just came out, there are already retailers who’ve designed the show’s iconic jumpsuits and mask for costumed purposes. Amazon again is the most reliable deliverer with its wide user base, having the full Squid Game outfit. But Walmart has a decent selection as well. Furthermore, I’ve found is the best place to buy black gloves for an Olivia Rodrigo “Good 4 u” inspired look. You can find some bizarre stuff on Etsy, including unique, well-made garments, jewelry, or period pieces. For sexy getups, check out Yandy. They have a hot and steamy selection for the holiday.

Your Need for the Best Quality

On every site, the caliber will differ, besides a few retail stores with online options (i.e. Party City, Spirit Halloween) where the worth will be consistent but not necessarily the best quality (particularly Party City). Again, Amazon takes the cake in terms of value just from the selection they have and the large number of reviews, proving them as a reliable option. Other stores can be a gamble as they tend to not have the best reviews, and pictures can only say so much.

Your Kids

One of my favorite stores for kids’ selection is Target, which offers different apparel for different age groups, making it easier for parents to know whether an outfit will fit their child. Target is a relatively cost-efficient option as well. For a bit pricier but higher quality option, the Disney store can also be a great fit for those wanting an Elsa dress/wig, or any other Disney or Marvel character for your little prince, princess, or hero!

Conclusion

Halloween is a wonderfully fun holiday and there are many great places to buy party garbs for spooky season. Amazon is probably still the most reliable and consistent due to their high volume of product movement, but there are many great places to check out for those who, understandably, don’t want to support Jeff Bezos. Happy shopping, and happy Halloween!

ITALKI: A GLOBAL LANGUAGE LEARNING COMMUNITY

Although excessive screen time is often frowned upon, language experts say that watching shows in a foreign language – if done with near obsession – can help someone learn that language. Since its Netflix release in September, Korean thriller Squid Game has become an international phenomenon.

We’ve relied on online platforms like Netflix more than ever these last two years, proving that the streaming platform can inspire one to learn a language through entertainment.

italki, the premiere online language platform, can help even the most devout Squid Game enthusiast take their curiosity of Korean culture to the next level with dedicated 1-on-1 lessons. The online platform currently offers 150+ languages taught by teachers from 180 countries. 

“In the US we’ve seen a 15% increase in demand for Korean language lessons in the past 3 weeks” says Kevin Chen, founder of italki. Korean is the 6th most studied language in the US on the platform. So far, nearly 30,000 italki teachers have helped 10 million users from 190 or from all over the world countries learn a new language more effectively and efficiently.  

“Most of my students have already learned the Korean alphabet, called Hangeul, for themselves before taking their very first lesson. That’s why they understand its structure and how it works pretty much well. There are some who believe all the Asian languages are a lot in common as European languages originated from Latin are, which actually are not true.” says italki Teacher Karen. “I am also a big fan of BTS, one of the biggest Boyband in the world. Also, some of my students are fans of K-Pop stars, Korean actors or actresses. There are a growing number of people who get interested in K-Pop, K-Movie, K-Drama, K-Food, K-Beauty, etc. Sometimes, their interest in Korean culture encourages students to learn Korean continuously” 

Apart from grammar, vocabulary, and the technical building blocks of language, learning a language means learning the culture. Learning a language through video chat or italki’s own “italki Classroom” would have offered a private and supportive environment. 

“I’ve seen an article about the drama that has earned a critics’ score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and also became the most popular show on Netflix ever. People started making merchandising of the Squid Game Netflix show and I’ve been seeing those all over social media. So yes, I can say I’ve noticed an increase in the popularity of Korean culture.” says italki Community Tutor Gio. “I think people sometimes underestimate the importance of Hangul, which is the Korean alphabet. Memorizing Hangul is inevitable for learning Korean. But it might take more time than you expected. Even if memorizing Hangul takes some time, I hope people know that they have to endure it to move on to the next level.”

If you would like to speak with our teachers Gio and Karen, to get their thoughts on the popularity of Korean Culture as it relates to online learning, please let us know. italki also offers the gift of language through its gift cards throughout the holiday season and beyond: https://www.italki.com/giftcards

About italki

italki is a global language learning community that connects students and teachers for 1-on-1 online language lessons. At italki, we believe that human interaction and cultural sharing are the best way to become fluent in a foreign language. With over 5 million students and 10,000 high-quality teachers teaching more than 130 languages, italki helps everyone with their personal journey to fluency. Learn more at www.italki.com and follow their social channels on FacebookTwitterInstagram, and YouTube