14 for 2014
From power toddlers to ice bucket challenges: 14 reasons why 2014 was one for the books.
When we talk about the year that was for the Philippines, we usually speak in a bittersweet tone. It’s become part of our lives, the constant sighs about how things haven’t changed and possibly never will. But 2014 seems different in that way; at least we think so. It was a time for gratitude, over the serious and the shallow: feminism became a major topic of conversation, we could boast of two homegrown Olympians, and our local concert scene never looked better. In our Young STAR year-end list, we note down some of these things (good and bad) that made this year one to remember. And if there’s anything we’ve learned looking back, it’s that we can become and overcome anything we put our minds to. We hope that next year will be even less bittersweet.
1 For better or worse, Lang Leav got us into poetry
Maybe purists will cry foul when they hear that this generation’s most widely-read poet was discovered via Tumblr. But that’s how the poet known as Lang Leav reintroduced the fading art of poetry to a younger audience—by sharing her short pieces on Tumblr until it racked enough “reblogs.” Suddenly, everyone knew her name. Her secret? Lang Leav is able to do something that sounds simple: she takes a complex emotion (love) and then tries to simplify it for her audience. Like getting a five-year-old to understand why six is equal to three plus three. But that’s the magic of her work, isn’t it? If it seems so easy to talk about something so abstract, how come so few are able to talk about it in the way that Lang Leav has? And why are so many girls connecting to her work? People are reading her poems like they are reading the daily horoscope, maybe even for the same reasons. And maybe this is not such a bad thing at all. At least we’re reading poetry again.
—Kara Ortiga
2 Ariana Grande is her own diva
She broke through with whistle notes and melisma last year—a clear bid for the title “New Mariah.” But it was this year when she clearly, to paraphrase one of her blockbuster hits, broke free.
Ariana Grande first turned heads as a red-headed Nickelodeon star, in the hit shows Victorious and Sam & Cat—just another precocious child star in a long line of future “Where are they now?” cases. In 2013, she gained widespread fame through her Mariah lite hit The Way and her ensuing belt-y award show performances. She seemed like another Leona Lewis then—an American Idol-level talent who perhaps didn’t have the pluck and personality to go full Kelly Clarkson.
But something happened this year. Between taking on a sexier persona (hints of both Barbarella and Nancy Sinatra) and employing the best talent in the business (Ryan Tedder, Max Martin), she saw her sophomore album “My Everything” become one of the biggest hits of the year, churning out blockbuster after blockbuster. From Problem to Break Free to Bang Bang to Love Me Harder, is Ariana Grande the new Mariah? She wishes. But is Ariana Grande here to stay? Bet on it.
—Raymond Ang
3 The love team that rocked a nation
Love teams are arguably one of the things that make Philippine entertainment kind of baduy. The manufactured romance feels so fake, but every once in a while a good love team comes up. At the moment it happens to be Kathniel, who are so popular across age, creed, and social status that they hardly need any introduction.
After the end of their smash telenovela Got to Believe early this year, the love team of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla seemed to have taken some time off. One hardly ever saw them out and about together. But when they walked hand in hand at Bench’s denim and underwear show “The Naked Truth,” they proved just how powerful they really are. While most of the celebrities bared skin, neither Kathryn nor Daniel did so. Still, the audience seemed to have suffered a collective stroke when Daniel pulled a rose out of thin air (he’s an amateur magician) and gave it to his besotted leading lady.
Even when Daniel was recorded mooning over another actress, a tough blow to this infallible duo, fans stuck by them. They cried as Daniel tearfully apologized to Kathryn on television, and rallied with his mother to vilify the “whistleblowers.” And perhaps as a bid to stake their claim as the love team of this era, Kathniel has dared to match the love team of the early Aughties: Jericho Rosales and Kristine Hermosa. Just a few weeks ago, Kathniel broke the news that they will be playing Angelo and Yna in the beloved telenovela Pangako Sa ‘Yo next year. As far as remakes go, the line “if it ain’t broke, why fix it” still stands. But with Kathniel at the helm, we don’t dare question it this time.
—Margarita Buenaventura
4 Michael Martinez and Gab Moreno flex their muscles
If this year was the first time you ever paid attention to ice skating and archery, you have Michael Martinez and Gab Moreno to thank for that. At long last, we’ve broken away from our usual norms and have proven to the world that the Philippines is more than just boxing and basketball. Martinez was our sole representative to this year’s Winter Olympics and it’s amazing that he didn’t buckle under that immense pressure. He may not have won a medal but Martinez has inspired so many Filipinos, especially kids, to put on some skates and continue the dream he started this year. Speaking of other teen titans, Gab Moreno also made history this year by giving the Philippines its first Olympic gold medal. At just the young age of 16, he won the top prize in archery alongside his teammate Li Jiaman from China. Not only did Moreno show his skill as an archer but also hit the bullseye by showing that famous Pinoy team spirit with China’s Li. He may not be able to drink yet, but he’s already more macho (and more accomplished) than most of us.
—Jonty Cruz
5 Everyone’s a feminist
These days, the term “feminist” is just as trendy as that time in the early 2000s when Blink-182 screamed “punk.” Female celebrities are being put in the spotlight to see if they identify with the tag and jumping on the empowered bandwagon too. Beyonce is not shy about it—infusing feminist rah-rah in her stage performances as well as her songs. Lena Dunham is tweeting about it and got Taylor Swift to understand and support the concept as well. Emma Watson came out with a campaign as the United Nations Women’s Goodwill Ambassador, calling on men to join in on the fun. Karl Lagerfeld’s last show with Chanel had the models strutting down the runway with placards and megaphones in the spirit of feminist activism. While some critics dismiss it as building heat only as a trend, feminism certainly sparked discussion. But for the term “feminist” to have even made it to brunch conversations at all is perhaps something that we should embrace. Does feminism become devalued just because it is being understood in popular culture? Maybe not.
—Kara Ortiga
6 Toddlers upstage their famous parents
In 2014, celebrity toddlers indeed had tiaras of their own. If the last few years marked our descent into madness over the power of Kim Kardashian, Beyoncé and Kate Middleton, this year was all about their equally influential offspring. Obsessing over Louboutins and bitchin’ blowouts is so passé; now it’s all about who rules the playground in the cutest Baby Björn.
North West, for example, is everywhere. With Kanye West and Kim Kardashian as parents, how can she not be? Being gifted with Balmain blazers and wearing fur coats are just typical days for this Los Angeles scene queen. She’s even had a hand at customizing an Hermès bag with finger paint for her mom’s birthday, because popsicle art just won’t do.
Blessed with the magic stick of Beyoncé genes is little Blue Ivy Carter. This year she gave the world a glimpse of her superstar quality at the MTV Video Music Awards: after her mom’s stunning 15-minute medley, Blue went onstage with dad Jay-Z and said, “Good job, Mommy!” She then presented Beyoncé with the Video Vanguard award (a.k.a. the Lifetime Achievement Award) like it was no big deal.
There’s no doubt that the real HBIC—head baby in charge, in this case—is a proper royal. Prince George of the UK is making no apologies for stealing hearts everywhere. From his photos of ogling at zoo animals during his first trip to Australia to his pink- cheeked Christmas portraits, everyone went gaga over his crowning cuteness. Dibs on whose daughter gets to be his future royal consort? Get in line.
—Margarita Buenaventura
7 Fast food fashion, thanks to H&M
Everybody saw the lines. When Swedish retail brand H&M opened in October this year at the SM Mega Fashion Hall, people went nuts. The queue was up to the hundreds as early as the day before doors opened.
Capitalizing on that fervor, H&M moved quickly: in just two months, they’ve opened up three other branches all over Manila. There are now also H&M stores in SM North Edsa, Robinson’s Magnolia, and SM Makati.
While consumers are rejoicing, local independent labels have already expressed concern that it would be an even bigger challenge to entice shoppers to buy local, especially with a behemoth like H&M offering low price points and massive offerings. It’s very You’ve Got Mail come to life, minus the bookstores and the multiple divorces.
Thankfully, there are pockets in the city that still champion smaller brands. Soma Stores in Green Sun on Chino Roces Ave. features several young designers who offer clothing that range from the classic to the kooky. These young brands are aware of the competition that fast fashion breeds, explains Kirv Apparel co-owner Miko Raval. Kirv is one of the featured brands in Soma Stores. “It’s hard to compete with big brands,” Miko says. “People are like, ‘I’d rather buy that than buy local.’”
While shoppers are becoming more aware of the importance of loving one’s own, it also pays to thank H&M for separating the wheat from the chaff. For every eager, “basic” tweet about how exciting the new H&M stores are comes at least two jet-setting jerks complaining about how it would suck to have the same clothes as everyone else. We say, if you really wanted to look unique, why don’t you just buy a sewing machine?
—Margarita Buenaventura
8 Celebrity nudes got leaked, people got righteously angry
When Reddit user “Johnsmcjohn” was revealed to be the criminal douchewad behind The Fappening, a subreddit dedicated to posting and spreading leaked celebrity nude photos (the most well-known probably being Jennifer Lawrence’s), and when more female celebrities were getting named as future targets, we were reminded of two scary truths. One, it’s all too easy to spread chaos on the Internet from behind a screen. And two, misogyny still exists and its vigilante a-hole proponents are active as ever.
We like to think of ourselves as secondhand paparazzi, consuming and spreading juicy stories of celebrities doing sketchy stuff, whether they’re getting pulled over for drunk driving, or opening the door to a police crew with clouds of marijuana smoke billowing out of the room. We tend to look at celebrities not as people, but as carefully crafted images. Reading up on celebrity scandals feels like crafting a secret vault open, and a photo of a naked, un-Photoshopped body a prize to be won.
Years ago, celebrities who’d had their nude photos leaked would’ve been prompted to apologize. And this year, some still did. But Jennifer Lawrence refused to say sorry. It was the hackers, the leakers, the scheming trolls residing in the underbelly of the Internet. It became clear to a lot of people what should have always been obvious: It’s not the subjects of these leaks who should be answering for their photos, it’s Johnsmcjohn, and people like him, who should be answering for their crimes.
—Jam Pascual
9 Taylor Swift parties like it’s ‘1989’
If “Fearless” was high school prom season, “Speak Now” was graduation, and “Red” her emotionally-charged college years, “1989” is Taylor Swift as a fresh grad. After three consecutive breakup albums, “1989” is when Taylor Swift finally got tough and let it all hang out. “It’s a new soundtrack, I could dance to this beat,” she triumphantly sings on album opener Welcome to New York. And true to form, the album is her first full-on pop album, eschewing the banjos and Grand Ole Opry storytelling that made her a superstar. In this one, the meek singer-songwriter has morphed into a belly-baring pop superstar—and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Coolly vicious on Blank Space, cockily sexy on Style, resigned but a little smarter on Clean—“1989” is the album when Taylor Swift became an adult, not so eager in pointing blame, a bit more introspective in analyzing the breakdown of relationships. So far, the gamble’s paid off, with the album debuting with the biggest US sales week since 2002. This is Taylor Swift in 2014: Still heartbroken and a little lonely but damn if she’s not dancing on her own.
—Raymond Ang
10 UP wins a game—and throws a bonfire?
A university men’s basketball team had 28 consecutive losses across two whole UAAP seasons. The dismal statistic means a lot more than you think. The game has been equated to the very foundation of school pride, so please try to understand what it feels like for the state university of the Philippines to be not just mediocre at the game, but so dismally bad that it’s a running joke within the university and the entire UAAP community as well. Which is why when UP finally won their first game this year, it ended the only way it should—with a bonfire. It was certainly a celebration as humorous as it was surprisingly triumphant, with undertones of satire, doused with overall joy. If neighboring universities so often boasted about their victories with a bonfire, why couldn’t UP celebrate in the same fashion? It may not have been a win as valuable as a championship, but do you know what it feels like to win something for the first time in a really long time? To be the underdog who finally gets their 15 minutes of fame and vindication? That’s what we thought.
—Kara Ortiga
11 Shailene Woodley is the year’s breakout star
I’m not a huge fan of Shailene Woodley but any idiot can see that 2014 was her coming out party. After her Oscar-worthy performance in The Descendants way back in 2011, she got her biggest break this year with The Fault in Our Stars, cementing her place in the pantheon of Young Hollywood Royalty. She also scored her very own Hunger Games-type franchise this year, starring in the Divergent series. You might think Shailene is just another up-and-comer and that’s where you’d be wrong. She, shockingly, isn’t like the rest of Young Hollywood. She forgoes the bright neon lights of the latest and swankiest clubs and much prefers the randomness of sleeping on one couch to the next. In an interview with New York magazine, she bags the quote of the year when she says she makes sure her personals are getting proper sunlight or in her own words, giving “my vagina a little vitamin D.” That and brushing her teeth with clay almost makes me want to watch her films. Which other actress can boast such a thing? Yes, I haven’t seen a lot of her films this year. That’s my bad. Her best performance, though, in my humble opinion, is being BFFs with the impeccable Brie Larson. I’d like to think that it takes a special kind of person to be let into Larson’s circle of friends, so congrats, Shailene, for being more than just a Jennifer Lawrence runner-up! Now please go do another movie like The Descendants.
—Jonty Cruz
12 Chris Pratt is every man
Chris Pratt: superhero, action star, thinspiration. Three words you wouldn’t normally associate with the man who plays the lovable but bumbling Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation. For seven years, Pratt’s been known as the slapstick comedian, the overweight jolly man who would fall into pits more than guarding the galaxy. Pratt would also lend his talents to some of the past years’ most critically acclaimed movies like Moneyball, Zero Dark Thirty, and Her. While we loved him in those films, Pratt still didn’t get the breakout film he deserved. This year however, with the release of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, he proved that he could lose the weight without losing the talent. As the legendary outlaw, Star-Lord, the world got to see Chris Pratt shine and become the hero the rest of us always knew he could be. His time as Andy Dwyer may be coming to an end in the next few months, we’re happy that Pratt has a lot of films coming up that will ensure his newfound success.
—Jonty Cruz
13 The Ice Bucket Challenge made being kind a viral sensation
Whether or not it was a good idea to meme-ify an advocacy, no one can deny the impact made by the Ice Bucket Challenge. The campaign, meant to raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), became a viral internet sensation and the subject of a zillion clickbait links (The ONLY Ice Bucket Challenge you need to see!!!), with celebrities like Bill Gates and Ryan Gosling and Taylor Swift participating in the challenge, and we’re all generally suckers for celebrities filming themselves doing silly things.
The Ice Bucket Challenge got some flak, with critics accusing the dare game of trivializing an otherwise serious condition, failing to properly educate the public about ALS. Not like every schmuck with a video camera and a bucket of ice water took the time to talk about the disease. But awareness did grow as a result of the campaign’s virality, with the ALS Wikipedia page getting a staggering 2.89 million views. The ALS Association also received over $100 million in donations over the course of the campaign (though some donations were given to other organizations dedicated to ALS research and awareness). You can’t argue with those kinds of results.
So was it successful? There are a few problematic implications to treating an act of kindness like a trend, true. But if anything, the Ice Bucket Challenge was—both to those who did and didn’t participate in the challenge directly—a wake-up call, a sudden jolt, an icy shock to the system.
—Jam Pascual
14 Manila is a place to catch your Pitchfork favorites
For those who’ve spent countless nights ugly-crying to The National’s melancholic tour de force Trouble Will Find Me, it must’ve been like a dream, finding out that the band was coming to the Philippines. Out of our rooms and into a crowd of fans, where we can all ugly-cry together.
Wouldn’t be far from the truth to say that 2014 was one of the Philippines’s best years in concerts. February saw the staging of 7017 festival, which managed to bring rock legends Red Hot Chili Peppers and hip-hop gatekeeper Kendrick Lamar to our shores. Come May, we were at another outdoor festival, Wanderland, where we were treated to sets by The Drums and Architecture in Helsinki. 2014 even had Bazooka Rocks III, a show that threw us back to our high school years way hard with its lineup, which included The Used and Taking Back Sunday. Chvrches came here, Kimbra came here, Phoenix came here. We saw various fandoms and droves of followers, all ugly-crying in the same place, because a concert isn’t just a place where you can see your idols. It’s an event where you get to brush shoulders (or bump bodies, if you’re in a particularly wild moshpit) with people who love something as avidly and wildly as you do.
Now, it’s not just big stars and mainstream performers coming to Manila. We get to host shows for smaller more underground foreign acts. You could say 2014 was the year there was something for everybody.
And as we welcome 2015, we welcome a new string of concerts. Tycho’s scheduled to play this coming February, tickets for Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran have already sold out, and the long-awaited One Direction concert is finally happening. I guess I’ll be seeing you guys soon, in a dome or arena or field somewhere, ugly-crying with all of you.
—Jam Pascual
