Smartphone manufacturer HTC launches its latest Facebook-friendly models, with a host of headlining music acts in tow.
Contributed By Terence JR Lee
Jayesslee performing at the HTC Likes Awards 2011.
What do American rock band Plain White T’s, K-Pop idol Jay Park, Singapore-born singer of Project Superstar fame Derrick Hoh, and twin Korean-Australian YouTube stars Jayesslee have in common? They shared the stage at the inaugural HTC Likes Awards 2011 night held on Friday, July 24 at the Suntec Singapore.
The event was a one-of-its-kind social media awards ceremony in Singapore held to crown Singapore’s new media “socialholics,” a term referring to people who actively use the internet to socialize. It was held in conjunction with the launch of HTC’s latest Facebook phones, namely HTC Cha Cha and HTC Salsa, which feature the latest Android Gingerbread 2.3.3 and a dedicated Facebook button for one-touch access to the key functions of the Facebook service.
Jay Park
The Facebook button on HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa boasts a one-touch functionality—with a single press of the button, users can update their statuses, upload photos, share links, post song clips and “check in” to a location and more.
Indeed, social media was the focus of the evening, with prizes given to winners from various innovative categories, such as the “Best Music Parody,” “Most ‘OMG’ Photo Award,” “Most Interesting Status Update Award” and “Most Ideal Check-In.”
Derrick Hoh
The winners had been chosen partly on the basis of their popularity—measured by how many “Likes” their entries received online. While many entered the contests because of the attractive prizes, which included cash, HTC ChaCha and Salsa phones, and a cruise to Redang Island in Malaysia, more attended the event because of the star-studded lineup.
It was hard to tell who the most popular artiste was, as each was greeted by rousing cheers, raucous applause and unabashed exclamations of “I love you!” from the audience. Jay Park wowed his female fans with the mere mention of his name, while the sweet-voiced Jayesslee had the crowd clapping along to their music. The duo had brought their band along, and delighted fans with covers of Maroon 5’s “Sunday Morning” and Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are,” as well as a beatbox-cum-rap of Jessie J’s hit single “Price Tag.”
Derrick Hoh’s fans brought LED-lit signs spelling out his name—they were in turn treated to a sneak peek of his upcoming album when he sang a single from it.
Plain White T’s. CN PHOTOS: Daniel Poh
American pop band Plain White T’s brought the evening to a close with its brand of easy rock tunes, performing hit songs like “Boomerang” and “1, 2, 3, 4,” and ending with the number-one hit, “Hey There Delilah.” The five-man band flew in just for the event, arriving in Singapore early Friday morning, and left almost immediately after their performance that night. They got the crowd on their feet, swaying and clapping to the beat as they performed song after song.
A surprise fashion show from co-sponsors Denizen caught many off guard, but it soon became the highlight of the night for Park’s fans when he took the stage with his slick dance moves and boyish charm.
Organizer for the event, Launch, set up an initiative where S$1 from the sale of each ticket sold went to the Rare Disorders Society (Singapore) Charity Fund. Additionally, the artistes at the event auctioned off autographed HTC phones, with proceeds going toward the fund.
