Hive

Mastermind
The Ballad of Erik Santos
Leo Balante | October 18, 2021

From landing on his now-iconic winning finals piece to becoming the quintessential balladeer of his generation, Erik Santos‘ stake in the entertainment industry is every bit divinely-ordained. As he turns a year older, Rank Magazine editor Leo Balante sits down with the celebrated artist and OPM mainstay on the making and remaking of the artist facing the “new normal”, boxes left unticked on his creative bucket list, and the poetic justice in continuing to perform on the very stage that gave him his first steps into an illustrious two-decade career given today’s situation.

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Insider
Childhood Games Take a Deadly (and Life Changing) Turn in ‘Squid Game’: Inside the Internet’s Newest Dystopian Phenomenon
Pauline Nacar | October 1, 2021

What happens when you take 456 people and offer them a 45.6 billion won prize to play a game they’ve known since childhood? In this wildly addicting series from Netflix, a cast of characters desperate for money go through lengths to win the prize, and to survive. Starring Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Jung Ho-hyeon, Heo Sung-tae, and Wi Ha-joon, “Squid Game” is one K-series for the books, and it’s definitely not for the faint-hearted.

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Insider
EXCLUSIVE: The 2021 Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE) Champions the Art of Possibilities with this Year’s Awardees
Rank Magazine | September 13, 2021

Following this year’s theme of “Spectrum: The Art of Possibilities”, the Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE) strengthens its commitment to amplify the reach of local creative talents and visionaries with this year’s batch of winners. Out of the record-breaking 701 submitted entries across the country, eight Filipino painters and sculptors have come out victorious with pieces that resonate present-day realities from introspective look on our collective pandemic state of mind, natural and man-made disasters, to a ringing indictment on existing social arrangement of powers.

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Insider
Shifting Gears: David Bay Breathes New Life to an Iconic Track for Debut Release
Pauline Nacar | September 3, 2021

If a particular song can’t seem to escape your mind for months and years on end, that’s a striking sign it’s probably meant to play a big part in your career. Such is the case for David Bay and his long-standing relationship with his debut track, way before it was even a single to begin with.

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Slant
On Healing, Comfort, and New Optimism: ‘Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’ Takes Viewers on a Wave of Warmth and Community
Pauline Nacar | September 3, 2021

Netflix premieres its newest romantic-comedy K-drama with a flair for the special intricacies of normal life. Starring Shin Min-a, Kim Seon-ho, and Lee Sang-yi, this series is a weekend getaway perfect to destress and relax with, with stories of love, healing, and solidarity.

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Mastermind
Kyle Cruz and the Art of Seeing through Genderless and Minimalist Fashion
Pauline Nacar | August 27, 2021

The “CRUZ” brand has rapidly grown in reputation within the Philippine fashion arena since its initial launch in 2018. As the young designer, Kyle Cruz, prepares for his latest collection, he sits down with Rank Magazine to talk about his beginnings, his burgeoning fashion career and the brand’s beginning, middle, and never-ending explorations.

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Review
What Makes Samsung S21 5G and its Feature Updates a Galaxy of Star Power?
Christina Zabat | August 20, 2021

Sleek and modern-looking—you’ve probably seen the Samsung S21 5G in one of your recent Netflix K-Drama binge-watching sesh. The premium Samsung offering was officially launched this January 2021. With a few months left into the year, does it still hold up with its predecessor? We list down the four features we loved about this smartphone.

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Review
Cinemalaya 2021: Shorts B Tackles Loss, Privilege, and Challenging Existing Social Order
Karen Briones | August 18, 2021

Exploring social issues using new modes and technologies in storytelling, the curated films in the Shorts B category chart the human condition dealing with grief and loss and a commentary on existing social structures emblematic of the Cinemalaya stamp on filmmaking.

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Review
Cinemalaya 2021: Shorts A Explores Questions of Life, Identity, and What it Means to Be a Disposable Face Mask
Pauline Nacar | August 16, 2021

With all the films and entries available for your viewing pleasure at this year’s Cinemalaya run, does the “Shorts A” lineup measure up? Spoiler alert: Of course it does.

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Perspectives
Beauty Ad Under Fire for ‘Insensitive and Upsetting’ Portrayal of the #PandemicEffect and Grilling Women’s Insecurities While They’re at it
Leo Balante & Pauline Nacar | August 11, 2021

The Internet demands brands and advertising agencies to do better when promoting beauty, and to go beyond the age-old message of making people feel bad about their physical appearances. The latest to receive this awakening is Belo Medical Group, which has recently launched a campaign all about the pandemic’s impact on our self-care routines.

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