Ai-Ai delas Alas
It’s all in good fun.
In the past year, Ai-Ai delas Alas, an unabashed fan of Blackpink, had become an occasional trending topic on social media and a meme fodder because of her amusing, and bemusing, television performances that had her channeling the popular pop group and living out her K-pop fantasies.
“Their songs sound fresh. The melodies are catchy and have easy recall, even if they’re in Korean. Their choreographies are nice as well. K-pop is popular these days, so you can’t help but be fascinated,” Ai-Ai told the Inquirer in a recent Zoom conference for her new single, a novelty song titled, “Siomai (What?)”
Ai-Ai loves the girls—Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa—so much so that she started collecting different merchandise including light sticks, phone cases and slippers. Last Mother’s Day, the kids surprised her with more Blackpink goodies. Ai-Ai, who operates an online pastry shop, even named one of her offerings “Blink,” which is how the group’s fans are fondly called.
Watching Blackpink, the GMA 7 star added, makes her feel young. “Syempre, hindi ka papahuli sa panahon! I really study their songs even if they’re difficult … I feel like I’m not that much older than them,” she jested.
Because of her commitment to performing Blackpink songs, not a few social media users began jokingly proclaiming her as the fifth member, and superimposing her images onto the group’s.
Ai-Ai finds such memes hilarious. “I get a good laugh from them. Perhaps I just wore them out, and they simply rode along my antics,” she quipped. “Tinanggap na lang nila na ganun ako.”
Can she imagine meeting Blackpink in person? “I would probably faint!” she said, laughing.
Of course, not everyone is pleased. But Ai-Ai is no stranger to online bashing. “There’s not much you can do if there are people who don’t like you. My motto is that as long as I’m not harming anyone and my fans get entertained, then it’s all good. Pampa-good vibes lang,” she said.
“These days, almost everyone has a basher—especially now amid the pandemic, when people are spending more time at home and online,” the 56-year-old Kapuso talent added.
The music video of “Siomai (What?),” released by Viva Music, attempts to capture from the typical K-pop aesthetic—colorful, sparkly and fun. “We had a young director so the video feels young, too. The dancing was a bit of a challenge because my moves aren’t as sharp as they were in my 30s, but I can still do them. I can still do cartwheels,” she said.
The song, as its title suggests, is about, well, siomai. There’s really not much into it; no hidden meaning or anything, Ai-Ai said. It’s just meant to be fun. “The song was unexpected. But when I heard it, I really loved it, so I grabbed the opportunity … It’s all good vibes and very danceable,” she said.
There’s no plan to release an EP or an album, Ai-Ai said, but she would love to do one in the future. And though she has been raring to do a concert, she would rather not do it digitally and just wait for the pandemic and the restriction to ease up. “I have been in the business for 31 years. Maybe I can do a show, just a fun one, on my 35th year. Hopefully, we’re all vaccinated then,” she said.
Ai-Ai, who’s a green card holder, said she would be flying to the United States to maintain her residency and, on the side, get herself vaccinated. “I wasn’t able to fly last year because of the pandemic. I will visit my son (Nicolo). And I’m also entitled to vaccination there. So why not? My slot here can go to another person who needs it more,” she said. INQ