MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking), a campaign to promote freedom and respect for human life, will return to Vietnam after two years. It is estimated that 2.5 million people worldwide are currently victims of human trafficking and that more than half of them originate from Asia and the Pacific.

Often, the victims are young. For example Vietnamese men, women, and girls are trafficked for sexual and labor exploitation in other Asian countries like Malaysia and South Korea; they are smuggled into Arab nations, on to Eastern Europe and all the way up to Sweden and the UK while some even go to Trinidad and Tobago and Costa Rica.

In 2010, the total number of Vietnamese working overseas in 40 countries and territories is estimated to be around 500,000, and most of them work in construction, fishing, agriculture, mining, logging, and manufacturing sectors. Many state-affiliated and private labor export companies force these migrants to sign contracts in languages they do not understand and charge these migrants high fee in excess of those allowed by law which forces them into extreme debt from which they cannot escape.

In both sex trafficking and labor trafficking, debt bondage, confiscation of identity and travel documents, and threats of deportation are commonly utilized to intimidate victims.

Therefore, the MTV campaign in Vietnam includes a nation-wide initiative against human trafficking, featuring a series of events, TV shows, and the very first multi-media exhibition on human trafficking as part of MTV EXIT Youth Sessions. The exhibition will highlight innovative ways of discussing this issue. It will be divided into a series of different experiences, such as video, music, photography, and interactive activities for young people. The flagship event will be a massive live concert at Hanoi’s My Dinh Stadium on May 26, featuring performances by famous Vietnamese singers along with Canadian modern-rock sensation, Simple Plan.

This will be Simple Plan’s first-ever live performance in Vietnam. Simple Plan‘s members have established “The Simple Plan Foundation”- to support a variety of worthycauses, including various cancer charities.

“Over our career, it’s always been very important for us to get involved socially and support causes that are close to our hearts. We started the Simple Plan Foundation with the goal of helping young people in need,” said Chuck Comeau, the drummer of Simple Plan. “Teaming up with MTV EXIT to raise global awareness around the issue of human trafficking is exactly what our mission is all about.

Human trafficking is a horrible crime with devastating consequences for so many young people and their families. We are proud to stand together with MTV EXIT and their partners in the fight against exploitation. We can’t wait to play in Vietnam for the first time and are looking forward to informing our fans on how they can get involved and help out.”

The organizer of the live concert hope it will be successful as MTV EXIT’s 2010 concert tour in Vietnam, where 80,000 Vietnamese music fans attended four concerts across the country, including performances by K-pop band Super Junior.

To find out more about human trafficking and exploitation in Asia, visit www.mtvexit.org or follow MTV EXIT on the following social media platforms: Twitter @mtvexit and www.facebook.com/mtvexit

The article Simple Plan to Visit Vietnam in MTV EXIT Free Concert appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Simple Plan are back again with their fourth studio album Get Your Heart On! released June 21, 2011. If the album can be described in two words, it would be “feel good.” The album has catchy and songs with hooks that will be stuck in your head for days.

Before any specific information was released about the latest album, two demo tracks: “Famous for Nothing” and “Just Around the Corner” were leaked. However, when the album track listing was officially announced, the record company had confirmed that neither leaked tracks would be on the album. Prior to the release of the album, Simple Plan began playing the song “You Suck at Love” live during the Bamboozle Roadshow Tour in June 2010.

One year later, the band released a preview clip of the studio version of their song on its website and YouTube page. On March 30, the band launched a new official website until the “actual new website” is launched, with a new video discussing the first list of their new song “Can’t Keep My Hands Off You.” On April 20, it was announced that the first single off the album would be “Jet Lag” featuring Natasha Bedingfield. To help promote the song, a program was set up on the website titled, “JetLag Airlines,” which released news, lyrics, track lists, and videos regarding the album.

Simple Plan has been known to produce songs while “keeping up with the times,” but has not been known to drastically change its style of music. Since the release was just this week, there haven’t been many reviews. According to Metacritic, Alternative Press gave Get Your Heart On! a 70 stating that while the album may not be “the true return to form the band envisioned, it is ultimately worth the wait.” All Music Guide said that the album is every bit as tuneful as the group’s debut, giving the score of 60. On the other hand, Sputnikmusic gave the album a 40 claiming that while the album is the poppiest release yet, it is also the band’s least catchy, indistinct and forgettable.

“This Song Saved My Life” is a powerful song, which is about everyone who stood by the band over the years. The song begins with a nice piano intro and ends with what sounds like a group of Simple Plan fans.

A noteworthy track is “Can’t Keep My Hands Off You,” which features Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo. This song has the “summer” vibe to it, painting a picture of sitting in the backyard enjoying some beers and BBQ. Get Your Heart On! has a plethora of guest singers, from Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low to Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo to Natasha Bedingfield. This is definitely a summer album by a band that sounds like it was made for the summer too. If you love pop-punk bands, then you will surely love Get Your Heart On!

Track List

1.            You Suck at Love

2.            Can’t Keep my Hands Off You (feat Rivers Cuomo)

3.            Jet Lag (feat Natasha Bedingfield)

4.            Astronaut

5.            Loser of the Year

6.            Anywhere else but here

7.            Freaking Me Out (feat Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low)

8.            Summer Paradise (feat K’naan)

9.            Gone Too Soon

10.          Last One Standing

11.          This Song Saved My Life

Image Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/theswami/

The article Simple Plan shouts to Get Your Heart On! appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.