Manila Bulletin

Alexander Lee seeks collaborat­ion with Ex Battalion

- By REGINA MAE PARUNGAO bon appétit.”

Have you ever thought of how “Hayaan Mo Sila” would sound if sung in Korean? Or how about a Korean heartthrob adding swag and flair to the popular Pinoy hip hop group?

Well, we can never tell until we hear it but here’s former U-KISS memberturn­ed-GMA artist Alexander Lee wishing it would happen.

Sporting a new look – colored hair and snazzier outfits – Alexander said in an interview that he hopes to collaborat­e with Ex Battalion, the group behind the song “Hayaan Mo Sila,” “No Games,” and “SouthBoys,” among others, which all clinched millions of views on YouTube.

“I really know them, they are popular here in the Philippine­s,” he said, adding “I’m very excited to work them. So, hopefully, in the future.”

Apart from Ex B, Alexander wishes to work with Rita Daniela. She recently collaborat­ed with his good friend, Marucci, for the song “Superman.”

The actor would like to sing OPM but he intends to “practice my Filipino language first.”

It was September last year when Alexander signed with GMA Network. He has already worked with Heart Evangelist­a on their now-defunct rom-com series “My Korean Jagiya,” and Maine Mendoza for a special episode of “Daig Kayo Ng Lola Ko.”

He has maintained good relationsh­ip with Heart, finding her to be “a very nice person.” Talking about Maine, Alexander admitted he enjoyed working with her, describing her as “friendly” despite her being a phenomenal star.

“You know, I’ve seen Alden (Richards) many times, and this is my first time to meet Maine in person,” he recalled the first day of their taping. “At first I was, like, worried, because she is a phenomenal star. She might be rude, a diva or whatever. But when I saw her, she’s so down-to-earth. Just like a girl next door, very nice, very friendly.”

Asked if he plans to do another teleserye in the Philippine­s, Alexander smiled and said, “I love working here. To do another soap? You can ask GMA. Hello? It’s up to them.”

Another thing the Korean heartthrob loves about Filipinos is that they cook good food. “Seeing so much loved from Filipinos, it’s a blessing. Not to mention that my waistline is getting bigger and bigger every day,” he laughed.

Hooray for music!

Alexander is busy promoting his latest single. He teamed up with Marucci to form the duo AXM and released the songs “Keep Ya Head Up” and “S.M.N.”

He said the song is meant to comfort, to cheer up those who have depression.

“I never thought I’ll be doing music again,” he enthused, adding he feels blessed for the warm reception of Pinoy music lovers. “Last year was a very big blessing to me. People in Korea knew what I have done here and a lot of them congratula­te me.”

Alexander shared that although he enjoys acting, he also wants to showcase his other side. He revealed that going back to singing and dancing felt surreal, and that he feels “old” because he was still young when he and his group U-KISS visited the Philippine­s for a concert.

“I was thinking what I could do next then the music opportunit­y came. I told myself, I should show something different, new image. So here I am, sharing my music and I hope Filipinos will like it.”

The music video of “S.M.N” was shot at a supermarke­t in South Korea with vendors as bit players.

“It was fun though it was tough,” Alexander said of the experience. “I was actually shy before (we started shooting). It was quite daring. I honestly never did something like that before. But yeah, thanks to the crowd, they were all very game.”

Still single

Heads up, girls, Alexander is still single.

Considerin­g he is now in the common marrying age of Koreans, the 30year-old actor-singer is not pressured to do so.

“Of course, I want to have my own family but I believe marriage is very important. I’m taking it slowly because I don’t want to choose the wrong person. I need true love,” he explained. Is he open to dating a Filipina? “Why not? Filipino beauty is exotic. Like Koreans, Filipinas are adventurou­s with their looks and they are not shy to show who they really are.” Alexander recently quashed speculatio­ns that he is gay. On Instagram, he reiterated he’s aware of his bashers labelling him as gay based on their perception of his behavior and fashion style. “I am not here to please anyone anymore. Complain about my looks, my clothes, my behavior, etc? Do you really think a person can really please the whole world? Of course not!” part of his statement read. “So, I’m not manly enough?... Yes I might look gay for you but sorry that’s the way I am! And I will say this only once: I’m not gay so stop trying…to bring me down.” Alexander made clear he has high regard for the LGBT people. “Aside from that, what’s wrong with being gay? You think people choose to be gay? Stop judging others. You are not God. And only God knows the reason and the answer why,” he said. “Furthermor­e, even if I go to a gay bar, so what? Lamenting at how some people can be so hypocritic­al. Some people who stay home could be more lustful or immoral. Grow up. Anyway, conclusion, if you don’t like me then sorry that I don’t fit your taste, there are many other dishes out there for you, so

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 ??  ?? ALEXANDER (RIGHT) with Marucci U-KISS
ALEXANDER (RIGHT) with Marucci U-KISS
 ??  ?? EX BATTALION ALEXANDER LEE
EX BATTALION ALEXANDER LEE
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