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More than meets the eye: VJs are not merely talking heads. ‘It’s my job to be the voice of my generation,’ says VJ Hanli.

Another gorgeous model fronts The MTV Show but VJ Hanli is far from just a pretty face.

PARENTS of MTV VJ Hanli definitely had a knack for predicting the future. Hanli Hoefer, the newest face of MTV Asia, recently spoke to Star2 while in town to promote The MTV Show, a weekly music and pop culture programme.

Placing her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hands, the classic beauty started the interview by explaining the meaning behind her unique name.

“In Chinese, ‘han’ means person and ‘li’ means pretty,” said the 20-year-old Singaporean of German and Peranakan-Chinese parentage. She added that her parents were randomly piecing together names at first – although beginning the name with the letter “H” was intentional, owing to a family tradition – but “Hanli” eventually stuck.

And like a self-fulfilling prophecy, she grew into a breathtakingly beautiful, 1.74m-tall lass with bewitching dark brown eyes, long cascading hair, megawatt smile and not to mention, svelte figure.

It’s no surprise then that the statuesque beauty became a model. Ave Management (the same agency that represents Canadian top model Coco Rocha and our very own international model Gwen Lu) offered her a modelling contract early last year and she has since graced the covers of Her World and Shape.

“Looking back, being a model feels very safe compared to what I’m doing now. Being very new to hosting, I’m taking a step outside my comfort zone,” the TV presenter shared. In fact, Hoefer, who joined the MTV family in January, revealed that she made her first-ever appearance on a live TV show and radio segment just hours before this interview.

She also challenged the perception that VJs are mere talking heads. “VJs are more than just people who read off the teleprompter. We’re involved with a lot of behind-the-scene work. We’re expected to contribute to the creative process and spot new music and pop culture trends,” she explained.

True enough, the MTV VJ definitely did her homework, sounding incredibly well-versed when asked if she could name a trend that would sweep over the music industry in 2013.

“I started listening to trap music around mid last year. I was in a small bar in Singapore recently and they were playing it. I thought, ‘You’re kidding me!’ I didn’t know anyone else who knew this. I really think it will take over. It will be the next ‘house’,” she predicted, adding that YouTube sensation Austin Mahone might be the next big thing in pop music.

Hoefer said she first noticed her love for music in her teens when she became the go-to person for all things music among her friends. Today, although she described her music taste as “a mix of everything”, she named Alt-J, ASAP Rocky, Tame Impala and Azealia Banks, as her current obsession.

As such, landing the hosting job with MTV was no doubt a dream come true for the music lover. But Hoefer, who has been tuning into MTV since she was 12, was also excited about her new gig as she was able to follow in the footsteps of her favourite MTV VJ – Denise Keller.

“Denise and I have similar backgrounds (Keller is also of German and Chinese ancestry). So, when I was watching her on TV as a young girl, I’d be like, ‘Wow! That person is like me.’ And I loved that fact that she didn’t care how she looked like. She would often make (silly) faces and she would do it all for entertainment,” Hoefer gushed.

Speaking of past MTV VJs, Hoefer also confessed that she felt anxious taking over from Holly Grabarek. Grabarek ended her two-year stint with MTV late last year to further her studies. “I was nervous at first. Holly is such a sweet girl and she was loved by everybody. So I have big shoes to fill. But I just have to remind myself that I am a different person and this is the second season of The MTV Show, so things are going to be completely new,” she reasoned.

Indeed, season two of The MTV Show promises a slew of new initiatives (For the uninitiated, The MTV Show is a wacky, irreverent 30-minute programme featuring the hottest music videos, latest celebrity news and movie scoop as well as the latest trends in pop culture). For one, the inclusion of another fellow newly-minted host, VJ Alan Wong, means viewers will be looking at entirely fresh faces on the show.

But the biggest change in the new season will be its effort to up the ante on social media engagement. Sari Trisulo, executive producer at Viacom International Media Networks Asia, said in a press statement: “This is the basis of season two of The MTV Show – content driven by millennial viewers, who lead us and inform our platforms, our content.

“MTV is no stranger to leveraging social media in our programming formats, but the pulse of the new season puts the power in our viewer’s hands, and truly engages across multiple social media platforms.”

Hence, the show will be built around “The People’s Chart” where viewers can go online and vote for their favourite tunes from a pool of 100 songs within the past decade. During the show, the VJs will reveal the top 10 most popular selections, gradually counting down to the number one choice.

Viewers can also participate by submitting their Instagram dedications and the most creative submission will not only be featured on the show but stand to win prizes. The MTV Show is also looking to expand its online presence by introducing an original web-only series that will touch on current youth-related issues as well as offer viewers a behind-the-scene look at the show. Audiences who have questions or opinions can also let the VJs know via Facebook and Twitter.

Hoefer is excited about connecting with viewers on the social media platforms and is taking her role very seriously, stating: “I have to be very active on social media so I can hear from the audience and speak on their behalf. Like, if I’m going to meet someone like Justin Bieber, I need to find out what people want to know about him.

“So as a VJ, it’s my job to be the voice of my generation.”

Season Two of The MTV Show airs every Saturday, noon, on MTV (Astro Ch 713). To find out more about VJ Hanli, visit her Facebook page (facebook.com/MTVVJHanli) or follow her on Twitter (@HanliHoefer) and Instagram (@HanliHoefer).