Life Listens: New music from Selena Gomez, Crowd Lu, Jon Batiste, Cheng Huan and Fym Summer

In this weekly column, The Straits Times curates the most buzz-worthy music you need to know about now.

The comeback single by American singer-actress Selena Gomez might be catchy and upbeat, but it is her fun-filled music video which really takes it to another level.

The electric dance number is an ode to being unattached and carefree, as she contemplates whether to break up with her boyfriend over the phone, via a note or just by ghosting.

Does she feel sad about her soon-to-be-single status? Absolutely not, as the MV depicts Gomez preparing for and enjoying a night on the town with her female friends and a frolicsome sleepover. She oozes fabulousness in her shimmering flamingo pink top, matching shoes and giant hoop earrings while dancing, drinking and singing karaoke.

The group ends up taking a dip in a swimming pool, looking awesome underwater in their party outfits.

Brimming with the type of unbridled fun which comes from being young and fancy-free, the MV has also received a glowing endorsement from Gomez’s celebrity bestie, American pop star Taylor Swift.

Last Saturday, Swift wrote in her Instagram post: “When your bestie is the bestest. Will be dancing to this forever methinks.” - Benson Ang

American singer, musician and songwriter Jon Batiste – who won five Grammys, including Album of the Year for We Are in 2022 – has a lofty goal with his sixth album.

World Music Radio is meant to redefine world music, so Batiste has styled it as an intergalactic radio show.

He plays the role of Billy Bob Bo Bob, a spacefaring storyteller, musician and poet who traverses earth to showcase the richness of music found around the globe.

It is an impossible dream, of course. The term “world music” itself is problematic, a catch-all phrase often used to categorise music of non-Western origin.

Still, the melange of genres found in the 20 tracks is full of vitality and a joy to listen to.

Anchored in jazz, pop and R&B, the upbeat, life-affirming tunes take several interesting detours, often with the help of illustrious guest stars.

These include K-pop girl group NewJeans, who add a splash of youthful exuberance to the song Be Who You Are – a track which also features verses from American rapper JID and an interpolation of British-Jamaican band Musical Youth’s 1982 reggae hit Pass The Dutchie.

Batiste’s one-time New Orleans neighbour, American rapper Lil Wayne, features on Uneasy, while American singer Lana Del Rey duets with Batiste on dreamy album closer Life Lesson. - Eddino Abdul Hadi

Although Taiwanese singer Crowd Lu presents himself as a happy-go-lucky jokester, he has shown an ability to make astute observations about society and life through his lyrics.

His new single, My Duty, is about work and rest, which regular nine-to-fivers will be able to relate to.

On the one hand, there is a lazy, overworked body that yearns to rest. On the other, there is a desire to work, pursue one’s dreams, be responsible and meet the expectations of others. Between these two extremes, there is a strange sense of happiness or, at least, contentment.

Lu’s songwriting skills shine in this slow-paced, contemplative number, helping to make sense of a world filled with long hours and endless tasks.

The track is also the theme song of the Taiwanese screwball comedy movie Kiss My Ass Boss (2023), which follows a corporate rookie’s journey through a tough workplace and office politics. - Benson Ang

With more listeners discovering new music through TikTok and Douyin, some tunes which went viral on video-sharing platforms have naturally also raced up the music charts.

One such number is I Will Wait by Chinese singer Cheng Huan, which has occupied the top spot of KKBox’s Top Mandarin Weekly Singles Chart for the last nine weeks in Singapore.

Released in April, the Mandarin ballad expresses the feelings of a protagonist willing to wait patiently for his lover, even to the point that flowers bloom from a dead tree.

The singer’s ardour is so moving that the track has been used in more than 8,500 TikTok videos.

The elusive Cheng has been releasing music since 2021 and performs excerpts of his songs on Douyin.

However, since May, he has done so with his back to the camera, suggesting that he might not be comfortable with the spotlight after all. - Benson Ang

After home-grown singer-songwriter Fym Summer’s father died in October 2022 of necrotising myositis, a virus that destroys body tissues, she coped with the loss by writing songs.

The result of that healing exercise is mini-album Dear Father, which comprises five tracks inspired by the dad whom she describes as her best friend. They gracefully capture the myriad feelings and emotions that come after a personal tragedy.

Limbo, for example, channels uncertainty and unease, while the title track is an emotional farewell letter that offers closure for the singer.

The album is available on music streaming services and in vinyl format at music stores.

Fym Summer, whose real name is Foo Yumin, first made her name as one of the budding musicians who were part of Noise Singapore, a mentorship programme for young creatives by the National Arts Council in 2015.

She has released two EPs, Heart (2015) and Luna (2017). - Eddino Abdul Hadi

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