Love, MICappella Live In Concert
Love, MICappella, a series of shows by home-grown a cappella group MICappella, were originally scheduled to take place last year (2020) to mark the release of their EP of the same name. The shows were postponed a couple of times due to the pandemic.
The bilingual sextet, who sing in English and Mandarin, will finally perform at the end of the month (July) - on a specially built 360-degree stage. They will also debut a new song from an upcoming EP.
Formed in 2009, the group comprise Peter Huang, Calin Wong, Juni Goh, Eugene Yip, Goh Mingwei and Tay Kexin. They have released two albums, Here We Go (2013) and MICappella Reloaded (2016).
Where: Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue
MRT: Bayfront
When: July 30, 6.30 and 9pm; July 31, 2, 5 and 8pm
This Is Pop (NC16)
Available on Netflix, eight episodes (44 minutes each)
There is always a good story behind every pop song, and this new documentary from Netflix seeks to uncover what went on behind big hits from the past few decades. The episodes cover a variety of genres.
One, titled Stockholm Syndrome, looks at how Sweden became an epicentre of pop music through talents such as Abba, Ace of Base and producer-songwriter Max Martin.
Hail Britpop! explores the 1990s rivalry between British bands Oasis and Blur, while The Boyz II Men Effect investigates how the American quartet's mix of modern Philly Sound and classic Motown inspired a new wave of boy bands in the 1990s.
Indie Folk/ Chamber Pop
Sling
Clairo
4 stars
In her sophomore album, American singer-songwriter Clairo eschews the lo-fi, bedroom pop aesthetics of her earlier releases and takes inspiration from classic songwriters from decades past, such as Carole King and Joni Mitchell.
Amid the hushed tones and tenderly plucked guitars lie carefully orchestrated arrangements and gently layered vocal harmonies.
Each tune contains highly personal vignettes, plucked from experiences such as being overwhelmed by viral fame (Bambi, Amoeba), facing sexism (Blouse) and dealing with anxiety and depression (Just For Today, Little Changes).
On Reaper, she ruminates on parenthood after having revelatory conversations with her mother during lockdown. The ornate instrumental Joanie sees her contemplating her role as caregiver after raising a dog of the same name.
