Life Listens: Iman Fandi on Music Lab podcast, new tracks from Lewis Capaldi, A-Lin and Yoasobi

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

Singapore Scene: Iman Fandi – Music Lab podcast

Does having famous parents help one get a leg-up in the local entertainment industry?

Home-grown singer-songwriter Iman Fandi, the only daughter of Singapore football icon Fandi Ahmad and former model Wendy Jacobs, discusses the perennial topic in the latest episode of The Straits Times’ podcast series Music Lab.

She is proud of her family – she has four siblings, including footballer Ikhsan Fandi – but reiterates that her parents did not know about her plans to be a professional singer until she scored a record deal with the label Universal Music.

The 23-year-old, a model and former athlete, also talks about being raised with different genres of music playing around her home, and how growing up with four brothers made her a tomboy.

In the podcast episode, Iman also performs a live rendition of her new single Top Bop. The song is an interesting departure from her dance-inflected pop roots, delving instead into trap music and R&B.

Listen to the full interview on Music Lab:

Performance of Top Bop:

- Eddino Abdul Hadi

Ace Album: Lewis Capaldi – Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent

Sophomore albums are always a tricky business. Music acts either retread the same formula that made their debut a hit, or change up their sound at the risk of alienating their original fanbase.

In his second offering, Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent, Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi opts for the former.

The new album comes four years after his first, Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent. The 2019 release included Someone You Loved, the hit piano ballad that made him a global star.

Capaldi, whose comical online persona is at odds with the weepy ballads that gained him fame, has an ear for fetching melodies. He sings his heart out on the chorus to tracks like Haven’t You Ever Been In Love Before? and Leave Me Slowly.

One would have thought that a four-year gap would have given him enough time to expand his musical palette, but there is not much artistic growth in the new songs.

Save for the album closer How I’m Feeling Now – a poignant dive into how fame and success had an effect on Capaldi’s mental health – the rest of the tunes rely on the same heartbroken lyrics and melancholic, piano-led serenades with big choruses that made his early songs popular. – Eddino Abdul Hadi

Must-see MV: NLE Choppa, Kodak Black, Jimin of BTS, JVKE & Muni Long – Fast X | Angel Pt. 1

In the Fast & Furious (2001 to present) action franchise, more is more. The same principle seemingly rules this song and music video from the film series’ latest instalment, Fast X (2023).

Angel Pt. 1 features two prominent American rappers (NLE Choppa and Kodak Black), a K-pop star (Jimin from BTS), an up-and-coming name (American singer JVKE) and a Grammy-winning American R&B singer (Muni Long).

This being a number from a movie soundtrack, the MV includes high-octane clips from Fast X. There are shots of actors Vin Diesel and Jason Momoa, as well as scenes of cars bursting into flames and doing improbable stunts.

All featured musicians appear in the video, though only Jimin and Long are in a scene together. The others seem to have filmed their parts separately – which is a shame, because it would have been interesting to see how the dynamic among the five collaborators might play out on screen.

Music-wise, the piano intro and soulful hook sound a little too similar to those of another Fast & Furious soundtrack hit, See You Again (2015) by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth, so no points for originality there. – Eddino Abdul Hadi

Stream This Song: A-Lin – Loveholic

If you have ever loved so deeply that you were willing to sacrifice yourself for the object of your affection, then you can certainly relate to Loveholic, the new romantic ballad from Taiwanese singer A-Lin.

It was released the day before May 20, one of China’s unofficial Valentine’s Days. 

Its lyrics tell of someone who desperately advances towards an all-consuming passion, knowing full well the consequences will be unpleasant, with lines such as “Even if I burn myself/I will still hold you in both hands as a light”.

The 39-year-old’s powerful pipes convey this tragedy beautifully, starting off slow and tender before building to a moving climax.

While not everyone has the vocal skills to pull off Loveholic during a karaoke session, many should be able to identify with its sense of exquisite pain. – Benson Ang

Chart Champ: Yoasobi – Idol

The Japanese pop duo’s single Idol has spent five straight weeks at the top spot of Billboard Japan’s Hot 100 chart since its release in April. It also topped Japan’s Oricon streaming ranking for six weeks, logging close to 23.5 million streams in a week, according to the latest data released on Wednesday.

Yoasobi, made up of producer Ayase and singer-songwriter Ikura (also known as Lilas Ikuta in her solo work), were formed only in 2019, but their debut single that year, Yoru Ni Kakeru, was an instant viral hit. The two are now one of J-pop’s most popular acts and their music continues to dominate the charts.

Idol, the opening theme of anime series Oshi No Ko (2023), is no exception. It is an exceedingly bright pop number, perhaps meant to satirise the bubblegum nature of some J-pop idol music.

But the upbeat tune is a cover for the dark, brutally honest lyrics that comment on the hypocrisy and two-faced nature of Japan’s idol industry, with lines such as “What did you eat today?/Well, I haven’t eaten anything, but that’s a secret”.

Idol will likely gain more traction and, hopefully, international attention in the coming days, as an English version of the song is slated to be released on Friday. – Jan Lee