In this weekly column, The Straits Times curates the most buzz-worthy music you need to know about now.
Must-See MV: Rihanna – Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show
The Super Bowl halftime show that is part of the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL) is traditionally one of the biggest performances of the American pop music calendar.
Rihanna’s set at this year’s instalment was certainly one of the more memorable ones in recent times, and you can watch the video on https://str.sg/wvfE.
The Barbadian pop star, dressed in a red outfit, revealed her second pregnancy through the performance, proudly touching her visible baby bump several times throughout the show.
Being pregnant has not slowed her down either. She kept pace with her army of white-clad dancers, breaking out into moves while balancing on giant, levitating stages.
At almost 14 minutes long, the set at the State Farm Arena in Glendale, Arizona was like an abridged version of a best-of concert. We got a medley of both her solo hits, which included early bangers like Umbrella (2007), to her collaborations such as DJ Khaled’s Wild Thoughts (2017). Pity there were no new songs from her long overdue new album though.
The Super Bowl appearance did wonders for her streaming numbers. According to Apple Music, her listenership jumped by 331 per cent on the streaming platform, more than the previous year’s Super Bowl halftime performers.. – Eddino Abdul Hadi
Ace Album: Shania Twain – Queen Of Me
Canadian country-pop star Shania Twain is seeing a bit of a resurgence these days. Harry Styles and Taylor Swift are unabashed fans and Twain’s recently released sixth album, Queen Of Me, went to the Top 10 in charts worldwide, peaking at No. 1 in Britain.
Her first album since 2017’s Now, the 12-track release is chock-full of upbeat numbers, with Giddy Up! and Pretty Liar displaying the trademark Shania Twain sass.
Like in her famous hits That Don’t Impress Me Much and Man! I Feel Like A Woman! (both 1997), the new songs are all about confidence and self-love
And while there is input from contemporary pop artiste Tyler Joseph from Twenty One Pilots, who produced the hip-hop-influenced The Hardest Stone, there is nothing too left field here.
She sticks to the same formula that has made her the best-selling female artiste in country music history, right down to the production, which sounds too much like it was recorded in the 1990s. – Eddino Abdul Hadi
Singapore Scene: Gentle Bones – The Right Words
The home-grown singer-songwriter’s The Right Words is his first new song since he signed with regional label Warner Music Asia in a bid to expand his audience outside of Singapore.
The track feels like an amalgamation of the various versions of Gentle Bones throughout the years.
It starts out with an acoustic guitar, reminiscent of his early folk sounds, before buoyant pop drumbeats kick in, a reflection of his more recent discography.
His knack for strong hooks is still apparent and the melodies are the type that one can hum after just one listen.
Vocals-wise, the song sees him employ various singing styles, from low notes to falsettos.
Lyrically, The Right Words takes a different approach compared with the self-care mantras of recent releases such as his 2022 EP the art of thanking yourself, dwelling instead on intrusive thoughts and writer’s block. – Eddino Abdul Hadi
Chart Champ: The Weeknd – Die For You
TikTok proves, yet again, that it is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to reviving older songs.
Canadian pop star The Weeknd’s latest hit is not from any of his recent releases. Instead, Die For You is a song from Starboy, an album he released in 2016.
It is currently in the Top 10 in the Billboard charts, thanks to a surge of TikTok users adopting the moody tune for their videos.
Die For You’s chart performance is even better than the singles from The Weeknd’s most recent album, Dawn FM, released in early 2022.
It is not the only song featuring The Weeknd that is now in Billboard’s Top 10 charts though – he also sings on Creepin’ (2022), a collaboration with American hip-hop acts Metro Boomin and 21 Savage. – Eddino Abdul Hadi
Stream This Song: Wang Leehom – See You Soon (Live)
It is not often that a song by a veteran Mandopop star sparks a war of words, but that is exactly what happened with Taiwanese-American singer Wang Leehom’s new single, See You Soon.
Unveiled by Wang at a Las Vegas concert in January, it is explicitly dedicated to the three children he shares with his estranged former wife Lee Jinglei, with the lyrics implying he has no access to his kids. Following its release, Ms Lee told Wang to stop exploiting their children and playing the victim.
Setting aside the domestic drama See You Soon has stirred, it is a number that puts all its emotions and heart in its lyrics. It is a simple melody backed by the guitar and piano, so the focus is entirely on Wang’s heartfelt delivery.
While his career has suffered in the wake of his ugly divorce battle in 2021, the track proves his musical talent and vocal ability have not taken a hit. – Jan Lee
