Life Listens: New music by Gorillaz, Tiger Hu, PinkPantheress & Ice Spice, Myrne and Be:First

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

Ace Album: Gorillaz – Cracker Island

Gorillaz – the virtual band made up of four fictional cartoon musicians – are back with their eighth album Cracker Island.

The brainchild of British singer, songwriter, musician and Blur frontman Damon Albarn and British artist Jamie Hewlett, the new release includes an all-star cast of collaborators like in previous albums.

Latin megastar Bad Bunny appears in summery reggaeton track Tormenta, while rock icon Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac provides blissful vocal harmonies on electropop track Oil.

Possession Island, the only downtempo number in an otherwise upbeat collection, sees Albarn duet with fellow alt-rock elder Beck, while modern psychedelic rock luminary Tame Impala features on synth-funk tune New Gold.

The busiest collaborator, however, is American record producer Greg Kurstin, who co-wrote the songs with Albarn and played many of the instruments such as keyboards, guitars and drums.

Kurstin is better known for his work with mega pop stars ranging from Adele to Pink, and the myriad genres and experimental streak found throughout Cracker Island affirms his reputation as one of the most gifted producers in the contemporary music business. – Eddino Abdul Hadi

Stream This Song: Tiger Hu – That’s Nothing

If music can provide solace and comfort, look no further than Chinese singer Tiger Hu’s single That’s Nothing.

The ballad of unrequited love balances beautifully on the knife’s edge of disappointment and the determination to put on a brave front in the face of rejection from a friend. Its protagonist sings about feeling forsaken, but also apologising for his misapprehension.

There is a sense of painful finality in the lyrics, as he sings: “I swear I won’t bother you any more” and “It turns out that the best relationship is no relationship at all”. Hu’s smooth falsetto and passionate delivery also help to flesh out the emotions.

While That’s Nothing is no happy tune, perhaps accepting a relationship is not going to work out is a positive step towards moving on and finding other meaningful connections. – Benson Ang

Chart Champ: PinkPantheress and Ice Spice – Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2

British singer PinkPantheress and American rapper Ice Spice have been building their names for a while, and they finally enter the big leagues with their collaboration Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2.

The catchy dance-pop track is a remix of Boy’s A Liar, a song from PinkPantheress’ Take Me Home EP, released in December 2022.

Both artistes started messaging each other after Ice Spice liked PinkPantheress’ Instagram page. They found out that they were mutual fans, which led to the collaboration.

Both versions of the song have been making their mark on charts worldwide after they went viral on TikTok.

The original went to No. 2 in Australia, Britain and Ireland, while the remix is currently No. 3 on the American charts and No. 1 in New Zealand. – Eddino Abdul Hadi

Singapore Scene: Myrne and Manila Killa – Conflicted

Home-grown DJ and producer Myrne asserts his position as one of Singapore’s brightest electronic dance music stars with his latest single Conflicted.

A collaboration with Filipino-American producer Manila Killa, it is their first song together since the joint 2020 EP, Fluorescence.

Conflicted is a dance floor winner. Anchored by a four-on-the-floor house music beat, the track is enhanced with darker, more mechanical techno flourishes.

Apparently, Myrne had the idea for the track while enjoying the atmosphere at South Korean club Soap Seoul.

The duo reignited their chemistry virtually, sending each other their contributions and getting the final product done fairly quickly in three takes. – Eddino Abdul Hadi

Must-See MV: Be:First – Boom Boom Back

Japanese boy band Be:First embrace the nineties and the noughties with their new single Boom Boom Back, which currently sits at the top of Billboard Japan’s Hot 100.

The septet’s funky hip-hop track is paired with a similarly fun and colourful music video that frequently cuts between present day and retro footage that mimics the fuzzy resolution of home videos shot in the 1990s.

Much of the dancing is also set against a toy-like world that is meant to evoke the Shibuya district in Tokyo.

Keep a close eye on the background, where brightly coloured signs spoof the likes of drug store Matsumoto Kiyoshi, fast food chain McDonald’s and the iconic shopping mall Shibuya 109. – Jan Lee