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

Ace Album: Foo Fighters – But Here We Are

American singer, songwriter and rock icon Dave Grohl went through two personal tragedies in the past year, when Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins and Grohl’s mother Virginia died within months of each other.

But Here We Are, the Foo Fighters’ 11th album, is both a visceral and cathartic cry from a man trying to come to terms with loss. Sonically and thematically, it is the most impactful album put out by the band in years.

Grohl, who came to fame as the drummer of seminal grunge band Nirvana, is back on Foo Fighters’ drum kit for the first time since 2005. His playing is both fierce and impassioned, setting the tone for the massive wall of sound executed by the rest of the group.

It is an album meant to be played loud to appreciate the band’s constantly shifting dynamics, a throwback to the rock grandeur of early Foo Fighters albums.

A lot of the lyrics are written from a first-person perspective as Grohl sings through a range of emotions – rage, despair, pain and, finally, acceptance.

In Under You, he grapples with the ghosts of the departed, while 10-minute prog-rock epic The Teacher sees him struggle with finding closure.

In Show Me How, Grohl’s 17-year-old daughter Violet repeats the line “I’ll take care of everything”, a reassuring refrain that cuts through the despondency and offers hope. – Eddino Abdul Hadi

Singapore Scene: JJ Lin and Steve Aoki –The Show

When home-grown Mandopop star JJ Lin staged his two-night concert at the National Stadium last November, those in attendance might recall that he debuted The Show, a song collaboration with American electronic dance music titan Steve Aoki.

That uplifting stadium-worthy dance number has finally been officially released by Fluxgen, a new music venture between Aoki and Asian-American record label 88rising.

In a statement, Lin says working with Aoki has always been “fun and easy”. Aoki previously remixed another English track sung by Lin, Not Tonight, in 2021.

Lin says The Show “talks about the ups and downs of being in showbiz, and finding strength to keep true to one’s heart in this complicated world”.

The music video features a scene in which both of them are in front of a stylised, neon-lit version of Singapore’s Marina Bay skyline. One can make out landmarks such as Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay.

Towards the end, a bombastic fireworks display lights up the sky – an exaggerated version of the light show that happens around the area during National Day and New Year countdown celebrations. – Eddino Abdul Hadi

Must-see MV: Jolin Tsai – Womxnly/The First Take

Taiwanese Mandopop diva Jolin Tsai has been featured on The First Take, a Japanese YouTube channel focused on presenting single-take performances from artistes.

The channel – created by Sony Music Entertainment Japan – has already hosted some of the biggest names from within and outside Japan. The list includes singer Mika Nakashima, anime theme song queen LiSA, British pop star Harry Styles and K-pop group Stray Kids.

Tsai is one of the few C-pop singers to get featured, in addition to Taiwan’s WeiBird and Hong Kong boy band Mirror.

For her debut on the channel, she chose a new arrangement of her 2018 hit Womxnly, which was named Song of the Year at the 30th Golden Melody Awards.

Accompanied by Shaoen Lo on guitar, the song is given a groovier spin. Compared with its original mid-tempo dance-pop version, this slower arrangement shows off a more soulful and sensual side of Tsai. – Jan Lee

Chart Champ: Fifty Fifty – Cupid

One of the hottest K-pop songs right now is by girl group Fifty Fifty, from little-known independent record label Attrakt.

The quartet – comprising Sio, Saena, Aran and Keena – released their disco-pop love song Cupid in February. It shot to the top of the Billboard Global (excluding the United States) chart dated May 27 with more than 65 million streams. This makes Fifty Fifty only the third K-pop group to hit No. 1 on the chart – after BTS and Blackpink.

An English version of Cupid, titled Cupid Twin Version (only Sio and Aran sing on it), topped the Global K-pop chart under South Korea’s Circle Chart.

Cupid owes its success to social media. A dance challenge of Fifty Fifty using a sped-up version of Cupid went viral on TikTok with more than 33 million views.

Bigger things lie ahead for the foursome as they will be featured on Barbie The Album, the soundtrack to the highly anticipated Barbie movie. – Jan Lee

Stream This Song: Metro Boomin, Nav, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Swae Lee – Calling

Like its predecessor Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018), the recently released animated film Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse succinctly captures the essence of modern hip-hop with its soundtrack.

The album is helmed by one of the hottest names in the game right now – Metro Boomin, the American producer with a knack for winning collaborations that have been burning up the charts in the past year.

The lead single Calling sees him assembling a trio of big-name singer-rappers – Nav, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Swae Lee.

The melodic rap tune kicks off with a memorable hook from Swae Lee, who also sang the catchy refrain from Sunflower, the signature song from the first Spider-Verse film.

Canadian-Indian rapper Nav handles the first verse with aplomb, stepping into the shoes of the film’s titular character as he juggles the heavy responsibilities a superhero must shoulder.

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s second verse takes a different route stylistically. His verses are brisk and gruff, a delightful counterpoint to Nav’s tuneful delivery. – Eddino Abdul Hadi