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

Chart Champ: Jung Kook – Golden

K-pop boy band BTS’ Jung Kook is certainly following in the record-smashing footsteps of his bandmates.

The 26-year-old superstar finally dropped his solo album Golden last Friday after much fanfare and anticipation, scaling South Korea’s Hanteo charts by selling 2.15 million copies on its first day. This is the first album by a solo artiste to sell two million copies in a day.

The record for the highest-selling album in one day was previously held by BTS’ V, whose debut EP Layover sold 1.67 million copies on its first day. 

Jung Kook also notched up other achievements along the way. Seven, a single he released in July that is part of the 11-track Golden, is now certified platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America after having sold more than a million units. 

The song, which features American rapper Latto, also became the fastest song to reach one billion streams on Spotify, on Oct 30, breaking the record in just 108 days. It surpassed the 112-day record set by American singer Miley Cyrus’ Flowers in May.

Golden – which is entirely in English – includes another pre-release track 3D, featuring American singer Jack Harlow. 

But the main track off the album is the disco funk number Standing Next To You. With dance choreography in the music video and live performances of the song clearly inspired by the late American King of Pop Michael Jackson and the heavy use of falsetto in the verses, Standing Next To You takes an old-school sound and gives it a modern and confident update.

While most of Jung Kook’s solo releases up to this point have been sexy and flirtatious numbers, Golden also boasts the sad love ballad Hate You and the R&B-influenced Somebody. - Jan Lee

Must-see MV: The Beatles – Now And Then

It is a well-known fact that Peter Jackson, the New Zealand film-maker famed for The Lord Of The Rings film series (2001 to 2003), is a big fan of The Beatles.

After all, he gracefully handled the sprawling 2021 documentary series The Beatles: Get Back as director and producer.

It seemed only natural for him to take on the task of directing a music video – his first – for the English band’s new tune, Now And Then.

Like in the record, the charming MV uses contemporary technology to reunite surviving members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr with old footage of the late John Lennon and George Harrison.

In the wrong hands, the use of computer-generated imagery could have turned out to be an abomination, but Jackson’s genuine love for the group shines through here.

There are plenty of never-before-seen clips to pore over from different eras, from the earliest known film footage of The Beatles supplied by former drummer Pete Best, to 1995 recordings of McCartney and Starr working on Now And Then with Harrison when he was alive.

The Beatles’ penchant for irreverence and humour comes to the fore, and there are plenty of scenes of The Fab Four fooling around.

Above all, the music video has a lot of heart. And if this is truly the last work that fans get from them, it is a fitting finale. - Eddino Abdul Hadi

Ace Album: Danse Macabre – Duran Duran

Duran Duran might be better known for sprightly synth-pop and New Wave hits dating back to the early 1980s, but they occasionally dabbled in dark and gothic themes in their music over the years.

This side of the British band takes centre stage on their latest and 16th album Danse Macabre, a collection of new songs, covers and reinterpretations of lesser-known tunes from their back catalogue.

Inspired by a Halloween-themed gig they played in 2022, it throws up some surprises, such as an intriguing cover of American singer Billie Eilish’s Bury A Friend (2019).

The rest of the covers go further back, such as a New Wave version of British rockers The Rolling Stones’ classic Paint It, Black (1966) and British ska outfit The Specials’ Ghost Town (1981).

A rendition of American band Talking Heads’ signature song Psycho Killer (1977) has another contemporary touch – it features guest bassist Victoria De Angelis from Italian rock band Maneskin.

New songs such as the title track play up Duran Duran’s propensity for infectious dance-rock ditties, while old tunes like Night Boat, retitled Nightboat, originally from their eponymous 1981 debut album, are given a polished makeover.

Fans of their older material will be pleased to know that former guitarists Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo also guest on the tracks, an apt addition to the album’s throwback vibes. - Eddino Abdul Hadi

Stream This Song: Jolin Tsai – Someday, Somewhere

Known mostly for her dance numbers, Jolin Tsai’s skills as a balladeer are often overlooked. Yet, the Taiwanese singer’s new single Someday, Somewhere gives her a chance to showcase the feathery softness of her voice.

She collaborates again with co-songwriter Richard Craker, who co-wrote her hit Ugly Beauty (2018). Their chemistry shows. Each line of Someday, Somewhere’s melody feels like a gentle wave washing over the shore, and the gentle piano and string accompaniment adds to the ethereal vibe.

Someday, Somewhere is also the perfect theme song for the upcoming Netflix romance anthology series At The Moment (2023), which depicts 10 stories of passion and heartache.

While conveying the characters’ deep longing for love, the track also casts Tsai as a sort of angel, looking at them with benevolence as well as a tinge of regret. It is a side of her which should be seen – and heard – more often. - Benson Ang

Singapore Scene: Blush – Supercrush

Chock-full of lush tunes that are haunting and steeped in melancholia, Supercrush is the debut album by home-grown shoegaze outfit Blush.

A supergroup of sorts, the members who make up the quartet honed their chops in other alt-rock outfits, including Cosmic Child, Forests, Sobs and Marijannah.

The 10-song LP, released on American independent record label No Sleep Records, displays the band’s knack for delectable melodies wrapped in glorious noise.

On the title track, for example, singer-guitarist Soffi Peters’ ethereal croon floats gracefully over a deluge of swirly, distorted guitars and tempo changes.

Songs such as Supertruck sneak up on the listener with unexpected rhythm patterns, while February Again flirts with Madchester-era British indie dance music from the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The band – which also comprise guitarist Daniel Lim, bassist Daniel Pei and drummer Nicholas Wong – will launch Supercrush with a show at Esplanade Annexe Studio on Saturday at 7.30pm. Standard tickets are $28 and sold via Sistic (go to www.sistic.com.sg or call 6348-5555) and Esplanade (www.esplanade.com). - Eddino Abdul Hadi