Life Listens: New music from Katy Perry and Hwasa, Sean Hong Wei on Music Lab podcast

SINGAPORE – In this monthly column, The Straits Times curates the most buzz-worthy music you need to know about that was released in the past month.

Stream This Song: Katy Perry – I’m His, He’s Mine

If this new song from American pop singer Katy Perry sounds familiar, that is because it contains an interpolation of Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless), the house music classic first released by American singer-songwriter Crystal Waters in 1991.

It is the third and latest single from 143, Perry’s seventh album, released on Sept 20.

The dance-pop track, which features American rapper-singer Doechii, is one of the more tuneful tracks from the album.

It is not the first song to sample Gypsy Woman’s famous “la da dee, la da da” refrain, but it puts a new spin on an insanely catchy melody.

Perry and Doechii performed I’m His, He’s Mine live on Sept 11 at the MTV Video Music Awards, where Perry received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award and VMAs Most Iconic Performance prize for her 2013 hit Roar.

Unfortunately, Perry has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons with the songs off 143.

Critics have panned her for working with her long-time collaborator Dr Luke, an American musician-producer who has been accused by American pop singer Kesha of drugging and raping her.

Dr Luke has denied the accusations, and the almost 10-year-long series of lawsuits and countersuits were settled by both parties in 2023.

Still, many found it tone-deaf and jarring that Perry chose to work with him again, especially as many of the lyrics in 143 ironically celebrate female empowerment. – Eddino Abdul Hadi

Must-see MV: Hwasa – Na

K-pop star Hwasa frolics through Paris for the music video of her sassy dance track Na.

The member of K-pop girl group Mamamoo, who released her second EP titled O on Sept 19, filmed the music video on the streets of the French capital. In a series of glamorous outfits, the 29-year-old – who previously released tracks such as Maria (2020) and I Love My Body (2023) – shimmies her way through the City of Love.

The video opens with a barefoot Hwasa sitting on a terrace as she sips coffee, before it cuts to her eating a burger while donning a dramatic hat.

The viewer is treated to different scenes of Hwasa dancing, both with a large group of dancers and alone, in locations like a garden, the steps of a rustic building and in an empty quadrangle with the Eiffel Tower visible in the background.

Na is the Korean pronunciation for the word “I”. The track focuses on Hwasa’s self-expression and confidence, and focuses on her desire to fully be herself.

Yet, the song has caused some controversy. A dance move where Hwasa cups her posterior and moves it according to the beat of the music has been criticised by some South Korean netizens as being crass and risque.

Keeping true to the spirit of her music, Hwasa is seemingly unfazed by the criticism, as she continues to promote and perform Na – with that dance move – on variety and music programmes. – Jan Lee

Ace Album: MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks

There has been quite a bit of hype over American singer-songwriter MJ Lenderman in recent times, and rightly so.

Manning Fireworks is his fourth solo album, a follow-up to Boat Songs, which made it to the Best Albums of 2022 lists of music publications such as Pitchfork and Stereogum.

His music, which crosses the intersection between fuzzy indie rock and alternative country, is at once witty and heartfelt.

A multitasker, the 25-year-old North Carolina-based artiste plays nearly everything on Manning Fireworks, with instruments such as the fiddle duelling with distorted guitars.

His voice seems nonchalant on the surface, but his words reflect the tragic comedy of modern times.

Wristwatch, for example, mulls over the irony of how one can feel solitude despite being connected through smart devices.

Amid songs of heartbreak, he slips in wry references to pop culture such as the Men In Black film franchise (1997 to 2019) in Rip Torn, named after one of its actors, and video game Guitar Hero in closing track Bark At The Moon. –Eddino Abdul Hadi

Chart Champ: Travis Scott – Days Before Rodeo

American star Taylor Swift and British band Oasis are not the only ones with old albums that can bounce back to No. 1 years after their original release.

The current pole position on the Billboard album charts is Days Before Rodeo, a mixtape that American rapper Travis Scott first released in 2014.

It is now back in the spotlight because Scott recently released 10-year anniversary vinyl editions sold exclusively through his webstore.

He sold 149,000 vinyls within a week of its release, the biggest week on vinyl for a rap album, according to Billboard. Originally released through audio streaming service SoundCloud, it is now available on major streaming services.

Scott is no stranger when it comes to topping Billboard’s album charts. His previous three albums – Utopia (2023), Astroworld (2018) and Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight (2016) – also went to No. 1.

There is a bit of rawness to Days Before Rodeo, which came out a year before his debut album Rodeo (2015) dropped.

Still, it is a curious snapshot of his early artistry, a time when he was still finding his voice, before he rose to become one of modern rap’s most popular acts. – Eddino Abdul Hadi

Singapore Scene: Music Lab podcast – Sean Hong Wei

The latest episode of The Straits Times’ Music Lab podcast features an interview with Singaporean jazz saxophone player Sean Hong Wei.

The 25-year-old marked a milestone when his debut album The New Jersey Sessions, a collaboration with his mentor, home-grown jazz maestro Jeremy Monteiro, reached the Top 20 of the chart of American publication JazzWeek in July. 

The chart ranks releases based on airplay reports submitted by radio stations.

Now based in New York, where he is studying music, he talks about how being immersed in a city known as the jazz capital of America has helped him hone his chops as a musician.

Having recently played shows in Shanghai, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, he describes what life is like for a musician on the road.

He also discusses how he got into the saxophone and jazz music in secondary school, and why he switched from studying business and finance to music while in polytechnic.

Listen to the Music Lab podcast, as well as his live rendition of Body And Soul, a 1930 jazz standard composed by American songwriter Johnny Green, at

str.sg/pNYi

– Eddino Abdul Hadi