Life Listens: New music from Taylor Swift, Shinee, Lil Uzi Vert, PJ Harvey and J.M3

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

Must-See MV: Taylor Swift – I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)

There seems to be no end to Taylor Swift’s dominance in pop culture these days, especially when the American superstar is this productive.

In the midst of her wildly successful global Eras Tour, which includes six sold-out nights in Singapore in March 2024, she dropped Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), the re-recorded edition of her third album, Speak Now, originally released in 2010.

And the biggest buzz surrounding the release in recent days has been the music video for I Can See You, a track from the new album.

And like a typical Swift music video, it is not one that you watch just once. Written and directed by the singer-songwriter, the heist-style video contains many Easter eggs for Swifties, as her fans are called, to pore over.

The most obvious one is the appearance of her former boyfriend, American actor Taylor Lautner from vampire film franchise The Twilight Saga (2008 to 2012). He stars as one of three protagonists trying to free the singer who is imprisoned in a vault.

The other two are American actresses Joey King and Presley Cash, both of whom appeared in the video for Swift’s song Mean (2010) when they were pubescents.

Lautner – who supposedly inspired one of Speak Now’s most popular singles, Back To December – apparently executed all the impressive fight sequences on his own without any studio trickery. - Eddino Abdul Hadi

Ace Album: PJ Harvey – I Inside The Old Year Dying

I Inside The Old Year Dying is the first album in seven years from PJ Harvey, one of Britain’s most decorated contemporary singer-songwriters.

The only artiste to win the prestigious Mercury Prize twice, her 10th album is a follow-up to The Hope Six Demolition Project (2016).

While that comprised songs inspired by her travels and observations in various countries, the new music is based on Orlam, a work of poetry that she published in April 2022.

Like in the poems, the songs centre on a child who lives in a farm and undergoes mystical, coming-of-age experiences.

These are not tunes that one can get into easily, least of all because a lot of the lyrics are written in the dialect of her home county, Dorset.

But the intricacies of the modern folk sounds and arrangement grow on you.

One of Harvey’s strongest suits has been her constant re-inventions, and even fans who have been following her music for more than three decades will find something new in the way she sings and crafts her exquisite melodies. - Eddino Abdul Hadi

Chart Champ: Lil Uzi Vert – Pink Tape

The American rapper-singer’s new album Pink Tape went straight to No.1 on the Billboard album charts – an achievement that is significant for a couple of reasons.

First, it knocked American country singer Morgan Wallen’s One Thing At A Time off the pole position. The chart juggernaut had previously been at the top spot for 15 consecutive weeks.

Secondly, Pink Tape is the first hip-hop album to top the United States charts in 2023, coming after Metro Boomin’s Heroes & Villains, which went to No. 1 for one week in December 2022.

The 29-week gap is unusual because hip-hop albums have traditionally dominated the Billboard charts since the early 1990s.

Pink Tape, which is also Lil Uzi Vert’s third album to hit No. 1 on Billboard, is quite an intriguing release. And with 26 tracks, it is rather meaty.

While many of them are driven by trap beats, there is a bit of experimentation in several tunes that incorporate genres ranging from alternative rock to metal and post-hardcore to dance music.

Lead single Just Wanna Rock flirts with jersey club, a sub-genre of electronic club music, while the ferocious Werewolf is a collaboration with British metalcore stalwarts Bring Me The Horizon.

Japanese kawaii metal band Babymetal appear on the anime theme-like The End, but other hip-hop stars such as Travis Scott (on Aye) and Nicki Minaj (on Endless Fashion) also feature. - Eddino Abdul Hadi

Stream This Song: Shinee – Hard

Second-generation K-pop boy band Shinee may be 15 years into their debut, but they still have it in them to knock out the hottest young groups of the moment.

Hard is the title track of their latest album, their first since youngest member Taemin completed his military service, and it has snagged first place wins at several music shows such as Inkigayo and Music Bank in South Korea, beating out girl groups like Aespa and Le Sserafim.

It is a 1990s-style hip-hop dance number with R&B elements that allow Shinee to show off their cool edge, while still leaving space for members such as Onew to flaunt their high notes.

Those who want a better showcase of their vocal blend can check out other offerings on the album, such as The Feeling, a piece of electronic dance music propelled by its heavy bass and the members’ passionate singing. And for a funky listen, try the uptempo and synth-heavy dance number Identity. - Jan Lee

Singapore Scene: J.M3 – Tap Out!

Joy Ride, the raunchy Hollywood comedy fronted by an all-female Asian-American cast and directed by Malaysia-born screenwriter Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians, 2018), has a Singapore connection – Tap Out! by rising home-grown rapper J.M3 (pronounced “Jamie”).

The infectious hip-hop number, driven by bouncy beats and self-empowering lines in English and Mandarin, is included in the soundtrack album, as well as a scene in the film featuring actors Ashley Park, Sherry Cola and Ronny Chieng.

Other than the link to Joy Ride, which is showing in Singapore cinemas, J.M3 is also making her presence felt around the region. In May, she released her debut EP, 180 Athena, which includes a song with Taiwanese pop singer KIRE. The rapper then spent two weeks in Taipei for a promotional press tour.

She says in a statement: “Being a part of the Joy Ride soundtrack means a great deal to me and is such an honour. It has such a strong female cast in front of and behind the scenes, and I feel incredibly proud to see females and Asian creatives being spotlighted. There is a lot to celebrate, and we are just getting started.” - Eddino Abdul Hadi