Life Listens: New music from V, Olivia Rodrigo, The Hives, Cian Ducrot and shazza

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

Must-See MV: V – Love Me Again

The last member of superstar K-pop septet BTS to embark on a solo debut is V, also known as Kim Tae-hyung. His bandmate Jungkook may have topped charts with his flirty and catchy pop release Seven in July, but V opts for something slower and more sensual.

Love Me Again, which is the first single from his upcoming EP Layover, is an intimate R&B break-up number which features this yearning refrain: “I wish you would love me again”. It is a real treat for fans of the South Korean singer’s signature husky baritone, which gets a perfect showcase here.

The music video is also worth checking out, as it consists of many lingering close-up shots of V’s face. The clip also slices back and forth between the sequin-adorned idol singing inside what looks to be an ancient cave, and the same scenes given a deliberately low-quality old-school karaoke music video treatment. - Jan Lee

Stream This Song: Olivia Rodrigo – bad idea right?

Her previous single, vampire, was a runaway hit that set a Spotify record for the biggest debut for a solo song in 2023.

There is a good chance her latest tune, bad idea right?, will have a similar impact.

Unlike vampire’s piano-driven theatrical vibes, the American singer’s new offering taps late 1990s and early 2000s pop-punk energy.

A track about getting back with an ex against all better judgment, it features killer guitar riffs, irresistible gang chant vocals and enough sass to soundtrack a teen romcom movie.

The buzz around bad idea right? and vampire sets the stage for what could well be one of 2023’s biggest pop records, when Rodrigo releases Guts. It is the follow-up to her debut album Sour (2021), which contained songs that earned her three Grammys, including for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2022. - Eddino Abdul Hadi

Ace Album: The Hives – The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons

After 11 years, Swedish punk-garage rock rabble rousers The Hives are back with a new album.

Trust the monochrome-dressed quintet to come up with yet another tall story to accompany fresh music.

The album title refers to their likely fictional late mentor and fabled music Svengali Randy Fitzsimmons.

Supposedly, when the band dug up his grave, instead of a body, they found lyrics and demos for The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons, their sixth album and the first since 2012’s Lex Hives.

Musically, the snazzily dressed group fronted by singer Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist have not changed much. The tracks are still driven by high-octane, singalong anthems that rely more on catchy refrains than complex arrangements.

There are slight variations to the signature sound. What Did I Ever Do To You?, for example, flirts with electronic pop.

But what The Hives do really well is inject the fun and vigour of their incendiary live performances into their recorded songs, truly a hallmark of a great rock ‘n’ roll record. - Eddino Abdul Hadi

Chart Champ: Cian Ducrot – Victory

Irish singer Cian Ducrot can confidently flash the V sign – his debut album Victory emerged the winner in a closely fought battle for the No. 1 position on the British album charts this past week.

The 14-track offering edged out Smile, a new release by Welsh metal-reggae stalwarts Skindred, and American rap star Travis Scott, whose Utopia dropped from pole position to third place.

Victory also topped the album charts in Ireland and Scotland.

Ducrot, whose raspy voice and piano-led pop rock sound like a cross between the music of Lewis Capaldi and Ed Sheeran, first came to prominence when his 2022 single All For You went viral on TikTok.

The songs in Victory grapple with heartbreak and homely topics such as family and loved ones. Part Of Me laments the death of a friend while Heaven celebrates his relationship with his brother.

Ducrot, whose mother is French and father Irish, wrote in an Instagram post: “This album represents that victory, the victory of self-belief, the victory of everyone around me who I love and who loved me back, the story of my brother, of my mother, of my grandparents, of my friends, and everyone who fought by our side every step of the way.” - Eddino Abdul Hadi

Singapore Scene: shazza – chapter one

Chapter one is the debut album by shazza, a rising Singaporean singer-songwriter who has been making a name for herself in the past year.

It features previously released singles, including Right Person, Wrong Time, which has to date clocked more than one million streams on Spotify alone, as well as Pity Party, a track that has garnered over half a million plays on the same platform.

The 22-year-old’s charming pop repertoire incorporates a winsome mix of folksy vibes and R&B gloss, and the four new tracks include Buttons, a dance-pop tune that is a collaboration with her brother, producer-singer kidmeddling.

Shazza, who started making music at the age of 11, is also part of Esplanade’s Mosaic Music Series concerts at the arts venue’s Recital Studio. The 90-minute set on Sept 2, her first headlining gig, will see her accompanied by an 11-piece live band. - Eddino Abdul Hadi

Mosaic Music Series: shazza – chapter one

Where: Esplanade Recital Studio, 1 Esplanade Drive
When: Sept 2, 7.30pm
Admission: $28 from Sistic (go to

www.sistic.com.sg

or call 6348-5555)