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

Chart Champ: Eliza Rose & Calvin Harris – Body Moving

Scottish electronic dance music star Calvin Harris has scored a new record as the artiste with the most No. 1 hits on the United States’ Billboard Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, which tracks dance music radio plays.

Body Moving – his collaboration with British singer, DJ and producer Eliza Rose – is his 14th chart-topper, edging out French DJ David Guetta’s 13 No. 1s.

It continues Harris’ winning streak. In the past year, he also scored hits with Miracle and Desire, his collaborations with English singers Ellie Goulding and Sam Smith respectively.

Body Moving is an earworm, driven by an insistent beat, catchy chorus and Rose’s jazz-inflected vocals.

The collaboration came about after the pair connected over social media, right after Rose’s song with English DJ Interplanetary Criminal, B.O.T.A. (Baddest Of Them All), went to No. 1 on the British charts in 2022. She was the first female DJ in 20 years to achieve the feat.

The success of Body Moving marks Rose’s first pole position on the US charts. – Eddino Abdul Hadi

Must-see MV: TVXQ! on Killing Voice

A brand-new album on their 20th anniversary? Such rare longevity has certainly given K-pop boy band TVXQ! plenty to brag about, chief among which is their string of hits over the years.

The group, which debuted in 2003, celebrated their 20th anniversary on Dec 26, 2023, with a new album, 20&2, and an appearance on the YouTube music programme Killing Voice.

TVXQ! were originally a quintet, but three members – Jaejoong, Junsu and Yoochun – left due to contractual disputes in 2009, leaving Changmin and Yunho (also known as Max and U-Know) as a duo.

TVXQ! were among the first groups that broke out of the South Korean market and attracted a regional fan base, and are one of the earliest K-pop boy bands that brought their country’s unique genre of music to the world.

Their Killing Voice performance is a 33-minute greatest hits medley that begins with their sweet debut number Hug and spans their entire career.

Long-time fans will love their rendition of early songs such as Rising Sun (2005), Love In The Ice (2008) and the sexy and sensual Mirotic (2008), their best-performing track to date. Latest releases from 20&2, such as Rebel and Down, are also part of the set.

The duo are known for their live singing and Changmin, in particular, is famous for hitting incredibly high notes.

Killing Voice gives them a chance to showcase their vocals, without the bells and whistles of choreography or staging, and it is endearing to watch how they use hand gestures and little head bobs to get into the mood of their music. – Jan Lee

Stream This Song: Lala Hsu – Owing

The new ballad by Taiwanese singer Lala Hsu paints an upsetting scenario of a woman finding out that her object of affection is still meeting his ex, and rationalises this as a “debt” from a past life which she owes.

It is the theme song of Chinese idol drama The Left Ear (2023), which follows the emotional entanglements of a female student who is partially deaf in her left ear. The song’s sad lyrics are penned by Chinese author Rao Xueman, whose novel was the source material for the show.

Hsu’s pipes deliver the melancholy and disappointment when one’s affections are not reciprocated, hopefully providing comfort to many a heartbroken teenager. – Benson Ang

Singapore Scene: J.M3 – You Make Me Feel

J.M3 (pronounced “Jamie”) is making inroads into the region – she now fronts a new Macau tourism campaign.

A collaboration between the Singaporean rapper-songwriter, Warner Music Singapore, online travel platform Tripadvisor and the Macao Government Tourism Office, the campaign uses her new song You Make Me Feel, an infectious and upbeat track that fuses hip-hop, pop and jersey club.

J.M3 also appears in a series of videos in which she shares how her recent trip to the resort city inspired her to write You Make Me Feel.

She says in a statement: “My trip was an amazing experience, where I discovered a perfect blend of Eastern and Western influences in the region’s architecture and cuisine. Immersing myself in Macau’s vibrant culture inspired my music and deepened my appreciation for the city’s unique allure.”

According to the regional brand partnership, synchronisation and business director of Warner Music Asia Becky Yeung, the Macao Government Tourism Office chose J.M3 because of her “ability to bring a fresh perspective to visiting Macau”.

It is the musician’s latest high-profile project outside Singapore.

In 2023, her song Tap Out! was featured in Joy Ride, the Hollywood comedy film fronted by the all-female Asian-American cast of Ashley Park, Stephanie Hsu, Sherry Cola and Sabrina Wu. – Eddino Abdul Hadi

Ace Album: Sprints – Letter To Self

Letter To Self is the raucous debut album by Irish garage-punk band Sprints, who have been building a steady buzz since their formation in 2019.

The angular guitars riffs, screamed vocals and discordant progressions can be aurally abrasive, but these are also songs that are full of heart.

Through her commanding vocals, singer-guitarist Karla Chubb channels powerful female voices in rock, from British punk pioneer Siouxsie Sioux to Jehnny Beth from British post-punk revivalists Savages.

Letter To Self is quite a dynamic collection. Shaking Their Hands has some tender moments, while Can’t Get Enough Of It is driven by a solid, almost dance-like groove.

Literary Mind, underneath its sound and fury, hides some brilliant pop melodies, while A Wreck (A Mess) plays around with pregnant pauses and changing rhythms.

And while the lyrics tend to focus on darker issues such as anxiety and trauma, the title track and final song on the album leaves the listener with an optimistic message of hope. As Chubb sings: “Any habit can be broken, any night can become day.” – Eddino Abdul Hadi