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

Chart Champ: Umi and V – Wherever U R

Thanks to a feature from BTS member V, the single Wherever U R could finally elevate American neo-soul/R&B singer Umi into the big league.

Prior to this, Umi – whose father is African-American and mother Japanese – was best known for lo-fi R&B tunes Remember Me (2018) and Love Affair (2019).

Released on V’s birthday, Dec 30, the song went to No. 1 on the iTunes Top Songs charts in 89 countries, including the United States, Britain, Canada and Germany, according to the K-pop boy band’s agency Big Hit Music. The South Korean star enlisted for mandatory military service on Dec 11.

Wherever U R is a laid-back, downtempo tune that highlights the dreamy harmony between the two singers.

Backed by mellow instrumentation and a minimal beat, the two trade lines about being committed to each other even if they are physically apart.

The song is certainly on brand for V, whose solo EP Layover, released in September, also displayed similar easygoing vibes. – Eddino Abdul Hadi

Ace Album: Tate McRae – Think Later

Think Later, the second album by Canadian singer-songwriter Tate McRae, captures a trendy sound, a hybrid of trap and pop sweetened with catchy melodies and bittersweet lyrics.

The 20-year-old, who found global fame with her breakout 2020 song You Broke Me First, sounds more self-assured in her new material.

The youthful exuberance is infectious, and the songs – most of which clock in at under three minutes – are packed with sugared hooks.

Many of the tunes grapple with falling in love against her better judgment. Hurt My Feelings, for example, deals with a crush on someone already in a relationship, while Grave grapples with the blind spots of being infatuated with a person who might not be the best for her.

But it is not just one-dimensional laments on young love. McRae also takes on other issues in the 14-track release.

Greedy, the early single that has become one of her best charting songs, is an empowering dance-pop number brimming with confidence, while Want That Too and ​Plastic Palm Trees are savvy takes on the exploitative side of show business. – Eddino Abdul Hadi

Singapore Scene: Joi Chua – Three Days To See

After six years, Singaporean singer Joi Chua has released new music again. And her Mandarin EP, Three Days To See, conveys her emotions in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The work draws its title from an essay written by the late American author Helen Keller, who was blind and deaf, and asks what one would do if given three days of sight.

Lead track The Prosperous Season Of The Doomsday Seed suggests that as long as there is hope in one’s heart, dawn will eventually come.

Some of the lines by famed Singaporean lyricist Chen Jiaming are especially poetic, such as: “The struggling seeds in the dank mire abyss/thinking about the blue sky.” Featuring dramatic orchestral music and a narrative approach, the track marks a departure from Chua’s usual style of love songs.

But fans of Chua’s signature warm and gentle vocals will not be left in the lurch, as opening number Geometry is an example of the soothing pop ballads she is known for. – Benson Ang

Must-see MV: Jolin Tsai – Happy New Year With Barbie Jolin

Taiwanese pop diva Jolin Tsai lit up the stage during a countdown event on China’s Hunan Television on New Year’s Eve.

She pulled off a show-stopping Barbie-themed 18-minute set with eight of her most popular dance numbers, all while dressed in Valentino couture. She was obviously inspired by the colourful, glittery and pink aesthetic of the blockbuster movie Barbie (2023).

The set begins with the singer waking up in a clam-shell bed, much like the one Margot Robbie’s Barbie has in the film, before Tsai and her cadre of female dancers launch into the opening number Hot Winter.

Then, an army of “Kens” – male dancers dressed similarly to the male doll character and carrying surfboards – accompanies her on a rendition of Real Man against a beach party backdrop. She cycles through a trio of her more popular songs Ugly Beauty, A Wonder In Madrid and Sun Will Never Set before going offstage for an outfit change.

She then unveils a sequinned, hot pink jumpsuit for one of her most iconic numbers, Dancing Diva. With her dancers dressed in pink in front of gigantic disco balls, Tsai brings her performance to a climax with I’m Not Yours and her latest single Oh La La La, the theme song for McDonald’s Taiwan’s 40th anniversary. – Jan Lee

Stream This Song: Noah Kahan and Hozier – Northern Attitude

The year 2023 was a breakthrough one for American folk singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, one of the acts nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards in February.

His raw take on issues such as mental health and alcoholism became singalong anthems, and his songs have been covered by the likes of American pop star Olivia Rodrigo.

In November, Kahan released a new version of crowd favourite Northern Attitude, a song from his third album Stick Season (2022).

The updated tune features additional vocals from one of his musical heroes – Irish folk star Hozier.

As Kahan tweeted on X: “If you know me at all, you know this collaboration is something very deeply special and important to me. I used to sit down at the table with my guitar and just try to capture a fraction of the emotion and beauty that @Hozier encapsulates in each song he writes.”

Hozier’s vocals add heft to an already rousing tune, making it sound more expansive than the original.

This new edition of Northern Attitude is Kahan’s second song to top Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay charts after Dial Drunk. The latter is another track from Stick Season, which went to No. 1 on the same chart in September.

Kahan has also re-released other songs from the album with new vocals from guest stars, including American country singer Kacey Musgraves on She Calls Me Back and American singer-rapper Post Malone on Dial Drunk. –Eddino Abdul Hadi