• LIFE

  Y2K Redux

  B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 03/05/2020

  » Born in Japan and raised in London, Rina Sawayama is an artist caught between two cultures and identities.

• LIFE

  Go further west

  B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 23/02/2020

  » Throughout their decades-spanning career in the music biz, Pet Shop Boys have always operated within the realm of sophisticated synth-pop that advocates varying degrees of dancefloor abandon. For lyricist Neil Tennant and composer Chris Lowe, however, it's not just about the allure of club culture or pure hedonism. From day one, social consciousness gets woven into the sonic fabric of their music. "In a West End town, a dead-end world/ The East End boys and West End girls," Tennant sings about the class and wealth gap on their 1984 debut single West End Girls.

• LIFE

  On her own terms

  B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 28/07/2019

  » Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Yunalis Zara'ai, aka Yuna, has come a long way since her MySpace days and her 2012 Pharrell Williams-produced self-titled debut. While her early materials exist mostly in the dreamy realm of folk-infused indie-pop, her subsequent output has crossed over into the R&B/hip-hop territory in a way that not many pop upstarts could pull off (her third international studio album, Chapters, welcomes guest appearances from some of the biggest names in R&B like Usher and Jhené Aiko).

• LIFE

  Call it therapy

  B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 03/03/2019

  » While most people may not be familiar with Julia Michaels, chances are they have more than one occasion heard (and even sung along to) the songs she wrote. The 25-year-old American songwriter, if you must know, is the force behind some of the biggest pop hits from over the past few years including Justin Bieber's Sorry, Selena Gomez's Bad Liar and Hands To Myself, and Gwen Stefani's Used To Love You. But after realising that some of the songs she penned spoke to her more than it would any of the industry's A-listers, she decided to carve her path as a solo artist -- the move marked by the release of her 2017's debut single, Issues, followed by the seven-track EP, Nervous System.

• LIFE

  Tomorrow Starts Today

  B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 24/02/2019

  » From returning to college, starring in the Netflix series The OA and getting pregnant, New York-based singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten has had a busy few years prior to the arrival of her fifth studio outing, Remind Me Tomorrow. The record, helmed by indie rock's go-to producer John Congleton (St. Vincent, Future Islands, Unknown Mortal Orchestra), reflects those changes in her life via a stylistic shift that emphasises less on the guitars, but more on other instruments like synths, pianos and even occasional drones.

• LIFE

  Top 20 singles of 2018 (Part 1)

  B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 23/12/2018

  » As is tradition, we're wrapping up the year with a special two-part series featuring some of the best music to have come out locally and globally over the past 12 months. Culled from our 40-plus playlists stretching back to January, these tracks represent trends, cultural highlights and states of mind that reflect the times we're all living in (and trying to make some sense of). We present to you this week the bottom half of our annual round-up, a vibrant batch consisting of pop mainstays like Mariah Carey and exciting newcomers like Hana Vu and Now, Now. And with that said, here's to a new year of fewer whales choking on plastic bags, of nobody getting trapped in a cave, and maybe -- just maybe -- of an election.

• LIFE

  If it's any consolation

  B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 05/08/2018

  » Protomartyr/ Consolation EP

• LIFE

  The Second Sexual Revolution

  B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 06/05/2018

  » Janelle Monáe/ Dirty Computer

• LIFE

  TOP 20 singles of 2017

  B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 24/12/2017

  » Congratulations! You've made it to through the year, a rather challenging one characterised by a series of unfortunate events from the rise of the Alt-Right and the Weinstein scandal to devastating hurricanes and sights of starving polar bears. We've also lost a handful of musicians along the way -- Soundgarden's Chris Cornell, Linkin Park's Chester Bennington and Tom Petty, to name but a few. Thankfully, those who are still alive and kicking have served up some of the most memorable tunes we've had the pleasure of hearing this year. Handpicked from our Playlists over the last 12 months, here are the top 20 singles that have defined the year that was. This week we're counting down from 20 up to 11 and the rest will be revealed next week. Before we close up the shop, let's once again pat ourselves on the back for this year was no child's play by any standards. May you have strength and courage to wade through Donald Trump's tweets and Prayut Chan-o-cha's tantrums in the coming year.

• LIFE

  Taking The Plunge

  B Magazine, Chanun Poomsawai, Published on 12/11/2017

  » Despite a seven-year hiatus following her debut, Fever Ray remains just as enigmatic yet even more restless on her sophomore album.

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