03/04/2026

LYFE FRIDAY | APR 3, 2026

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Music producer El Capitxn debuts with Breaking Through

K -POP producer El Capitxn is stepping into the spotlight as a solo artiste with the release of his debut single Breaking Through . Joining forces with Tomorrow × Together’s Taehyun and American

blend over the dense, refined soundscape crafted by El Capitxn, delivering the powerful message that once a heart crosses the boundary, it can never return to the world it once knew. A music video and lyric video have accompanied the release, both available via El Capitxn’s official YouTube channel and Vevo. Through this debut single, El Capitxn is set to showcase not only his production prowess but also his own distinct artistic identity. In addition to the track’s release across major global streaming platforms, a series of visual content reflecting the song’s mood will be unveiled in stages. He also plans to continue engaging closely with global fans through behind-the-scenes content that captures the creative process and his personal reflections as an artiste. Supporting this new chapter, El Capitxn is set to accelerate his global expansion through a partnership with global independent label Empire. El Capitxn has created hit songs for top-tier artistes, including BTS, Seventeen, Tomorrow × Together and IU. His catalogue includes major hits such as BTS’s Take Two , Agust D (BTS Suga)’s Daechwita , IU’s Eight , TripleS’s Girls Never Die , Jung Kook’s Stay Alive , Plave’s Dash and Tomorrow × Together’s Farewell, Neverland .

singer-songwriter Jeremy Zucker, the track is now available on all streaming platforms. The single was surprise-released through El Capitxn’s social media, marking the beginning of his journey as a recording artiste. Breaking Through captures the moment when the heart pushes past the walls it has built for itself for the very first time. The song delicately portrays emotions finally flowing outwards through a crack in a once closed inner world, reaching towards another being. Adding further emotional depth to the project, the narrative concept centres around the speaker’s lost voice resonating once again through the voices of Taehyun and Jeremy Zucker. Taehyun’s delicate vocals and Zucker’s signature warm tone

o Collaborative single features Taehyun, Jeremy Zucker

Hongjoin explores coming-of age themes in new track SINGAPOREAN artiste-producer Hongjoin has released a new single titled Ms. I Thrift Everything , the fifth track from his upcoming album Clockwork , due out on May 29. The song centres on a brief encounter framed as a coming-of age moment, drawing on themes of young attraction and imagination. Clockwork will be Hongjoin’s first full-length album. The 12-track project is structured around the concept of a clock, with each song representing an hour and a different emotional state tied to love and loss. Hongjoin, who was born in Singapore and is currently based in Brooklyn, writes and produces his own music. His earlier releases include Petrichor (2022), F(ool) (2023) and Komorebi (2024). He has performed across Southeast Asia and the US, including headline shows in Singapore and tour stops in Malaysia. He has also opened for several international acts and performed on the US college circuit. Hongjoin’s recent work includes a collaboration with Regina Song on the track I Don’t Rly Care Bout U! , which has recorded over 1.13 million streams.

Breaking Through is now available on all streaming platforms.

El Capitxn is known for creating hit songs for artistes such as BTS and Seventeen.

Jalen Ngonda to release new album Doctrine of Love JALEN Ngonda will return with his sophomore album Doctrine of Love , arriving June 5, and shared the title track Doctrine of Love as the first preview of the record. With Doctrine of Love , Ngonda leans into a fuller, more confident sound. Built around a finger-snapping rhythm, call-and-response backing vocals and a gospel-leaning rise, the track carries a strong sense of movement and immediacy.

“I wrote that track when I was trying to do anything to get out of the studio. I was listening to a lot of James Brown at the time and that was an inspiration. ‘Doctrine’ to me was a word no one ever uses. I took it to be like a certificate, the ‘Certificate of Love’. Look, I think maybe I meant ‘doctorate’, but we wrote it and recorded it and now it’s a whole thing. I just write the song. The listener can interpret it however they want,” said Ngonda. Doctrine of Love builds on the success of his debut Come Around and Love Me , which received strong critical attention. The new album was developed across sessions in Brooklyn and Riverside, California, with producers Vince Chiarito and Michael Buckley returning to shape its sound. The record draws from classic soul while bringing in touches of rock and folk. Its arrangements feel detailed but unforced, with a focus on tone, rhythm and vocal delivery. “It’s no exaggeration to say that every day of my life I wish I would wake up in 1964 in Detroit recording with the Funk Brothers. But that’s not my life. So what I can do is express my thoughts and my fascination with that sound and period and just be an artiste. The doctrine of love holds that every thought and action should be guided first by compassion for others, because love is the highest measure

Ngonda leans deeper into classic soul on Doctrine of Love , blending vintage textures with a modern touch. of human worth,” he said. Ngonda’s connection to classic soul runs deep. Introduced to Stax and Motown records by his grandmother, he continues to draw from that era. “I listen almost exclusively to music from the 60s, 50s, 40s, pretty much nothing past about 1972,” he said. He will bring Doctrine of Love on tour this year, with headline shows and festival appearances across Australia, the UK and Europe. Doctrine of Love’ s tracklist includes Anyone In Love, Doctrine Of Love, Mr. Train Conductor, Burning Temptation, Love Is Gone, I Can’t Ever Leave You, Hannah, What’s the Matter?, Good Good Love, Hang It On The Shelf and Taken Out Of The Picture.

Ngonda brings old-school soul into the present, pairing timeless style with a voice that feels familiar and new.