Single Roundup - Week of Sept. 10

Story posted September 20, 2017 in Arts & Entertainment by Arts Staff.

With new music emerging every week, the CommRadio Arts department will be taking a look at a handful of singles released each week. Here are our thoughts on six of the biggest tracks from the week of Sep. 10.

Post Malone – “rockstar” feat. 21 Savage

Post Malone is growing as an artist and the first signs of this are on his latest single “rockstar.” Post Malone sounds better than he has on almost any other song of his, rapping about his lifestyle. Malone is clearly enjoying his life and is not afraid to let the listener hear about it. 21 Savage sounds as subdued as always, but his calmness has always added a scariness to him. This time around though, 21 Savage is just loving life and being him. He is tired of addressing the criticisms about him and is starting to just know they aren’t going away. Luckily for the listener, that has spawned this fun track from the two men and it would be fun to see the two collaborate more in the future. – David Arroyo

PARTYNEXTDOOR – “Own Up to Your ****”

The initial beat that introduces the listener to PARTYNEXTDOOR’s “Own Up To Your ****” instantly permeates the body with a melancholy attitude. The slow tempo and subtle implications of piano, guitar and bass structure are reminiscent of a love harmony, the format of which PARTYNEXTDOOR has been known to explore in the past. This single belongs to a diverse few the artist has released in anticipation for his upcoming album Club Atlantis and merely constitutes as a throw away track. This is due to the ultimately mediocre production quality of this piece. Aspects such as vocal to instrumental balance are mixed noticeably low, with the artist taking an almost reliant adoption of auto-tune that he would be better off without. As for the lyrics, some bars hold random bursts of genius, but the single as a whole never truly progresses into any complete, sound concept or theme. Hopefully PARTYNEXTDOOR’s album, Club Atlantis, exceeds the minimal effort put into this tone-deaf single. – JonMichael Pereira

Nick Jonas – “Find You”

If you’re trying to find a new song that sounds relaxed, but is catchy and can get you pumped up, then look no further than Nick Jonas’ new single “Find You.” In the second single from Jonas’ fourth studio album, we find him singing about the uncertainties of a new relationship. In the verses, he expresses what he hopes to find in a romantic partner, but in the chorus he simply repeats himself singing, “Where to find you/ But I never really know just where to find you/ I try, try, try/ But I never really know just where to find you,” relying more on the production of the beat to take over the chorus then his own vocals. Jonas is known for doing more R&B stylings, but “Find You” has a synth-pop house production sound accompanied by acoustic guitar. Jonas may not find the girl he wants, but he’s definitely found a new sound that works for him with his latest single. - Lauren Smith

Lorde – “Homemade Dynamite” feat. Khalid, Post Malone & SZA [Remix]

With the jam-packed, highly relevant arrangement of artist performing on the remixed single “Homemade Dynamite,” one would place their expectations at an exceedingly high level. But with a heavy reliance on pops all too recognizable rhythmic patterns, this song doesn’t even truly amount to causing the slightest inclination for a re-listen. The “Homemade Dynamite” track produced by Lorde barely constitutes as a remix as it is essentially identical to its original counterpart, aside, obviously, from the vocal accompaniment of Khalid, Post Malone and SZA. Lorde’s prevalent self-harmonization within the chorus generates an almost egregious tone, ruining any inkling of promise this song had at being an enjoyable dance track. Khalid, Post Malone and SZA’s voices match the melody of this song flawlessly, making it difficult to dislike the piece completely. Lorde’s performance within this single ruins it, simply stated. As ironic as it is, she is the only aspect of her song that tarnishes its potential. – JonMichael Pereira

Lecrae – “Broke”

Lecrae has the skill to stay true to his Christian rap roots while making music that can be enjoyed by the masses, religious or not. His newest single, “Broke,” does just that. On its surface, “Broke” may sound like a typical rap banger with pounding bass and a groovy synth line. Upon digging deeper, however, Lecrae gives fans an idea of growing up broke and how in the end the experience of being broke made him richer - in mind and spirit - than money ever could. His tone throughout exudes that of a hype nature, further masking the true intentions of the lyrical content. Lecrae has always had a knack for this, and continues to push forward leading up to his next full length project. The combination of smart, thought provoking lyrics and an instrumental that allows for a more casual listen makes for a solid single that begs for multiple listens. – Zach Hall

Matt Nash & Delayers – “Run”

Imagine a stereotypical club scene, where the drinks are expensive, the dance floor is packed and the music is...less than appealing. Such is the case for Matt Nash’s newest EDM effort. The whole song essentially plays around a loop of the same basic synth chords, with little variation in between. The song is a little under 3 minutes, but feels much longer. Because of this, Matt Nash doesn’t seem to encourage listeners to stick around for the whole tune, let alone multiple listens. The intro and the climax, or “drop,” of the song sound the same aside from the bass pumping a little louder in the background during the latter. What little vocals there are on “Run” are muddied by some sort of vocal effect that makes it hard to understand any of it. “Run” falls victim to every bland stereotype associated with the EDM genre and does very little to stand out as anything special. Do yourself a favor and skip this song. – Zach Hall

 

David Arroyo is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email arroyodavid01@gmail.com.

JonMichael Pereira is a freshman majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email jqp5759@psu.edu.

Lauren Smith is a senior majoring in Broadcast Journalism. To contact her, email lks5244@psu.edu.

Zach Hall is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email zth5043@psu.edu

About the Contributors

David Arroyo's photo

David Arroyo

Senior / Broadcast Journalism

David Arroyo currently serves as one of two General Managers for CommRadio. David is a former arts & entertainment director, social media director and editor for the station. He has produced for multiple Penn State sports while in CommRadio, has done play by play for Penn State sporting events such as football, basketball and volleyball and co-hosted and produced his own talk show. During the fall of 2017, David was an anchor, producer and reporter for the Centre County Report. David most recently interned at WPVI-TV, 6abc in Philadelphia during the summer of 2018. While at 6abc he was a programing intern and helped in the production of their weekly show “FYI Philly.” David has interned at B94.5 (State College) and Center City Film and Video (Philadelphia). Follow him on Twitter (@_arroyodavid) or email him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).