CommRadio Weekly Playlist: Mar. 21
Here members of the Arts and Entertainment Department will talk about the songs that dominated their playlists during the week and what makes them so good.
“Haunted” - Laura Les
The other half of the hyper pop phenomenon, “100 Gecs,” Laura Les made her solo debut with the catchy tune “Haunted”. This song could be described as an extremely colorful and intriguing hyper-pop tune.
With her aggressive and signature 100 Gecs vocals, this song is energetic and fun to listen to. Singing about living in a haunted house and being haunted by a ghost, this song has been on repeat for days now, as not only does it give me energy, but it also puts me in a better mood.
This song is comedic, as well as unique and experimental. The production, to the lyrics and delivery of this song, is the best work she has done so far. Recently featured in HBO’S Euphoria, this song has the potential of becoming even more popular than the classic 100 Gecs songs. - Fernanda Lopez
“Stressed Out”- Twenty One Pilots
Twenty One Pilots' song, “Stressed Out '' resonated with me this week because as the song states, I have been extremely stressed out this week.
Their song describes the transition from childhood to adulthood. It makes a comparison between the innocence we feel like a child and the insecurity we feel now as adults. As an adult, we all have so much to worry about and figure out in life and everything is moving way too quickly. On the other hand, as a child, you do not have to think about the future and you could just live freely and enjoy everything that life has to offer.
Looking more closely at the lyrics, The artists are describing the own pressures that they face regarding certain aspects of their lives. Two lines in the song that hit close to home were “I care what people think” and “I wish for the good old days.”
I also experience that same pressure from adulting and being able to adapt to such a fast-paced environment. The song may demonstrate a negative connotation, but with the way they are singing and the music in the background, the song appears more uplifting and can be viewed more positively. I also really enjoyed the different styles of music they incorporated into the song. - Lara Judkowski
“It Never Rains In Southern California”- Albert Hammond
This song has been added to my playlist since it was used in season 2 episode 5 of “Euphoria” but this past week I have found a new appreciation for this track.
This 1972 track tells the story of a failed performer trying to make it in the entertainment industry. The simplicity of these lyrics makes this song feel like a friend trying to tell you how their bad life is going without trying to upset you.
Every time I put on this song I feel like I’m in a movie scene which has made it truly addicting to listen to. The catchy and repetitive chorus hasn’t left my head this entire week and despite the somber tone to the lyrics this song weirdly always puts me in a good mood
While some people may get annoyed at the sudden popularity of classic songs such as “It Never Rains In Southern California” due to its feature in the hit “Euphoria” I don’t see my love for this song dying down anytime soon. - Sophia D’Ovidio
“Pink + White” - Frank Ocean
Have you ever listened to a song, forgotten the name of it, and struggled to remember what it was called? It plays in your head all day, so you just want to put it on the track so you can finally get it out? My brother had this exact issue with 2016’s “Pink + White” by Frank Ocean.
For whatever reason, he thought it was a Kanye West song despite the two artists sounding nothing alike. So I spent almost the entire car ride I had with him playing Kanye West songs that featured a piano that he was trying to mimic. None of these songs matched of course, as he was completely off.
It wasn’t until I was randomly shuffling my playlist several weeks later that he finally found what he was looking for. I nearly crashed the car after he exclaimed that he finally got it, but I was happy that he finally found peace in serenity. Now it is one of his most-listened-to songs. Pretty cool.
In all seriousness, it truly is a great track. With amazing production by Pharell and Beyoncé backing vocals that perfectly compliment Frank Ocean’s, it is a euphoric experience. It is arguably the most positive song on the entire Blonde album too. It reminds me of a nice sunny day. - Caelan Chevrier
“Struck By Lightning” - The Chats
The Chats strike back with their first single of the year and it’s an absolute banger.
This aggressive and fast-paced “shed rock” band released “Struck By Lightning” last week and it's proven to be a truly electrifying song.
Lead vocalist and bassist Eamon Sandwith provides adrenaline-pumping energy on each of their songs, but in this latest one, he seems to go all-out and even harder than he usually does.
Being their first original track after about a year, “Struck By Lightning” makes me and every other Chats fan out there hope for the band’s future releases. I’ll keep my fingers crossed so that we at least get a new EP from them in the next year or so. - Jon Mead
“Where I Belong” - Simple Plan & State Champs (feat. We The Kings)
This song is my anthem currently. “Where I Belong” is a pop-punk anthem written by three-star punk bands of the 2000s.
The bands worked together to create the tune for their 2019 tour. The three lead singers all have similar voices, so it is difficult to tell who is singing where, but the three bands all combine into a single melody that sounds like an evolution of pop-punk from their original era.
The lyrics are stereotypical of the genre, but the chorus gives off a message of acceptance and comfort with the bands’ current life. We The Kings singer Travis Clark shouts this theme in the bridge of the song, writing “If you saw through my eyes, this view was worth the climb.
Believe me when I say there’s no place in this world I’d rather be. “Where I Belong” is a pop-punk ballad of acceptance. - Evan Smith
Fernanda Lopez is a first-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact her, email lfl5339@psu.edu
Lara Judkowski is a third-year majoring in Broadcast Journalism. To contact her email lkj5109@psu.edu.
Sophia D’Ovidio is a first-year majoring in communications. To contact her email sgd5184@psu.edu.
Caelan Chevrier is a second-year majoring in journalism. To contact him, email cjc6789@psu.edu.
Jon Mead is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jkm6040@psu.edu.
Evan Smith is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ers5828@psu.edu
About the Contributors
Caelan Chevrier
Third Year / Marketing & Journalism
Caelan Chevrier is a third-year student in the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University studying marketing and broadcast journalism with the goal of graduating with a bachelor’s degree in four years. His career goal is to spread informative, meaningful, and entertaining content across various platforms and to be a positive impact on the community. He has also spent time working at WWE in the communications department and writing for The Westport Local Press in his hometown of Westport, CT. If you’d like to contact him, email him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Jon Mead
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Sophia D'Ovidio
First-Year /
Sophia D’Ovidio is a first-year from Allentown, New Jersey. She is now a communications (undecided) major at Penn State University. Sophia intends on pursuing a career in journalism. Sophia writes for the CommRadio Arts department.
Luciana Fernanda Lopez
Freshman / Telecommunications and Media Industries
Luciana (Fernanda) Lopez is a Telecommunications major and Portuguese minor from Lima, Peru. She’s been writing music reviews in Spanish for years. Her interests are music, films, comedy and everything Leonard Cohen.
Lara Judkowski
Junior / Broadcast Journalism
Evan Smith
First-Year / Broadcast Journalism
