CommRadio Weekly Playlist: November 15
The CommRadio Weekly Playlist – 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.
“Over” - Kings of Leon
This simple and soft song has been played on repeat as I desperately needed a relaxing week.
This is the perfect song for a chill day because the melody is slow and relaxing and Kings of Leon sings rather quietly. However, that four minutes in the song picks up and Kings of Leon slightly screams the bridge. It takes the song to a different level and is my favorite part to hear.
However, the lyrics behind the song are very somber. Kings of Leon sings about hanging from a tree after committing suicide. The repeating “Don’t say it’s over” in the chorus represents the death and how the singer realized afterward that the suicide was a mistake.
This is my go-to song when I need soothing, and Kings of Leon did not disappoint with the song “Over.” - Rachel Fisher
“I Know The End”- Phoebe Bridgers
As preparation for the Phoebe Bridgers feature on “Red (Taylors Version),” I spent a lot of the week relistening to Bridgers album “Punisher.”
Upon my re-listen, I was reconnected to one of my favorite songs, “I Know The End.” This song is insanely brilliant, and I found myself listening to it on repeat throughout the week.
The slow start to the song with acoustic guitar backing helps highlight Bridgers’s lyrical ability. Lyrics such as “like a wave that crashed and melted on the shore. Not even the burnouts are here anymore” perfectly illustrate why Bridgers is one of the most celebrated lyricists recently.
However, when the song picks up with a crescendo and other instruments going in, the song goes from good to great. The song goes from sad to triumphant as Bridgers stops singing “the end is near” and starts singing “the end is here.”
Bridgers can take listeners on the journey of her burnt-out relationship in one of the best songs off her Grammy-nominated album. - Sophia D’Ovidio
“‘7월 7일 (One Of These Nights)” - Red Velvet
These days, my eagerness to return home has led me to feel a bit homesick and less like my usual self. To ease my emotions, I’ve been playing one of my favorite ballads.
“‘7월 7일 (One Of These Nights)” has never failed to give me goosebumps and reset my mind into a state of calmness.
At the start of the song, the instrumental gently introduces listeners to a string orchestra and then drops off to a lone piano alongside the vocalist. Subtle beat traps are added, shaping the melody into a smooth and groovy R&B sound. The occasional wind chimes as an accent develops an airy and majestic feeling.
The song holds a distinct use of key modulation that leaves an everlasting impression. Unlike most music, “‘7월 7일 (One Of These Nights)” repeatedly modulate to different keys in a more expected sense rather than a surprise element.
The lyrics poetically reference a Korean folktale centered around two lovers who can no longer be together but meet once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month on the lunar calendar.
Originally, the song was produced to honor the victims of the Sewol Ferry incident, commemorating the lost loved ones and wishing them the chance to meet once again in heaven. In the music video, Red Velvet uses scenes to artistically display aspects of the incident.
Throughout the song, the member’s voices shine over the beat and are crystal clear. The background vocals harmonize together periodically creating slight dissonance which usually resolves within the next line.
I sincerely enjoy the sentimental touch that this song provides to my daily life and how powerful it can be. - Erell Williams
Rachel Fisher is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email rlf5481@psu.edu
Sophia D’Ovidio is a first-year majoring in communications. To contact her email sgd5184@psu.edu.
Erell Williams is a first-year majoring in broadcasting journalism. To contact her email exw5303@psu.edu.
