Single Roundup - Week of Oct. 1

Story posted October 10, 2017 in CommRadio, 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 five of the biggest tracks from the week of Oct. 1.

Maren Morris – “Dear Hate” feat. Vince Gill

Maren Morris shows that music is healing in the aftermath of the Las Vegas shooting with her new song “Dear Hate.” The Las Vegas shooting that occurred on Oct. 1 killing 58 people and injuring more than 500 people at a country music concert at Route 91 Harvest Festival left the whole world heartbroken and looking for answers. Rising country star, CMA Award and Grammy winner Maren Morris knew a song she wrote called “Dear Hate” wouldn't give people answers, but could give some people peace of mind. Morris, who performed at the festival the night before the shooting happened, took to Twitter to say she was “heartbroken” and attached a link to “Dear Hate,” a song she did not plan to release but felt people needed to hear after this tragedy. She recorded the ballad with country music legend Vince Gill and is donating all proceeds to Nashville’s Music City Cares Fund, which will benefit shooting victims and their families. Sonically, this is the most traditional country we’ve heard from Morris. The emotional lyrics talk about how hate is so common on the news today you feel like it’s going to take over. “Dear Hate/I saw you on the news today/ Like a shock that takes my breath away/ You fall like rain, cover us in drops of pain/ I’m afraid that we just might drown.” Gill in the second verse takes a look at times through history where it seemed hate had taken over. “In Dallas, when that bullet hit, and Jackie cried/ You pulled those towers from the sky.” But throughout the chorus, Morris and Gill remind us that even though acts of hate are becoming more common these days, in the end hate will never win, ending the chorus by singing, “But I hate to tell you, love’s gonna conquer all.” The song brings a unique element to it in the last chorus when the lyrics get flipped on hate and are replaced with “Dear Love.” The song went right to No. 1 on the iTunes chart. “Dear Hate” offers a heartwarming message we should all remember when it seems hate has taken over; “Love’s gonna conquer all.” - Lauren Smith

Charlie Puth – “How Long”

Coming off the critical success of his last single “Attention,” Charlie Puth attempts, yet again, to advance his creditability in the pop genre with “How Long.” With a primarily funk melodic structure accompanied by a pleasant bass track and an infectious beat, it’s quite possible that this piece could achieve just as much popularity as “Attention.” The lyrics and underlining theme work as a confrontation between the artist and his love interest, displaying their emotional states after Puth’s “character” cheats. For the most part, it follows the same thematic structure as most of his other releases, but that’s to be expected of an artist still trying to maintain relevance in the pop industry. Only time will tell how long Charlie Puth will maintain his stardom and hits like this will continue his pursuit of becoming a significant pop icon.  – JonMichael Pereira

Rich Chigga – “Chaos”

Rich Chigga has been making waves since March of 2016, dropping singles every few months to the delight of his increasing fan base. With his newest release “Chaos,” Rich Chigga seems to be stagnating. The instrumental consists of a four bar loop that doesn’t change or switch up at any point to give the song variety. The beat is essentially a high tone synth accompanied by low bass hits that become very repetitive by the songs end. Lyrically, Rich Chigga seems to be going through the motions of a typical rap banger and doesn’t offer much in terms of creativity or originality. His tone seems uninspired throughout as well, adding to the repetitive nature of the song. Overall, Chaos is yet another rap song that will be forgotten in the coming weeks. – Zach Hall

Maroon 5 – “Help Me Out” feat. Julia Michaels

With a constant development in their pursuit for new musical directions, Maroon 5’s single “Help Me Out” featuring Julia Michaels surprisingly travels a musical path of pure certainty. The beat is extremely reminiscent of their breakthrough sound in V, the album pretty much stapling them to be capable of musical relevance. Its general, repetitive lyrics illustrate a somewhat relatable turmoil felt in teenage romance, pandering to an audience that is likely too young to understand the minimal effort put into the production of this piece. Julia Michaels’s performance in this song is fitting as it’s just as forgettable as the song is. This single is beginning to demonstrate that the band is slowly becoming uninterested in challenging themselves and are just fine with following the successfulness of their old melodic formats. –JonMichael Pereira

Louis the Child – “Right to It” feat. Ashe

Louis the Child has the skill to craft authentic sounds while mixing in typical electronic music tropes that swell and dip, giving each song a unique flavor. “Right to It” sticks with this and offers a fun, upbeat tune. Louis the Child’s mixture of raw, tropical style drums and heavy xylophone samples give this track its upbeat feel and is played around with enough to keep the song from feeling stale. Ashe’s vocals on the track keep with this vibe, and compliments the instrumental style perfectly. The breakdown of the song mirrors Ashe’s cadence and acts as a climax to the tropical island vibes that have been built up unto that point. Overall, “Right to It” sticks with Louis the Child’s unique instrumental style and gives listeners a catchy tune to hold them over until the next EP. – Zach Hall

 

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

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

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