Singles Roundup: Week of Jan. 25
Sabrina Carpenter – “Skin”
“Skin” has already received a tremendous amount of attention from fans and the media since its release on Friday, though it’s not necessarily for the merit of the song itself.
While it’s technically still speculation at this time, many listeners believe Sabrina Carpenter’s new song is a response to Olivia Rodrigo’s smash hit “drivers license,” which has broken records across most streaming services. Rumors began that Rodrigo’s song was inspired by actor Joshua Bassett, who is believed to date Carpenter.
It all sounds like petty teenage drama, because it really is. Unfortunately, it’s hard to get through most of “Skin” without being reminded of the supposed feud. Carpenter makes her frustrations with Rodrigo so obvious in every line. Ultimately, the lyrics are poorly written and extremely demeaning. It only adds fuel to the continuous fire of the media pitting women against one another.
The song itself, though, is rather sultry and smooth. The instrumentals work well for the song, and Carpenter’s vocals are pop perfection. “Skin” is certainly a song that could have had the potential to be a hit for Carpenter. If it does make it that far, though, it’ll likely only be due to the negative press. —Jade Campos
Billie Eilish and Rosalía – “Lo Vas A Olvidar”
The onslaught of musical globalization into Western culture has been on a rise since “Despacito” broke into the Billboard charts in 2017. Since then, Americans have begun appreciating and popularizing musical cultures from around the world more than ever before.
Billie Eilish is proving this trend to be true with her latest single “Lo Vas A Olvidar,” an Eilish spin on a Spanish track. The single has been used to promote upcoming episodes of “Euphoria” and is even expected to be featured on the show.
“Lo Vas A Olvidar” is everything one may expect from an Eilish song—it’s just in another language. It’s a slow ballad with hauntingly gorgeous vocals. Like much of what Eilish creates, it’s likely a track will make its way up the charts quickly, even if it isn’t completely playable for radio.
While it’s nice to see artists exposing their fanbase to different cultures through their music, it would be nice to see a Hispanic/Latin artist perform the track. While American audiences are becoming more accepting of foreign language music, it’s likely other Spanish-speaking artists will get overlooked for Eilish, who already has a large following. It is promising, though, to see Rosalía get a featured part on “Lo Vas A Olvidar.” —Jade Campos
Jason Derulo feat. Adam Levine – “Lifestyle”
After capitalizing on his No. 1 single in over a decade, Jason Derulo is back with his latest track,“Lifestyle.” Enlisting Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, the two combine for a run-of-the-mill pop single, leaving audiences wondering how this star-studded collab fizzled.
To its credit, the song is much more tolerable than Derulo’s previous hit “Savage Love.” Levine and Derulo sing about a girl and how she’s only into them for their money and the luxurious lifestyle that they live.
They blend well together, but the vocal mix often sounds oversaturated and overwhelming. They sing “You 'bout that/Dollar la-la, ooh, dollar la-la” in the chorus, and it’s just irritating.
The Rice N’ Peas-created instrumental is made up of punchy drums and lots of brass instruments, complementing Derulo decently well. However, it is really not anything special and is almost inseparable from anything in Derulo’s discography and anything on the radio.
It’s unclear if “Lifestyle” will become a radio success, but it most likely will not be the track Derulo or Levine needed to return to stardom. —Caelan Chevrier
Lil Wayne feat. Foushee – “Ain’t Got Time”
Rapper Lil Wayne kicks off 2021 with his latest single “Ain’t Got Time,” featuring Foushee. This is Wayne’s first lead single since last year's “NFL.”
More importantly, “Ain’t Got Time” is the first song Lil Wayne has released since being pardoned by former President Donald Trump for criminal possession of a firearm and ammunition as a prior offender. Wayne didn’t serve any jail time, but, prior to the pardon, he pleaded guilty and faced up to 10 years in prison. The song details the events that led to the arrest.
“Ain’t Got Time” is charged with a unique energy that matches that classic Lil Wayne style. It is easy to see the personal nature of this song inspired Wayne, and the result is his best single in years.
The second verse of the song also talks about his, at the time, impending jail sentence within the context of a relationship. Once again, the clever wordplay really stands out and mixes with the energy of the song to create an awesome experience.
R&B singer Foushee contributes near the end of the song and uses her beautiful voice to ground it and give it a truly haunting sound.
If Wayne’s next album, the highly anticipated “I Am Not a Human Being III,” features more songs like “Ain’t Got Time,” it will be a huge hit. “Ain’t Got Time” shows that Lil Wayne is back, and fans should check it out as soon as possible. —David Fortunato
Jade Campos is a junior majoring in print/digital journalism. To contact her, email jmc7727@psu.edu.
Caelan Chevrier is a freshman majoring in journalism. To contact him, email cjc6789@psu.edu.
David Fortunato is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email dforch2344@gmail.com.
About the Contributors
Jade Campos
Junior / Print/Digital Journalism
Jade Campos is a junior from Caroline, Virginia. She is a director of the arts and entertainment department of CommRadio and a co-host on the talk show The Nittany Record Club alongside Colton Pleslusky and David Fortunato. Along with CommRadio, Jade is currently the assistant lifestyle editor for the Daily Collegian. In the past, she has interned with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. To contact her, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
David Fortunato
Senior / Broadcast Journalism
David Fortunato is an aspiring broadcast journalist with a passion for both sports and the arts at Penn State. Along with being one of the directors for the CommRadio arts & entertainment department, he has written articles, participated in podcasts and even done a live show for the CommRadio sports department. In addition to his work for CommRadio, David is also involved in PSNTV’s Penn State Sports Night. David was also an intern for the Penn State men’s club hockey team, where he did player interviews, produced live streams, did camerawork and even did some play-by-play. He can be contacted at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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).
