CommRadio Singles Round Up: December 8

Story posted December 8, 2021 in Arts & Entertainment by CommRadio Arts & Entertainment Staff.

Singles Round Up – The Arts and Entertainment Department takes a look at some of the recently released singles from the past week.

“Too Late Now” - Wet Leg

Wet Leg is a new duo from England that has been gaining attention on the indie circuits. They released two songs over the summer, one called “Chaise Lounge” the other “Wet Dream.” Both songs are absolutely incredible and proved to the world that Wet Leg is a group that is here to stay.

This week the duo released two new tracks, “Too Late Now” and “Oh No.” Both songs are excellent, proving that their success is no fluke. “Too Late Now,” this single being pushed, is an insanely unique song. The instrumentation is sporadic, but beautiful in an odd way. The chord progression is instantly catchy and the atmospheric instrumentation works beautifully with the vocals.

The vocals from Rhian Teasdale are incredible. She has a very unique voice in which she is able to demand an audience's attention, even if she uses her lower register, which sounds more like talking than singing. The vocals in all four songs are very diverse, which shows what amazing range Teasdale has. In the end of “Too Late Now,” Teasdale lets out a belting scream which contrasts the more angelic vocals in the beginning perfectly.

This song is perfectly made. The transition from verse to bridge is flawless and with the sensational melody, it is hard to not listen to this song multiple times. Wet Leg’s debut album comes out on April 8, and until then, they have released four songs that are all worth checking out. They are a one of a kind band that deserves all the recognition they are getting. - Jack Freiser

“Bittersweet” - Trophy Eyes

Identified as a punk-rock band, Australian group Trophy Eyes strays from that label to produce their new heartbreak pop single, “Bittersweet.”

Introduced with an airy pop instrumental, the tempo and volume change throughout the song are mirrored in the vocals and beats, with the chorus being the main focus of that speed shift.

Unlike the change in tempo, the lyrics are steadily focused on drifting apart in a romantic relationship. Trophy Eyes sets the focus on the bittersweet feeling of realization, hence the title, but the lyrical depth of the single falls short.

As a whole, “Bittersweet”  seems to be trying too hard to fit into the pop song mold. The main vocals hide behind the overpowering instrumental and take away the uniqueness that could have separated the track from any other pop song.

On the bright side, Trophy Eyes is planning to release an album in 2022, giving them an opportunity to redeem themselves after this disappointing release of “Bittersweet.” - Megan Kelby

"Player of Games" - Grimes

“Player of Games” is the newest single from Canadian musician, Grimes, and it also could be alluding to a diss towards ex-boyfriend Elon Musk.

The track has been circulating through the internet for a few months via TikTok, Discord, and most recently, Rocket League. Now, it has an official release, accompanied by a video, and is on all streaming platforms.

The track is a clubbable dance hit with arrangements of trance-like synthesizers that are very left-field. Grimes best displays her uniqueness here, with this boundary-pushing release. The vocals are blended excellently making the best outcome combining her raw voice, with very transcendental autotune. A splash of reverb was added as well, making for an appreciable performance overall.

The beat drop is mesmeric with a pounding bass that sounds considering how uptempo the track is. The transitions between the verses and choruses are seamless, leaving no time wasted in the four-minute track. Every single part of this song is equally catchy and enjoyable.

Lyrically, Grimes keeps everything simple yet sweet. In the second verse, she sings, “I'm in love With thе greatest gamer | But he'll always love the game | More than he loves me.”

Many fans are speculating this has to do with the recent fallout between her and her billionaire ex-boyfriend. Overall, this track especially stands out in a time where more non-secular tracks are dominating streaming and the radio. - Caelan Chevrier

 

Jack Freiser is a second-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email jef5614@psu.edu.

Megan Kelby is a second-year majoring in journalism. To contact her, email mkk5701@psu.edu.

Caelan Chevrier is a second year majoring in journalism. To contact him, email cjc6789@psu.edu.

About the Contributors

Caelan Chevrier's photo

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).

Jack Freiser's photo

Jack Freiser

Third-Year / Telecommunications

Jack Freiser is a third-year student in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State University studying telecommunications. He is very passionate about both music and film. He aspires to impact the music business as a successful A+R by signing artists who will be culturally relevant and will leave an impact on the world, and through keeping a strong relationship with the artist and their team. Email him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Megan Kelby's photo

Megan Kelby

Fourth-Year / Journalism

Megan Kelby is a fourth-year from Newark, Delaware majoring in journalism and minoring in English and history at Penn State. She is a member of the arts & entertainment department for CommRadio. To contact her, email her at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).