CommRadio Weekly Playlist: March 13

Story posted March 22, 2023 in Arts & Entertainment by Arts & Entertainment Staff.

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.

“GOODBYE” - BROCKHAMPTON

Former pop/rap boy band BROCKHAMPTON was introduced to me by my sibling in 2018. They quickly became my favorite artist ever, and have been my Spotify Wrapped Top Artist every year since.

Appropriately titled, “GOODBYE” is the last track on BROCKHAMPTON’s eighth and final studio album, “TM.” “TM” was released in November 2022 after the group went their separate ways and broke up.

Being that BROCKHAMPTON is my favorite artist, “GOODBYE” is a bittersweet listen.

“GOODBYE” has a calm beat and features former members JOBA and Matt Champion (my favorite BROCKHAMPTON members) as the lyricists. I could dance to this song all night or cry to it when I’m sad, and I really enjoy the different emotions that it’s able to bring me.

Champion’s last line, “This oughta be the best time / The best time of our lives” stabs me in the heart a little bit. It references the outro of “FABRIC,” a song on BROCKHAMPTON’s 2018 album “iridescence,” where several members of the band say “You are now about to experience / These are the best years of our lives.”

I’ll always miss new releases from the self-proclaimed “best boy band since One Direction,” but I think it's safe to say that BROCKHAMPTON will remain my top artist for quite some time.  - Sarah Gavlak

“Lights Out” – Lisa Marie Presley

The world lost an icon in Lisa Marie Presley, but her music lives on with us.

“Lights Out” is off of her debut album, “To Whom It May Concern” and is probably her best known song.

It’s a song that’s ultimately what it means to be a Presley from her eyes.

She takes a dark turn with this song, saying that “someone turned the lights out [there] in Memphis, where her “family’s buried and gone,” and that there’s a space in the back lawn for her.

“Lights Out” is about waiting for time to catch up, like Presley saying that she keeps a watch two hours behind and grass had stopped growing. The image of someone turning a light out signals that it’s time to go, though Presley is still holding on to her heritage.

Presley’s vocals are beautiful on this song and mix with a gritty country-rock ballad.

Presley was a musical genius in her own right who definitely embodied her late father, Elvis Presley, while also making music true to her own image. - Adrianna Gallucci

“Golden Hour” - JVKE

This song is a feat of musical genius. I have never felt so many emotions listening to one song.

JVKE is a newer artist who rose to fame on TikTok in the past year, but is an example of pure talent. “Golden Hour” is his most popular song and for good reason. His entire album follows the path of someone falling in and out of love, and this song beautifully describes what being in love feels like.

The imagery in his lyrics paints a picture of a feeling more than mere attraction, and the airyness of the piano captures the breathless feeling of being in love. The harmonies and melody work together to bring a story to life all the while leaving me in tears every time I listen.

If there were a soundtrack to that perfect moment when the warm sun hits my face and all is well with the world, “Golden Hour” would be the leading song. - Ainsley Spitz

Sarah Gavlak is a first year majoring in telecommunications. To contact her, please email sng5393@psu.edu.

Adrianna Gallucci is a first-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email amg7989@psu.edu.

Ainsley Spitz is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism and criminology. To contact her, email aes6441@psu.edu.

About the Contributors

Adrianna Gallucci's photo

Adrianna Gallucci

Sophomore /

Adrianna Gallucci is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism and is one of CommRadio’s New Member Coordinators. She is also a broadcaster, journalist, podcaster and talk show guest. In addition, Adrianna is also a part of PSSN, TDAY Sports and AWSM. She hosts her own independent podcast, She’s All Bat: A New York Mets podcast. She is a huge Mets and Rangers fan and will always talk about pro wrestling. Adrianna wants to work in MLB, NHL or WWE as a journalist or an anchor. You can find her on Twitter at @agallucci17 or email her at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Sarah Gavlak's photo

Sarah Gavlak

/

Sarah Gavlak is a first-year student from Johnstown, Pennsylvania majoring in telecommunications at Penn State. She is involved with the arts and entertainment department. To contact her, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Ainsley Spitz's photo

Ainsley Spitz

Second-year /

Ainsley Spitz is a second-year from Havertown, Pennsylvania majoring in broadcast journalism and criminology at Penn State. She is involved in the photography and arts and entertainment departments. She loves listening to music and writing album reviews, as welling as taking photos. To contact her, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).