CommRadio’s Weekly Playlist: Week of Sept. 6
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.
“Jail” - Kanye West
Since Sunday, August 29, I have been walking around belting out “GUESS WHO’S GOING TO JAIL TONIGHT” repeatedly throughout the day. I sing it under my breath in class and out loud as I’m walking around campus and downtown.
I love this song so much because it’s one of those Kanye songs that is a little above rap music. Jay Z has a verse that is complete rap, but I would not consider “Jail” a rap song. “Jail” reminds me of songs from Kanye like “Ghost Town,” “Blame Game” and “Black Skinhead.”
“Jail” is West being a genius engineer by making a beat with two sounds, both representing an electric guitar and just writing creative lyrics. “I’ll be honest, we all liars” is my favorite line because, for me, it’s a reminder that I am constantly lying to myself and that I can always be better.
I don’t know what that line means for West, but he once said “If you a Kanye West fan, you not a fan of me you’re a fan of yourself.” – Sam Roberts
“Believe What I Say” – Kanye West
Someone who is gullible and loves Kanye West is not a good mix. However, once the long-awaited “Donda” released, it’s all I could listen to.
One song that I caught myself humming to was “Believe What I Say.”
West sampled Ms. Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” (which is one of my all-time favorite songs) and made an incredible, catchy beat over it. The iconic beginning of Hill’s song is looped with a simple beat playing over it. A beat that anyone will bop their head to.
West is rapping over it with a Buju Banton feature for the bridge. They are talking about the intense lifestyles of celebrities and influencers.
Repeating several times throughout “Don't let, don't let the lifestyle drag you down/Who knows when was the last time you felt the love/One last sparkle to follow in my light/One last sparkle to follow in love.”
Hopefully West will learn to release on time. But it wouldn’t be Kanye if he did… the tardiness will do. – Emily McGlynn
“Roses” - Outkast
Since André 3000 recently teamed up with Kanye West on a Drake diss track, I decided to go through some of my favorite Outkast songs. I found myself going back to my favorite track by the Atlanta duo, “Roses.”
“Roses” is the third single from Outkast’s double album, “Speakerboxxx / The Love Below.” It is the one song on André’s side of the album that also features Big Boi. The song best demonstrates why André has one of the best voices in hip-hop, and it shows off his diversity in lyrical ability. Every time he croons “Caroline” in the verses, it hits beyond hard.
The instrumental was ahead of its time, the piano introduction leading into the synthesizers and drums continues to blow my mind. Even though the track is over six minutes long, it feels like half of that considering its replayability.
“Roses” is perfect for nearly every setting. Whether you’re in the car, at a party, or even alone it is hard not to sing along to. It is a timeless classic, even though it is approaching two decades old, it will always be in my rotation. - Caelan Chevrier
“Pagan Poetry” - Bjork
Breathtaking, colorful and ethereal are the best words I can use to describe Norwegian singer-songwriter Bjork’s music. This artist has been around since 1975, continuing to dazzle the many fans that attend her live performances.
Both reputable and having a career that’s stretched out for about four decades, this artist falls under a wide arrange of genres- specifically experimental pop, trip-hop, electronic, alternative, etc.
“Pagan Poetry” is of many of her greatest hits and is just one of those tracks that I’ve been playing on repeat for the past week, and for good reason.
Bjork’s whispery yet aggressive vocals colliding with the sounds of gorgeous harp strumming and twinkling synths encapsulate my mind. This song will have the same effect on others if audiences ever get a chance to listen to it.
If first-time listeners get addicted, I highly recommend listening to the entire album that this track comes from, “Vespertine.” – Jon Mead
Sam Roberts is a Senior majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email sam.robertspsu00@gmail.com.
Emily McGlynn is a second-year majoring in Broadcast Journalism. To contact her, email at esm5378@psu.edu.
Caelan Chevrier is a second year majoring in journalism. To contact him, email cjc6789@psu.edu.
Jon Mead is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jkm6040@psu.edu.
About the Contributors
Sam Roberts
Sophomore / Telecommunications
Sam Roberts is a sophomore majoring in telecommunications who is a member in the Commradio arts department. He is usually writing reviews for singles, albums, movies, and TV shows.
Emily McGlynn
Third-year / Broadcast Journalism
Emily McGlynn is a third-year from Birmingham, Michigan majoring in broadcast journalism at Penn State. She is the Co-General Manager alongside Alex Rocco and Dylan Price. She is involved in the news, arts and entertainment, sports and production department. In the news department, she is one of the news producers. She frequently writes reviews for the Arts Department as well. Listening to music, watching movies, and staying updated with news and pop culture are some of her favorite things to do. To contact her, email her 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).
Jon Mead
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