Singles Roundup: Week of April 5

Story posted April 5, 2021 in Arts & Entertainment by CommRadio Arts & Entertainment Staff.

BROCKHAMPTON – “Count on Me”

BROCKHAMPTON, hip-hop boy band founded in 2010 and most widely known for their tune “SUGAR,” strikes again with new single “Count on Me.” This tune starts off thought-provoking and ends with a bang—it’s likely to have huge rates of success in the future. The song features A$AP ROCKY, Shawn Mendes and Ryan Beatt as features—a great combination. The full album “Roadrunner” is expected to be released later this month.

“Count on Me” pulls the audience in with mellow whistles and soft background tunes before jumping into the singing. This song sounds like the type someone would listen to while cruising in the summertime with the windows down. The vibes are immaculate, making for a catchy song that’s just perfect for having a good time. The lyrics repeat the message of everything being OK, not to worry, and that a person can “count on me.”

There is great energy and power to this song, and it is a bit different compared to the band’s tune “SUGAR,” which has a slower tune and pace to it. It is evident that BROCKHAMPTON put a lot of effort into this with the goal of making “Count on Me” one to remember and one that earns lots of play on the radio. Time will tell whether or not that ends up being the case.  —Olivia Manfredo

Olivia Rodrigo – “Deja Vu”

“Deja Vu” is the second single from singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. After the insane success of Rodrigo's first single “Driver’s License,” fans were all anticipating a second single, and Rodrigo did not disappoint.

This single is very different from her first song. The vibe is way more mellow, and the song is more upbeat than the somber breakup song  that is “Driver’s License.”

The beat of “Deja Vu” is amazing. Rodrigo adds vocal effects in the background, creating an atmospheric element to the song. Her voice is very delicate, yet she still delivers every note with incredible power. Her angelic voice is the best part of this song. She sounds like a perfect blend of Taylor Swift and Lorde, which happen to be her two biggest musical influences.

The lyrics to “Deja Vu” are also beautiful. Rodrigo manages to tell another great story about her past relationship and uses an analogy throughout the song, discussing how she has deja vu looking at her ex’s new girl.

This song is perfect for the beginning of spring. The atmospheric beat is complemented by Rodrigo’s beautiful vocals. Rodrigo also has yet another phenomenal bridge that fully makes this song complete. Rodrigo is now two for two, which means the anticipation for her full-length album is through the roof.  —Jack Freiser

Demi Lovato – “Met Him Last Night” ft. Ariana Grande

Demi Lovato is making her voice heard on her newest track, “Met Him Last Night,” with superstar Ariana Grande. This marks the first collaboration between the two artists, and the two former child stars hit it off very well.

The Xavi & TBHits production is very fitting considering they have produced some of Grande’s most recent hits. “Met Him Last Night” starts with a synth arpeggio, which later transitions into beautiful orchestration. It leaves enough room for both singers to do their thing and is accompanied by trap drums. It seems very familiar for Grande and Lovato.

Grande slightly outshines Lovato here with an outstanding and memorable vocal performance, but they both sound amazing, especially when they harmonize together.

When they refer to “Him,” they’re talking about the devil. Whether that is symbolizing a person, drugs or something else is left slightly unclear. Either way, they know that spending time with the devil isn’t right, but they can’t help but feel sucked back in every time they leave.

Overall, “Met Him Last Night” is a fantastic pop song that will get radio time. Everyone involved with the song was passionate about the product, and fans of both artists will enjoy this collaboration. It’s also worth exploring Lovato’s new album, “Dancing with the Devil… The Art of Starting Over, which is out now.  —Caelan Chevrier

Iggy Azalea – “Sip It” ft. Tyga

Iggy Azalea pairs up with rapper Tyga on her new release “Sip It,” alongside a B-side called “Brazil.” This single is another provocative, sultry song by the Australian rapper.

In addition to the single, Azalea released a colorful music video, paired by a tweet explaining how she got the idea for the new song and music video: “It’s more inspired by ‘KREAM’ because to me: this is a sequel. So, I wanted to keep a similar aesthetic and have them look cohesive if watched back-to-back.”

This song is just another sexual Azalea song to be added to the other dozen in that category. It’s not that special in respect to its actual music, production quality and lyrical content.

Though on “ Sip It,” Azalea does not sound like she used to. It isn’t obvious if she purposely wanted to sound autotuned, but she does. She also sounds like she is putting in no effort. It’s sloppy. Tyga did a good job, though; he sounds smooth and his voice goes with the beat.

Fans should expect an album from the “Fancy” rapper in Summer 2021.  —Emily McGlynn

 

Olivia Manfredo is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email onm5039@psu.edu.

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

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

Emily McGlynn is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email esm5378@psu.edu.

About the Contributors

Emily McGlynn's photo

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'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).

Olivia Manfredo's photo

Olivia Manfredo

Sophomore /

Olivia Manfredo is currently a second year student at Penn State’s Donald P. Bellisario College of
Communications with a major in Broadcast Journalism and minor in Sports Studies.

Olivia is gaining exceptional knowledge in the field of communications, sports media and the broadcasting fields in and out of the classroom. She had been part of the Broadcast Experience course from Fall 2018- Spring 2020, where it was her job to report the daily news and announcements as well as provide sports scores and updates at Passaic Valley Regional High School. Olivia also served as a journalist for her high school news paper, “The Valley Echo” which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Presently, Olivia is involved in multiple clubs at Penn State. She is a producer for CommRadio, All Women In Sports Media and a THON OPPerations Committee member as well as the Family Relations Liaison.

She was also selected to be a part of the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism certificate and is currently working with Penn State Athletics Marketing and Promotions as a Game Day intern.