Singles Roundup: Week of Feb. 17

Story posted February 18, 2020 in Arts & Entertainment by CommRadio Arts & Entertainment Staff.

 

Cold War Kids – “Who’s Gonna Love Me Now”

Indie rock band Cold War Kids have premiered the first single for their upcoming studio album, “New Age Norms 2,” which is expected for release this year. “New Age Norms 2” will be the second part of the “New Age Norms” album trilogy.

“Who’s Gonna Love Me Now” shares the story of someone who expects to enjoy life away from his significant other, full of independence and stressless nights. However, the singer quickly finds himself faced with loneliness and anxiety. The track’s verses are well-written, though the chorus is rather repetitive, particularly for a Cold War Kids single.

The style is nearly identical to “New Age Norms 1” with a little bit of jazz influence, akin to Fitz and The Tantrums. It’s not unusual for Cold War Kids, though, which can assure fans that the band has not strayed away from its roots. As the trilogy’s prequel though, “Who’s Gonna Love Me Now” is an underwhelming preview to “New Age Norms 2.” The track makes it appear that the album will simply be an identical copy to the first.  —Jade Campos

Caroline Rose – “Freak Like Me”

Caroline Rose has released “Freak Like Me,” the second single for her upcoming album. It’s not a very long track, though it’s very experimental, as it uses a lot of mixing and production to make it appear very euphoric and dream-like. The vocals compliment the production as well, as the two paired together create a setting that takes the listener inside this world that Rose sets up.

Compared to Rose’s previous work, this is a very large departure from the sound that listeners are familiar with, as Rose goes with a much more experimental and relatively untapped side to her “Freak Like Me.” This would make for a rather interesting place for Caroline Rose to take her new album, as it would be very new territory for her as an artist and for her fans as listeners. Musical evolution of this kind is always a marvel to see, and anticipation for Rose’s new album has never been higher.  —Jack Grossman

The Strokes – “At the Door”

The Strokes released their first song since 2016’s underwhelming EP “Future Present Past.” “At the Door” is a song that will likely be very divisive amongst hardcore fans of the Strokes, as the track features minimal guitar and bass play.

“At the Door” instead relies on keyboards and synths to carry the track forward. This is an unprecedented move by the Strokes, who have never before deviated this far away from their double guitar, bass and drums lineup of sounds.

This change, however, serves the band very well. The Strokes were a band in need of a change in sound. Stylistically, they have not changed much from their days of “Is This It” and “Room on Fire,” and the music that the Strokes have been putting out lately sounds stale because of this.

It might take a few listens to get used to the new sound, but the Strokes really pull it off on “At the Door.” The five-minute long track is slow to develop, but the heartfelt vocals and impressive songwriting from Julian Casablancas help make the track stand out.  —Jim Krueger

Billie Eilish – “No Time to Die”

Billie Eilish released the theme song for the upcoming James Bond movie of the same name, “No Time to Die.” The five-time Grammy winner wrote the song alongside her brother, Finneas. The song adds to her list of history-breaking records, such as being the youngest artist to ever write and record a song for a James Bond movie.

The song begins softly, sounding similar to a previous Eilish track, “i love you.” The melody is mellow, and, overall, the song feels hypnotic. The lyrics seem to be telling of the love tension that will be portrayed in the movie. The vocals are simultaneously calm and strong, and they lift the song well. The song has Bond vibes but is still uniquely Eilish. The combination of both elements and the vocals might make this another hit like “Skyfall” by Adele.

This song is Eilish’s first song scored exclusively for a movie. Her excitement was evident through a series of Instagram stories and posts on her account. She will be performing the song in London at the Brit Awards on Feb. 18.  —Anan Hussein

Migos, Young Thug & Travis Scott – “GNF”

“GNF” has finally surfaced on all music streaming platforms after being teased on social media for a week. A snippet of the track was released on YouTube three months ago as well. The track features Quavo, Travis Scott and Young Thug, which is the first time these artists have come together to work on the same song.

“GNF” is a song that a lot of people were excited to hear because Young Thug is fresh off his latest album “So Much Fun” and because Travis Scott’s features on other artists’ albums have often made for songs with long-lasting mainstream potential.

The track starts with a catchy beat that automatically grabs the listener’s attention. However, as soon as the hook comes on, it nearly ruins the song. Quavo constantly repeats “We Don’t Give No F***s” four times, which becomes annoying. Quavo is known for his repetitive hook rap scheme, and it works sometimes, but it doesn’t on “GNF.”

Travis Scott and Young Thug do a phenomenal job rapping, though. They save the song from being below average quality. Both are worth the time to listen to, and more collaborations from the duo seems necessary. Quavo’s music is usually much better, but he failed this time.  —Naseem Johnson

 

Naseem Johnson is a junior majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email naseemdempsey@gmail.com.

Anan Hussein is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email anan1482000@gmail.com.

Jim Krueger is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email kruegerjim19@gmail.com.

Jade Campos is a sophomore majoring in print/digital journalism. To contact her, email jmc7727@psu.edu.

Jack Grossman is a senior majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email jackdgrossman@gmail.com.

About the Contributors

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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).

jackgrossman's photo

jackgrossman

Senior / Telecommunications

Jack Grossman is a student, audio producer, writer, photographer, and schmoozer. Growing up alongside all different forms of media, it was clear to him that his calling was to produce and create content. Whether his own original work or a reinterpretation or review of another, Jack is able to produce and create content that speaks to the current generation, while maintaining a sense of classic professionalism.