Welcome to “Cut Through the Noise,” a new column from the St. Louis Park Echo covering new music releases. Every week, a different Echo staffer will take on the role as writer, reviewing recent releases aiming for success.

Luke Bryan – What Makes You Country ★★★★★

Yet another country banger, “What Makes You Country” fits superstar Luke Bryan’s brand-name sound, and does not disappoint. Opening with guitar riffs and twang that identify the song as unmistakably country, I immediately had my foot tapping to the accompanying drum beat. The lyrics, rife with country references to hay bales, Friday nights and dirt roads, give country-pop fans exactly what they’re looking for in this picturesque view of the deep south. Although this song sounds similar to some of Bryan’s existing songs, such as “Move” and “Country Girl,” the peppy beat and catchy smooth-talk lyrics are sure to make this song a chart topper.

Z-Ro – Better Days ft. Lil Flea ★★★★

After releasing an album in June and calling it his last, Z-Ro surprised fans with new single “Better Days,” off his yet to

be released album “Codeine.” This synth heavy song with a trap hip-hop beat and blazing brass maintains an undeniable groove. The lyrics discuss a rapper feeling trapped in the game, overlaying the song’s catchy chorus, “It’s like if I don’t hustle imma die, Sh*t be so f***ed up all I can do is wonder why, better days,” a relatable issue for many modern rap artists. Despite sounding similar to many existing trap/hip-hop songs, “Better Days” carries a vibe likely to lodge in listeners’ heads for weeks to come. My only disappointment was after a couple listens, the 4:30 minute song began to stretch on a little long, but ultimately, “Better Days” is a hit.

Camila Cabello – Never Be the Same ★★★★★

Following the success of her chart topper “Havana,” Camila Cabello released her second single, “Never Be the Same,” a one-two punch, already soaring up the iTunes charts. The synthy opening to the song draws listeners in, and Cabello’s low-pitched first verse followed by her high-pitched pre-chorus displays her impressive level of vocal range and breath control. Her passionate crooning through the chorus kept me hooked at every turn as I listened to the song multiple times over. Lyrically, Cabello compares her feelings for the subject of her attraction to nicotine, heroin and morphine, on par with the normalization of drug use in today’s pop culture. The song keeps its mojo for the whole song, uncommon with many pop creations, and feels destined to stay on the charts for a while.

Eminem & Beyoncé – Walk on Water ★★★

Eminem and Beyoncé are two of the most famous artists in the world. Beyoncé, known for her powerful vocals and inspiring lyrics, and Eminem, known for his rapping skills, come together on a song that should be great. Unfortunately, this song dreadfully boring. Eminem raps about the hardships he faces as a millionaire, broken up with Beyoncé’s angelic chorus. While the smooth sounds resonating from Beyoncé are beautiful, they do not offset Eminem’s subpar lyrics. I honestly think tiny chocolate M&M’s could rap better than Eminem at this point – it’s an utter embarrassment. The first 27 seconds start off sounding great, with a clear and silky tone, but slowly the music fades into an uncompelling and unrelatable “rap” from Eminem. For a song from two legends, I’m shocked “Walk on Water” doesn’t meet expectations.

BE GOOD – Nightbus ★★★

BE GOOD has not cracked the  Top 40 yet, however their music is worth checking out. BE GOOD reminds me of other artists, however, they are unique in the way that it uses several different instruments and vocal techniques that one would think wouldn’t work but actually does.  Their newest song, “Nightbus,” evokes invokes a feeling of calm and happiness, sounding like a soundtrack to the resolution of a movie, when everyone is back to their normal lives. While this song is great, there are moments when the lead singer hits pitches outside of his range, which is distracting. Overall this song is pretty good, with a few minor grievances.

MOD SUN – Happy BB ★

MOD SUN, best known for the song “Stay High (featuring  G-Eazy),” fails to meet the already low bar he has set for himself. “Happy BB” emits a  scent of desperation to become relevant again, which will undoubtedly be a failure.  I’ve started to question whether the song sounds like something playing on a beach resort, a theme song to a kids show, or something he made while high, causing him to believe  he sounds good. While MOD SUN  is singing and rapping throughout, there were several times when I had to stop the song to play it back and see if he was actually saying words or just making noises. While MOD SUN laughs in the background of the song, it’s hard not to laugh with him – the song is a joke. Throughout the song, it’s possible to hear him laughing, leading me to believe that he is laughing about the joke of his song.