Welcome to “Cut Through the Noise,” an entertainment column from the St. Louis Park Echo covering new music releases. Every week, a different Echo staffer takes on the role as writer, reviewing recent single releases from a variety of artists.

‘supercuts’ – Jeremy Zucker ★★★☆☆

After listening to “supercuts” for the first time, I felt like it didn’t live up to Jeremy Zucker’s previous releases because it lacked the emotions I was expecting. In the song, Zucker sings about a relationship he already knows will fail. The lyrics on their own are very heartfelt and sound personal to Zucker, but the sound does not seem to fit with its meaning. The sound feels light, the beat is a little repetitive and lacks the somber tone heard in Zucker’s music. The combination of an upbeat melody and sad lyrics leads to the song sounding almost sarcastic, which was a very interesting choice for Zucker to make. Although the song is not exactly what I was hoping for, the chorus is still undeniably catchy. Overall, the song strikes me as the perfect single for the radio because of its mellow tone.  

‘Sippin on the Daylight’ – The Hails ★★★★☆

“Sipping on the Daylight,” off The Hails’ first album, “He Seems Upset,” has layered sounds and a variety of vocals that create a heavily refined sound. For me, the meaning of the lyrics does not seem to be the main point of “Sippin on the Daylight,” because the sound of the song is more important. The sound is very funky, but is a little flat throughout the song. There is no real buildup, but the vocals from the different members of The Hails flow well into each other, and I enjoy how well it matches the instrumentals of the song. “Sippin on the Daylight” is the perfect song for the last few warm nights of summer. 

‘Hit Different’ (ft. Ty Dolla $ign) – SZA ★★★★☆

I really wanted to love everything about SZA’s first release since 2017, but the inclusion of Ty Dolla $ign was very disappointing. His part of the chorus just can’t measure up to SZA’s beautiful vocals and range. The chorus is not bad, but the verses are more appealing, as they showcase SZA’s voice. In the verses, she is able to pour her own emotions into the lyrics. She perfectly hits both the highest and lowest of notes, while flowing between them seamlessly. If “Hit Different” marks SZA’s return to music, I cannot wait for her next album, which hopefully highlights more of her talent, with less featured artists.