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 of writer, reviewing recent single releases from a variety of artists.

Christina Perri — ‘mothers’ ★★★★☆

To honor mothers everywhere, Christina Perri released her single “mothers” on May 6, just in time for Mother’s Day. Although this holiday is often viewed as a joyous occasion, “mothers” illustrates that Mother’s Day is not always sunshine and rainbows, as many women toil with feelings of guilt and loneliness. It’s often difficult for mothers to ask for help because of the belief that receiving help is proof they’re not a good enough parent. Perri’s new single is a reminder to all mothers that they are not alone and they are worthy of happiness. The artist also alludes to her own struggle with motherhood, which makes the song more personal. Perri’s soothing voice and relaxed instrumentals gives the song the feel of a lullaby, which is precisely the comfort stressed-out and exhausted moms need. Since moms sing so many lullabies to their kids, it’s only fair that moms deserve to hear a lullaby dedicated to them. I am blessed to have two mothers in my life, and this song inspired me to show them a little extra love this Mother’s Day.

Taylor Swift — ‘This Love (Taylor’s Version)’ ★★★☆☆

The most recent in the long list of Taylor Swift’s re-recorded songs is “This Love (Taylor’s Version).” The vocals in this new version sound more mature and complex than the original, which is fitting, since the song is about the complexity of love. The song demonstrates that love is really an umbrella term for a variety of emotions, ranging from happiness to sadness to anger. Other than the slightly varying vocals, the original and the new recordings sound essentially the same. I had to listen a few times to discern any differences. The instrumentation is very similar in both versions, featuring guitar and a chill drum set beat, which also add layers to the complexity of the song. I don’t really understand why Swift feels the need to re-record so many old songs. If her point is that artists have the right to own and make money off of their music, maybe she should help other artists who are struggling, since it seems to me like she makes plenty of money already. If her point is to re-invent herself, maybe she should make new music, rather than updating pre-existing music. Overall, I enjoyed listening to “This Love (Taylor’s Version),” but it was nothing special. It sounds similar to most of Taylor’s other music.

Doja Cat — ‘Vegas’ ★★★☆☆

Although I’m not usually a fan of Doja Cat or her music, her recently-released single, ‘Vegas,’ which is to be featured in the movie “ELVIS,” isn’t that bad. In this new song, Doja Cat was able to express frustration without a whiny, screechy voice. Throughout the song, the fast-paced rapping is interspersed with a slower chorus. The varied pacing makes the song more interesting to listen to and keeps the listener on their toes. Some of the lyrics include clever wordplay, which adds more intrigue. On the other hand, most of the lyrics are confusing and meaningless. Since the song was written for a movie that hasn’t been released yet, the lack of context combined with the nonsensical lyrics make it difficult to figure out what the song is really about. There are some allusions to female empowerment throughout the song, particularly the empowerment of women in sexual situations. It would be a bit of a stretch to say I enjoyed listening to this song, but I didn’t hate it.