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.

Shawn Mendes — ‘Heartbeat’ ★★★★☆

From the new movie “Lyle Lyle Crocodile,” came “Heartbeat” by Shawn Mendes. Right off the bat, this song sounded very ordinary and familiar. I felt like I had heard hundreds of songs just like it before. As the song went on, I grew more and more fond of it. It has a very lighthearted feel to it and seems childish in a sweet way. It tells a cute love story that progresses throughout the song. Background instrumentals pick up about half way through and the tooting and blaring of trumpets give the song a formal vibe. I would listen to this song on a bike ride during a warm spring day, or perhaps on a hike to a hidden romantic location. I would recommend this song to anyone who loves a cute and upbeat tune with undertones of love. 

Lil Yachty —  ‘Poland’ ★☆☆☆☆

This song does not even deserve one star. I was thoroughly disappointed by the atrocity of both the lyrics and the melody. It was lacking in any creativity and was incredibly repetitive. I would even wager to say that it is one of the worst songs that I have ever heard in my life. I was hoping for a somewhat pleasant ending to make up for the rest of the song but yet again, I was let down. The whiny singing and subpar beat give the song a distressing tone. There was no story line throughout the song and the lyrics felt very random. I do want to mention that this song was leaked on Soundcloud before the intended release date so I want to give Lil Yachty the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he was not finished with the song and was planning to make some improvements before releasing it to the general public because I cannot fathom how this song would be considered ready to release. I definitely would not recommend it. 

Sorry — ‘Let The Lights On’ ★★★☆☆

Imagine yourself making beaded friendship bracelets with your besties. This song encapsulates that feeling. It feels very indie and has a hint of alternative woven throughout. Though this wasn’t my favorite song ever, it was still quite pleasant. It talks about preserving your happiness and cherishing the relationships in your life. I thoroughly enjoyed the lyrics but the beat could have been better. It felt as if the beat was the same as every other indie song, so what it lacked in uniqueness, it made up for in lyrics. Overall, this song is good the first few times you listen to it but after a couple of listens, the melody becomes bland and mediocre. It feels appropriate for the tween-age group and would be a good song for some chill time with friends.