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.

The Weeknd — ‘Double Fantasy’ ft. Future ★★★★☆

Giving listeners a sneak peak into the twisted, Hollywood love story drama, “The Idol” the Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) released a dark, synth-packed single to capture the vibe of the upcoming show, which is set to air June 4. Tesfaye collaborated as well as reunited with Future, who was featured on Tesfaye’s 2016 album “Starboy.” I really enjoyed this track, it has a very different feel than what has been released as of recently. It presents a mix of Tesfaye’s older music like “Kiss land” but also has more pop-like tones that are similar in “Dawn FM.” It definitely has suggestive and dark lyrics, but the disco-esque sounds seem to cancel it out and it definitely parallels what the series is going to showcase. Although I don’t think I can listen to this song on repeat like I do with The Weeknds’ other songs, I will definitely give it another couple listens. 

KAYTRAMINÉ — ‘4EVA’ ft. Pharrell Williams ★★★★☆

New musical duo KaytrAminé, composed of record producer Kaytranada and rapper Aminé, recently dropped a taste of summer in their new self-titled, joint album, “KaytrAminé.” I personally haven’t listened to a ton of either artists’ music. I mean I’ve certainly dabbled in a couple of the popular songs but nothing major, so I was excited to listen to some fresh voices. Although the song is relatively short, the pairs’ vocals meshed really well together along with the upbeat, flowy backtrack of the song “4EVA.” As a listener, it sounds like Kaytranada understands Aminé’s vocals so this collaboration consequently works seamlessly. I can definitely see myself streaming this album all summer just based on this one song and I am excited to hear the rest of the tracklist. 

Jonas Brothers — ‘Waffle House’ ★★★★☆

As a child who grew up in the mid-2000’s and was obsessed with Disney Channel, the Jonas Brothers were an essential aspect of my childhood. Now throughout the years, my avid listening to them did phase out but I still admire each of them and how far they’ve come. Their new “happy-go-lucky” single released just in time for the warm weather. The song itself gives off an awfully nostalgic feel and the brothers’ vocals, as always, sound great together. As their sixth studio album “The Album” released May 12, this comforting single sets the stage for a lively and bubbly tracklist. While the Jonas Brothers aren’t a group I typically keep up with anymore, I really enjoyed this song and will definitely be listening to it this season of warm weather.