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.
U2 — ‘Atomic City’ ★★★★★
The ultra-famous Irish rock band U2 has released their first original new song in two years. The track is named after Las Vegas, where they are doing a residency at the newly constructed Sphere at their U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere concert. They were originally going to stay for two weeks, but following the record setting launch and 9 sold out shows in a row, they have scheduled 11 more dates. U2’s guitarist The Edge recently said that he wanted U2 to lead a “resurgence of guitars” in pop music. Their new song “Atomic City” shows that he can certainly walk the walk and not just talk the talk. The song features staccato verses and a high-energy chorus in which Bono (the lead singer) sings: “If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough.” I’m not entirely sure what he is trying to say with his lyrics, but seeing as they’re about Las Vegas, sometimes called the City of Dreams, odds are he is talking about what it’s like to go to or be in Las Vegas. Go big or go home is the heart of this song and the city it describes.
Offset & Cardi B — ‘Jealousy’ ★★☆☆☆
Offset and Cardi B collaborated on the song “Jealousy” on the newly released album “Set It Off,” which dropped Oct. 13. This is Offset’s first solo LP in four years, and was supposed to be a sort of spiritual return to his roots, a thank you to his home and the place of his humble beginnings. This song has a fast beat, but it’s more aggressive than anything else. The lyrics seem to be yelling at someone. I don’t know much about rap, Offset or Cardi B, but I think Offset is accusing Cardi B, his spouse, of being jealous of him and calling him a cheater (which implies that he says he’s not). About halfway through the song, the singer switches to Cardi, and her lyrics seem to be directed at women who want her husband, and she makes it quite verbally clear to whoever she’s speaking to that she’s the queen and that anyone who wants him will have to go through her. Her attitude during the song implies that she’s confident that no one can get past her, even to the point of arrogance. This song is a battle and a challenge in musical form. It’s just a shame that it’s not my style.
Clairo — ‘Lavender’ ★★★☆☆
Clairo released the demo “Lavender” on Oct. 19. She is one of the top 500 artists on Spotify for those of you who haven’t heard of her before, like I hadn’t. It is a very relaxed song, featuring only guitar and vocals. The melody is gentle, slow, and reassuring. The lyrics are the same way — they reassure the listener, although of what I’m not exactly sure. However, my interpretation is that she’s playing the part of a girlfriend singing a lullaby to her partner. This lullaby is meant to reassure the partner that she’s not going anywhere, nor anyone going to take her or her heart away from the listener. This song is relaxing and calming to listen to, something you could listen to while falling asleep.
