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.
“Enough (Miami)” — Cardi B ★★★★☆
Winner of the 2019 Grammy for Best Rap Album, Cardi B released her single “Enough (Miami)” on Mar. 15. I am really impressed with this song and enjoyed listening to it. This song had so much energy, making it fun and entertaining to listen to. This song displays exactly who Cardi B is and what she brings into her music, being full of attitude and honesty. I think that is what makes her music different from a lot of other artists: she is entirely truthful and unapologetically honest, expressing all of her emotions and letting everyone know it. This song is about Cardi B not caring about what her haters think about her and instead focusing on herself and being confident in herself. I think this is a powerful message and something that everyone can listen and learn from. Her lyrics say, “I’m standing on business, I’m really about it. B****** be talkin’, mouth be bigger than they pockets. Girl, tell me about it, I’m litty, I’m pretty, I’m runnin’ the city.” This song encourages among listeners the idea of not caring what others say, especially those who only reflect negatively upon others. There is also a powerful message about being a girl boss, something really important for girls of all ages who listen to her music to learn to be. I admire that she continues to use her platform to produce music that expresses a message of confidence and self respect. Cardi B is a talented artist who has many popular songs and I can definitely see this one becoming another one of them — I see myself adding this song to my playlist and listening to it more.
“Alley Rose” — Conan Gray ★★★★☆
Conan Gray is an artist whose first album only came out four years ago. He has become very popular and pre-released his last single before his third album comes out on April 5. Overall this song is not the type of music I would listen to, reminding me of pop/rock 80s music like Elton John. I had to give it a couple more listens to understand it and I began to enjoy it much more. I thought the bridge was especially very powerful and the lyrics held a strong emotional message. Like many other songs with an emotional connection, “Alley Rose” is about missing and reminiscing about a past relationship. Gray repeats, “Don’t leave me hanging alone again, oh, where’d you go Alley Rose?” in the chorus. He is talking about feeling alone and desperate for someone. Similar to a lot of other artists, listeners enjoy Gray’s music because it is something they can relate to, giving them comfort. At some points in this song I felt the chorus did become a little repetitive, but I realized that is also what gave this song meaning and passion. Gray also demonstrates his unique vocals in this song, allowing us to feel his emotions being expressed. Something I enjoy about listening to Gray is how his music varies. Some of his songs like “Astronomy” evoke feelings of sadness, but other songs like “Maniac” are upbeat. The change in emotions in his songs is something I appreciate about his work. I do like other songs by Gray and I could see myself giving this one another listen in the future.
“Walk Like This” — FLO ★★★☆☆
FLO released their single “Walk Like This” on Mar. 8, a preview to their upcoming album. I have never heard of or listened to any songs by this British girl group before, but I like discovering new artists. Although I didn’t dislike this song, I wasn’t overly impressed. This R&B/pop song had catchy parts like the chorus, but other than that I thought it was overwhelming and repetitive at some points. I thought the vocals of this single were decent but nothing stood out to me too much. It was a very upbeat hype song and I could definitely see it being featured on the radio, especially in the summer. Something I did enjoy about this song is the background vocals. I think FLO did a good job on using all three girls’ voices during the entire song and I can hear everyone’s voices emerge, creating a variety of voices that kept me entertained. I thought the message and lyrics of the song held no important meaning, which is something that really contributes to listeners’ connection to the song and artist. With a little more time, this girl group could produce very catchy and popular songs, attracting a larger fan base. Overall I didn’t mind listening to this song, but I don’t think I’ll add it to my playlist or look to play it in the future.
