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.
“LUNCH” — Billie Eilish ★★★★★
Eilish’s new album “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” was released this past week, with 10 tracks, one of which being the song “LUNCH.” This track follows Eilish’s coming out as queer last year, and the lyrics guide the listener through her love and appreciation for an unnamed woman. The sharp and steady beat throughout the song is so lovely paired with her soft vocals. The lyrics add a sultry vibe to the track, with verses like “I could eat that girl for lunch, Yeah, she dances on my tongue” and “Tell her, ‘Bring that over here’, You need a seat? I’ll volunteer.” The metaphorical use of food in place of the woman Eilish is head over heels for makes perfect sense for the song itself, and is so pleasant to listen to. I also love the background story to the making of this song, as Eilish stated that writing this track helped her be comfortable in her sexuality. I find it beautiful that she was able to create this sensual and passionate song while coming into her queerness. Overall, this song is easily a chill summer bop and I absolutely loved it. The rest of her new album is jam packed with other 10/10’s and I highly recommend anyone giving them all a listen.
“Grateful” — ZAYN ★★★★★
ZAYN coming out with a new album after three years was the highlight of my year, and his album, “ROOM UNDER THE STAIRS,” cannot be overlooked. Out of the 15 tracks, “Grateful” stood out immediately with its orchestral opening and his strong vocals with the first verse. This song is a heartfelt display of affection towards his daughter. With a steady drum beat throughout, he easily harmonizes various lines of gratefulness — hence the title. After these past few years of fatherhood, it is obvious that his daughter has truly influenced and inspired ZAYN’s songwriting side once again. I loved lyrics such as “I know that you’re mine and I’m cryin’” and “Feel like I’m finding new addiction” because they embody the true love he has for his child. His vocals were top tier as they usually are, and paired with the instrumental, “Grateful” is a masterpiece. Being a fan of ZAYN from his One Direction days, seeing him come this far and release new music now, especially this song dedicated to his daughter, Khai, it’s beautiful. The entire album was a lovely listen, hearing his voice again after so long was such a pleasant experience. I suggest taking the three minutes to listen to “Grateful,” as it was such a beautiful song, and I surely recommend the entirety of his new album.
“Chase It (Mmm Da Da Da)” — Bebe Rexha ★★☆☆☆
Bebe Rexha released her newest single “Chase It (Mmm Da Da Da)” on May 17 with a techno, house music type vibe. It has all the classic electric notes, anti-drops in the chorus, and eventual beat drops to more electric sounds. There aren’t many lyrics to listen to, as a majority of the song is her repeated “Mmm Da Da Da” and just techno beats. It’s clear this song was made for a club atmosphere, as the other limited lyrics explain a night of fun that Rexha does not want to leave, with lines like “I won’t leave alone tonight.” This song missed the mark for me. I’m not the biggest house music person myself, so that may influence my dislike towards this track, but I found the song pretty boring. I know plenty of other party songs that had way more effort put into lyricism that this song lacked. The song is only two and half minutes long, and yet the same six sentences were repeated over and over again. Overall, there isn’t much to this new Bebe Rexha release, therefore it doesn’t deserve more than two stars from me. With annoying instrumentals, boring and repetitive lyrics, and unoriginality all around, I wouldn’t recommend “Chase It (Mmm Da Da Da).” The track is a waste of time and there are much better electric-type songs and Bebe Rexha songs out there.
