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.
Kesha — ‘DELUSIONAL’ ★★☆☆☆
Grammy-nominated superstar Kesha drops a new, questionable single by her own record label called “DELUSIONAL.” This piece is a blast-from-the-past with the beat of the music resembling a mix of a video game introduction song and a Disney Channel introduction song. While the initial beat of the piece set me off on the wrong foot, the song’s message was made clear through Kesha’s careful lyricism. With captivating lyrics such as “thank God you walked out that door” and her key phrase, “baby, you’re delusional thinking you could find someone better now,” allow listeners to hear Kesha’s take on false impressions in relationships. Listeners begin to understand Kesha’s internal thoughts through her vocal echoes toward the end of the piece. While the piece’s message is made clear through the lyrics, I wonder if this piece would be better off as a slower, more indie-like piece. The pop aspect of this piece takes away the key component of connection. Listening to this upbeat song about one’s delusions in a relationship and singing it in my car as if it is a “banger” would quite frankly make me cringe—I feel like I’m being pulled back to the 2000’s with the pop-like portrayal of these lyrics. Had the tone of the piece been changed, perhaps listeners would have had the opportunity to hear both a new side of Kesha and connect to a song with an important message.
Adrianne Lenker — ‘Feel Better’ ★★★★☆
In celebration of trans voices, American singer-songwriter from Plymouth, Minn., Adrienne Lenker releases “Feel Better” on TRAИƧA, a compilation featuring 100+ trans voices. This piece is a reminder of Lenker’s artistic greatness. Like many of her pieces, “Feel Better” feels like an aesthetic walk in the rain. The pacing of the piece, as well as the choice of string instruments used throughout the piece, keep listeners connected from start to finish. The harmonies on “doesn’t it feel better when you hold me near” and “searching through the day for someone so dear” demonstrate Lender’s vocal ability to make a piece of music shine with something so simple. With a combination of touching verbiage and exceptional yet transparent vocal choices, this piece was like a sprinkle of pixie dust on my heart. “Feel Better” is much like a lot of Lenker’s other pieces of music, however, as a fan of the artist and her varying songs, this one has its own shine. People who enjoy folk music that flows and doesn’t last too long would thoroughly enjoy Adrianne Lenker’s piece about love’s ability to grow friendships.
Miguel — ‘Always Time’ ★★★☆☆
A progressive R&B artist hitting the charts once again due to the public’s renewed interest in “Sure Thing,” Miguel releases a deeply personal single called “Always Time.” This piece is about a relationship that feels long-lasting and turns out to be unsalvageable. Initially, I thought this piece would be a spin on Bryson Tiller’s R&B style due to the single cover and I was mistaken the moment the piece began. “Always Time” starts simple and stays simple making the song easy to listen to. I didn’t feel like Miguel jumped around to convey a specific emotion, but he instead made unique and impressive vocal choices throughout the piece. This song made me feel as though I was sitting through an emotional movie scene after someone had just died, which is not a feeling I have experienced before when listening to music by Miguel. Compared to his other pieces, “Always Time” is a plot twist. As someone who is used to Miguel’s songs such as “Remind Me to Forget” and “Adorn,” which make my day suddenly feel rooted in upbeat reflection, “Always Time” was a different but not shocking mood-change for the artist. With that said, the tone of the piece felt a little slow—I would listen to it to update myself on Miguel and his music journey, but I’m not sure that I would add it to a playlist or listen to it all the way through again.
