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.

Yves Tumor — ‘God Is a Circle’ ★★★★☆ 

Yves Tumor is a popular alternative/indie singer and his newest single doesn’t disappoint. I haven’t been a fan of alternative music in the past, but this song might change that for me. The various screams, pants and car screeching is something I wasn’t prepared for when I first hit play, but by the end of the song I was really into it. At some points, it does become very loud and if that’s something that bothers you, I wouldn’t suggest it. The lyrics also get drowned out by the background music frequently and it is hard to tell what the artist is trying to say. I’m going to check out more of his music in the future, but I hope his other songs have a little less screaming and a little more lyrical components. 

Joji — ‘Die for you’ ★★★★★

Joji, a pop artist from Japan, has released his newest album, “Smithereens.” The third

track on the album, “Die for you,” is a slow paced song that starts out with birds chirping, water being poured and a soft, calming piano. Joji’s voice is very computerized, which is usually a turn off in music, but in this song it works nicely as it contrasts greatly with the soft beat. The song’s lyrics “I heard that you’re happy without me and I hope it’s true” and “It kills me a little, that’s okay ‘cause I’d die for you” remind me of a one-sided breakup where the hurt is still fresh, but the love is still there. I enjoyed listening to this song and the meaning behind the lyrics is very relatable. I can’t wait to hear more from Joji. 

P!nk — ‘Never Gonna Not Dance Again’ ★★☆☆☆

P!nk is a very talented artist. However, in her newest single “Never Gonna Not Dance Again” I felt her talent was wasted. The song feels like it was produced for a children’s animated movie and the message doesn’t feel very authentic — more like an Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated pop song. I’m usually an admirer of pop, but this song feels too peppy. Although I’m not a big fan of this song, I can appreciate that it could be a good song to dance to at a middle school dance or in your room at midnight when you need a pick-me-up. As always, P!nk’s beautiful vocals shine through but they are overshadowed by the tacky beat and inauthentic lyrics. “One thing I’m never going to do is throw away my dancing shoes” and “I’m just going to pop and lock to my records” are just some of the cringey lyrics. The idea of the song — wishing to stay young forever — is overdone. If P!nk wanted to write a song based on this theme she should’ve taken a different, more unique approach.