Friday, March 29, 2024

Weekly Track Roundup – 11/9

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Graphic by Nick Hardin / Contributing Writer 

One of the most exciting parts of every week is “New Music Fridays.” Every Friday, new albums and singles are released across all streaming platforms for music lovers to consume. The goal of this weekly column is to break down a number of singles that are released on a given Friday and distinguish which tracks I think are the best, the ones that are average and the ones that are simply not good at all. The good thing about this column is that it will not just cover a single genre of music, but it will explore many different realms of the music world, giving you a chance to come across new music discoveries.

Best Tracks of the Week

These are the tracks that I enjoyed the most out of all the singles I listened to this week and can see myself playing on repeat.

  1. “Just Slide” by Harry Hudson x Jaden Smith – Far and away the best single I heard this week. This song blew me away. Everything from a production standpoint to vocals, to the performances from both artists. I have never really listened to Harry Hudson before this track, but I will tell you this song definitely made me want to check out his other stuff. I am a pretty big fan of Jaden Smith as well, and I love his creativity. This track is soothing to the soul and is a must-listen for music fans.
  2. “BAD” by XXXTentacion – The unexpected death of XXXTentacion has still not gotten any easier for me, and I am sure this is the same for many other fans as well. A young talent gone way too soon, XXXTentacion never fails to give us attractive content. This song is no exception to that rule as I found myself enjoying this track. Just announced on Thursday, there will be a new XXXTentacion album released on Dec. 7, titled “Skins.” The album will be 10 tracks long with a runtime of just 17 minutes.
  3. “Overseas” by Desiigner x Lil Pump – I will not lie: When I stumbled across this track, I mentally prepared myself and told myself that I would probably hate this, and it would likely end up on my “Worst Tracks Of The Week” section. Well, as you can tell, I had the exact opposite experience here. With glossy production and a bassline that hits so hard. Mix that with a very unique back and forth rapping style between both Desiigner and Lil Pump throughout the track, and this actually made for a highly enjoyable, super fun song that is sure to sound good in the whip.

Meh Tracks of the Week

These were the tracks that I did not hate but I also did not love. Some of these tracks I may revisit at some point, and others I may not.

  1. “Toxic Waste” by Trippie Redd – I personally do not love Trippie Redd, but I also do not hate him. He is bearable, unlike some of these other new so-called “rappers” out today. He has a few tracks to his discography that I enjoy, some that are hard to sit through and then some that are pretty average. This song is one of those that is just pretty average. I did not hate the track at all, but at the same time, I will not be listening to it constantly either. I do like this version of Trippie a lot though. Using a more laid-back, guitar-type beat, he was able to display his strong voice and vocal range on this track, which I dug a lot.
  2. “Play The Part” by ROLE MODEL – New artist ROLE MODEL released his infectious new single, “Play The Part,” on Friday, the first from his upcoming debut album. This track is highly enjoyable, and the kid has a new fan in me. The song’s chorus is super memorable with lyrics such as “Are you nice because you’re nice, or are you nice because you need something?” This is a situation I feel that mostly everyone has dealt with. We all have encountered those people who are not genuine but are just using us to get things out of us. This song tells a great story and speaks on this idea while still maintaining its uniqueness and character. I look forward to hearing more from ROLE MODEL soon.
  3. “Armed And Dangerous” by Juice WRLD – The emergence of Juice WRLD really began over the summer when he released his hit single, “Lucid Dreams,” which peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Since then, Juice WRLD’s career has taken off, and his fan base continues to grow by the day. Outside of “Lucid Dreams,” I really have not dove into his music catalog, but I figured I would give this track a shot. I am glad I did. By no means was it an exceptional song, but it was not terrible. Juice WRLD definitely has a lot of talent and knows how to make a hit. I will be interested to see if he can continue his rise in the musical realm moving forward.

Worst Tracks of the Week

These were the tracks that just were not doing it for me. I simply did not enjoy the tracks listed below, and I will not be revisiting them anytime soon.

  1. “thank u, next” by Ariana Grande – Honestly, the title of this song is exactly what goes through my mind when this track starts. I might catch some flack for this, but this song is entirely overrated. Her tribute in the chorus to her deceased ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller, is easily the coolest part of this song; better yet, it is the only cool part of this song. The rest of the track just falls flat and is rather boring from both a production and vocal standpoint. The best thing about this track is easily the Twitter memes that are being produced as a result of the hook featured here on the song. “One taught me love, one taught me patience, one taught me pain.” You know the meme.

  2. “Chances” by Backstreet Boys – In only their second release since 2014, the Backstreet Boys are back, but is that a good thing? I think it is great that the guys are still together and doing what they love, but honestly the music just is not there anymore. This track was okay but definitely is not something that is going to hook you and leave you wanting more. I think I will just continue to listen to their old stuff.

  3. “Hurts Like Hell” by Madison Beer x Offset – What happens when you get an average, unoriginal female pop star on the same track with the worst member of Migos you might ask? Well, they end up on the “Worst Tracks Of The Week” list. This song is just another one of your basic pop radio hits about teenage heartbreak that every 14-year-old girl will probably love and sing in their car at the top of their lungs. However, I will choose to sing my heart out to other things that came out this week. To be more specific, something that does not feature Offset, please?

To contact Lifestyles Editor Sydney Wagner, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com.

For more updates, follow us at www.mtsusidelines.com, on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines and on Twitter at @Sidelines_Life.

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