CommRadio Weekly Playlist: Oct. 16

Here, members of the Arts and Entertainment Department will talk about the songs that dominated their playlists during the week and what makes them so good.

“Plastic Bag” -Ed Sheeran

Ever since Ed Sheeran released “Autumn Variations” at the end of September, a couple of songs from the album have been on repeat for me.

“Plastic Bag” is by far my favorite, with an airy opening guitar strum that greatly resembles “Little Things” by One Direction, which Sheeran wrote.

The song builds up and swells in the chorus, where Sheeran sings “Saturday night, it’s giving me a reason to rely on the strobe lights.”

It’s reminiscent of the time when weekend nights were sacred for Sheeran, and that’s currently how I feel as a college student.

I can’t really tell if the song is happy or sad since the music is uplifting but the lyrics slowly unravel themselves and reflect Sheeran’s shame in his decision-making.

I’m a sucker for songs with contrasting music and lyrics and also lyrically-driven songs in general.

“Plastic Bag” is the perfect song for fall, and my top song of October so far. – Kaitlyn Murphy

“A-O-K” - Tai Verdes

Whether it is driving down the highway with the windows down or singing this song with 43,000 of your closest friends, “A-O-K” is the perfect tune if you just want to vibe and feel good.

Tai Verdes said that he just wanted to make people feel two percent better, and his song does a really good job doing just that. The song was released back in 2021, a time when happiness wasn’t always the most common emotion.

The uplifting instrumentals have you feeling your best from the very start of the song. It is so catchy that it’ll stay in your head for days. I’ve found myself humming the song multiple times while writing this piece.

“A-O-K” has become popular in Philadelphia recently as Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott has been using it as his walk-up song. When the crowd sings along, you know it’s a song that a lot of people love.

Part of his album, “TV”, “A-O-K” is Verdes’ most listened-to song on Spotify with over 348 million streams. – Anthony Desher

“American Boyfriend” - Kevin Abstract

“American Boyfriend” is one of my favorite songs ever, and I find myself listening to it over and over again every fall.

“American Boyfriend” is track 14 of Kevin Abstract’s 2016 album “American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story." Not only is it a gorgeous song to listen to, but it has a heartfelt and emotional story behind it.

I love everything about this song. From Abstract’s amazing vocals to his ingenious use of instrumentals, the atmosphere of “American Boyfriend” is nothing short of dreamy.

My favorite part of the song is the outro, where Abstract repeats the lyric “You’re my American boy," dragging out the “my." Something about the way he sings this and layers it with soft guitar and backing vocals is truly beautiful.

“American Boyfriend” gives me chills every time I listen, and the slow tempo of the song allows for a relaxing ambiance that is perfect for any mood I may be in.

If glitter made noise, this song is what I’d imagine it to sound like. - Sarah Gavlak

Kaitlyn Murphy is a second-year majoring in journalism. To contact her, email kvm6255@psu.edu.

Anthony Desher is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email acd5698@psu.edu.

Sarah Gavlak is a second-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact her, please email sng5393@psu.edu.