CommRadio Weekly Playlist: Sept. 4

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.

“Coffee” - Miguel

The world Miguel paints through “Coffee” is one where I want to go as soon as possible. Even with the first chord struck and lyrics sung, I feel like my body would be levitating if gravity weren’t in the picture.

In the fourth track off of his album “Wildheart,” Miguel talks about the small things that he notices in his relationship with his partner. I would describe their connection as something that was once casual, but he’s become enraptured by the mundane aspects of them together.

“I don’t want to wake you / I just wanna watch you sleep / It’s the smell of your hair / And it’s the way we feel / I’ve never felt comfortable like this.” Imagine someone saying this about you. It’s a rom-com in a song, and it will be on all of my playlists for the foreseeable future. – Chloe Rey

“Spotless” - Zach Bryan featuring The Lumineers

Zach Bryan has been the talk of the town with the recent release of his self-titled album.

One of my favorite songs on this album is “Spotless,” which includes a feature by The Lumineers.

This collaboration is a dream come true for me, and apparently for Zach Bryan as well.

Zach Bryan admitted to sending the famous band a message a few years ago about him being their fan. “Dear Lumineers, you guys are my all-time favorite band. Your music has touched me down to my very core,” Bryan said.

I think it was only fate that these two magnificent musicians combined their talents.

They sing, “Your heart knows deeper seasons than my eyes ever will / I'm a self-destructive landslide if you wanna be the hill.”

Zach Bryan is quite unique in his lyricism, and tends to give the listener a glimpse into his soul through his music.

This song remains on repeat while I fight with Ticketmaster to try and buy tickets. – Allie Scaggs

“Hold My Breath” - Post Malone

Post Malone produced a ton of hits with his newest album “AUSTIN,” but “Hold My Breath” is one of my favorites.

“Hold My Breath” is slow and soft, and tells an emotional story while showcasing Malone’s gentle vocals. I love that this song can be listened to and interpreted differently by different people.

I really enjoy the repeated lyric “Don’t waste my time” that is sung during the chorus. This line is an especially emotional line because of the way it’s sung. It feels like something special, and I think Malone sings it with a lot of passion.

“Hold My Breath” is a ballad, which I love hearing from Malone. Its instrumentals remind me of “Feeling Whitney,” a song from his 2016 album “Stoney.” “Hold My Breath” is a calm song amid an album with many upbeat songs, which makes it stand out to me.

“AUSTIN,” released on July 28, 2023, is full of amazing songs, but “Hold My Breath” is one that I wasn’t expecting to be so good. It's stuck with me since listening for the first time, and I’ll definitely continue to listen to this song for a long time. – Sarah Gavlak

“Hits Different”- Taylor Swift

“Hits Different” is the long-awaited bonus track on Taylor Swift’s tenth studio album, “Midnights,” and was finally put on streaming.

The song is about Swift looking at a past relationship and how it’s harder to move on because instead of it being a guy she didn’t really care for, it’s the love of her life.

It’s arguably one of the best songs on “Midnights,” a synth-wave pop album with nods to 80’s influences in the music.

There’s one line that gets me everytime I listen to it: “and sense of belief / In the good in the world, you once believed in me.”

Swift says that if the guy believed in the good in the world, then he also believed that Swift was a good person, but his beliefs changed, and Swift no longer believes that she’s inherently a good person.

“Hits Different” and its counterpart, “You’re Losing Me,” are the masterpieces for the so-called “argumentative antithetical dream girls” and “pathological people-pleasers” and for the people who believe they are truly the worst people in the world.

“Hits Different” rounds out a perfectly constructed album for the self-saboteurs of the world. – Adrianna Gallucci

Chloe Rey is a second-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact her, email ckr5449@psu.edu.

Allie Scaggs is a second-year majoring in communications. To contact her, email ajs9412@psu.edu.

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

Adrianna Gallucci is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email amg7989@psu.edu.