Singles Round Up: Nov. 6

Singles Round Up – The Arts and Entertainment Department takes a look at some of the recently released singles from the past week.

The new five-piece all-female group from the United Kingdom, The Last Dinner Party, dropped their fourth single of the year, “On Your Side,” on Friday.

Compiling songs over the past few months, “On Your Side” was released alongside their latest three singles – “My Lady of Mercy,” “Sinner” and “Nothing Matters” – which happen to be their only officially released songs.

The airy vocals have a posh twang as lead singer Abigail Morris drives the indie love song. Hopeful lyrics like “When it’s 4 a.m. and your heart is breakin’ I will hold your hands to stop them from shakin’,” are complemented by a steady backbeat and reverberated guitar harmonies.

The first verse receives special treatment as Morris staccatos her notes to replicate the tempo change in the drums.

Just under four and a half minutes, “On Your Side” spends the final minute and a half with ethereal instrumentals mixed with cricket noises that could be confused for gasps of air.

Slower than the other singles they’ve released, “On Your Side” shows a lot of promise for the supposed album The Last Dinner Party seems to be creating. Though an extremely new group, The Last Dinner Party will easily grow in popularity in the indie-rock community. - Megan Kelby

“Don’t Get Mad, Get Famous” - Bonnie McKee

If Bonnie McKee’s name doesn’t sound familiar, it should. While her personal songs aren’t as popular, she has written some of the biggest hits in the last two decades, from Katy Perry’s “California Gurls” to Britney Spears’ “Gasoline”.

As a solo artist, McKee released her first album, Trouble in 2004. However, she began to write music after her label dropped her. Luckily, in 2013, McKee was given another chance at her dream.

This leads us to “Don’t Get Mad, Get Famous”. This single was honestly disappointing. It was just under a minute and a half long and was poorly written.

While McKee’s voice was nice, it was very generic. It sounded like a mix of every artist she’s ever worked with. While not necessarily a bad thing, it didn’t make her unique.

Furthermore, her lyrics, to put it truthfully, were dumb. They had no substance and literally were saying to “get famous”.

Overall, this single was undeniably catchy, but it lacked a lot of qualities that make for a good song. Take your chances, and maybe give it a listen. - Isabel Sweet

“Killing Me” - Conan Gray

Conan Gray announced his new single “Killing Me” on Oct. 13, 2023, and that it would be released on Halloween. Honestly, this is one of Gray’s most iconic singles and songs, not just for the lyrics and instrumental, but also for the story behind the creative process.

Conan has been very outspoken about his romantic life, but he essentially did a tell-all on his personal TikTok account about the situation that created this insane single. This video consisted of him telling us he kissed his “situationship," and got ghosted by them. It doesn’t end there though, as Gray proceeded to get the flu, which became a sinus infection, which began chronic tonsillitis for 6 months.

How does this story make the single “Killing Me” though? Conan wrote this song about how this illness from a romantic partner caused him to require surgery on his tonsils. The lyrics say “I am cryin’ and bleedin’ and barely breathin’” and it's obvious in context that Gray means this literally.

Along with this crazy origin of the song, the song was leaked a couple of days before it was supposed to come out. This song is truly Gray’s worst nightmare, as it seems like nothing has gone right at all.

Through all the trials, the song is an absolute Halloween masterpiece and gives a similar vibe as “Thriller” by Micheal Jackson. Gray had the right intentions of releasing this song on Halloween, as the spooky atmosphere enhanced the experience.

This single is the 3rd that’s been released after his most recent album “Superache,” leading to the hypothesis that a new Conan Gray album may be announced soon. Gray seems to be healed from his surgery, and it’s obvious this illness has enhanced his creative process. -Grace Bowman

“God of Music” - Seventeen

Seventeen, the K-pop boy group sensation, released their 11th mini album on Monday with the lead single, “God of Music.”

The title of the track is full of confidence and sets high expectations for the song but Seventeen continues to deliver and elevate their music every time.

The song is beyond refreshing and dazzling and exudes the Seventeen spirit of those fun-festival vibes. It is infectious and just makes you want to dance.

K-pop music tends to stray away from a classic upbeat pop song, which is ironic considering the name of the genre, but Seventeen never fails to differentiate itself and try something outside of the box.

Woozi, lead producer and member of the group has a specific style of writing that transcends language and can convey the message of the song even if you don’t know Korean.

The dance performance brings such high energy that only increases the fun-festival dynamic of the song. - Madison Rush

Megan Kelby is a fourth-year majoring in journalism. To contact her, email her at mkk5701@psu.edu.

Isabel Sweet is a second-year majoring in communications. To contact her, email ips5219@psu.edu

Grace Bowman is a third-year majoring in biology and minoring in psychological sciences. To contact her, email gab5585@psu.edu

Madison Rush is a second-year majoring in public relations. To contact her, email mkr5957@psu.edu.