Singles Roundup: April 8

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

“Karma” - JoJo Siwa

JoJo Siwa teased her new single, “Karma” for over a month, and to say the absolute least… it was overhyped.

There is only so much promo you can do for one song, without basically releasing the whole song. Siwa released so many parts of the song on her social media that the only thing to look forward to was the video.

The music video is absolutely wild. A large number of women dressed in sparkly leotards dance on an island until Siwa jumps into the water ready to play mermaids.

Lots of thrusting from Siwa, clearly trying to show she is in her new era.

The biggest questions after listening to this song are as follows: Did Siwa consider the fact that this song will forever be second to Taylor Swift’s “Karma?” And is this song about ex-girlfriend Avery Cyrus?

Siwa and Cyrus’ relationship was very public on social media, specifically when it ended.

It would make a lot of sense for this song to be about that incident due to the fact that Siwa and Cyrus both rushed out of that relationship and did bad things, maybe even “effed around” as stated in the song.

Siwa made some bold moves dropping this song. While it is debatably terrible, she is still iconic. -Savannah Swartz

“After Hours” - Kehlani

Kehlani is an American singer who gained recognition after competing in America’s Got Talent with their former band, Poplyfe. Since then she has released seven solo albums and has been nominated for two Grammys.

Her new single, “After Hours” was a sensational song. Its rhythm really gets the body swaying…and it’s hard to stop.

Kehlani has such a smooth and unique timbre. While she has been compared to Ariana Grande, they have distinct voices. However, the style is very similar production-wise.

The one flaw of this song is the line, “In a room full of strangers, different faces” has no repetition. Every other line of the pre-chorus has a repeated word.

For example, “You came here on your own (own), own (own), own (own).” The flow is just a little obstructed.

All in all, this release was a vibe. Besides the lyric hitch, “After Hours” was flawless. No complaints about the overall production.

Tune into Kehlani’s “After Hours” on any major streaming service now! -Isabel Sweet

"Nightmare" - Cody Ko, Young Nut

To start, this song is absolutely hilarious. It has the same vibe as “Not Going Home,” which Cody Ko released in 2023 and started his dance and electronica era of music.

This song has some of the funniest lyrics of all time, such as “I just threw up on my brand new shirt/Tried to wash it off but it just got worse.”

Ko is an accomplished DJ in Las Vegas, so it's obvious that his recent music has been songs applicable to his sets.

Fans reminisce about the long-loved era of “Tiny Meat Gang” and the comedy rap Ko and Noel Miller made. However, as Ko evolves into a father and man, his fans will always support him with whatever he creates.

This single is perfect to play at any club or bar, as it blends in as normal house music, but certain individuals will hear the lyrics and laugh. It’s almost like a secret language with the party-goers who also watch YouTube commentary. -Grace Bowman

Savannah Swartz is a third-year majoring in communications. To contact her, email sms9072@psu.edu.

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

Grace Bowman is a third-year majoring in biology. To contact her, emailgab5585@psu.edu.