Weekly Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0gVk4FoeoIIoPcRRP8AooR?si=bb827eb989bb47b7 

Daija’s picks

1. Alix Page – “Stripes”
2. boygenius – “Ketchum, ID”
3. Beyoncé – “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM”

“Stripes” explores the subject of breaking up with someone but still having an article of their clothing that was left behind and wondering if you should give it back. Page knows that her former partner loves stripes but now that the relationship is over, she is realizing they never did anything to deserve the shirt. The single is mostly a guitar instrumental but picks up during the bridge, which is arguably the best part of the song.

Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus are solo indie musicians who decided to form boygenius in 2018 and released the self-titled EP that features “Ketchum, ID.” All three musicians are known for their melancholy lyrics and sad melodies, and their joint EP wasn’t any different. Throughout the song, each singer gets their own verse, but all voices combine for the chorus in a beautiful harmony with three different sounds. 

“AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM” is from Beyoncé’s recent album “RENAISSANCE” which was released last month; and yet, not a day goes by where I don’t listen to it. It is the perfect summer song when you want to be out all night dancing and having fun with your friends. When the tracklist was released, a lot of people thought this song was going to be a political statement, but it seems the only statement Beyoncé is making is that people aren’t dancing enough, which is something we need after the past two years.

Laqes’s picks

1. Troye Sivan – “FOOLS”
2. Charlie Puth – “Dangerously” 
3. Katy Perry – “The One That Got Away”

“FOOLS,” by Troye Sivan, was on the album “Blue Neighbourhood” released in 2015. The song is about forbidden love and wanting the relationship to work so badly; but in the end, there is only disappointment. You blame yourself because only fools fall in love with someone they cannot be with. 

“Dangerously,” the heartbroken song by Charlie Puth, aired on the album “Nine Track Mind” in 2016. The song is about a relationship he had with a person he loved deeply. He went to extremes to get her to love him, but he realized that it was never her intention to love him back. 

“The One That Got Away” is a song by Katy Perry about lost love and was released in 2010 on the album Teenage Dream. This song on the Hot 100, peaked at #4 and became the sixth #1 on the radio Billboard Pop Songs chart. “The One That Got Away” is about the moment you promise someone you will love them forever, but it never happens. 

Kyron’s picks

1. Marshmello, Khalid – “Numb” 
2. NAV, Lil Baby, Travis Scott – “Never Sleep (with Lil Baby feat. Travis Scott)”
3. Lil Uzi Vert – “GLOCK IN MY PURSE”

“Numb” is undoubtedly an anthem to start a great weekend of festivities, whether it be a party, relaxation or even some house cleaning. It is catchy and the vocals of Marshmello and Khalid are impressive. 

NAV, Lil Baby and Travis Scott have collaborated with each other before, so the tempo of “Never Sleep” is very familiar and expected. The song is about hard work and enjoying the fruits of labor. Most notably, NAV’s chorus and verse are standout pieces of the song.

“GLOCK IN MY PURSE” is the eighth track on the artist’s most recent EP, “RED & WHITE”. The song has a good beat and the chorus is catchy but does not offer much substance. However, there is something special in the second verse in which Uzi briefly talks about his relationship with his father. At the end of the verse, he expresses his hope of his father being proud of him.