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The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. We'll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too.

Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Serpentwithfeet ft. Sampha, Lil Silva: "Fellowship"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rld75JvoN48

  One of the first images we hear on "Fellowship" is a "breezy Sunday afternoon," and that's the vibe Serpentwithfeet continues throughout the entire tune, culminating with the wonderful chanted refrain, "I'm thankful for the love I share with my friends." As such, Sampha and Lil Silva are here, too, piling on the hook over a dreamy and lively instrumental. It's the first taste of Deacon, Serpentwithfeet's new album, due out March 26. "​I wanted to create something that felt calm and restrained," the artist said in a statement. "This was my way of tapping into the energy many deacons possess." —Patrick Hosken

• Dayglow: “Close to You”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otPB54Wxf5c

  Even in 2021, the fantasy of missed connections plays out in my mind constantly, with masked hotties I’ve projected my ideals upon at supermarkets, parks, outdoor restaurants, you name it. Nothing quite matches that nervous buzz of being just close enough to someone you admire to start a conversation, despite their complete nonchalance to your existence: “You just don't seem to wonder what you're doing when you're close to me,” Dayglow’s Sloan Struble mourns over happily thumping drums. The result of this one-player mind game is a cool dance-floor bop channeling that internal muttering in your head to just say something to your crush; “Close to You” makes the weighty temptation feel as bouncy and delightful as actually falling for them. —Terron Moore

• Blu DeTiger: “Vintage”

  https://youtu.be/r-ZBqiFrtDw

  A gummy bass line takes lead on "Vintage," the latest from 21-year-old New Yorker Blu DeTiger, whose skillful Fender-flicking flung her to TikTok superstardom with "Figure It Out" last year. The guitar gives the song a retro feeling, along with an almost analog-sounding, shout-singing choir on the refrain. That's when DeTiger admits she's got a passion for thrifting, recycling boys until she finds one that matches her silver Balenciaga boots. —Coco Romack

• Kinlaw: “Haircut”

  Brooklyn-based alt-pop act Kinlaw makes magic out of the mundane with “Haircut,” a sublime single off their forthcoming debut album The Tipping Scale. “There’s a rule,” they muse airily, “that when you cut off your hair / You let the old things go.” But Kinlaw, a queer dancer and choreographer-turned-singer-songwriter, knows nothing in life is quite that simple — and that’s a good thing. Between the track’s ethereal instrumentals, introspective lyrics, and Kinlaw’s eerily beautiful interpretative dancing in its accompanying visuals, “Haircut” makes a strong case for entertaining the what-ifs. —Sam Manzella

• Arlo Parks: "Bags" (Clairo cover)

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRVGdXLUTaU

  Two years after its release, Clairo's "Bags" remains a potent mining of inscrutable attraction and confusion, all beautifully sung by someone who's ready to be vulnerable but also terrified at that very prospect. It's also firmly sad in the indie-rock way, pulling from some emo hallmarks. That's what makes Arlo Parks's new take on the tune so invigorating — over a steady and calm backbeat, the British singer-songwriter unspools the song's drama in a completely stripped-down, late-night, turntable-spinning way. As on her new single "Hope," and across her impressive debut LP Collapsed in Sunbeams, Parks lets her voice lead, even as it's swaddled in piano accompaniment. The result is almost meditative, something to soundtrack your own pondering. —Patrick Hosken

• Murky Waters: “Alone”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8Tq-DRvuok

  It only took a few seconds for Murky Waters’s debut single to have me hooked. A string of curious piano plucks give way to a head-bobbing beat, and then of course, his voice comes in! The L.A.-based crooner has one of those instantly believable tones, carrying a weight that the listener can feel even on simple lyrics like “I’ve been lost all alone.” The somber single might be the product of a lonely daydream, but I’m along for the ride. —Carson Mlnarik

• Elle Winter: “Sad Girl Heaven”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqBjlmN5UWk

  It looks like June 2021 might not be the Hot Girl Summer we were envisioning, but I’ll settle for “Sad Girl Heaven” if New York pop singer Elle Winter is there. In her first release since debut EP Yeah, No., Winter returns more theatrical and confident than ever. Make no mistake: This dramatic, string-driven bop is an unabashed ode to toxic relationships, but Elle makes it sound so damn fun. “I miss crying, it’s exciting / I’m high when I’m low,” she begins, and suddenly I’m way deep into some unhealthy Instagram stalking. —Carson Mlnarik

• Deniz Love: “Talk to Me”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYGd39bHAjU

  Houston indie-pop singer Deniz Love has an interesting story. After an injury brought his path to professional soccer to an abrupt end, he turned to music and spirituality to find healing. Perhaps that’s why his new single “Talk to Me” sounds so heavenly. With meditative lyrics and a dreamlike chorus, Deniz asks to listen ­— and to be heard. As he charts the same reflective waters on his forthcoming debut EP, I’m sure his impassioned pleas won’t fall on deaf ears. —Carson Mlnarik

• Bonsai Mammal, Liz: “Supermodel” (RuPaul cover)

  It do take nerve to cover a RuPaul song, but electropop producer Bonsai Mammal and vocalist Liz prove they've got the guts and more with their sexy take on the legendary queen's 1993 breakthrough club smash “Supermodel." The sultry remix turns down the lights with breathy vocals and elements of '90s house, including a fierce saxophone that really gets the groove going. It's a fabulous homage to Ru's original cut primed for this moment of disco revival. Shantay you stay, Liz and Bonsai Mammal! —Zach O'Connor

Zayn’s most valuable asset has always been his voice. Throughout his four albums with One Direction, his falsetto memorably crested key moments of some of the band’s biggest singles, and “Zayn high notes” remains a popular YouTube search, yielding multiple videos with millions (and millions) of views. His first solo album, 2016’s Mind of Mine, found him weaponizing that instrument on maximalist, slightly mechanized pop that nevertheless occasionally buried his pipes under layers of production sheen. It’s a trend the singer stepped away from on 2018’s Icarus Falls, though the more intimate sonic moments hid inside a labyrinthine 30-song tracklist that unspooled over a languid 90 minutes.

That’s why Nobody Is Listening, Zayn’s third and most accessible album yet, feels like such a gear shift. Where debut single “Pillowtalk” boasts stadium drums he seems to have to shout over, his latest, “Vibez,” utilizes a breezy backbeat that recalls ’90s R&B — and that’s one of the LP’s more produced tracks. A song like “Connexion,” on the other hand, leaves plenty of open space between its acoustic strums and gentle snaps, room where Zayn can lean in as he sings about taking off his lover’s clothes and contemplates their spark.

That instrumentation came courtesy of Brooklyn production duo Zach Seman and Roger Kleinman — known as Zach & Roger — who aimed to build the stripped-back tune using as few separate instrumental tracks as possible, partly inspired by “Best Part” by Daniel Caesar and H.E.R. But it wasn’t fully complete without the finishing touches of Zayn himself. “In this particular case, we had an idea, and we sent it over to Zayn, and Zayn finished it and elevated it, added his magic, and then it was done,” Seman tells MTV News.

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. And this week, in honor of the holidays, we've compiled some of our favorite festive tunes to soundtrack all your snowy seasonal needs.

Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Girl in Red: “Two Queens in a King Sized Bed”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su9ABA6RcV8&feature=youtu.be

  Yes, I listen to Girl in Red, and you should, too. The Norwegian indie-rock ingenue is keeping the sapphics fed with “Two Queens in a King Sized Bed,” her Christmas-themed new cut. It’s a tender profession of love with earnest lyrics that conjure up the coziest of winter imagery (“Two queens in a king sized bed / like angels in the snow”). And that surrealist music video? Making the yuletide gay, indeed. —Sam Manzella

• The Beths: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Moz6XOAKK5U

  The best holiday song is also the most melancholy, and Kiwi outfit The Beths capture both the seasonal cheer and the wistfulness in their 2018 cover. Singer Elizabeth Stokes’s voice is as wam and mournful as a snow-capped morning when you realize the car actually won’t start. “Someday soon, we all will be together / If the fates allow” really hits different this year; if you can’t physically be with the people you love this month, know that you will be — someday soon. —Patrick Hosken

• Big Freedia ft: Flo Milli: “Better Be”

  https://youtu.be/QkJN-D8BuRM

  The bounce queen of New Orleans came to sleigh when she dropped her sizzling 2016 EP A Very Big Freedia Christmas and declared that "Santa Is a Gay Man." Now, like the ghost of dance halls past, Big Freedia’s back with her signature brand of bass-heavy, high-speed rap to make bells and car keys jingle with the booty-shaking holiday single, "Better Be." Joined by Flo Milli, she’s got a bad case of the "gimme gimmes" as she breaks down her Christmas list over an icy steel drum. "Better be big, better be new / Better be red bottom shoes," Freedia clarifies on the refrain. —Coco Romack

• Taylor Swift: “‘Tis the Damn Season”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuvhOD-mP8M

  If you ever needed a song to describe the very niche experience of hooking up with your high school boyfriend after seeing each other at your hometown bar around the holidays, Taylor Swift’s “‘Tis the Damn Season” is that song. “We could call it even / You could call me babe for the weekend / ’Tis the damn season” is nothing short of a read. However, in signature Swift fashion, she is able to find the humanity in moments that many would hope to forget and reflects on them in a sonically gorgeous, extremely raw, and a little melancholy way. The most specific songs are oftentimes the ones most universally felt. “‘Tis the Damn Season” is definitely one of them. —Sarina Bhutani

• Tori Amos: “Christmastide”

  https://youtu.be/Y_QVnBv4ufc

  Taylor Swift, you think you were the first witch to traverse through a snowy forest bathed in moonlight? Tori Amos’s music was made to be played on the winter solstice, a fact she cemented with her 2009 holiday album, Midwinter Graces. Now the piano siren has gifted us another present, Christmastide, a new four-track EP that says “’tis the season” with Tori’s signature emotional piano playing. The title track is the perfect Tori song: powerful and dramatic, yet soothing, reassuring us with lyrics like, “We all need to shine, and wake this Christmastide, side by side.” After a year like this, I would gladly sail away on a calm Christmastide. Tori, take the wheel! —Chris Rudolph

• Sufjan Stevens: “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T4iOy7vlps

  At the end of a hard year, let Sufjan Stevens’s take on this traditional French carol peacefully lull you into the long winter’s nap “Twas The Night Before Christmas” promised us. Stevens’s soft rasp and gentle guitar strumming invite you to get cozy, and it’s best enjoyed wrapped in a blanket, in a room lit only by twinkle lights, while sipping a warm beverage in an oversized mug. —Christina Beale

• Paige Gold: “What Christmas Means”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHNW1hBcjhQ

  Whether or not you’ve got a holiday hookup this Christmas, 17-year-old Paige Gold has a bop to put a little romance back in your season with “What Christmas Means.” After posting a short snippet of the optimistic tune to TikTok, she quickly garnered over 2 million views and knew she had to deliver with a full-length song. Normally, this kind of track would have you dancing around the mall while shopping, slipping a little something into your hot cocoa, or cozying up to someone new under the mistletoe. While we can’t do all that right now, thanks to a festive chorus of piano plunks, handclaps, jingle bells, and Gold’s soulful voice, there’s still some tidings of comfort and joy to go around. —Carson Mlnarik

• Adam Sandler: “The Chanukah Song”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX5Z-HpHH9g

  Honestly, every Hanukkah song is my favorite Hanukkah song: from the short number Haim tweeted a few years ago, to Daveed Diggs’s extremely catchy “Puppy for Hanukkah,” to Sharon Jones & the Dap-King’s brassy and joyful “8 Days (Of Hanukkah),” and especially Too $hort’s Hanukkah song. But Adam Sandler’s original ode to the Festival of Lights holds a special, sentimental place in my heart, as it really was the first non-traditional song about the holiday: the shamash candle that helped light the way for so many more tunes, if you will. —Rya Backer

• Black Pumas: “Christmas Will Really Be Christmas” (Lou Rawls cover)

  After a hellacious year, Black Pumas understand that the holidays might not feel the same in 2020. “Christmas will really be Christmas,” Eric Burton sings, “when folks are happy everywhere.” That might not be until 2021 (or 2022, or even later), but in the meantime, we’ve got this song, a cover of the Lou Rawls soul classic, to share. —Patrick Hosken

• Cher ft. Rosie O’Donnell: “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (Darlene Love cover)

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHv3QqhvpzM

  This is a campy Christmas classic for every playlist to make the yuletides gay. Yes, you're reading that correctly: Cher and Rosie O’Donnell recorded a Christmas song together, and we're still singing "Joy to the World" about it. Part of Rosie’s 1999 album A Rosie Christmas, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" wants you to snuggle up by the fire — and under a disco ball. —Zach O’Connor

• Charly Bliss ft. Pup: “It’s Christmas and I Fucking Miss You”

  https://youtu.be/hp0od728eg0

  What more needs to be said? —Patrick Hosken

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. We'll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too.

Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Juice WRLD & Benny Blanco: “Real Shit”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jqMRwOC0wY

  On what would’ve been Jarad Higgins’s 22nd birthday — and a few days ahead of the one-year anniversary of his untimely death — Benny Blanco dropped “Real Shit,” a previously unreleased tune that finds his collaborator Juice absolutely beaming. “He went in the booth and recorded a song top to bottom in one take,” Blanco tweeted, saying they made the song when Juice was still relatively under the radar. “Then he did it 3 more times and said pick the best one... and they were all perfect songs.” “Real Shit” may sound sad given its context (and Juice singing, “Life’s good, so I’m living great”), but it’s a reminder of the immense joy he was capable of summoning. —Patrick Hosken

• Awfultune: “Dear Sarah”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdMVenIo7Mk

  This diaristic bedroom-pop cut from Awfultune’s Layla Eden picks up where her 2019 single “I Met Sarah in the Bathroom” left off. Although Sarah from the bathroom seemed like a viable romantic prospect, life and distance got in the way. “Sarah, I'm not shy anymore like I used to be,” Eden muses over singsongy guitar plucks. “When you're done with college / Will you be done with me?” Familiar sound effects sprinkled throughout the song — the chime of a delivered text message, the flick of a lighter — make you feel like you’re experiencing unrequited love right there with her. —Sam Manzella

• Horse Meat Disco (ft. Amy Douglas): “Let’s Go Dancing”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_Oz777GeM0

  We’ve entered the point in quarantine where we reminisce about the good old days of safe, mask-less gatherings of 10 or more people, dancing the night away, and feeling the groove of a sickening bass beat to nostalgic disco drums. No? Just me? U.K.-based Horse Meat Disco’s October 2020 Love and Dancing album, and their premiere track, “Let’s Go Dancing,” will immediately transport you to the London Eagle or NYC’s Output or Elsewhere. Close your eyes and bop along your masked walk dreaming of post-vaccine dance parties. Remember losing your friends, finding new ones for the night, and loving a song you haven’t heard before under the disco ball. Ah… one day! —Zach O'Connor

• Katya (ft. Trixie Mattel): “Ding Dong!”

  https://youtu.be/WXsV8HIWcTE

  Vibe check! Everyone’s favorite Russian hooker from RuPaul’s Drag Race has released “Ding Dong,” a “bar-mitzvah barn-burner dance track.” The song is a tribute to Ukrainian artist Svetlana Loboda, and the result is a nightmare-fuel earworm that will live in your head for days. And I mean that as the highest compliment! The song’s accompanying music video is a Rocky Horror ride through Hell starring multiple Katyas and featuring a cameo from her partner in crime, Trixie Mattel. The campaign to have Katya perform this on Eurovision starts now. —Chris Rudolph

• Rina Sawayama: “Lucid”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3kSOYzWpf4

  There have been so many songs this year destined to be heard in a club, but Rina Sawyama’s “Lucid” has quite literally pushed music lovers over the edge. As the song transports you to an alternate universe of tight spaces, glittery eyeshadow, and flashing lights, “Lucid” reminds you what it’s like to feel alive. Its use of heavy synth and lyrical looping is nostalgic of the early 2010s DJ movement, where the desired result was a simultaneous, collective release of emotion. The dance breaks, which come exactly when you desire them most, do just that, but for a new generation of listeners. With the undying success of “XS” and “Comme des Garçons (Like the Boys),” 2020 has clearly been the year of Rina Sawayama. “Lucid” finishes it off perfectly. —Sarina Bhutani

• Beach Bunny: “Good Girls (Don't Get Used)”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7i6JDMguso&feature=emb_title

  Cool thing about Chicago’s Beach Bunny: The hooks pile on like avalanches. On the international anti-player’s anthem “Good Girls (Don’t Get Used),” Lili Trifilio rails against the dudes that wronged her with pop-punk precision and guttingly sincere lyrics about horniness, being discarded, and the confusing in-between. Incredibly, she seemingly has hooks to burn, saving one of the tune’s best in its final 30 seconds — streaming best practices be damned. Another cool thing? The song will blow up anyway. —Patrick Hosken

• K/DA: “I’ll Show You”

  https://youtu.be/WW1BpABbzHs

  If The Princess Diaries was remade today, “I’ll Show You” would 100 percent be on the soundtrack. This fun, feel-good anthem comes courtesy of K/DA, the virtual girl group from the wildly popular League of Legends universe voiced by K-pop sensations Twice; Bekuh Boom, a prolific Blackpink co-writer; and EDM vocalist and producer Annika Wells. (Look all of them up!) In the meantime, who wants to hop in Mia Thermopolis’s 1966 Mustang with me and ride the hills of San Francisco blasting this bop? —Daniel Head

• Hugh Masekela: "Riot"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT5SMF3adgU

  This week, our Spotify Wrapped playlists confirmed what we all already knew: that we listened to a lot of music this year. If you're like me, the results weren't much of a surprise (Westerman helped me get through 2020), but what comes next could be. I let the algorithm take over, and the machine served me "Riot," a wonderful and warm 1969 explosion of jazz trumpet from South African artist Hugh Masekela. You might recognize the melody, as Earl Sweatshirt and Gio Escobar cut it up as a tribute to Masekela after his death in 2018. Spotify's library has 70 million songs and counting. Try to discover something new in 2021 (or use Bandcamp!). —Patrick Hosken

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. We'll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Zee Machine, Kelechi: “Everybody Wants It”

  Are you ready to don your leg warmers in July? Sleepy grooves are over and it’s time to wake up, tell the world that it won’t break your soul, and dance the day away. We’re getting an uplifting flashback groove with Zee Machine and Kelechi’s latest single “Everybody Wants It.” Everything from the beat to the vocal stylings creates nostalgia that pumps serotonin into your veins for the weekend ahead. Zee Machine wrote on Instagram that they are “really proud of this one because I feel like I’m truly writing music that I wanna listen to now. And hopefully you do too.” The answer is an easy one: We do! —Zach O’Connor

• They. ft. Fana Hues: “Comfortable”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1tXflAmNPE

  They. and Fana Hues get together to curate a secure and slow sexual setting. This velvety track evokes the ideal and effortless balance between power and control when it’s built on boundaries and reciprocation. The artists dominate with each verse, but don’t be fooled: Fana Hues makes the rules. —Gwyn Cutler

• Muna: “What I Want”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysQl74R_Tog

  Muna’s new self-titled album is an unabashedly queer pop celebration, though no song rings quite as triumphant as their most recent single “What I Want.” Throbbing synths and punctuated vocals set the scene for a retro bop in which they describe the type of night out on the town they desire. If they didn’t have you hooked at opening lyric (“When I go out again / I’m gonna drink a lot / I’m gonna take a shot / ‘Cause that’s just what I want”), then they’re going to get you astral projecting by the instantly iconic chorus, featuring a simple but assured declaration: “I want to dance in the middle of a gay bar.” Its flashy video finds them living their reckless rock star fantasies as they take their levels of “don’t-give-a-fuck” to the extreme alongside a who’s-who of LGBTQ+ icons, including Meg Stalter, Matt Rogers, Leland, and Bronze Avery. —Carson Mlnarik

• J-Hope: “More”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKdBFeewZYE

  Beginning his “Chapter 2” with a bang, BTS member J-Hope takes listeners on a wild and unexpected ride with “More,” an edgy, ’90s-inspired hip-hop track designed to be blared. As the first single off the K-pop superstar’s upcoming solo album, Jack in the Box, “More” serves as an apt representation of J-Hope’s evolution. The track features an almost punk melody, filled with boisterous guitars and distorted electronic sounds that come to a climax at the chorus. When layered with the rapper’s iconic rasp and heavy vocal fry, J-Hope creates a melody that you can feel in your soul. Accompanied by a dark, high-concept visual, pulling themes from the myth of Pandora and the surrealist art of Salvador Dali, J-Hope makes it clear that his artistry runs so deep that it simply cannot be contained. We can’t wait to watch Jack escape his box come July 15. —Sarina Bhutani

• Quinnie: “Touch Tank”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WYnq1p7eZ0

  Quinnie is on full display for her tender TikTok hit “Touch Tank.” Her naughty and nautical metaphors are hot enough that you’ll need to cool off in the kiddie pool. Deeper than that, Quinnie details the infatuation that arises when your level of intimacy is matched, arguing that even casual sex can’t compare to the comfort of a satisfying partner. Seem too good to be true? You’ve got to make a splash while the steamy summer lasts. —Gwyn Cutler

• Little Mix: “No”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SqX5Hp44Do

  If you’ve dealt with an ex or even a toxic “friend” who has repeatedly tried breaking your boundaries, this cathartic song is for you. The ladies of Little Mix refuse to be played around with anymore, and they will not be treated like doormats. “I say, ‘No, no, no’ / I said ‘yes’ too many times / You should know, know, know,” they sing. “Told you, ‘I'm no longer under your control’ / See, I'm not the kind of girl I was before / Can't walk over me no more.” Simply put, this is a powerful “fuck you” anthem. —Athena Serrano

• King Princess: “Too Bad”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWmauHgIOck

  From over-the-top bombastic pop to plucky ballads, King Princess has traversed a variety of genres throughout the singles leading to her forthcoming sophomore album Hold On Baby. Her latest track, “Too Bad,” finds the indie-pop singer-songwriter at her sweet spot: a classic mix of self-deprecating and sexy. Over cranked-up acoustic guitar and a slow drum loop, she crafts a deserted dive bar-friendly ode to being “too much” in a relationship and the weight of being in love. “Oh my god, is it hard to be loved / But that’s life,” she sings, before twisting the knife in her own heart deeper. “Too bad that I’m never enough.” Once again, she’s delivered the perfect pity-party soundtrack, whether you’re ready to burn it all down or you’re licking your cuts. —Carson Mlnarik

• Enhypen: “Future Perfect (Pass the Mic)”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMlNLo74mOw

  The members of Enhypen make a thunderous comeback with the release of “Future Perfect (Pass the Mic),” the first single off their EP, Manifesto: Day 1. Inspired by the sounds of the Chicago drill scene, the high-energy hip-hop track showcases a darker side of the rising K-pop group. This is especially poignant given the massive success of their light and sweet song “Polaroid Love” that became a TikTok phenomenon. With an accompanying visual filled with complex group choreography made for the stage, “Future Perfect (Pass the Mic)” is a clear representation of Enhypen’s goals and aspirations as a group that aims to push boundaries. Since their debut in 2020, the boys of Enhypen have worked diligently to diversify their musical offerings, exploring interesting and unique concepts with each comeback. “Future Perfect (Pass the Mic)” not only proves that point, but expands on it. —Sarina Bhutani

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. We'll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Maggie Rogers: "Want Want"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SylF32J2g8k

  There's something awesome about a weighty low end on a Maggie Rogers song. Though her 2019 debut, Heard It in a Past Life, trafficked in lighter-than-air empowerment odes, she's spent this year releasing slightly grittier-sounding music. "Want Want" follows "That's Where I Am" in the more digitized realm and adds a hefty synthetic bass to perfectly complement her floating vocal lines on the chorus. The result is an irresistible balance of sweet and sour that you will want and want again. —Patrick Hosken

• Muna: "Sometimes (Britney Spears cover)"

  As if Joel Kim Booster and Andrew Ahn’s smash hit Hulu rom-com Fire Island couldn't be more epic, Muna steps in on the soundtrack to give us and Britney Spears stans something perfect for our playlists. The 2022 cover of Britney’s 1999 hit “Sometimes” gives us a fierce update while maintaining the energy and vibe of the original — a track for dancing with your special someone or chosen family under the disco ball. I won’t give away any spoilers, but to get the full context, vibe, and reason why I was bawling my eyes out when this song came on in the film, you need to see it for yourself. —Zach O’Connor

• Jessica Boudreaux, Adult Mom: "Cruel Summer (Taylor Swift Cover)"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFi34B8BpKI

  Considering Taylor Swift has released four albums since 2019’s Lover, it might be easy to overlook track No. 2, “Cruel Summer” – a St. Vincent co-write that remains one of her discography’s crown jewels even though she’s never performed it live. Thankfully, Summer Cannibals’s Jessica Boudreaux and Adult Mom have given us a reason to keep it on repeat during the warm and sticky months with an indie-pop cover released just in time for Pride Month. Trading in the original’s synthy screams for something a bit more understated, the track’s underlying themes of summertime pining and manic confessions remain. With a thumping bass line and a bouncing tambourine, the catharsis is just as triumphant as the two duet on its god-tier bridge: “And I scream, ‘For whatever it’s worth / I love you, ain’t that the worst thing / You ever heard?’” —Carson Mlnarik

• Armani White: "Billie Eilish"

  https://youtu.be/4vYOwhll1fs

  After garnering over 5 million streams in less than two weeks, West Philadelphia rapper Armani White has released the music video for “Billie Eilish.” Despite being out for only a few weeks, the song is already making quite an impression. As the first single to be released from his forthcoming project, the track samples N.O.R.E. and The Neptunes's classic 2002 single "Nothin’," combined into a minute and thirty-nine-second vibe fest. "A few months ago, we were praying for listeners," White wrote on Instagram. "My New Year's resolution was to make this the double comma year, #LegendBound. Y'all done changed my life in 13 days." —Sunni Anderson

• Rei Brown ft. Joji: "Thinking Bout You"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JForF7Lulg0

  Good to know the Joji-feature extended universe now boasts both "Thinking Bout You" and 2018's "Think About You." Where the latter, a Ryan Hemsworth tune, relies on almost underwater minimalism to build mood, his latest, a collab with Rei Brown, is more akin to a ballad as heard from space — hence the stratospheric visualizer. The result is an aching, memorably bleary excursion into an overwhelming feeling of yearning. —Patrick Hosken

• Pinkshift: "Nothing (In My Head)"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR_2JjVzFYM

  Drawing influences from ‘90s grunge and 2000s pop-punk, Pinkshift’s “Nothing (In My Head)” perfectly crystallizes the current moment. Vocalist Ashrita Kumar is a badass force of nature. Their commanding vocals articulate the mental exhaustion that so many of us are feeling right now while bandmates Paul Vallejo and Myron Houngbedji attack the track with equally boundless energy on guitar and drums, respectively. The song is “a cry for help,” the Baltimore-based trio said in a statement. “It’s about the feeling of wanting out, wanting a change in scenery, wanting to escape from feeling locked inside, claustrophobic, and overwhelmed. This song is like a hand reaching out to anyone willing to grasp onto it and say they feel the same way.” —Farah Zermane

• Phoenix: "Alpha Zulu"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKX_KUXcyiM

  Perhaps the most exciting thing about a new song from Phoenix (!) — apart from it being a new song from Phoenix (!!) – is that it sounds just like a new song from Phoenix, but the kind of new song from Phoenix you'd hope to hear in 2022. Not an ounce of fat, sparkly, yet low-key menacing in its minor-key excitement, "Alpha Zulu" is here and gone like a sunshower. An oblique lyrical callback to "1901" is the rainbow at the end of the storm. —Patrick Hosken

• Dounia: "Gloom"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKsjLJ_v62I

  Dounia’s music is a spiritual experience, a sonic dreamscape with the power to heal. On “Gloom,” the Moroccan-American artist displays a quiet confidence as she contemplates a melancholy mood. “I’m glammed up in my gloom,” she croons, and “I’m still tryna feel a 10 even when I’m inconsistent with my wins.” It’s my new go-to when I need to pull myself out of a rut and feel fabulous. —Farah Zermane

• John Duff, Eric Kupper: "Is It a Sin (Eric Kupper Remix)"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2o0BHUQBsE

  Happy Pride Month! John Duff, in collaboration with Eric Kupper, is taking us to church as he delivers a soulful house rendition of Duff’s “Is It a Sin” off his 2021 EP Homo.Sapien. As he testifies in a spiritual black-and-white music video, giving us soulful pop, he preaches that we should all be free to love. Is it a sin? Then he’s sinning ‘til the end. “I wrote ‘Is It a Sin’ as an acknowledgement of my faith in Jesus, but also as a (rhetorical) question to the church that claims to worship his inherent propensity for understanding, forgiveness, and love,” Duff writes on Instagram. “Thank you, Jesus – for saving me. But, Miss Church girl, I have to ask; ‘If all’s forgiven, than why am I imprisoned?’” Can I get an amen?! —Zach O’Connor

• Cann: "Taste So Good” (The Cann Song)"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViNALW35WkE

  Hi gay! Yes, this is technically a sponsored video, but it’s camp enough to be a full Pride Month bop. (Plus, we’re not getting any ad money from it.) Written by Leland and featuring vocals by Hayley Kiyoko, Vincint, MNEK, and Kesha, this song actually has me nodding in gay appreciation — mainy because the music video features queer faves Gus Kenworthy, Kornbread, Willow Pill, Kerri Colby, Patricia Arquette, Jorgeous, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and more. The collab aims to, as Weedmaps puts it in the description, “not only say ‘gay,’ but scream it from the rooftops.” Mission accomplished. —Zach O’Connor

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. We'll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Post Malone ft. Fleet Foxes: "Love/Hate Letter to Alcohol" (Live on SNL)

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wazYZV2vz8E

  In 2022, the attribution "Post Malone ft. Fleet Foxes" isn't a jolt to the system the way it might've been in, say, 2015. This is for a few reasons, namely that the sonic hallmarks of anything resembling "genre" were dismantled long ago. And so you have one artist who ostensibly began his career as a white rapper (but with an arsenal of stealth influences including grunge and emo) working with one of the paragons of indie-folk. As Post proved on the May 14 episode of Saturday Night Live backed up by a chorus of voices including that of FF creative chief Robin Pecknold, his strengths lie in pushing his own vocal performances to the limit — wringing out every ounce of melodrama in the process. It's genuinely cool that Post, one of the most famous musicians on the planet, has taken his Fleet Foxes fandom to a place of collaboration, giving Pecknold some shine on a massive stage. It reminds me of first hearing Justin Vernon sampled on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (and Posty's set design for SNL bares more than a passing resemblance to Ye's own icy minimalism). Except now, it's more common than ever, and that's a great thing — a rising tide lifting all boats and the like. I guess what I'm trying to say here is this collab is neat and I like it! —Patrick Hosken

• Harry Styles: "Cinema"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ecXNJP-ERY

  There will be plenty to read into on "Cinema," a breezy and horny new jam that arrives halfway through Harry Styles's third LP, Harry's House, especially given his high-profile romance with a noted A-list actor-director. But I offer you a choice — simply get lost in the airy sonics that would do well on a playlist sequenced immediately after Michelle's "Syncopate," or obsess over the salacious details. (Helpful hint: You can actually do both.) —Patrick Hosken

• Rina Sawayama: "This Hell"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vapT7WBkBdY

  Is it hot in here, or are we just in hell with Rina Sawayama?! As we prepare for the second coming of Sawayama via her sophomore album Hold the Girl (and dare I say the “Rinaissance”), we’re being taken to boptastic eternal damnation with her latest single “This Hell”” Inspired by women in country music, the Japanese-British singer-songwriter wanted to write a “euphoric and tongue-in-cheek country-pop song,” she said in a press release. “I put in as many iconic pop-culture moments as I can, but the song is more than that.” The devil’s in the details, with the openly pansexual supserstar including lyrics that reference messages of solidarity for pop stars that were burned by culture and society, as well as the reality of anti-LGBTQ+ religious dogma being forced on the queer community. “When the world tells us we don’t deserve love and protection, we have no choice but to give love and protection to each other.” In the end, if we’re going to go to hell… at least we’re in it with Rina! —Zach O’Connor

• She & Him: "Darlin'"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMlmslLSaRc

  There’s something undeniably sunny, groovy, and adorable about Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward’s musical project She & Him. It’s only fitting that the duo’s forthcoming release is a tribute album dedicated to Beach Boys cofounder Brian Wilson, whose music is known for being all of the above. Their take on “Darlin’” is as infectious as its origin material, with both Ward and Deschanel taking turns serenading each other before the track concludes with a cascade of heavenly “oohs.” I dare you to watch its retro QVC-inspired visual without cracking a smile. —Carson Mlnarik

• Charlotte Sands ft. Aaron Gillespie: "Out of My Head"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXumcfEU3jM

  It’s safe to say that 2022 continues to be a banner year for Charlotte Sands. She’s been on the road nonstop opening for iconic alternative acts like Yungblud, The Maine, and My Chemical Romance while racking up some really exciting features along the way. But this time, the charismatic singer-songwriter with the trademark blue hair is top billing with an assist from the legendary Aaron Gillespie of Underøath. On “Out of My Head,” Sands lyrically and vocally conveys both anger and vulnerability as she navigates the emotional complexities of a toxic relationship. The music video is a simple yet colorful performance that allows Charlotte’s commanding stage presence to further drive the emotions of the song as Gillespie pounds the drums. “Getting to write with Aaron Gillespie is always a privilege, but having him play drums on this song as well blew my mind,” Sands said in a statement. “He’s such a magical person and an incredible creator, and I’m so lucky I get to witness it in so many ways.” —Farah Zermane

• Bad Bunny: "Después de la Playa"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5rlgE6dcBY

  The news that Bad Bunny set a Billboard chart record or two this week — boasting four Spanish-language songs in the Top 10 of the Hot 100 — should only come as a surprise if you haven't been paying attention to the ascendent Puerto Rican superstar's rise. At this point, years into his global domination, that seems nearly impossible. But if you're somehow still getting familiar with Benito, "Después de la Playa" is a great song to dive into: atmospheric scene-setting that cannonballs into a colorful rush of Dominican merengue. Bow down to the bunny. —Patrick Hosken

• Miley Cyrus: "You"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIsKRQ0gJF8

  From her no-holds-barred dialogue to her raspy and inspired covers, Miley Cyrus has garnered a reputation for some of the greatest live performances in the music industry, which makes her new album, Attention: Miley Live, such a gem. While unexpected mashups like “Wrecking Ball x Nothing Compares 2 U,” takes on Hannah Montana-era tracks, and a guest appearance from Anitta are certainly treats, the real showstopper is unreleased song “You,” which has become such a fan favorite Cyrus included it on the tracklist twice. Over barebones piano chords, Cyrus romantically serenades a lover prepared to take her as she is — drunken nights, tender moments, and all. “I got some baggage / Let’s do some damage / I am not made for no horsey and carriage,” she bellows, before the track builds to a sea of horns and belt notes. It’s a performance that sonically finds her in a sweet spot as a writer, performer, and personality and Miley, this is my personal plea to give us the studio version soon. —Carson Mlnarik

• Anthony Green: "Center of It All"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaLixshtM9k

  The prolific Circa Survive and Saosin vocalist is back with yet another solo LP, Boom. Done., dropping on July 22. Ahead of that, he's shared a few songs, the latest of which feels like a cozy party in a park lodge. "Center of It All" has a very soft touch, but it packs a wallop of emotion, courtesy of some strategically placed warm trumpets. Let them embrace you. —Patrick Hosken

• Art Moore: "Muscle Memory"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USyuuuPWS40

  Once on a spring day in college, I skipped all my classes to walk around my small campus and pay attention to its tiny details. Flowers budding, the graying color of the sky, dead ivy on the brick buildings slowly crawling back to life, and the like. Listening to "Muscle Memory" by Art Moore feels like that: languid but crisp, with tiny particulars zooming into view the more closely you listen. Bonus points for its delightfully saturated, cozy fable of a music video that feels like a cousin to Harry Styles's "Adore You" clip. —Patrick Hosken

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. We'll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Emeline: “Cinderella’s Dead”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX-WqCd2hIM

  Here is the bad-bitch anthem you need to stand up to anyone and everyone. Emeline’s new single, “Cinderella’s Dead,” will give you the confidence to be your strongest self. The pop tune has seen viral success on TikTok, where fans have not only related to the lyrics but have used it to create their own videos that tell their stories. Emeline sings, “I was 19 in a white dress when you told me I’m your princess / So I played right into your fantasy / Was your good girl, so I’d sit tight / And if I don’t speak, then we can’t fight / Looked in the mirror, now i can’t believe / I forgot I was a bad bitch, tragic.” The lyrics are catchy enough to stick in your head and remind you to never forget your worth. —Alissa Godwin

• Conan Gray: “Memories”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lSyHZLzNYA

  Conan Gray has always had his finger on the pulse of heartbreak, crafting candid and intimate slow jams about unrequited love and splintered romances. His latest song, “Memories,” is no exception, painting a vivid picture of an ex-lover showing up like “a wet dog” just as he was getting ready to move on. “You’re all drunk in my kitchen / Curled in the fetal position / Too busy playing the victim / To be listening to me when I say / I wish that you would stay in my memories,” he sings on the track’s pleading chorus. This refrain is as addictive as a toxic relationship, and we’ll surely hear more bummed-out anthems on his sophomore album Superache, which is due out June 24. —Carson Mlnarik

• Evangelia: “Fotiá”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLNqRIusAlI

  Happy Greek Easter this weekend! Want to add a track to your holiday playlist that will make your yia yia blush? Try this summery, sizzlingly hot single from Greek-American singer Evangelia. Her sultry voice floats over traditional mandolin strumming to provide an excellent background for a chill night in with your bae or a sexy slow dance with a perfect stranger on the dance floor. The artist beautifully tributes her roots with this banger, and to that I say, "Opa!" —Zach O’Connor

• Aleyna Tilki: “Take It Or Leave It”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AthRlwJcLWk

  Fueling my recent obsession with fusion, 22-year old singer Aleyna Tilki is taking us to Turkey. The semi-finalist from the sixth season of Yetenek Sizsiniz Türkiye, which is the Turkish version of America’s Got Talent, is roaring into spring with an anthem that fuses pop and early aughts punk-rock nostalgia. I’m fully into it, motorcycles, guitar riffs, and all. —Zach O’Connor

• Royal & the Serpent: “Happier in Hell”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGdGHrBTXv8

  Ryan Santiago, better known as Royal & the Serpent, is honest about her mental health in “Happier in Hell.” The track is a thoughtfully candid reflection on depression, addiction, stigma, and more. “I don't need your help / You can keep the Pelotons and cleanses to yourself,” the 27-year-old singer croons. “I'm glad it's going well / But I've been to heaven, it's happier in hell.” The raw displays of emotion in the song and its music video point out how perfectly curated Instagram feeds continue to mask a worsening youth mental health crisis. —Farah Zermane

• Mehki Clay: “Waiting 4 You”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGzlkbbNz8w

  You might have seen Mehki Clay spearheading viral dances on TikTok, but “Waiting 4 You” marks the debut single from the emerging R&B artist. While the lyrics tell the story of the longing emotions one feels when wanting their partner to commit, the catchy beat is the perfect melody to keep you grooving and cruising all summer long. Clay sings, “Waited so long for us to be something / Guess I know it now / Because waiting for you is like rain in drought.” And yes, that line is very much inspired by Hilary Duff’s iconic Cinderella Story monologue. —Alissa Godwin

• Seventeen: “Darl+ing”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTtNV6hgDno

  With the release of their English single “Darl+ing”, K-pop band Seventeen prove their music transcends far beyond the confines of language. The first single off their upcoming album, Face the Sun, the romantic and delicate electro-pop track details the universal feeling of longing for one’s true love. “You know without you, I’m so lonely,” the group harmonizes at the chorus. “When you’re not here, 911 calling.” Accompanied by a dreamy, pastel-hued music video, “Dar+ling” features each member in their best light, as they prepare to release the album on May 27. —Sarina Bhutani

• Lizzo: “About Damn Time”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXXxciRUMzE

  The superstar and host of Amazon Prime’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, Lizzo is continuing her rise in the bop pantheon with her latest disco-fueled single “About Damn Time.” The uplifting, positive, and undeniably fun track will put a smile on your face and a spring in your step to accomplish whatever you need to — and right on schedule. “It’s about damn time I feel better, it’s about damn time we get out this pandemic. It’s about damn time we to get the first Black female Supreme Court Justice,” she told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe ahead of her Saturday Night Live appearance earlier this month. “There’s so many things. It’s about damn time we popped the champagne. It’s about damn time the tequila got here.” Cheers to that! —Zach O’Connor

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. We'll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Hanna Ferm: “För Evigt”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSNUZY9JMLA

  Pop music is the greatest thing to come out of Sweden since IKEA furniture; just ask ABBA, Agnes, Robyn, or Zara Larsson. Hanna Ferm adds to its ever-growing list of delicious pop exports with “För Evigt,” which translates to “forever” in English. “I might find someone who loves me forever,” the song begins. “Someone who is good-looking and smells good and who is nice.” What more do you need in a partner, right? This is the perfect track for a sunny day, with a great, high-energy vibe. A forever beach bop from Stockholm? It’s more common than you think. —Zach O’Connor

• Demi Lovato, Speed Radio: “Cool for the Summer - Sped Up (Nightcore)”

  Demi Lovato gave us the bicurious, high-temperature anthem we didn’t know we needed in 2015 with “Cool for the Summer,” which served as the lead single from their fifth album Confident. The track was a hit upon its release, hitting No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, but thanks to TikTok (and a viral remix from Speed Radio) it’s finding new appreciation. Seven years later, Demi has changed, but so has the world. Tapping into one’s sexual identity has become less taboo, and what once felt like a guilty-pleasure pop earworm can be celebrated as the unapologetic ode to queer summer flings that it is. The sped-up remix allows the track to lean harder into its gritty “Sunglasses at Night” vibe, creating a retro sound that wouldn’t feel out of place on an old-school Dance Dance Revolution game or on a sweaty dance floor. Don’t be surprised if you see this one pop up again around Pride Month. —Carson Mlnarik

• Trixie Mattel: “C’mon Loretta”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzOXSI8G72U

  Trixie Mattel might be currently touring the States with her partner in crime, Katya, but that hasn’t stopped this drag superstar from releasing new music. Her latest single, “C’mon Loretta” is an ode to Loretta Lynn, the pioneering “Coal Miner’s Daughter” of country music, and Lynn’s rocky relationship with her longtime husband, Doo. Legends singing about legends! Instead of her signature folk sound, “C’mon Loretta” is a sun-soaked, buzzy rock jam similar to Trixie’s recent singles like “Hello Hello” and her cover of “Blister in the Sun.” C’mon Trixie, this is a bop! —Chris Rudolph

• Griff, Sigrid: “Head on Fire”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paBBNBlffR4

  I think I’m losing my mind over the Norwegian pop artist Sigrid. Her recent collaboration with Griff, “Head on Fire” is — pardon my dad joke — absolutely lit. Releasing hot tracks like “Don’t Kill My Vibe” in 2017 and last year’s “Sucker Punch,” it’s no surprise that the singer can dish out bop after bop. “It’s about that feeling when you meet someone who just flips everything upside down and you can’t focus on anything else but that person,” Sigrid told DIY magazine in January. The uplifting melody provides an instant serotonin boost, as well as a dramatic half-beat pause in the chorus to show off your timing when lip-syncing during your next pre-game. And last month, King Princess and MØ took this song to the next level with a bumping remix. If this is your first time listening to Sigrid, you’re welcome. —Zach O’Connor

• Onew: “Dice”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYth9NVvuPo

  With spring officially in bloom, SHINee’s Onew makes his comeback with “Dice,” a song that feels like wind in your hair and sunshine on your skin. The title track of his sophomore solo EP, it combines a retro, synth-heavy melody with allusive lyrics describing the gamble of love. It’s accompanied by a whimsical, flamboyant visual featuring background actors in mint-green masks, hotel restaurants filled with an array of yellow florals, and of course, a handful of bright blue dice, making it one of Onew’s most unique works to date. As the reigning “princes of K-pop,” the members of SHINee consistently push the boundaries of what is expected of men in the industry, setting a precedent in concept and style. As the group’s oldest member, Onew leads the pack. —Sarina Bhutani

• Sophia Bel: “All F#*king Weekend”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJWXDknIawE

  As ’90s and 2000s nostalgia reaches a fever pitch, Sophia Bel brings me back to listening to Avril Lavigne and Liz Phair on the school bus, and honestly, I am living for it. Off the Montreal-based artist's latest LP Anxious Avoidant, this indie punk track is an inspired jam for feeling your feels or dancing around your bedroom before school. As MTV News contributor Yara El-Soueidi wrote of Bel, “The rising indie-pop singer's music is as sharp as the era-appropriate RAZR smartphones it calls back to." —Zach O’Connor

• Carrie Underwood: “Denim & Rhinestones”

  Carrie Underwood is a country queen known for singing power-pop ballads about cheating men or pleading with Jesus to take the wheel. But for “Denim & Rhinestones,” her latest single and the title song from her upcoming studio album, Underwood switches her guitar for synthesizers and keyboards on an ’80s-inspired throwback that sounds like a bonus cut off the Top Gun soundtrack. This nostalgic song is as shimmery, bubbly, and addictive as a cool can of New Coke. —Chris Rudolph

• Camila Cabello ft. Willow: “Psychofreak”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXDjVHgeZ3A

  Camila Cabello reconnects with her roots on her third studio album Familia, but the Latin-influenced record also finds her embracing her pop star status like never before, especially on new single “Psychofreak” featuring the chameleonic and supremely talented Willow. With quippy one-liners, Cabello packs in references to a life lived in the headlines. “On my Instagram talkin’ ‘bout ‘I’m healed’ seems to hint at her break up with Shawn Mendes, while “I don’t blame the girls for how it went down” seems to be an obvious callout to her split from Fifth Harmony. Willow brings it full circle with a universally anthemic pre-chorus (“I want to feel like I can chill / Not have to leave this restaurant”) before an otherworldly refrain comes in. It’s only fitting that the track feels like an anxiety-ridden journey to another planet, as Camila says: “Maybe I’m an alien, Earth is hard.” —Carson Mlnarik

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. We'll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Banks: “Holding Back”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TO9-ujYh7A

  Banks has long melded the constraints of pop music to suit her sonic vision where she sees fit, giving us bops as daring as they are dark. She continues this effort with “Holding Back” from her new album Serpentina, out today. The thumping track begins with a high-pitched hook, an unexpected flourish from a singer known for living in her lower register that rings triumphant each time it comes around. It’s fitting for a song about taking fault for a misunderstanding, and the lyrics find her coming from a new place of maturity and wisdom: “Baby, don’t be afraid / Not every conversation is a new grenade / All I want to do is get you loved and laid / I wrote you a melody, can’t you see that?” With her fourth album, and her first as an independent artist, it’s clear this alt-pop songster knows what she’s got to offer, both in a relationship and musically, like never before. —Carson Mlnarik

• Joesef: “It’s Been a Little Heavy Lately”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waLP8FYgfIA

  The despair of pining for someone, of wanting so badly it feels as if your survival depends on them, seeps through the easy disco groove of “It’s Been a Little Heavy Lately.” Singer Joesef is “fucked up, crazy” with lusting need. A queer narrative underscores its music video, where Joesef’s lover is a man harboring his feelings while dating a girl, yet it’s the desperate, universal feeling of longing that sticks. “You’re the only one who can save me,” he softly pleads. “I know that isn’t fair.” —Terron Moore

• Lauv: “All 4 Nothing (I’m So In Love)”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH8b7EynJ60

  If Lauv is happy, we’re happy. The singer-songwriter’s new bop “All 4 Nothing (I’m So In Love)” dropped today and tells the story of a love so strong you want to spend every waking moment in it. The upbeat sultry-pop melody provides the perfect soundtrack to lose yourself in with your significant other. We see the singer do just that in the accompanying music video, which features his real-life girlfriend and co-writer, Sophie Cates. This is the most content we’ve seen Lauv as he sings, “Did you know that you’re my whole heart / Did you know that I’ll never stop / Giving you everything I got.” —Alissa Godwin

• eaJ: “Car Crash”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3KOZ2iw8Hk

  Korean-American singer-songwriter eaJ, who was formerly known for his vocal and guitar stylings with the band Day6, kicked off his solo career today with the release of “Car Crash.” And if early streaming numbers and music video views are any indication, the artist is on a collision course for success. “There’s been so much that's happened in my life the past few years, but the fans have really stayed strong and stuck by my side,” eaJ said in an accompanying statement. He showcases his versatility with the breezy new track, pairing an airy vibe with heavier lyrics about a tumultuous relationship. It’s the perfect addition to your summer playlist. —Farah Zermane

• Anees: “Sun and Moon”

  https://youtu.be/4zmSJhrYLXo

  I'm a sucker for most songs that start with a raw guitar chord, but add a few snaps and a gritty, melodic voice, and I'm hooked. My latest obsession riding the wave of social success is Anees's "Sun and Moon," a romantic track that praises the object of his affection as the life-sustaining force that keeps our planet in accord with the solar system. Anees accounts a gargantuan love: "Baby, baby, you're my sun and moon / Girl, you're everything between / A lot of pretty faces could waste my time / But you're my dream girl." Physicality takes center stage in love songs these days, but Anees's ballad peels back the layers of love and affection, championing the kind of intimacy that makes “the stars collide,” beckons to be protected, warrants a commitment for life, and makes you feel lucky to have found. —Virginia Lowman

• Jewel: “The Story”

  When the American Song Contest was announced, pop fans feared it would not contain the same over-the-top flair that is so prevalent at Eurovision. But national treasure Jewel obviously did not get the memo. On the latest episode, the “Intuition” singer represented her home state of Alaska and debuted a new song, “The Story.” But instead of a folky track that would fit in on Pieces of You or Spirit, Jewel unleashed a power anthem that is 2022’s answer to Katy Perry’s “Firework.” The song is about chasing your dreams, and when “The Story” finally swells with a euphoric key change, you’ll swear you’re listening to a lost ABBA B-side. Jewel releasing the camp banger of the year? Talk about a plot twist. —Chris Rudolph

• Peter McPoland: “Come Around”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK8fa501N_M

  “Don’t you know you’re wonderful?” Peter McPoland asks with such pure earnestness against plucky, gleeful guitars that it seems as if he's posing the question for the first time. “Come Around” is the kind of rushing, audacious, Bleachers-esque indie anthem that feels so perfectly youthful that you can’t help but put it on repeat. By the song’s peak, falling in love becomes a matter of life and death. ”If I die tonight, I’d die loving you for the rest of my life,” he screams joyously. And maybe it should feel that terrifying. Maybe it should feel that good. —Terron Moore

• BabyAngel69: “Candy”

  April showers bring May flowers, and this 2019 cover of a classic Mandy Moore hit is exactly what you need to bathe yourself with before we all bloom in the spring. It’s futuristic, sultry, sexy, queer, and crisp. As a follow-up, add BabyAngel69's 2021 single "Cruel Intentions," the music video for which he described as “George Michael through the lens of Britney Spears,” to your queue. This electric pop smash will leave you absolutely glowing under the disco ball; I’ll see you there. —Zach O’Connor

• Maggie Rogers: “That’s Where I Am”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdrNXRdkuG4

  Maggie Rogers is back! Bedroom pop's resident witchy queen has got a new cropped cut, a new record dropping on July 29, and a new sense of self. Rogers took her time crafting her follow-up to her 2019 debut Heard It In a Past Life, and lead single "That's Where I Am" shows it was more than worth the wait. With pounding drums, a glitchy synthesizer, and the same haunting breathy vocals, Maggie is less concerned with the could-have-beens; she's focused on the facts. "I told you I loved you when we were just friends / You kept me waiting and I hated you then," she confesses, before launching into a sticky chorus twisting life decisions into something more meaningful. "It all works out in the end / Wherever you go, that's where I am / Boulders turn into sand." While it's lyrically a love song, the performance and production take it somewhere higher. It's a powerful reminder that things work out the way they're supposed to, and we never truly leave the ones we've cared for. —Carson Mlnarik

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. We'll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Ed Sheeran & Elton John: “Merry Christmas”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_yuO8UNGmY

  Ed Sheeran needed some convincing from his friend and fellow Englishman Elton John to make his first Christmas song. But he wisely realized you don’t say no to a living legend. What resulted is a new Yuletide classic destined to appear on holiday playlists and music charts for years to come. The catchy tune comes with a festive video that is jam-packed with references to iconic videos of years past from Wham!, Mariah Carey, and more. —Farah Zermane

• Nnena ft. Westside Boogie: "Come Again"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APH1sXgXOV4

  This unsteady cut from Cleveland's Nnena has two important distinctions. The first is that its entire orbit is wobbly, seemingly unsteady on its feet, and completely unpredictable. That special musicality makes for otherworldly R&B that permeates her entire new EP ...Just Cause, on which the vibe is mellow but gripping. The second distinction comes from guest Westside Boogie, whose breakneck verse adds to the atmosphere of controlled chaos. "Come Again" checks pretty much every box while still sounding completely novel. —Patrick Hosken

• Payday: “Big Boy”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH4X6y7MejY

  Payday packs a ton of words, and punches, into the two-minute runtime of sardonic banger “Big Boy,” which appeared on her 2021 mixtape House Of P.U.K.E. She uses sexism in the industry as the fodder for a wildly original and funky track about double standards (“Boys rule, girls drool, that’s just the facts / And if you think any different then you’re gonna get smacked”) and staying true to herself (“I’m a girl, I know / But I got a big mouth and a big boy flow / Yeah, they only wanna listen when the bitches being hoes”). Though she spits her bars fast, she never loses her point of view, dropping each lyric like a truth bomb with a winking smile. —Carson Mlnarik

• Broadside: “Silent Night”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu9DfmRzd80&t=5s

  Last year, as hopelessness and uncertainty loomed over the holiday season, pop-punk band Broadside gifted the scene with their spin on a centuries-old Christmas classic “Silent Night.” Oliver Baxxter’s vocals strike a peaceful, poignant tone that subtly modernizes one of the world’s most well-known carols. “Listen to our rendition while lying on [the] floor, gazing up at the ceiling fan, wondering ‘will things get better?’” the band wrote on Twitter, “and accepting that they will — with time.” —Farah Zermane

• Best Coast ft. The Linda Lindas: "Leading"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLtBKqrrqzw

  After contributing some songs to Amy Poehler's film Moxie and going viral thanks to a fueled-up performance in a Los Angeles library, the great young punk band The Linda Lindas signed to Epitaph and have continued to rack up the collaborative opportunities. Their latest comes via Best Coast's "Leading," on which the group sing background harmonies. In the foreground, as ever, is Bethany Cosentino; here, she explores how "nostalgia's overrated, or maybe it's just complicated" over chugging power chords and a sugar-rush chorus — her specialty. The end result — looking forward, not backward — is a nice note to leave 2021 on. —Patrick Hosken

• Kelly Rowland & Nova Wav: “Wonderful Time”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCxHyZ6kmP4

  Have yourself a very Kelly Rowland Christmas! The holidays will feel a little brighter with Nova Wav’s update to the 1963 caroling tune. Wav and Rowland’s version of this classic transports us from Andy William’s original track on a grocery store playlist to what you want to hear pouring the egg nog with your bestie at those “gay happy meetings.” —Zach O’Connor

• Hiss Golden Messenger: “O Come All Ye Faithful”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jX8C-TlpUc

  When all the old standbys and overplayed holidays ditties have grown stale, reach for something cozy and new. The carol “O Come All Ye Faithful” likely dates back to the 18th century, making it older than a lot of the so-called classics you hear in stores around this time of year. But North Carolina folk mainstays Hiss Golden Messenger have managed to make it new by scaling back and dialing in on what matters: a twinkling piano, fire-warm sax fills, and a generally sleepy disposition of endless good cheer. —Patrick Hosken

• Ive: “Eleven”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--FmExEAsM8

  Attention, reader! Meet your newest girl-group obsession, Ive. The sextet recently exploded on the scene this month with one of the best debut tracks from a rookie K-pop group we've heard in a while. Their earworm single, "Eleven," is filled with joy, electricity, and a touch of mystery. The pre-chorus slows down just a bit before bursting into the refrain with all the rapturous feels of a new crush. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. You make me feel like eleven!” We haven’t stopped counting since. —Daniel Head

• Shygirl: “Cleo (At Abbey Road)”

  https://youtu.be/zW-G1FRK8fs

  With its cinematic orchestral introduction, the dance-pop track "Cleo," since it first dropped in October, always seemed primed for something grander than the nightclub. On this live version, backed by an 18-piece ensemble at London's hallowed Abbey Road Studios, the spitfire emcee Shygirl delivers an update fitting of the Egyptian queen after whom the song is named. Instead of a drop, there's a sonorous cello solo. Rather than calculated house beats, there are somber, whinnying strings. —Coco Romack

• Kelly Clarkson: “Christmas Isn’t Canceled (Just You)”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nLU5i5Ec7g

  Kelly Clarkson is coming for the holly crown with the release of her second holiday album When Christmas Comes Around…. Although the record boasts a variety of covers and originals, including a particularly inspired new jam featuring Ariana Grande, no track better sums up her resolve to make the yuletide gay than “Christmas Isn’t Canceled (Just You).” It’s no secret that the holidays can be a lonely time for the relationship-challenged, but Kelly is determined to enjoy every last snowflake, shopping trip, and Christmas tune, solitude be damned. “I’m gonna shout too much and dance in the snow / Drink just enough to let us go / Christmas isn’t canceled, just you,” she sings in the buoyant chorus before plotting a decadent New Year’s Eve to herself. Perhaps what we’ve all been missing is a certified holiday breakup bop. —Carson Mlnarik

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. We'll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Coldplay ft. Selena Gomez: “Let Somebody Go”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EptPhiK_q0E

  A few years ago, a collaboration between Coldplay and Selena Gomez would’ve seemed unimaginable. But on the British rock group’s ninth album Music of the Spheres, they’ve ventured even further out of their comfort zone, working with the likes of Max Martin, BTS, Jacob Collier, and the “Lose You to Love Me” singer. Their joint offering feels celestial, if not also somber, as Gomez and singer Chris Martin swap verses about an inevitable and hopeless heartbreak. “When I called the mathematicians / And I asked them to explain / They said love is only equal to the pain,” Selena sings, her breathy vocals complementing Martin’s raspy tone quite nicely, sounding like a heavenly reprieve from hurt until they build into a “Fix You”-esque explosion. —Carson Mlnarik

• Joy Oladokun: "I Can't Make You Love Me" (Bonnie Raitt cover)

  For 30 years, Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" has been breaking hearts and inspiring many new takes on its aching power. The latest comes from rootsy songwriter Joy Oladokun, who opts for a tender, vaguely wounded delivery instead of a belt. Her voice pairs beautifully with lead guitar work from Jason Isbell. Together, it's a gathering storm as pretty as a sunset. —Patrick Hosken

• Keshi: “Somebody”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV2yMgh85qU

  Keshi has always been hard to define. His sound and style push boundaries and defy genre. His newest single, “Somebody,” proves just that. The song features a strong acoustic guitar-led melody overlaid with a lo-fi, trap beat to create a unique, yet harmonious track to accompany the Houston-bred artist’s viral vocals. Released alongside a sultry, cool-toned visual filled with smoke, melted candles, and stone statues, “Somebody” is the perfect song to lead us into Scorpio season and beyond. As the first single off his upcoming debut album, a track like “Somebody” is destined to leave you wanting more. —Sarina Bhutani

• Zach Matari: “Flip It”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLYxW9N_3Ko

  Zach Matari has a knack for writing pop songs with impactful social messages, and his latest single, “Flip It,” is no exception. The track taps into a common human experience of the last 18 months, quarantine, and the feelings of loneliness and hopelessness that come with it. But rather than wallow in sadness, the New Jersey-based singer-songwriter implores himself to “flip” the script and create a more favorable narrative. “Last year got me on the edge / I’m so over it, I just need to break it down and flip it,” Matari sings before the beat drops and reveals a surprising instrumental that gives a nod to his Arab roots. —Farah Zermane

• Christine and the Queens: “Freedom”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HQvfxfyO0Y

  On this soaring cover, Chris of Christine and the Queens takes George Michael’s iconic ode to self-expression to new heights. “I think there’s something you should know (I think it’s time I told you so) / There’s something deep inside of me (there’s someone that I’ve got to be),” the French pop singer belts over distorted keys and gospel-esque backing vocals. “Freedom! ‘90” dropped nearly 31 years ago, but Michael’s lyrics are as triumphant as ever. —Sam Manzella

• Duran Duran ft. Tove Lo: "Give It All Up"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=varQqmN4RkE

  Tove Lo has long mined the dark depths of pop music, embodying the danger of love and the dizziness of romance. Alongside legends Duran Duran, she sounds right at home. Their new collaboration, "Give It All Up," is a blurry soundscape where the voices of her and band frontman Simon Le Bon chase each other, then disappear into pure texture. "Getting to sing along to Simon's voice was pretty surreal," she said in a statement. —Patrick Hosken

• Hyyts: “Avalanche”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egU24_mll1M

  The best parts of being in love aren’t always the full thing of it. Sometimes it’s the moment right before you let it happen, when all the dizzying joy and paralyzing fear builds up until confession spills out. “Avalanche,” by Glasgow indie-pop duo Hyyts, simmers with this apprehension, the wonder of what will happen when you finally confess your feelings. “I don’t wanna rush or move too fast,” the song insists over swooning and skittering electric synths. And then — “but shit, I think I fucking love you!” — the words tumble out into the air. It feels like relief, the cathartic bliss of a release that only happens once in every relationship. —Terron Moore

• Real Estate: "Days"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42GEGfPF9TQ

  Back in 2011, suburban New Jersey heroes Real Estate released their best album, Days, a masterful collection of hazy landscapes and jangly guitar lines. It's only gotten better with age, which makes their new cover of the 1978 Television song of the same name both enthralling and nostalgic. It's what inspired them and helped them find their footing a decade ago. Today, it feels as good as discovering a $20 bill in an old pair of pants. —Patrick Hosken

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. We'll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Dvsn, Ty Dolla $ign ft. Mac Miller: "I Believed It"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sImM-feLoF4

  It feels good to hear Mac Miller again, especially when he leads off his verse on this retro-soul new Dvsn and Ty Dolla $ign team-up with "I know you like to laugh." It's only one side of the coin, though: "But that don't keep you right inside / Tell me, is it worth it?" After Circles, it's almost greedy to hope for more posthumous Mac rhymes. But when he sounds as good as he does on "I Believed It," you can't help but yearn. —Patrick Hosken

• Doja Cat: “Ride”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4oaTPCL_HA

  A reggaeton-inspired track available to listen through the deluxe edition of her newest album, “Ride” finds Doja Cat expressing dismay and confusion on why her partner is aloof and unconcerned towards her. “Where is your jealousy? Why won't you cry?” she ponders. Doja feels she is only used by them as something to be played with (“Maybe I'm a toy 'til you wind me”) or as a brief fling, but she still loves her partner despite the bumpy ride in their relationship. —Athena Serrano

• Twice: “Perfect World”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmOEKOjyDxU

  Returning with their second Japanese single of 2021, the girls of Twice make a bold statement with the sizzling “Perfect World.” The title track off their forthcoming album, they present a mature concept this comeback season, deviating slightly from their beloved bubblegum pop to show off their musical evolution. Accompanied by a theatrical music video, Twice continue on their journey toward world domination, breaking hearts and taking names on their way to the top. —Sarina Bhutani

• Fletcher: “Healing”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85Tl5-cev5g

  From the very first note of “Healing,” it’s clear that Fletcher is trying out something new. On this intimate cut, the queer indie-pop singer trades her head-turning hooks and aggressive beats for introspective lyrics and mellower instrumentals. “I ain’t there yet, but I’m healing,” she repeats. “I ain’t there yet.” It’s a refrain, but you get the feeling it’s also a personal mantra. —Sam Manzella

• Ed Sheeran: “Bad Habits”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orJSJGHjBLI

  I was a little thrown when I saw the sparkly blue eyeshadow, vampy fangs, and pink suits ablaze in the first preview of Ed Sheeran’s new single. After all, this is the same goofy singer-songwriter I saw transform a tiny concert hall into a rousing choir with just a guitar, a loop pedal, and the sweat off his back nine years ago. I should have known better than to doubt the red-haired trickster whose catalog was built from combining his Yorkshire sensibilities with sticky hooks to craft some of pop’s slickest hits. “Bad Habits” is undeniably sleek from its first notes, though it really takes off when the refrain hits. Sheeran packs on a palpable sense of desperation and seduction for dance-floor bop, a drunk confession, and the caption to the Instagram picture of your 2 a.m. deli sandwich all in one. Ed has done it again. —Carson Mlnarik

• Miloe: "Solo" (Lous and the Yakuza cover)

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcK0luEHFGk

  The end of June also brings the end of Black Music Month, but Congolese Independence Day (August 15) is approaching — and Minneapolis's Miloe is celebrating both at once. The artist, whose jangly "Greenhouse" was a 2020 favorite, was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and relocated to America at age 8; he honors both the holiday and his heritage with this bright, highly replayable cover of Belgian-Congolese artist Lous and the Yakuza's "Solo." Melt your heart by watching Miloe's lovely conversation with his mother in the music video above. —Patrick Hosken

• Amorphous, MNEK, Kelly Rowland, CeCe Peniston: “Finally (Cannot Hide It)”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwt0a6TRpaA

  It’s happened to me, right in front of my face, and my feelings cannot describe it! If you thought Pride Month was over, guess again. With the help of Amorphous, MNEK, Kelly Rowland, and the OG “Finally” songstress CeCe Peniston, the iconic 1991 pop-house track gets an update fit for a summer 2021 twirl. It takes a special combination of charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent (Drag Race fans, you hear me?!) to successfully refresh an iconic track, and they certainly did it well. —Zach O’Connor

• Loona: “PTT (Paint the Town)”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EEo-iE5u_A

  Loona lead their comeback with an intense single for new mini-album [&]. The song takes inspiration from Bollywood dance music and hip-hop: male vocals in the beginning, percussion from Indian tabla drums, whistling woodwinds, aggressive dubstep, and 808 bass sounds. The South Korean girl group is about to paint the town to show they’ve returned with a new mindset (“Are you ready for some action? / Our mission has just begun / No one here / Can stop us / With what I have inside”). Play this song to dance if you’re feeling energetic and confident. —Athena Serrano

• Big Red Machine (ft. Anaïs Mitchell): "Latter Days"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXYXgf18QTM

  Here's the headline news: The Taylor Swift-Aaron Dessner-Bon Iver collabs are far from over! In late August, Dessner and Justin Vernon will release another album as Big Red Machine, the sprawling, often experimental project they've been tooling around with since the 2000s. That album will feature contributions from many friends from their extended musical universe, including Fleet Foxes, Anaïs Mitchell, Naeem, This Is the Kit, and yes, Swift on two songs. The coolly haunting "Renegade" is available now. Elsewhere, we've got plenty to enjoy thanks to "Latter Days," which folds Hadestown creator and Bonny Light Horseman supernova Mitchell into a gorgeous and haunting piano reverie. "How long do you think it's gonna last?" she sings early on before being joined by Vernon's unmistakably money-making falsetto. I hope the answer is forever. —Patrick Hosken

• BM: “Broken Me”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb3yp1FToNM

  With the release of his debut solo single “Broken Me,” Kard’s BM reintroduces himself to the world in a brand new light. With an alt-rock melody, BM strikes a balance between homage and evolution, expanding upon a classic genre to create something that sounds fresh. Written in its entirety in a single day, the song’s lyrics dive deep into deeply personal emotions such as anxiety and loneliness, giving fans a rare view of the man behind the idol. Accompanied by an iconic music video, BM shows fans the true depth of his artistry. —Sarina Bhutani

• Alexalone: “Eavesdropper”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2iTH-6OSFw

  Some cool things about "Eavesdropper," a roaring new six-minute cut from Austin's Alexalone (who style their name in all lowercase): motorik drumming, the use of a violin bow and a voice recorder as tools to play electric guitar, a persistent doomy rumble that ultimately gives way to euphoric release, the additional space created by a lack of vocals, an artful and stylish video shot by Brittany Reeber, how it utterly rips, how for a few seconds you're sure it's the best thing you've ever heard, and how you'll want to listen again as soon as it's done. —Patrick Hosken

• Tyler, the Creator: “Corso”

  https://youtu.be/Lqvwm3zAILI

  Tyler, the Creator is back to creating with his new, expertly blended single Corso. With its eyebrow-raising verses and spontaneous interjections from DJ Drama, the California rapper stays true to his eclectic roots. From twinkling piano keys to dancy beats to a thudding bass, this song has it all, carving out a genre of its own. —Taura J

• Matt Maltese: “Madhouse”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2bZCf7okr0

  While we’ve learned to embrace solitude and uncertainty over the past year and a half, one track I’ve found myself coming back to when the struggle feels heavy is Matt Maltese’s “Madhouse.” Although its title threatens theatricality, the London singer-songwriter takes a chill approach to confronting the paradox of his loneliness in a world of screens and constant communication. His astute observations of “Live Laugh Love” signs and “multicolored ornaments in people’s houses” are quirky on the surface, but sung aloud, their banalities resonate. He doesn’t prescribe a remedy for life’s duller moments, casually crooning lines like “Can’t you tell me why I’m empty,” though the smooth psychedelic beat, and his running-man moves in the video, seem to suggest that grooving through the madness is the best way to go. —Carson Mlnarik

• Jaden: “Bye”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pBiCChscGY

  A heartbreaking love song about mourning the loss of a relationship, “Bye” centers Jaden wishing to take a drive to a beach with an ex to watch the sunset (“I know you're sick of fallin' in love / But, girl, that needs to be us / Out on the beach havin' fun / The weekend just ain't enough”). The song begins with lo-fi, dreamlike sounds, representing Jaden’s nostalgia and his dream about repairing the relationship. Although he feels sad and broken, his anger and frustration is shown in later rap verses: “Got nothing to say to you, girl, you ain't my bae / You got me test up like I'm a motherfucker on the way.” Jaden’s got overwhelming feelings through this emo rap. You’ll feel them, too. —Athena Serrano

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. We'll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Clairo: "Blouse"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmtZzo05pqQ

  Clairo keeps growing. "Blouse" marks a far distance from "Flaming Hot Cheetos," swapping out lo-fi digital for warm acoustic tones and strings that might as well have been laid down in a wheat field. Where debut Immunity opted for the atmospheric and occasionally leaned into R&B, "Blouse" (as the first taste of follow-up Sling, due out July 16) is folk revivalism at its finest. The only thing more intimate than Clairo singing, "Why do I tell you how I feel / When you're just looking down the blouse?" is her singing it without any overdubs or accompaniment on The Tonight Show. Both versions are essential. —Patrick Hosken

• Remi Wolf: “Liz”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIniBJm2F7A

  On this total earworm of a pop-funk fusion, singer-songwriter Remi Wolf tributes Liz, a “sexy little mama” who always comes through. Come for the playful blend of musical influences, and stay for Wolf’s richly textured vocal riffs. Can’t get enough? Play it back-to-back with the live version, a true showcase of the American Idol alum’s standout voice. —Sam Manzella

• Coin: “You Are the Traffic”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaxfg9xtPzM

  Coin’s Rainbow Mixtape, a three-part EP series fused into one full-length effort, is in the running for the year’s best indie album, a powerfully written kaleidoscope of reflections on finding your way through love, loss, and your own meaning of life. It’s hard to pick the record’s standout moment, but “You Are the Traffic” feels like the one song that pulls it all together, a mellow realization that two people — maybe lovers, maybe friends, likely something in between — are forever connected, whether they’d prefer to be untangled or not. “What a mistake, how there’s no me without you,” singer Chase Lawrence confesses. Like the song itself, the line rings with a faint sliver of hope: Even in this misfortune, maybe the two can find a way out. —Terron Moore

• Galantis, David Guetta, Little Mix: “Heartbreak Anthem”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIv3ClkEhrA

  It’s not every day that you hear an emotionally intelligent breakup song, but Swedish DJ Galantis, French DJ David Guetta, and British girl group Little Mix come together to create just that — an international EDM banger to cure your not-so-broken heart. The track, though titled “Heartbreak Anthem,” is decidedly a song that speaks to the true power of understanding, feeling empathy towards those loved and lost, and the art of moving on. “Heartbreak Anthem” encourages listeners to find their inner peace and live in the present, releasing all that pent-up energy on the dance floor as the beat drops. Add this one to your summer playlist immediately for good mental health! —Sarina Bhutani

• Peyton: "Don't U Wanna Fly"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKgTHmaDjAw

  Peyton, an emerging Houston singer-songwriter, is not fucking around. Her gossamer voice also has deep roots, and as a classical prodigy trained in both violin and opera, she has an innate understanding of how music works together. Just listen to the icy backbeat of her latest, "Don't U Wanna Fly," which sounds Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots" playing in a room down the hall. Then listen again to her voice. Soon, "Don't U Wanna Fly" feels more like a command than a question. —Patrick Hosken

• Kentö: “Silhouette”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rThqFmvgHMk

  “Make it good, make it last so they never forget your silhouette,” Kentö croons over the hypnotic synths. His smooth vocals creep in telling you to give it to them good — whether you’re leaving in those quiet whispers of the morning or as the sun turns to dusk, make it so your silhouette and memory can’t be forgotten. “Silhouette” is the first single from singer-songwriter and producer Kentö’s forthcoming album, Strangers. And while I’ve just been introduced to the singer, his story and infectious talent are definitely enough to keep a close eye on. —Daniel Head

• Mila Jam: “Too High”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4eXKPEwTT8

  Add this to your summer playlist immediately. Mila Jam is back with her latest single “Too High,” giving us a bop from 3,000 feet in the air. With a music video rocking a trans flag and Mila serving on the chorus, the sky is the limit! The artist is consistently giving us trans excellence in music while reminding us that “love is the goal.” —Zach O’Connor

• Gia Woods: “Enough of You”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x-XTAgulvc

  Even if a getaway to L.A. is not in the cards for you this year, Gia Woods supplies a sip of the sunny city rush with sleek new single “Enough of You.” The queer pop singer evokes an air of cynicism over dance-floor beats as she admits the heat of addiction in “a fucked-up paradise” is hard to resist. “This song may seem like it’s just about being addicted to another person but it’s so much more than that,” she said in a statement. “It’s about chasing the highs ’til you don’t even feel them anymore.” Bring on the hypnotic baby blues! —Carson Mlnarik

• Jelani Aryeh: "Overexposed"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoEFy5QMgaY

  You think you know what kind of song "Overexposed" is going to be — airy, lithe, pensive — and then the shuffling beat hits. At once, rising alternative voice Jelani Aryeh's path becomes exciting, lit by a gently swinging melody and savvy rumination on social media. Ever felt burned the hell out from too much scrolling? Aryeh's got your anti-anthem right here. His forthcoming debut album is called I've Got Some Living to Do, yet he already sounds wise beyond his years. —Patrick Hosken

• 2Pac: “Keep Ya Head Up”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V69C37noXyk

  What’s a dope playlist without a hip-hop legend like 2Pac? In honor of what would have been his 50th birthday this week, let’s take a trip back in time by listening to a classic. The “Thug Life” rapper took a different approach with this track and offered uplifting words to women in the Black community. With such a powerful voice for the people, it’s no surprise 2Pac’s passion overflowed into this hit. The inspirational lyrics remind us all to keep our heads up and believe in ourselves over anything. This soft beat could bring a smile to anyone’s face. —Taura J

• Mint Simon: “Some of Everything”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOjT8m_OM5w

  Mint Simon, frontperson of Caveboy, embraces the spaces between synths and binaries on the theatrical new single “Some of Everything.” The track and its dramatic visual – come through, candlestick! – both speak to Mint’s refusal to be placed in a box when it comes to their music and identity. Its addictive chorus screams like a straightforward pop song, though a deeper listen reveals bongos and a slinky saxophone loop lurking in the production. Meanwhile, Mint takes on different personas and dance moves throughout the video, reminding us that perhaps “some of everything” is the spice of life. —Carson Mlnarik

• The Go! Team: "A Bee Without Its Sting"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc9NODUhmAc

  When's the last time you felt great? Press play on "A Bee Without Its Sting," the delightful new soul-pop single from longtime experimental British band The Go! Team, and see if your answer changes. A cool bit of trivia: Vocals on this track are handled by Jessie Miller and Rian Woods, two teenage choir members out of Detroit. They sound great, and their comparative lack of polish gives the tune an undeniable charm. Let it be your underdog anthem. —Patrick Hosken

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. We'll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Maharani: “Tere Bina”

  https://youtu.be/YGodc-hbAGA?t=149

  London-based singer-songwriter Maharani released her EP AnBae late last year, and I've had it in rotation ever since. Influenced by R&B artists like Tinashe, Tank, and Jhené Aiko, her sound is transportive, a musical cauldron blending Hindi, Dutch, Tamil, and English, often layered over a simple synth beat. Her latest release, "Tere Bina" ("Without You” in English) simultaneously puts me at ease and makes me want to be in love. Produced by fellow Londoner Itsyaboikay, the two are charting their own lane in R&B, and I am buckling in for the ride. —Virginia Lowman

• Orville Peck: “Born This Way (The Country Road Version)”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCN0uYl_H_4

  Like any good gay person, I knew Lady Gaga teasing the title of the cover “Born This Way (The Country Road Version)” was code for an Orville Peck collab. My musical gaydar was correct, and Little Monsters, I’m happy to inform you that the masked singer was rightfully entrusted with the anthemic song. Peck’s rendition of “Born This Way” is a campy delight, infused with the twangy strings and soulful croon that put the queer country singer on the map. Yee-freaking-haw! —Sam Manzella

• Tinashe ft. Buddy: “Pasadena”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5bVfpRRngA

  What’s the world’s first post-quarantine summer without a fire playlist to vibe out to? Tinashe is giving us just that with her single and visual for “Pasadena.” The pop dazzler is serving up her airy, soprano vocals over a hot beat in her newly released single. The visual brings us some much-needed California sunshine and carefree vibes, and like Tinashe sings, “Now more than ever, life is all what you make it.” Let’s make the warm season count! —Taura Kimble

• Ivy Mono: “Stars Are Blind” (Paris Hilton cover)

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwD0h3ZiL6w

  Paris Hilton’s mythic debut single “Stars Are Blind” celebrated its fifteenth anniversary this month, making it ripe for the picking for an indie electro-pop soft-boi cover. And I use that term endearingly because Ivy Mono has found a way to curate an entirely different sun-drenched vibe with his synth-driven take on the 2006 single. While the original is top-down on the highway, making out on the beach, and the smell of sunscreen, Ivy Mono’s cover feels like iced coffee in the summer, yearning from across the bar, and yes, making out on the beach, too. —Carson Mlnarik

• Pom Pom Squad: “Crying”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN-O-z4wpVI

  Everything weeps on “Crying.” Singer-songwriter Mia Berrin howls, the creeping strings wail like coyotes in the night, and the layers of guitar crunch add a visceral sonic weight to the entire affair. It’s (sadly) not a Roy Orbison cover, but it lives in the same melancholy universe, along with the rest of Death of a Cheerleader, Berrin’s goth-fuzz new album from project Pom Pom Squad, out June 25. —Patrick Hosken

• Blanks: “What You Do to Me”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIW24llrPuA

  No one is giving more full-hearted tributes to '80s new-wave pop right now than 24-year-old Simon de Wit, better known as Blanks. “What You Do to Me” is a brisk, breezy rush of synth where he finally confesses his heartfelt feelings. But naturally, the fear of falling in love has him overthinking. “I need you now to get me outta my head,” he reveals. “'Cause baby, when we touch, it’s like the whole world stops.” —Terron Moore

• Migos ft. Justin Bieber: “What You See”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw_Iy7CL02E

  Justin Bieber’s lately made himself a hook machine, and on “What You See,” he lets his floating falsetto soar over a gentle beat infused with acoustic guitar. It provides the perfect backdrop for Migos to unpack questions about real love: “How many times that you got mad or told me you done with me?”; “If I was down to my last dime, would you slide, go Bonnie and Clyde?”; and most importantly, “What you want from me?” —Patrick Hosken

• Laura Mvula: “Got Me”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJohzGzstag

  Summer is here, we have our vax (you have your vax, right?!), and it’s time to bask in a season of good vibes and fierce music. Laura Mvula’s synth sensation “Got Me” is serving the perfect bop for sitting in the sun, by the beach, or in a park. Like an '80s pop track with a 2021 twist, it’s a nostalgic smorgasbord of serotonin that puts a spring in your step. “In my adult years I had forgotten how important dance was to me as a vital tool of my creative expression,” Mvula told NME. “I brought it back, just for me, so I could find my delight in dance again. And now I can’t stop dancing. I can’t wait to play this album live.” —Zach O’Connor

• Nao ft. Lianne La Havas: “Woman”

  https://youtu.be/lmvr7xq5cDE

  For the record: You can't go wrong with Nao or Lianne La Havas, so their team-up for the feminist anthem "Woman" was bound to be a sure-fire winner. This track got me through a summer alone indoors last year, and although outside is open now, the song has such good energy that it's become a kind of mantra for me. "If God is woman / On Sunday Imma worship us," the hook announces. And as far as I'm concerned, every day is Sunday, and everyone should act accordingly. —Virgnia Lowman

• Nnamdï: "Lonely Weekend" (Kacey Musgraves cover)

  https://youtu.be/B6zNRHb-Lp0

  To say Nnamdï has covered Kacey Musgraves's gorgeously melancholy "Lonely Weekend" is to do the multitalented Chicago artist's version a disservice. Instead, it's a complete overhaul, a work of disassembly and reassembly in real time across three minutes. I've listened to it about six times now, and every time I've known it was a cover of a song I know quite well, but there's always a point where I get completely lost in how he's reimagined it. What a complete thrill. Find Nnamdï's freak-folk take on "Lonely Weekend" on record label Secretly Canadian's latest SC25 Singles collection. —Patrick Hosken

• Armaan Malik, Eric Nam with KSHMR: “Echo”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CjNYcEF4cY

  In an epic cross-national collaboration, Bollywood's Armaan Malik, Seoul-based K-pop artist Eric Nam, and Indian-American producer KSHMR join forces on the EDM-tinged “Echo.” Though the song is an excellent crying-on-the-dance-floor bop, it stands for something much larger: transcending borders to smash the boundaries between genres and celebrate the richness of Asian experiences, on the heels of AAPI Heritage Month. Leveraging their unique talents and notoriety in their respective industries, Malik, Nam, and KSHMR have crafted a pan-Asian collaboration the likes of which EDM, K-pop, and I-pop have never seen, gesturing toward global solidarity and unity. —Sarina Bhutani

• Peach Tree Rascals: “Oh Honey! (I Love You)”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XL5tv1D0eY

  Peach Tree Rascals’ latest EP Camp Nowhere couldn’t be more appropriately titled. Its nostalgia-flecked sound evokes the days of summers past, while providing the perfect soundtrack for sunny new moments. “Oh Honey! (I Love You)” is the band's most earnest single yet. Their goofy humor shines through in its cinematic visual, which stars singer Joseph Barros and his real-life girlfriend in a park picnic before panning to Isaac Pech, Dom Pizano, and Tarrek Abdel-Khaliq in full marching band attire. No matter how long the high temperatures last, the season will come to an end, but the soothing track reminds us it’s OK. Perhaps the most important memories are the ones we don’t know we’re making. —Carson Mlnarik

• Jessie J: “I Want Love”

  https://youtu.be/g1svGinCsxk

  The post-pandemic dance-track boom is real, and it’s rarely sounded as massive as on Jessie J’s return single “I Want Love.” The pianos and strings are high in the mix, the four is on the floor, and Jessie’s voice is a clarion call commanding everyone back to the dance floor. Spoiler alert: Yes, there’s a key change. It’s all about the drama. —Patrick Hosken

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. We'll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Billie Eilish: "Your Power"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzeWc3zh01g

  After conquering the world, where would Billie Eilish go next? Refreshingly, the answer is back to basics, creating an irresistible, understated folk-pop heartbreak ballad that's all about power dynamics. It's a nice primer for Happier Than Ever, her and co-writer/producer/brother Finneas's follow-up to one of the biggest debuts in recent memory. You'll want to sit with this one for a while, though. —Patrick Hosken

• Mint Simon: “Used For Love”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heJznip28no

  “Are you lonely in the night?” Mint Simon (front person of Caveboy) wonders in the pre-chorus of “Used For Love,” their debut single as a solo act. If the song’s hazy, disco ball-dappled visuals are any indication, Simon is already waiting for a booty call from someone they know will never amount to more than a lover. But they don’t mind “being used for pleasure”; they relish it, soundtracking the heady rush with soaring vocals and ‘80-inspired synths. —Sam Manzella

• Eddie Benjamin: “Speechless”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6KkXpLzaOk

  What do you do when you know your relationship is ending? The crown jewel of rising crooner Eddie Benjamin’s debut EP Emotional, “Speechless” is a stoic consideration of all those pitiful options. Over a haunting yet soothing bed of his own vocal harmonies, Eddie considers every length necessary, every word that could be said in order to salvage what’s left, but the final result is a somber, pitiful resignation to the end. Sure, he’s combative — "It ain’t up to you," he asserts about the breakup — but at the end of the day, all he can do is wait silently for a return unlikely to ever happen. —Terron Moore

• DJ Khaled ft. Nas, Jay-Z & James Fauntleroy and Harmonies by The Hive: "Sorry Not Sorry"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mON6_EQfQFI

  Jay-Z and Nas have more than 20 years of history between them. Though their beef officially ended in a football stadium back in 2005, hearing the former rap foes join up on a luxury DJ Khaled track to discuss living large and reclining atop pyramids of money is enough to warm the heart. Turn your headphones up for trace amounts of Beyoncé on this one, too. —Patrick Hosken

• The Chemical Brothers: “The Darkness That You Fear”

  https://youtu.be/b-mGA4V2LK0

  The Chemical Brothers are back with a dance track bursting with so many bright colorful sounds you can almost see the music. Similar to other Chemical Brothers classics like “Hey Boy Hey Girl” and “Star Guitar,” “The Darkness That You Fear” is actually at its best after you’ve listened to it on repeat for an hour (or two), falling into an electronic trance as you dream of vibrant technicolor landscapes. With lyrics like “let your heart see the colors all around you, and the darkness that you fear will disappear,” it sounds like the perfect mantra as we begin to re-enter into society after this dark pandemic year. The Chemical Brothers rave has returned at the perfect time. —Chris Rudolph

• James Ivy: "Texas"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCtT91RZd3k

  Fellow streamers who can't stop tapping play on The 1975, Charli XCX, and No Rome's "Spinning," here's one for you. It comes courtesy of newcomer James Ivy, whose 2020 tune "Yearbook" presaged the Y2K sonic amalgamation of new single "Texas." It's Gen Z Linkin Park, the angst balanced out by nimble acoustic plucks and just shoegazey enough to make perfect sense on any dreamy playlist. Or, you know, right after "Spinning." —Patrick Hosken

• Ella Jay Basco ft. Ruby Ibarra: "Gold"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GSHnA22ES8

  "When you learn to love your true reflection / Then you'll always be rich with a gold complexion," Ella Jay Basco sings in a feather-light voice. But the weight of her words is great, redoubled by a powerful guest verse from rapper Ruby Ibarra. "We wanted to make a song that speaks out to brown pride and the color of our beautiful golden skin," Basco wrote on Instagram when it dropped in January. This week, "Gold" got a new video that brings that celebration to life. —Patrick Hosken

• Morgin DuPont: “G.N.C.”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCnU_BJtQOg

  Morgin DuPont makes a declaration at the start of her new non-binary anthem: “I’m not a man / I’m not a woman / I’m a force, liberty pass that torch.” It’s a powerful phrase that kicks off the Puerto Rican trans artist’s braggadocious bop, laying the groundwork for the confident demands she makes throughout the track, spitting out diamonds like, “You’re boring / Explore me, bitch.” She’s got the attitude to back up her boldness and bars, and the song’s themes of self-love, confidence, and unapologetic queerness run throughout her debut EP Pearls out today. It’s about damn time queer music gave the gender non-conforming community a shout, and Morgin is blessing everyone with not just a bop, but an exciting new voice to look out for, too. —Carson Mlnarik

• Split Single: "(Nothing You Can Do to) End This Love"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOPiWNxsBGk

  One thing you need to know is that if there's a new song out even tangentially related to R.E.M., I will blurb it here. This week, it's thanks to Split Single, Superchunk bassist Jason Narducy's project featuring none other than Mike Mills on patented Rickenbacker bass and harmonies. And man, what harmonies. The tune surges with springy power-pop chords, and of course I'm projecting here, but this could've absolutely worked on Accelerate. Anyway, don't sleep on those Jon Wurster drum hits or Narducy's lyrical fun about blood types. —Patrick Hosken

• Gunnar Gehl: “Somewhere We Can Be Alone”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDlqQL4SXgQ

  The heat (and the tension) are palpable from the very first notes of pop newcomer Gunnar Gehl’s latest single “Somewhere We Can Be Alone.” Infatuation is always a frisky business, but it’s never sounded quite so suspenseful. “All I can think is your touch, you’re the first / Say in my ear while you pulling my shirt / Baby can we go,” he croons, his voice rising and falling like a thumping heartbeat. But the real throbbing comes in with the club-ready chorus as Gehl weaves an addictive chorus built for dance-floor romances. Throw in its apocalyptic yet adorable visual and we’ve got ourselves a bop. —Carson Mlnarik

• Little Mix ft. Saweetie: "Confetti"

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15-vLIZ_2mU

  Little Mix's 2020 club-revelry anthem gets an upgrade — and a hilariously cinematic new video — with a little help from Saweetie. From the glossy production to the rapper's celebratory bars ("Face on Halle, body on Chloe / You give me the chance, I'ma give it to your homie"), the "Confetti" remix is a whole new kind of party. —Patrick Hosken

• Vincint ft. Alex Newell with Princess Precious: “Higher”

  https://youtu.be/A3E7LFzwHEM

  Joy. Period. Vincint is back with a new song to remind us of the power of love and freedom after one hell of a year. A collab with iconic chanteuse Alex Newell and rapper Princess Precious, “Higher” hits you with energy, excitement, and a beat fit for twirling in the sun. Expect to hear this transcendent track at every queer club, bar, and dance party this summer when we can all gather IRL post-vaccination. “I wanted to make something euphoric,” Vincint told Mila Jam during a recent episode of Logo Live. “I wanted to make an album to make people feel alive.” Mission accomplished. —Zach O’Connor

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. And all March long, we're celebrating Women's History Month by spotlighting women making music that feels essential to right now.

Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Japanese Breakfast: “Be Sweet”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZfcZEIo6Bw

  Do you hear this fucking bassline? After two albums spent amid dream-pop excavations of grief and longing, Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner is bringing the joy — and it sounds infectious as hell. Her third album, Jubilee, is out in June, anchored by the delightful “Be Sweet” and its X-Files-style video co-starring Mannequin Pussy’s Marisa Dabice. —Patrick Hosken

• Girl in Red: “Serotonin”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wehVzQt4Czg

  Of course I listen to Girl in Red… do you? For her latest single, “Serotonin,” the 22-year-old indie-pop act teamed up with Grammy-winning producer Finneas and Norwegian songwriter-composer Matias Tellez to put her mental health struggles to music. The result is a head-turning alt-pop banger that juxtaposes sped-up beats with jarring examples of Ulven’s intrusive thoughts (“Like cutting my hands off / Like jumping in front of a bus / Like how do I make this stop?”) I hesitate to describe a song about “running low on serotonin” as anthemic, but I’ll be real with you. It’s March 2021; I’ve been “capitulating / Crying like a fucking baby” on and off for the past year. If life in a pandemic had a soundtrack, it would surely feature this vulnerable cut. —Sam Manzella

• Tinashe, Tokimonsta: “I’m Every Woman”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY7iilTjtYI

  What better way to kick off Women's History Month than with this uber sexy cover of Chaka Khan's classic debut, “I’m Every Woman.” Tinashe and producer Tokimonsta have teamed up for an intimate rendition of the powerhouse disco hit where the former’s sultry vocals paired with a sweaty deep house mix completely wash over you. Please enjoy it with a towel and something to hydrate because this bassline will keep you bumping. It’s just a whole ass vibe. —Daniel Head

• Jade Bird: “Open Up the Heavens”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtXjBMQjpLk

  Since dropping her excellent and rootsy 2019 self-titled LP, English singer Jade Bird has leaned all the way into her influences, heading to Nashville and letting a little room tone into her tracks. “Open Up the Heavens” is still anchored by her turbine-sized howl, but performed live at RCA Studios, the mud-toned guitar and big drums of her backing band give her voice a run for its money. Nothing wrong with a little healthy competition. —Patrick Hosken

• Ava Max: “My Head & My Heart”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8mBplMtwJ8

  Welcome aboard the 2000s nostalgia train! The next stop is "My Head & My Heart," Ava Max’s ode to ATC’s 2000 hit “Around the World (La La La La La).” The refreshed Eurodance homage gives millennials something to remember and brings zoomers a new dance challenge for TikTok after Max’s “Kings and Queens” went viral on the platform. “The interpolation of the ‘la la la’ was really fun to add in 'cause I grew up listening to that,” the pop singer told Stylecaster. “I wanted to go out and go clubbing. We’re all stuck in our homes, and I want to make people dance.” Amen to that! Here's hoping that we can let loose to this club banger at a post-pandemic dance party as soon as possible. —Zach O’Connor

• Upsahl: “Stop!”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An8Cq3ehw90

  Propelled by the viral success of TikTok party anthem “Drugs,” Upsahl keeps the momentum going with her bombastic new single “Stop!” Within the first minute of its dazzling video, she’s spiking Slurpees and turning a suburban street into her own dance party. Still, it’s just a pregame for the track’s thumping and rocking chorus in which she proclaims that her “heart’s gonna beat so fast that it might stop,” before launching into a series of club-ready “Boom / boom / boom”s. Straddling the lines of rock and pop, this one is sure to get your heart racing. —Carson Mlnarik

• Ray BLK ft. Giggs: “Games”

  https://youtu.be/2nzXBx5TREk

  Now here’s an instrumental inside which you could build a summer home. Thanks to some airy, 40-recalling soundscapes, Nigerian-British voice Ray BLK is free to go off, eviscerating the titular games dudes can play (“Don’t trust the game, baby / Don’t fall in love”). With a little baritone help from Giggs, “Games” passes by in a flash, but when you’re in it, you feel like you could live here. —Patrick Hosken

• Brijean: “Wifi Beach”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8ykx_PLPNg

  Put this track on spin, close your eyes, and you’re instantly transported to a 1970s hotel lounge, head bobbing and martini in hand, courtesy of groovy disco-pop duo Brijean. While their latest record Feelings is a hypnotizing and honey-hued joy ride, their latest single and video for “Wifi Beach” is particularly entrancing. From the visual’s trippy transitions to its impeccable color scheme, you’ll find yourself lost in disco drum kits and dizzying daydreams. —Carson Mlnarik

• Natalie Bergman: “Shine Your Light On Me”

  https://youtu.be/W7zZQzQKZEo

  After suffering a family tragedy in 2019, Wild Belle singer Natalie Bergman retreated to a monastery in New Mexico’s Chama Valley, spending weeks in silence. Bergman’s stay there inspired her upcoming solo debut album, Mercy , including the latest single, “Shine Your Light on Me.” The hypnotic hymn wraps around you like a warm desert wind, serving as a psychedelic prayer for a more hopeful future. “I’ve been lost in the desert, won’t you lead me to green pastures?” Bergman sings, asking a higher power for help during dark times — something I think we can all relate to after this past year. —Chris Rudolph

• CL: “Wish You Were Here”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMWEv_YBd8M&feature=youtu.be

  After her mother passed, CL recorded this beautiful and touching tribute that feels as airy as her questions throughout: “Is heaven all we thought it'd be? Can you still hear my voice now?” On Instagram, the singer accompanied the song with a reminder. “If you love someone, tell them now.” —Patrick Hosken

When COVID-19 production shutdowns forced many musicians to record alone for the first time, indie-pop ingenue Claud Mintz had a leg up. They began writing and releasing music in 2018 as the lead of Toast, a now-defunct lo-fi duo they formed as a college student with their best friend, producer Josh Mehling. Although they lived in the same city and attended university together, the pair recorded separately by sending instrumental tracks or half-baked song ideas back and forth. “We've never been able to make music in the same room,” Claud, who performs mononymously, tells MTV News over Zoom while hunkered down in Los Angeles. “If we are in the same room, we get distracted or we get embarrassed, and we just can't do it. So it didn't feel unusual because that's what I’ve been doing this whole time.”

Under a mop of cotton candy-colored curls, Claud is humble and soft-spoken, but don’t let that fool you into thinking they don’t know what they’re talking about. At 21, Claud has already released the eight-track EP Sideline Star, collaborated with their bedroom-pop contemporary Clairo, and caught the attention of Grammy-nominated indie-rocker Phoebe Bridgers. Their full-length debut, Super Monster, drops Friday (February 12) via Saddest Factory, Bridgers’s fledgling record label. To date, Claud is Saddest Factory’s only signee. “I was in conversation with a few other labels,” they remember. “But I sort of felt like, if I was going to sign and to really trust the team that I was going to sign to, I'd want it to be somebody who understands my perspective and an artist that I could really trust creatively.” Bridgers, an industry-savvy powerhouse with “her finger on the pulse,” fit the bill.

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. We'll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. And this week, in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance today (November 20), we're shining the spotlight on trans musicians making vital, important art that's built to last.

Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Teddy Geiger: “I Was In a Cult”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kdQiuDKqyU

  “I Was In a Cult” attacks the raging fury of rebellion with a confident strength. It’s thunderous rock, but controlled: heavy on the drums and electric guitar, but its declaration of breaking from your own chains is unmistakably clear, as Teddy laments on the person she once was in a world of constraints, and revels in the freedom that comes with defining your own reality. “My heart is aching,” she confesses, “but it only brings me close to God.” —Terron Moore

• Dorian Electra ft. The Garden, Quay Dash, D0llywood1: “F the World”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOgI5qsAB4w

  There’s nothing quite like telling the world to fuck off. That’s what Dorian Electra offers on this team-up with, among others, Bronx rapper Quay Dash, who acts as a staid voice amid the chaos of Electra’s glitchy overload. “F the world, it's a damn joke / Whoever think different, they can suck it and damn choke,” she spits, cleverly tapping into the song’s secondary meaning of sex (and sexual frustration). —Patrick Hosken

• Mila Jam: “Eye on You”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fob6DowjZTE

  This is and will always be a Mila Jam stan account. "Eyes on You" is the perfect pop song for any chill playlist. In the music video, Jam embodies joy and love. It's fitting — as she told Billboard in 2019, that is "exactly what every trans woman deserves, what everyone in the [trans] community deserves." —Zach O’Connor

• Peppermint ft. LaFemmeBear and Mila Jam: “Be Optimistic”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAC__jwlXcg&feature=youtu.be

  Today (November 20) is Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honors the lives of trans people who were violently killed in the past year. But the trans and gender non-conforming community is so much more than the epidemic of violence that plagues it. Enter “Be Optimistic,” a soulful, R&B-infused new track centering trans joy from Peppermint, LaFemmeBear, and Mila Jam, all Black trans people themselves. LaFemmeBear sets the stage in a powerful spoken-word intro: “We came to remind you, let’s be optimistic / ‘Cause we got this / Listen.” For a truly immersive experience, watch the song’s black-and-white music video, which incorporates on-the-ground footage from Black Lives Matter protests. —Sam Manzella

• Girlpool: “Like I’m Winning It (Porches Remix)”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99XNa2G8Z3U

  Earlier this year, the sometimes noisy, sometimes dreamy, always great band Girlpool released a doomy, lusty club cut called “Like I’m Winning It.” It’s since gotten three adventurous remixes; the briefest one comes courtesy of Porches’s Aaron Maine, who lifts it out of darkness into a sparklier realm that nevertheless maintains its melancholy. Do disco balls reflect candlelight? —Patrick Hosken

• Ms. White: “Arizona”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etlYV0dODTY

  Brooklyn-based pianist and jazz singer Ms. White is arresting from her voice alone — a soulful, cabaret-comfortable tone that would stop anyone dead in their tracks — but she’s also got the lyrics to match. “Arizona,” from her 2019 EP Marina is an emotionally vulgar rip from her diary, a refusal to be muted both sonically and personally as she recounts a relationship where she was mistreated with heartbreaking candidness. “How come I don’t have the code to your front door by now?” she wonders coolly over a jazzy piano before angrily belting out zingers like, “I know your taste buds are so fucking ordinary / But you’ve got to get used to this different-tasting cherry.” Although she recounts a romance with hyper-specificity, there’s an undeniable relatability to her performance and if the dictionary definition for “raw” were a song, this would be it. —Carson Mlnarik

• Kat Cunning: “O’Holy Night”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr3FD_eySOA

  There aren’t many hills I’m willing to die on, but this is one: Slow, sad Christmas music is the best kind. Need proof? Kat Cunning’s stripped-down cover of a melancholy classic. Backed only by a piano arrangement, Cunning’s impassioned, throaty vocals glisten like tinsel in candlelight. The cover is simpler and less distinct than their original music, but I’m not complaining. Now I just need December to roll around... —Sam Manzella

• Shea Diamond: “So Lucky”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXlZJUa6Yxw

  “No more secret lives, nobody's mistress,” soul singer Shea Diamond emotes on the refrain of this barn-burner, before adding the kicker: “If I die tonight, the world's my witness.” There’s no brass on this tune, but the music folds in plenty — a squawking guitar solo, an icy backbeat, and the roaring powerhouse vocals of Diamond herself. —Patrick Hosken

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn't discriminate by genre and can include anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. We'll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

• Soccer Mommy: “Circle the Drain (Unknown Mortal Orchestra Remix)”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Lj0pfkBxPY&feature=youtu.be

  “Circle the Drain” gets the psychedelic rock treatment courtesy of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, whose spacey synth sounds transform the Swiss-born indie rocker’s mellow depression anthem into something appropriately otherworldly. Want to feel even more moldy in the brain? Soccer Mommy’s original version dropped pre-pandemic in January 2020, which was technically this year, even though the Before Times feel like a distant memory. “Hey, I’ve been falling apart these days,” indeed. —Sam Manzella

• Wild Pink: “The Shining But Tropical”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMUQpapX0zU&feature=youtu.be

  New York’s Wild Pink have always been difficult to categorize. A dream-pop band doing jangle-pop (or vice versa)? A crunchier War on Drugs with emo accents? Arena-sized new single “The Shining But Tropical” doesn’t clear that up easily, instead exercising a newfound largesse where band leader John Ross’s poetic musings can mingle with soft synthetic noises and gorgeous open guitar strums. Ratboys’s Julia Steiner adds subtle vocal harmonies, and Schitt’s Creek’s Annie Murphy stars in the meditative video, proving that no matter what bucket Wild Pink falls into, they’re in good company. —Patrick Hosken

• Blackpink ft. Cardi B: “Bet You Wanna”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXBdvSj9F2I

  The very best love-crazed R&B-pop fusions — from Amerie’s “1 Thing” to Little Mix’s “Move” and Beyoncé’s “Crazy In Love” — use all the same elements to harness and release the feeling of flailing wildly over a new crush. They’re erratic in every way: soaring, speeding hooks randomly shattering into sharp edges of sparse percussion; vocals that wail at the edge of human sonic comprehension, then a smirking one-liner delivered like a whisper to your ear. Pop has had massive moments in 2020, from Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia to Lady Gaga's Chromatica, but this standout from Blackpink’s long-awaited LP, The Album, finds the genre at its freest. —Terron Moore

• Gregory Dillon: “Lovely.”

  https://youtu.be/pd_674eQlDw

  Need a synth soundtrack for your next séance? Brooklyn crooner Gregory Dillon has already sung about having an “Alien Boyfriend,” so why not tackle the other side of the supernatural spectrum with a spooky tune about demons and nightmares? This glittering slice of dark pop will not only have you dancing in your seat but will also inspire you to break out the Ouija board. If that’s not scary enough, the accompanying Blair Witch Project-esque music video is set within a graveyard. Be warned: You might want to listen with the lights on. —Chris Rudolph

• Why Don’t We: “Fallin’”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgx-R_4s12U

  Last time we heard those drums, they soundtracked Kanye West’s rage on “Black Skinhead,” courtesy of production from Daft Punk. But now, Why Don’t We have utilized them for an onslaught of falsetto and romantic confusion. The “Fallin’” video, likewise, is true to its name, finding Corbyn, Daniel, Jack, Jonah, and Zach embracing antigravity. —Patrick Hosken

• Junglepussy: "Main Attraction"

  https://youtu.be/dN6S63t4tBE

  The first single off the Brooklyn rapper's fourth album Jp4, dropping October 23, "Main Attraction" is classic Junglepussy: a composite of witty, stiletto-sharp punchlines that riff on themes of wellness and independence. "These bitches want me to make sense / They should just make a salad," she quips. Given she once delivered a lecture about self-care at Yale, perhaps we should heed her advice. —Coco Romack

• I Dont Know How But They Found Me: “Leave Me Alone”

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwpnuaBoKPU

  “Leave Me Alone,” the lead single from iDKHOW’s debut album, Razzmataz, is densely charged funk rock — brash, full-throttle electric noise that rattles your bones and melts your face off. It’s like playing The 1975 out of a Toyota Prius with all four tires on fire. It’s the bright future captured by that stadium sound: The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Jet. Could this Salt Lake City duo, Dallon Weekes and Ryan Seaman, become the next genre-defining band? Perhaps. —Terron Moore

• Joohoney: “Smoky”

  https://youtu.be/3ruHs2BKa9M

  “Smoky” is the emo-K-pop crossover we needed. The second single from Monsta X rapper Joohoney’s solo mixtape, it’s a scream-cry, headbanging track that revels in the realization of losing your way. “It’s about me collapsing in the darkness, losing my old self who was so passionate,” Joohoney said in a statement. Your eyes will start stinging when the children's choir joins on the chorus, and you can hear why Joohoney also says this is “a song for myself in the future,” a reminder of where you’ve been as well as a wake-up call for when you are slipping back. Crank this track all the way up, roll the windows down, and speed down the highway screaming, "Smoky!” with Joohoney. It's cathartic. —Daniel Head