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.
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Soccer Mommy: “Circle the Drain (Unknown Mortal Orchestra Remix)”
“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
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Wild Pink: “The Shining But Tropical”
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
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Blackpink ft. Cardi B: “Bet You Wanna”
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
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Gregory Dillon: “Lovely.”
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
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Why Don’t We: “Fallin’”
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
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Junglepussy: “Main Attraction”
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
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I Dont Know How But They Found Me: “Leave Me Alone”
“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
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Joohoney: “Smoky”
“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
