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.
It might seem counterintuitive to describe a song about loneliness as an all-encompassing hug, but singer and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Colliers sweeping sound has never been easy to categorize. He uses a haunting antique chorus of He wont hold you like I do to keep his new five-minute odyssey steady, and his lyrics rise, shrink, and distort like intermittent waves of despair as he reflects on a newfound solitude. A closing verse from Rapsody brings us back to solid ground as she reflects on growth that comes from reaching rock bottom: Now I know theres nothing I cant do / I dance in the rain knowing I can swim too. Carson Mlnarik
What Were We Doing feels like a soothing breeze of blurred memories, like a happy recalling of a past crush that didnt quite pan out the way you hoped it would. The songs titular question (from one of the best indie bands alive right now) is a fair one, but it doesnt come from a place of anger: When singer Chris Beachy shrugs it off (Guess Ill just get over you, he decides), it feels like both a resignation to fate and a tacit appreciation of the fleeting nature of love itself. Terron Moore
Sizzy Rocket is 28 years old, but that doesnt mean shes forgotten how it feels to be young and way too in love. The Los Angeles-based indie-pop act skillfully soundtracks the emotional overwhelm of first love in Rollerskating, capturing that pit-in-your-stomach feeling of going too fast, too soon (You asked me how do youfeel about forever, oh / And I ran from you). Layered over a simple, synthy beat, her confessional lyrics hit even harder. Youre the one that Ill never get over, she realizes, cause you / Loved me at a time when I didnt love myself. It hurts to listen to, and I mean that in the best way possible. Sam Manzella
You can hear the tremendously named Manic Pixie Dream Hurl, from Minneapolis trio Thank You, Im Sorry, in two ways. The first is an acoustic bloodletting of bad feelings, courtesy of vocalist Colleen Dow, and the second is a full-band surge from mates Bethunni Schreiner and Sage Livergood. The difference? With some power behind her two-minute exploration, the urgency behind Dows words is redoubled, layering textures over a potent question: If I were to just wait an hour, do you think that Id feel any better? Patrick Hosken
From burning down houses to cheating on dishonest lovers, country singer Miranda Lambert has never strayed away from exploring the darker spectrum of emotions in her music, as opposed to the idyllic, beer-battered, truck-loving fare that usually takes up space in the genre. Its significant, then, that her latest single Bluebird is inherently hopeful, while still combatting themes that ring universal. Partially inspired by a Charles Bukowski poem, its a self-love anthem wrapped in self-assured zingers like If the house just keeps on winning / I got a wildcard up my sleeve and If love keeps giving me lemons / Ill just mix em in my drink. The idea of feeling caged but taking the good with the bad feels especially timely, as we all struggle to find ways to channel the bluebird in our own hearts. Carson Mlnarik
For those of you who prematurely left Chromatica, pull a fucking U-turn and get back here stat. The pop icon duo is back with a funky twist on their No. 1 single Rain on Me by legendary house producer Purple Disco Machine. The German native known for his 2013 hit My House has remixed the single into dreamy daytime disco bop, so grab your umbrella and cow bell, and lets kiki. Daniel Head
