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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.
Taylor Swift: “ME!”
Taylor Swift is finished talking about her reputation and ready to let us know who she really is. After 13 (of course) long days of pastel-colored clues and FBI-level fan theories, Taylor is officially back with a new musical era, kicked off by “ME!” featuring Brendon Urie of Panic! At the Disco. Urie is a surprising collaborator for Swift — unless you caught the hint in her Elle “Pop Is Personal” essay in February: “When I hear ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’ by Panic! At The Disco, I’m transported back to being [16] and driving down the streets of Hendersonville, Tennessee, with my best friend Abigail, euphorically screaming the lyrics.” EVERYTHING IS A CLUE, PEOPLE.
Here, Urie’s vocals sweetly compliment Taylor’s as the two duet and remind us what makes them so unique in the first place (“I promise that you’ll never find another like me”). The song is an upbeat bop right out of the gate, meant to lift your spirit and fill you with light, love, and happiness. It seems that the dark, fierce Reputation days are behind her and the snakes have quite literally burst into butterflies. This is only the start of what’s to come in this “next chapter,” as Taylor dubbed it. Stay tuned, Swifties — we truly will never find another like HER. —Alissa Godwin
Carly Rae Jepsen: “Julien”
Though it might not be the ode to Julien Baker we all deserve, CRJ’s latest glimpse of Dedicated is her finest yet: a silky disco earworm that forgoes her typical towering refrains for something more lived in. If “Now That I Found You” sprints to its chorus like a clubgoer to the dance floor, “Julien” surveys the room first. When it finally flaunts its crystalline sparkles, the tune blossoms into an absolute showstopper. It is, after all, “the song that taught me the heart and direction of this album,” Jepsen tweeted. Can’t wait to see which way that points. —Patrick Hosken
TWICE: “Fancy”
As the saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But when you’re the biggest girl group on the planet, you’ve earned the right to tinker a bit. TWICE’s latest single may not be the total “girl crush” overhaul some fans were hoping for — thanks to member Momo’s thigh-length boots and that slinky choreography featured in the teaser — but “Fancy” does feel like the start of a diva-lite new chapter for the group.
For the uneducated, TWICE is a nine-member group from South Korea’s JYP Entertainment — and they’re insanely popular. Their catchy, honey-voiced hooks are easy to love (and to sing along to), and “Fancy” is no exception. (It’s still a TWICE song, after all.) But the track also finds the group experimenting with more mature sounds. The opening synth adds a layer of mystique that has previously evaded TWICE and their deliriously cheery bops. And Dahyun and Chaeyoung’s rap verses hit harder than normal over a heavy bass. “Fancy” isn’t a complete transformation; it’s an evolution. It’s what happens when Asia’s most popular girl group grows up. —Crystal Bell
Modest Mouse: “I’m Still Here”
Few albums brought me as much excitement and happiness as Modest Mouse’s classic Good News For People Who Love Bad News, and seeing the band proclaiming “I’m Still Here” with their latest release is like wrapping up in a huge, fuzzy blanket after a hot shower and taking a nap. It’s familiar, it feels fantastic, and there are few better feelings in the world. It helps that the track is an absolute banger, too.
The track made its debut as the B-side to the band’s Record Store Day 7-inch single for “Poison the Well,” but now it’s officially out for streaming. It’s one of the first songs the band has released since its 2015 album, Strangers to Ourselves, and they’re about to kick off a tour with The Black Keys this September.
Needless to say, I’ll be there at one of their tour stops, cheering on the band that’s been there for me ever since their album changed my life. They’re still here, alright. —Brittany Vincent
Mannequin Pussy: “Drunk II”
Mannequin Pussy’s first single off their upcoming third album is titled “Drunk II,” and it’s about, well, being too drunk. Specifically, so drunk that you call your ex because you forgot you broke up. Ouch, but heartbreak can do that to you. What makes “Drunk II” stand out is how honestly vocalist Marisa Dabice chronicles the post-breakup bar marathon, trying to drink the sadness away or maybe hook up with someone to temporarily offer your heart some respite. Truly, there’s nothing more universally relatable than wanting to shout into the heavens during a moment of extreme vulnerability, “I still love you, you stupid fuck!” —Bob Marshall
Young Nudy and Pi’erre Bourne ft. 21 Savage: “Mister”
Young Nudy is more of a talker than rapper; his words just sound good blasting out of car speakers under a brutal summer sun. Pi’erre Bourne is the producer that keeps Nudy afloat, giving the rapper an idiosyncratic edge. It’s always a heater when they step into the booth. Their latest is “Mister,” a sunny, trap-influenced tune that introduces Nudy to the beach. He finally steps from under the shade of Pi’erre’s typical darker, stormy productions. 21 Savage makes an appearance here and steps right into sync with what the two have built. One takeaway from this? Hopefully, Pi’erre and 21 Savage work together in the future. —Trey Alston
Cuco: “Hydrocodone”
Cuco has gifted fans with a dreamy new music video for his recently released single “Hydrocodone.” With the song’s lonely lyrics and the video’s funereal imagery, it’s hard to imagine that these new works weren’t informed by the time Cuco spent recovering from a serious car accident that he and his bandmates were involved in last October. The music video is a stunning pop romantic take on the cycle of life and death. The video’s director, Jazmin Garcia, described it as an abstract journey “dedicated to the memory of our past and future selves.” It’s also a testament to the magic that can happen when POC are in front of and behind the camera. Cuco’s new album is expected to drop later this year, but be sure to check him out on tour for those summer vibes. —Jenny Catherall
Hip-Hop
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Modest Mouse
Taylor Swift
Carly Rae Jepsen
Twice