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.
“Dying 4 Your Love,” title alone, is a mood. Thankfully, Snoh Aalegra back with another stormy, sultry cut loads up her latest with the sonics to support such a disposition. Soft background guitar plinks, gauzy layers of desire, and a voice as deep as the ocean are just some of them. Listen. You’ll hear the rest. Patrick Hosken
Heat Waves is the latest in a string of solid quarantine bops from Glass Animals. Its also the sexiest. The English art-pop group reflects on a hot tryst gone cold with a trademark psychedelic flair, bolstered by lyrics that sizzle and scintillate (Road shimmer wigglin’ the vision / Heat, heat waves, I’m swimmin’ in a mirror). Were approaching the second full week of July, yet Im still thinking about those late nights in the middle of June. Sam Manzella
The clubs might be closed, but Zara Larsson is transporting us to the dance floor if only for a moment with new single Love Me Land. Over a pulsating beat and an orchestral sample that feels like a call to arms, the Swedish pop star finds herself falling back in love against all odds. Never thought I would love again / Here I am in love me land, she sings in a sticky chorus penned by pop-lyric royalty Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter. The visual turns the heat up a notch higher, with Larsson leading the charge in a solo dance party. Carson Mlnarik
Part of the warmth of Taylor Swifts Lover is how its always felt familiar, as cozy as the shared apartment with the yuletide bulbs its lyrics reveal. Ontario singer-songwriter Ellis wisely keeps the interior charm for her own bedroom cover of the song, replacing Swifts pop-star vocal runs with understated mooniness. She scales back the instrumentation, too, creating an alternate universe where Lover remains a notebook entry instead of the stadium standard its become. Still, both versions are good for swaying with your partner, or by yourself. Patrick Hosken
When it comes to scream-worthy summer anthems, Kim Petras and Kygo do not disappoint on their own from Malibu to It Aint Me. Their collaboration on Kygos Golden Hour is no exception, rejecting a fatalistic view of romance and celebrating what was had. The only thing we had in common with each other / Was destroying everything we touched, Kim sings before ascending into a triumphant chorus. The video finds Petras perched on a car in Mad Max-esque ruin, fabulously dancing on broken glass as ash rains down and letting out a signature Woo ah for good measure. Carson Mlnarik