by 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.
Orville Pecks latest, a Spotify Singles cover of Bronski Beats 1984 ballad about a small-town expat, is the flamboyant country crooner at his finest: mournful, melodramatic, and infectiously catchy. The British synth-pop trios masterful storytelling finds a kindred spirit in Pecks soulful vocals. His entire cover is thick with emotion. When Peck sings, Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away, you feel restless in your seat; when he belts, Cry, boy, cowboy, cry, you feel the phantom prickle of tears in your eyes. Its Pecks rodeo, yall. Were all just living in it. Sam Manzella
What happens when you mix two parts Róisín Murphy with one part Body Language-era Kylie Minogue? You get the album of the summer, sweetie! Jessie Ware first burst onto the scene with her bestselling 2012 debut LP, Devotion. But her latest release, Whats Your Pleasure?, is a collection of sultry dance bangers that would be on repeat at every Fire Island pool party if those were a thing this year. It’s an impressive feat to make an album that sounds like it could be played at a debaucherous Berlin nightclub and a relaxing candle-lit bath. Ware’s sexy new single, “Soul Control,” will make you wish you were grooving at your local gay bar, but the solo dance-off served in the songs music video will have to suffice for now. Where all my Warewolves at?! Chris Rudolph
The entirety of Punisher, Phoebe Bridgerss highly anticipated sophomore album, merits a listen, but I Know the End, its epic final track, shines in its own right. The song opens with Bridgerss resigned sadness about a broken couple in an equally broken land, building over the course of almost six minutes to a percussion-heavy crescendo. The billboard said the end is near / I turned around, there was nothing there / Yeah, I guess the end is here, she concludes. But dont let the biblical allusions fool you; this isnt your average end of days. Theres a cautious optimism at the heart of I Know the End. It pulsates, unsteady but sure. On Instagram, Bridgers said she refused to delay dropping Punisher until the world goes back to normal because she doesnt think it should. Here it is a little early, she wrote. Abolish the police. Hope you like it. Maybe the end isnt such a bad thing after all. Sam Manzella
A few weeks ago, video of a Nigerian wedding crowd losing their minds to Toxicity went viral. I watched it about 50 times the joy on their faces mirrored my own, seeing vividly how music remains a universal language. System of a Downs political messaging has never been more vital (Prison Song, in particular), and the full-body euphoria of Toxicitys chorus allows for sheer release as you scream the word disorder! a bunch of times. This is what makes Sasamis acoustic cover so arresting; instead of plugging in and yelling, she dials the track down to its serene skeleton, plucking and nearly whispering. Thats universal, too a call to arms disguised as a fragile ballad. It doesnt fit the dance floor, but its perfect for after hours. Patrick Hosken
Cameron Lew is a jack of all trades with Ginger Root, crafting the projects aggressive elevator soul sound, as well as directing and editing his videos. New single Out of State is a catchy tune all its own, inspiring head bops with an endless supply of ethereal funkiness. However, its video is a cinematic journey, following Lew as he trains for an epic table tennis battle in a tribute to his grandfather and the kung-fu films he grew up watching. Carson Mlnarik
