Bop Shop: Songs From Allison Ponthier, Kidd Kenn, Fletcher, And More

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  Kidd Kenn: "Body"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=n8pr9O_P8ig
  
  
  
  Chicago's Kidd Kenn has been rapping since he was an actual kid(d), which, all things thought, was not that long ago. However all that practice has paid off. "Body," the dynamic talent's latest single, is extraordinarily bouncy, packed tight with memorable zingers residence like a maze / Bitch, I never age") delivered in a unbeatable flow. The charisma carries over to the video, which finds him playing with his nickname — as a play thing in complete control. Attention, Greta Gerwig: There's still time to cast Kidd Kenn for a cameo in your upcoming Barbie movie. (At this point, he seems like the only person not in it?) —Patrick Hosken
  
  
  
  
  



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  Fletcher: “Her Body Is Bible”
  
  
  https://youtu.Be/-kL1jZXlC5g
  
  
  
  If you’re feeling intense sapphic feelings for a cute lady, Fletcher can relate. The New Jersey-based singer-songwriter compares the discovery of her feelings for her lover to religious ecstasy: “I noticed God / The moment I put my lips on yours,” she sings. She isn’t shy to mention that her blood is running wild (“You’re so hot, I’m freaking out”), or that she would rather visualize her love interest unclothed (“I like your T-Swift T-shirt on the ground”) and worship her in the dim light. —Athena Serrano
  
  
  
  
  



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  Sudan Archives: “Selfish Soul”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=eaY8kI0oEpA
  
  
  
  Sudan Archives combats Eurocentric aesthetics standards with this sumptuous song. She chooses to accept what makes her feel whole and eats her “selfish" soul, alternating between her fabulous buzzcut and bright pink wig in the music video. The singer and her crew of Black femmes bask in the freeform glory of their collective individuality, swaddled by the joyful whirlwind of her melodic violin. “OK, one time if I grow it long,” she sings. “Am I good enough, am I good enough / About time I embrace myself and soul.” —Gwyn Cutler
  
  
  
  
  



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  Saiah: “5 Minutes Til Dawn”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=86qHGLtRWgA
  
  
  
  Arizona-based pop-punk singer Saiah makes being cool look effortless in their new banging, late-night bop “5 Minutes Til Dawn.” Crafting an ethereal space where their pop, punk, and rock influences intersect, the queer Black singer-songwriter waxes poetic about a waning romance. “And I feel better alone / You been in the city cause you aspire to be one,” they sing, before the track’s chorus builds to a cathartic scream of “5 minutes till dawn.” Thanks to its fashionable visual and nocturnal appeal, it feels like a contemporary “Sunglasses at Night,” complete with yearning and the dual threats of falling in love or falling apart. —Carson Mlnarik
  
  
  
  
  



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  Allison Ponthier: "Hollywood Forever Cemetery"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=-AVwsth4urg
  
  
  
  Campy as hell and charming in how it really goes there, Allison Ponthier's latest visual is an ode to one of the most famed (and glamorous) graveyards in the world. Like she did with "Cowboy," the Texas-born singer-songwriter leans into B-movie terrain here, this time to throw a spooky party in the catacombs as she sings the largest question: "Who are you immediately after you die?" Sounds like a good, if existential, time to me. —Patrick Hosken
  
  
  
  
  



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  Durand Bernarr: “Company”
  
  
  https://youtu.Be/o71zR5uE2P4
  
  
  
  I love as soon as once a song oozes sex appeal and still champions mutual pleasure, trust, and comfort. Rising American singer-songwriter and producer Durand Bernarr's single, business from his 2020 album Dur&. For starters, the song hooks the listener instantly with its starting line: "I'm good camaraderie / Your submission's safe with me / I just wanna make you feel good internally." Bernarr sets the scene: "Know you're not used to having organization over / So let me sing a little bit lullaby/ Once I get in, I'ma help you ease your mind." Runs, harmonies, and sensual lyrics converge in this song that is as confident as it is commanding. This lullaby is taking us to bed, yet we aren't sleeping. —Virginia Lowman
  
  
  
  
  



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  Queen: “Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=PI3LAgGBxqU
  
  
  
  The lead vocalist of the classic metal band Queen, the late bisexual icon Freddie Mercury sings about being an old-fashioned lover on this throwback track. He likes doing customary things with his partner on a night of romance, whether it’s dancing the tango or dining at the Ritz in London. Although he also feels something indoor sizzling, too: “I learned my passion / In the good old-fashioned / School of lover boys,” Mercury sings with a wink. Mention the word, your wish is his command. —Athena Serrano
  
  
  
  
  



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  Sam Smith: “Love Me More”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=H1hDzq98WIY
  
  
  
  Pride is a time for partying, however also for finding strength in your identity. “Love Me More,” Sam Smith's latest issuing, finds the sweet spot between sappy self-empowerment and melancholic bop as they sing about their journey to self-acceptance. “Every day I’m tryin’ not to hate myself / Although lately, it’s not hurtin’ like it did before,” they sing, resolving that “Maybe I am learning about how to love me more.” What begins as a solemn reflection consisting of their unmistakable vocals and low piano chords builds into a triumphant and swaggering pop track, complete with a holy chorus. Its self-referential visual is a gem for anyone who’s followed the British soul singer’s career closely, with nods to the video for their debut single “Stay With Me,” their retooled third album “To Perish For,” and vignettes of the unapologectically queer community that’s formed around them. —Carson Mlnarik
  
  
  
  
  



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  Betty Who: “Blow Out My Candle”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=zkt9EGkG3A4
  
  
  
  Betty Who is back with a upbeat ‘80s-inspired pop anthem about her newfound self-love and confidence. “I won't stop running down that road / I’ll keep dancing 'til I die,” she sings. “You can blow out my candle / Yet you'll never put out my fire.” A wonderful banger for dancing or working out (as the music video suggests), and routinely for expressing yourself spontaneously and freely. Don’t stop running down that road. —Athena Serrano