Bop Shop: Songs From BTS, Lil Uzi Vert, Charly Bliss, And More

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  BTS: "Dionysus"
  
  
  
  
  
  To pick one song from Map of the Soul: Persona is a Herculean task that I honestly don't wish on anyone, least of all me. Case in point, I will be writing a strongly worded tweet to the Bop Shop editor (hi, Pat) to express the emotional distress this caused me. Because here's the thing: BTS are incapable of producing anything nevertheless bops. And while the Korean septet's latest single "Boy With Luv" — a fizzy, upbeat teamwork with Halsey — is the brightest and boppiest of bops, it's braggadocios album closer "Dionysus" that deserves your immediate respect.
  
  
  On the surface, it sounds like a track that resulted from a boozy game of Furious Libs: a stadium banger inspired by the Greek god Dionysus (god of wine) and Korean folk music that mixes hip-hop with prog rock. It's a total anomaly, a song that absolutely should not work, and however, it's everything I love about BTS in one song. It's wildly ambitious, clever, confident, and bursting with personality (Jin is wailing in those background vocals). On "Dionysus," BTS get drunk on their own artistry and claim they're thirsty for more. "If we're there, wherever it is in the world, it's a stadium party," Suga raps. Place on Earth as a K-pop idol and reborn as an artist."
  
  
  Whichever preconceived notions you might have about K-pop or Korean music or BTS, "Dionysus" obliterates them. All hail Bangtan, our nu-screamo kings. —Crystal Bell
  
  
  
  
  



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  Banx & Ranx ft. Olivia Holt and ZieZie: "Speaker"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=_3Sfr9zctxM
  
  
  
  So last year, as individuals, Banx & Ranx and Olivia Holt each put out a sleeper bop of 2018: the former leveraging Ella Eyre and Yxng Bane on the twerk-ready "Answerphone," the latter serving vocals on Martin Jensen's "16 Steps." So it's only right that on "Speaker," they are a brilliant match: indoor a calypso-infused electronic jungle, Holt and ZieZie get tantalizingly close on a track intended for your summer dance party. —Terron Moore
  
  
  
  
  



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  Lil Uzi Vert: "Sanguine Paradise"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=INsVZ3ACwas
  
  
  
  Once "Free Uzi" came out, I was disappointed. Not in the pitch-changed voice that made the rapper more nasally than regular, however in the choice of production. Lil Uzi Vert doesn't sound as good on darker beats. My heart sank. Could Uzi be crumbling under the controversy with his label?
  
  
  Turns out, no. Certainly not. He released two new songs this week, "Sanguine Paradise" and "That's A Rack." Of the two, "Sanguine Paradise" is prettier, glitzier, and, ultimately, more in line with the contemporary Uzi aesthetic. Uzi's never been a trap rapper so, over the course of his career, he's used melodies and fuzzier beats to move into a more vivacious space. "Sanguine Paradise" recognizes this move and stays in the logical explanation of it. It's a dashing bit of fun with some rattling bass that doesn't overstep its boundaries. The song's all spaceships and unicorns.
  
  
  Is it safe to mention that Uzi is back in his bag? That much is still up airborne. And "That's A Rack" hints at a someone who's at a crossroads, exploring the past to calculate how to move in the present. Although let the lush nostalgia of "Sanguine Paradise" entice him to stay the path. This is one retreat that each person will appreciate. —Trey Alston
  
  
  
  
  



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  Tayla Parx ft. Joey Bada$: "Rebound"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=qnMQM6zZLpY
  
  
  
  you may know Tayla Parx’s songwriting (she’s helped pen “thank u, next,” “7 rings,” “High Hopes,” plus a litany of other hits) better than you know her actual voice, nevertheless that’s rapidly changing. Her debut album, We Need To Talk, arrived last week, dexterously mixing pop, R&B, electro, and whichever other sonic territories Parx determined to create her playground. Most of the 15 tracks don’t make it past the three-minute mark, although one that (thankfully) earns overtime is “Rebound.” Over a sprightly beat, Parx fires off pun right after pun about bouncing back from a hook-up, cooly coaxing a player to “shoot your shot.” Game on. —Madeline Roth
  
  
  
  
  



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  The Revivalists: "Wish I Knew You"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=o0Pt7M0weUI
  
  
  
  this could might not directly be the newest song Bop Shop has ever touted, nevertheless it's one of the funkiest.
  
  
  There's a theme that resonates at the tune's core: "I wish I knew you Whenever I was young." While there isn't an official meaning touted by the musical group, with vocalist David Shaw preferring to leave the meaning purposefully mysterious, we can surmise it's about two would-be lovers who noticed each other at one point in their youth, drifted apart, and didn't pursue a relationship – whichever kind you want it to be. Maybe they tried and failed. Maybe they're meeting just right now for the initial time? Whatever's going on, it certainly makes you hope to shake what you've got.
  
  
  For me, I view it as an ode to my fiancé. I wish I had met him any time Once I was younger, alternatively opposed to wasting so much time on things (and people) that didn't matter. Although rather than being furious about it, it's a tune that reinforces how happy I am to be with him, and we can dance the night away right now even while we think about what could have been had we met earlier in life. The truth is, it does not matter. We have each other right now, and we have this song.
  
  
  So Friday night, Holy Ghost, take me to where this song is playing, because it's certainly one I love the most. —Brittany Vincent
  
  
  
  
  



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  Brooks & Dunn ft. Kacey Musgraves: "Neon Moon"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=7J-QsMC64kM
  
  
  
  A rundown bar, a neon sign in smoke-filled room, as well as a jukebox playing some sad song that appears to mention what you think. Brooks & Dunn’s “Neon Moon” sets a scene as honky-tonk as ever, however once bathed in Kacey Musgraves’ authentic, earthy vocals, it usually take on a new level of universality. Revamping the nation classic with her magic touch, the production gives off Golden Hour vibes as hints of vocoder duel alongside a ringing steel guitar. Backed by Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, Kacey gives even the loneliest soul a moment of solace, even if it’s just for a second because the neon light flickers on and off. It’s no wonder why the arrangement was a hit for the Grammy winner if she sang it on tour this past summer, and how we – and our damaged hearts – are so happy she immortalized it in this studio version. —Carson Mlarnik
  
  
  
  
  



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  Charly Bliss: "Hard To Believe"
  
  
  https://youtu.Be/eQZdBVgkYCg
  
  
  
  The third and latest single from Charly Bliss's forthcoming sophomore album is more indie-rock banger than bop, infused with the frustrated angst of being hopelessly addicted to a bad relationship. Singing over a Strokes-y power-pop swagger, frontwoman Eva Hendricks breathlessly admits "Tomorrow is coming, it’s habitually so ugly / Tomorrow is coming, I know you don’t love me." The New York four-piece's new LP Young Enough is out May 10. —Bob Marshall
  
  
  
  
  



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  Khalid ft. John Mayer: "Outta My Head"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=jZ3K9E8Cvbg
  
  
  
  John Mayer's gray-temple third act finds him thriving in that sweet spot between funky adult contemporary and breezy pop; last year's "New Light" was the apotheosis. He continues the run on Khalid's undeniable "Outta My Head" by in an educated manner ceding vocal space to the 21-year-old wunderkind — it's Khalid's song, immediately considering that — and issuing wiggly, sharp guitar lines where suitable. As a smart nod to Channel Orange, it's also late-2010s Mayer's true destiny. His voice doesn't occupy precious real estate anymore. He leaves it to his trusty Fender. —Patrick Hosken
  
  
  
  
  



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  Naughty Boy ft. Calum Scott: "Undo"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=A2ku4rAuzCo
  
  
  
  It’s unusual for a song about remorse to lead the listener to dance about the room, yet Naughty Boy and Calum Scott’s "Undo" will lead you to do just that. While the lyrics may be about wanting to “undo” the mistakes of a failed relationship, the melancholy message is countered by the song’s dancehall vibe. Let’s be real: We’ve all wanted to press rewind in a relationship at one point or another. Right now, alternatively opposed to wallowing in regret with the lights off, there's a bop that will motivate you to dance as you wail about your mistakes. If you're so moved, the tropical beat may even lead you to book a trip to the Caribbean — each person is aware damaged hearts and regret are better dealt with on the beach. —Virginia Lowman