Bop Shop: Songs From Darren Criss, Wendy, AJ Mitchell, And More

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  Tune-Yards: “Hold Yourself.”
  
  
  
  
  
  Poignant however never preachy, “Hold Yourself.” Is a deeply empathetic meditation on intergenerational trauma. It’s also a damn good song, showcasing the layered vocals and prosperous percussion that make Tune-Yards a reliable standout in the saturated world of indie pop. “Hold yourself right now / you should hold yourself now,” croons singer Merrill Garbus. Coming from anyone else, I’d find that condescending; from Tune-Yards, it feels comforting. —Sam Manzella
  
  
  
  
  



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  Chanyeol: “Tomorrow”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=FgEpPwzt89Y
  
  
  
  A week soon after his enlistment in the South Korean military, EXO member and multi-instrumentalist Chanyeol has resurfaced with one last parting gift for fans: the smooth, introspective “Tomorrow.” The acoustic track written by the singer himself ruminates on the uncertainty of the future with a refreshing level of honesty and vulnerability that leaves a bittersweet feeling in your chest given its context. “What’s next? / Will it be the same as right now? / It’s like walking in a tunnel / I feel so anxious,” he confesses. “Tomorrow, I’ll wait you.” With his military discharge date set for next year, we can’t wait up until tomorrow comes and Chanyeol makes his return. —Emlyn Travis
  
  
  
  
  



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  Dasha: “More Than This”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=q0NqyVgoyvg
  
  
  
  Early 2000s nostalgia is in full swing. While singer-songwriter Dasha’s new video for $hiny Things track “More Than This” oozes with callbacks to simpler days of Chad Michael Murray and Ashlee Simpson locker posters, its sound is decidedly contemporary. With a bouncing beat plus a heavenly flow, the Nashville-based artist goes off on a boyfriend who only wants to “Hang out / Make out / Categorize up also much take-out.” Her pleading chorus asking for a relationship that’s “more than this” is extremely sticky and relatable, whether you’re binge-watching early Sex and the City episodes or dealing with a modern romance. Although the shout-out to mango Truly’s seltzer has me especially glad to be listening to this bop in 2021. —Carson Mlnarik
  
  
  
  
  



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  Chiiild ft. Mahalia: “Awake”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=K58GojV2tz0&ab_channel=ChiiildVEVO
  
  
  
  Montreal experimental soul musical group Chiiild’s latest track, “Awake,” features English singer Mahalia, and plays like a dream — one set at a vintage roller rink with your lover. A steady baseline paired with a synthesizer and breathy vocals make the track almost otherworldly. Think Roll Bounce meets modern fever dream. It’s simultaneously nostalgic and current with lines that reference aughts-era classics like Nelly and Kelly Rowland’s 2002 R&B hit “Dilemma.” It’s as easy to play as it is to get lost in. —Virginia Lowman
  
  
  
  
  



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  St. Vincent: “The Melting of the Sun”
  
  
  https://youtu.Be/6oji2hmpzvM
  
  
  
  St. Vincent continues her descent as a groovy rock goddess with a trippy new track, “The Melting of the Sun,” off her upcoming album, Daddy’s Home. Over the course of the psychedelic single, St. Vincent shouts out influential female musicians that came before her, including Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, and Tori Amos. Any song that gives props to the red-headed ’90s piano siren is a certified bop in my book. And ensure to check out the vibrant animated music video, which reads like an episode of Schoolhouse Rock. Obsessed. —Chris Rudolph
  
  
  
  
  



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  AJ Mitchell: “Stop”
  
  
  https://youtu.Be/xYNRLh96ZBY
  
  
  
  Listening to AJ Mitchell's latest single might bring on brief yet welcome flashbacks to late 2017, once the pop singer Kim Petras's breakout single "I Don't Want It At All" filled the airwaves. Both tracks feature impossibly catchy, repetitive refrains about things the artists do and don't want — though that's probably about all they have in typical. Rather than a high-octane banger, "Stop," true to its title, slows things down to a steady pulse. Mitchell climbs the scales, then rides them back down, making for a sensuous jam primed for the beat of the bedroom. —Coco Romack
  
  
  
  
  



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  Wendy: “Like Water”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=-Ih5UArd4zk
  
  
  
  Red Velvet’s Wendy made her debut as a solo artist this week with “Like Water,” an ethereal acoustic ballad that compares the free-flowing nature of the liquid to healing, everlasting love. “My love is like water / Filling your sore spots,” she sings. “It covers the deep wounds and embraces you closesly / It makes you rise again.” Finding aesthetics in simplicity, the stripped-back tune permits Wendy’s soaring vocals to take center stage as she effortlessly flits from delicate humming to phenomenal high notes. Cool, clear, and cleansing, “Like Water” is a refreshing, thirst-quenching new begin for the singer. —Emlyn Travis
  
  
  
  
  



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  Darren Criss: “F*kn Around”
  
  
  https://m.Youtube.Com/watch?V=Zyy6JvOSnLI
  
  
  
  From Glee pop to hypnotizing Les Mis covers, Darren Criss has customary himself as a multifaceted actor and performer. His newest single unearths another side still, a bad boy with a bone to pick. The track’s uncensored title says it all: He’s had enough with the cycle of noncommittal relationships. Synthy distortions along with a banging guitar loop, the song echoes the sharper edges of contemporaries like Shawn Mendes and Justin Timberlake’s with a theatrical flair fans have come to expect from Criss. And he isn't fucking around. —Carson Mlnarik