Bop Shop: Songs From Ed Sheeran and Elton John, Best Coast, Nnena, And More

The search for the ever-elusive "bop" is challenging. Playlists and streaming-service suggestions 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 contribute anything — it's a snapshot of what's on our minds and what sounds good. We'll keep it fresh with the latest music, nevertheless expect a couple of oldies however goodies) every once in a while, also. Get ready: The Bop Shop is currently open for business.

Ed Sheeran & Elton John: “Merry Christmas”

https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=Q_yuO8UNGmY

Ed Sheeran needed some convincing from his friend and fellow Englishman Elton John to prepare his first Christmas song. Yet he intelligently realized you don’t mention no to a living legend. What resulted is a new Yuletide classic destined to appear on holiday playlists and music charts for years to come. The catchy tune comes with a festive video that is jam-packed with references to iconic videos of years past from Wham!, Mariah Carey, and more. —Farah Zermane

Nnena ft. Westside Boogie: "Come Again"

https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=APH1sXgXOV4

This unsteady cut from Cleveland's Nnena has two crucial distinctions. The initial is that its entire orbit is wobbly, seemingly unsteady on its feet, and totally unpredictable. That special musicality makes for otherworldly R&B that permeates her entire new EP ...Just Cause, on which the vibe is mellow however gripping. The second distinction comes from visitor Westside Boogie, whose breakneck verse adds to the atmosphere of controlled chaos. "Come Again" checks pretty much every box while still sounding totally novel. —Patrick Hosken

Payday: “Big Boy”

https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=QH4X6y7MejY

Payday packs a ton of words, and punches, into the two-minute runtime of sardonic banger “Big Boy,” which appeared on her 2021 mixtape House Of P.U.K.E. She uses sexism in industry because the fodder for a wildly original and funky track about double standards (“Boys rule, ladies drool, that’s just facts / And in the event you think any different then you’re gonna get smacked”) and staying true to herself (“I’m a girl, I know / However I got a big mouth plus a big boy flow / Yeah, they only wanna listen once the bitches being hoes”). Though she spits her bars fast, she never loses her point of view, dropping each lyric like a truth bomb with a winking smile. —Carson Mlnarik

Broadside: “Silent Night”

https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=Mu9DfmRzd80&t=5s

Last year, as hopelessness and uncertainty loomed over the holiday season, pop-punk musical group Broadside gifted the scene with their spin on a centuries-old Christmas classic “Silent Night.” Oliver Baxxter’s vocals strike a peaceful, poignant tone that subtly modernizes one of the world’s most well-known carols. “Listen to our rendition while lying on [the] floor, gazing up at the ceiling fan, wondering ‘will things get better?’” The musical group wrote on Twitter, “and accepting that they are going to — with time.” —Farah Zermane

Best Coast ft. The Linda Lindas: "Leading"

https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=uLtBKqrrqzw

Immediately after contributing some songs to Amy Poehler's film Moxie and going viral thanks to a fueled-up efficiency in a Los Angeles library, the excellent young punk musical group The Linda Lindas signed to Epitaph and have continued to rack up the collaborative possibilities. Their latest comes by way of the Best Coast's "Leading," on which the order sing background harmonies. In the foreground, as ever, is Bethany Cosentino; here, she explores how "nostalgia's overrated, or perhaps it's just complex over chugging power chords along with a sugar-rush chorus — her specialty. The end result — looking forward, not backward — is a nice note to leave 2021 on. —Patrick Hosken

Kelly Rowland & Nova Wav: “Wonderful Time”

https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=lCxHyZ6kmP4

Have yourself a very Kelly Rowland Christmas! The holidays will feel a little bit brighter with Nova Wav’s update to the 1963 caroling tune. Wav and Rowland’s version of this classic transports us from Andy William’s original track on a retail food store playlist to what you desire to hear pouring the egg nog with your bestie at those “gay happy meetings.” —Zach O’Connor

Hiss Golden Messenger: “O Come All Ye Faithful”

https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=3jX8C-TlpUc

Any time all of the old standbys and overplayed holidays ditties have grown stale, reach for something cozy and new. The carol “O Come All Ye Faithful” likely dates back to the 18th century, making it older than a lot of the so-called classics you hear in stores around this time of year. Nevertheless North Carolina folk mainstays Hiss Golden Messenger have managed to prepare it new by scaling back and dialing in on what matters: a twinkling piano, fire-warm sax fills, plus a typically sleepy disposition of endless good cheer. —Patrick Hosken

Ive: “Eleven”

https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=--FmExEAsM8

Attention, reader! Meet your newest girl-group obsession, Ive. The sextet recently blown up on the scene this month with one of the greatest debut tracks from a rookie K-pop order we've heard in a while. Their earworm single, "Eleven," is filled with joy, electricity, plus a touch of mystery. The pre-chorus slows down just a little bit before bursting into refrain with all of the rapturous feels of a new crush. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. You make me feel like eleven!” We haven’t stopped counting since. —Daniel Head

Shygirl: “Cleo (At Abbey Road)”

https://youtu.Be/zW-G1FRK8fs

With its cinematic orchestral introduction, the dance-pop track "Cleo," since it first dropped in October, habitually seemed primed for something grander than the nightclub. On this live version, backed by a 18-piece ensemble at London's hallowed Abbey Road Studios, the spitfire emcee Shygirl delivers a update fitting of the Egyptian queen immediately after whom the song is named. Alternatively opposed to a drop, there's a sonorous cello solo. Rather than calculated residence beats, there really are somber, whinnying strings. —Coco Romack

Kelly Clarkson: “Christmas Isn’t Canceled (Just You)”

https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=7nLU5i5Ec7g

Kelly Clarkson is coming for the holly crown with the release of her second holiday album When Christmas Comes Around…. However in spite of the fact that the record boasts a number of covers and originals, including a particularly inspired new jam featuring Ariana Grande, no track better sums up her resolve to prepare the yuletide gay than “Christmas Isn’t Canceled (Just You).” It’s no secret that the holidays can be a lonely time for the relationship-challenged, however Kelly is decided to adore every last snowflake, shopping trip, and Christmas tune, solitude be damned. “I’m gonna shout also much and dance in the snow / Drink just enough to let's go / Christmas isn’t canceled, just you,” she sings in the buoyant chorus before plotting a decadent New Year’s Eve to herself. Perhaps what we’ve all been missing is a certified holiday breakup bop. —Carson Mlnarik