Bop Shop: Songs From Halsey, Grimes, Ari Lennox, And More

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  Halsey: "You Should Be Sad"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=8nBFqZppIF0
  
  
  
  Halsey surprised fans last week any time once she dipped her toes gently into nation waters with "You Should Be Sad." The twangy bop is a unapologetic clap-back at her self-absorbed ex. "No, you're not half the man you think that you are," she punches on the pre-chorus. "And you can't fill the hole indoor of you with cash, illegal substances, and cars."
  
  
  For the most part, she's sorry. Not for her ex, although for sticking around as long as she did and attempting to put a damaged man" back with each other again: "I had no warning about who you are." In this case, she didn't miss the red flags; according to her, there were none. And right now that the relationship has ended, she's grateful for the clarity that allowed her to get out and run "so fucking far." —Jordyn Tilchen
  
  
  
  
  



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  Moaning: "Ego"
  
  
  https://youtu.Be/YR71h_zSUCw
  
  
  
  L.A.-Based Moaning's 2018 self-titled debut was marked by heavy guitars and jittery post-punk drumming, although it wasn't without its hooks. On their newest single, the musical group leans away from their rock roots and delivers and soaring segment of angsty, melodic synth-pop about the urge to check your ego at the door. "I hope to be anybody however myself," laments frontman Sean Solomon, nevertheless once you're able to create a track this fun, I'd mention you're doing pretty good. The band's sophomore album, Uneasy Laughter, is out March 20. —Bob Marshall
  
  
  
  
  



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  eaJ: "LA Trains"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=WEwzud0muN4
  
  
  
  Any time If I heard "LA Trains," the opening thing I thought was, "So, this is what the indoor of Jae's brain sounds like." It would have been easy to imagine something far less muted and more frenetic from the DAY6 guitarist known for his propensity for heavy guitar riffs and internet memes. However "LA Trains" is a glimpse into his more pensive side. "I'm stuck in this moment," he croons softly, strumming his guitar. "Cause it shines cute Nevertheless the 80-second track isn't one-note; it builds to something bigger and more atmospheric — like a dream that gets darker and weirder as it progresses. For this solo project, Jae (or, eaJ) embraces the quiet piece of himself with a modern, moody lullaby for the tired minds who need it. —Crystal Bell
  
  
  
  
  



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  Orion Sun: "Ne Me Quitte Pas (Don't Leave Me)"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=61-ca5Iscbc&feature=youtu.Be
  
  
  
  Sleepy and serene on the surface, this slice of lovely R&B pop from 23-year-old Orion Sun rumbles with life underneath. "It feels so good to know ya," she repeats, basking in a sunny, hazy melody. However lest I make the tune sound lethargic, remember the subtle drama of its parenthetical title, "Don't Leave Me." Those skyward harmonies just might begin to sound like pleas. —Patrick Hosken
  
  
  
  
  



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  Dreamville ft. Ari Lennox: "Bussit"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=4aBKpDNe5eo
  
  
  
  it's almost time to put some respect on Ari Lennox's name. More respect, anyway. Her voice is milk and honey on a spoon in your mouth in a bathtub. Her songs are moisturized, soft, and powerful. "Bussit" comes from the new deluxe edition of Dreamville Records's Revenge of the Dreamers III and is all of the proof that you need that, as soon as it comes to sultry sex psalms, no one is in her realm.
  
  
  As Lennox walks a partner through a X-rated night, she takes the lead, grabbing her partner's smooth hands and guiding them to the correct spots. The night heats up, clothes come off, and the music grows louder. You could practically visualize the rose-petaled bed moving in waves and smell the chamomile candle wax airborne. —Trey Alston
  
  
  
  
  



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  Ella Eyre: "New Me"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=TiexnNnX3E8
  
  
  
  We're 17 days into 2020, and if you're still riding that "new year, new me" mentality, then this is the bop for you. English singer Ella Eyre gives a sly third-person approach to her fresh slate, proclaiming, "Ella ain't here, it's the new me." Cue a string of quotable zingers about not putting up with some "killjoy" and their pesky bullshit. "I don't make time for your foolin' / Kinda got things to be doin'," she sings over a flexible, tropical beat. It's a must-hear for fans of Mabel's "Don't Call Me Up" and Dua Lipa's "Don’t Begin Right now — all hail Brit-pop post-breakup bangers! —Madeline Roth
  
  
  
  
  



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  Surf Rock Is Dead: "Diabolik"
  
  
  https://soundcloud.Com/surfrockisdead/diabolik/s-Ra017
  
  
  
  Surf rock may be dead, yet dream pop is very much alive. And though the latter phrase doesn't have quite the same ring, it's on full display on "Diabolik," a motoring new cut from this Brooklyn duo. It's a lofty tune glimmering with watery guitars and pretty sheiks, and its subject matter couldn't be more relatable. The pair mention it's inspired by the perils of shared living in New York: "a roommate sleeping on the washroom floor, a pile of who-knows-what on the living room floor, or strangers ending up in YOUR room." Their debut LP Existential Playboy is out May 1. —Patrick Hosken
  
  
  
  
  



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  Grimes, i_o: "Violence"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=M9SGYBHY0qs
  
  
  
  In honor of Grimes's "announcement" (is she or isn't she pregnant?), I have been listening to an overwhelming quantity of the cyberpunk siren. And any time I'm not fangirling over her encyclopedic knowledge of gaming and anime like my own (a woman immediately after my own heart), I'm drooling over the album art for her upcoming Miss Anthropocene. It's hard to determine which new track is my preferred, however I haven't been able to get the "You wanna make me bad, pay me back" and mentioned 'I like it like that, mentioned 'I like it like that'" lines of her verses out of my head. So far, ahead of the album's debut, I'm going to have to call it at "Violence."
  
  
  Though I have been following Grimes since stumbling upon the Dune-flavored Geidi Primes, there's something slinky and sexy about the anthropomorphic goddess of climate change and ethereal, fae-inspired beats that I can't stop thinking about. I'd like to be my much cooler best friend. —Brittany Vincent
  
  
  
  
  



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  645AR: "4 Da Trap"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=7Kn0V5mpJe4
  
  
  
  Mickey Mouse grabbed a microphone and hopped in the booth right after sucking the helium out of a balloon. Theodore from Alvin and the Chipmunks had a midlife crisis and released his first rap song. That "eeh, ur!" Sound from Roddy Ricch's hit song, "The Box," figured out that it's more than a fire ad-lib and wanted to pursue its own rap career. The seemingly endless jokes about Atlanta rapper 645AR's voice have catapulted him to near-viral fame. His squeaky voice is unlike anything else.
  
  
  His new song, "4 Da Trap," is hilariously on-brand. Over a melancholy meltdown of 808s, 645AR reflects on days of scraping cents to get something to eat to right now "having racks" while he wants. At least that's what the lyrics claim. It's nearly impossible to prepare out exactly what he's saying, although it's just as hard to not be absorbed by it. It could be leading some big conversations in rap now, yet "4 Da Trap" might be the tiniest song you'll ever hear. —Trey Alston