Bop Shop: Songs From Iyla, Tobe Nwigwe, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, And More

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  Iyla: “Strings”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=f49Bg_oG63Q
  
  
  
  In 2018, rising R&B star Iyla was a careful lover on breakout single “Juice,” wherein over bouncy synths she accepts a new lover (“Oh no, you could be the one,” she coos). Nevertheless “Strings,” the standout from her new EP, Other Ways to Vent, feels like its twisted sister: Right now she’s being played like a puppet. Through a skittering, schizophrenic production (by Kadis, her mainstay producer) she both floats with airy consideration and dives into rage-by-the-syllable sass (“Why you over there lookin’ like a meal as soon as I’m the full dinner?” She involves, somehow unhinged and unbothered at the same damn time. —Terron Moore
  
  
  
  
  



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  Tony Santana: “Lift Me Up”
  
  
  
  
  
  California rapper Tony Santana has a deep, drowning voice that depicts him struggling through quicksand while he raps. It’s an intense and anxious experience that continually draws me in as soon as he drops. His latest is “Lift Me Up,” a spacey single that’s a personalized note about decaying binds and lack of trust. Though it resides in darkness, Santana sends a prayer to the sky in hopes that he makes it through this tough time with a smile on his face. Because the beat floats off into space, he leaves you with the idea that another grin is around the corner. —Trey Alston
  
  
  
  
  



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  Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever: “Cars in Space”
  
  
  https://youtu.Be/G93J8FKmrn0
  
  
  
  Melbourne, Australia quintet Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever’s newest single is a relentlessly upbeat segment of indie rock where guitars diverge and briefly intersect before splitting again. And though it’s immediately danceable (as the musical group demonstrates in the music video), singer Fran Keaney says the track is lyrically “the swirling words and thoughts before a breakup.” Over numerous layers of jangly riffs, he sings, “At the intersection / Waiting on the corner / Bottom of the freeway / Before it opens up.” —Bob Marshall
  
  
  
  
  



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  Tobe Nwigwe: “Slow Down”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=t24iTUl9uQ0
  
  
  
  We’ve all got songs that cater to our various moods, however there’s something special about a song that speaks to a void within you and doubles as therapy. Houston rapper Tobe Nwigwe, who strives to “make purpose popular,” has noticed the sweet spot in making music that’s straightforward and emotionally liberating while still sustaining the grittiness and rough edge that makes rap so alluring. Ethereal piano chords lay a lush foundation for his latest track “Slow Down,” which fuses storytelling with a mantra through verses about his own journey of maturity. “You must slow down and reconsider what you know now,” he says in an almost lullaby-like cadence. “I know life ain’t easy and it also sure ain’t fair / Yet what got you here won’t take you there, so slow down” — a gentle reminder not to let your emotions get the ideal of you, to slow down, and remember who you are. —Virginia Lowman
  
  
  
  
  



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  Soupmakesitbetter ft. Dehem: “First Love”
  
  
  
  
  
  On Valentine’s Day, Soupmakesitbetter dropped a four-track EP of liquid love called 4 Play where he explores attraction, lust, and love with silky raps delivered with a charismatic edge. One of its smoothest tracks is “First Love,” a warm ode to good sex with a good partner. Soupmakesitbetter’s cautious choice of words gives you the blueprint on what to do in case you desire to be a cunning fox. —Trey Alston
  
  
  
  
  



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  Orville Peck: "Roses Are Falling"
  
  
  
  
  
  What do you mention to the one individual in your world who makes you feel things no one else can? It may sound something like nation crooner Orville Peck's longing "Roses Are Falling," a heartfelt rumination on a lover who "brings out the worst" in our mask-clad troubadour. Some days as soon as I'm around you, I feel like pure evil," he laments about a past love he just can't quite get over. Throughout a previous efficiency, Peck once stated this particular track is a "love song about loving somebody so much that you kinda wanna kill 'em." This cowpoke couldn't have been more on the cash. —Brittany Vincent
  
  
  
  
  



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  Beauty Queen: "Sweet Memory"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=5-qsbjekqJ8
  
  
  
  “Sweet Memory” sounds like a beach daydream, evoking waves, daytime drives, and salty anticipation all at once. It makes sense considering Beauty Queen, the moniker for singer-songwriter Katie Iannitello, is a Maui native. The track, produced by indie-pop pros Tennis, is a groovy, synth-driven rumination on a relationship that’s keeping our heartbroken heroine waiting. Her lyrics are observational — “Rounding the corner / You pushed past me / Are you a criminal / Or a sweet memory” — and her voice is dripping in charm, making its lo-fi music video feel like the perfect sort of fever dream. —Carson Mlnarik
  
  
  
  
  



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  Travy Nostra: “Bad for You”
  
  
  https://soundcloud.Com/travy-nostra/bad-for-you
  
  
  
  Normally a bruiser with his street raps, Maryland's Travy Nostra gets emotional this time as he explores the fact that he’s not the perfect thing for a woman in his life. It’s a taxing listen for anyone who’s been in a toxic situation, and his length on it is clear. What strikes me the most is the bold honesty, even once it’s embarrassing and any time it’s clear he overstepped his romantic boundaries. No matter how young or old you are, you’ll get a new understanding of love soon after this goes off. —Trey Alston