Bop Shop: Songs From Sam Smith And Demi Lovato, Isaiah Rashad, Zsela, And More

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  Isaiah Rashad: "Why Worry"
  
  
  https://youtu.Be/kGeWK9hce1o
  
  
  
  It’s been almost four years since Tennessee rapper Isaiah Rashad dropped his debut LP, The Sun's Tirade, so it was a welcome surprise once Top Dawg Entertainment released a brand new track of his for what the label is referring to as a “fan appreciation week.” As its title implies, “Why Worry” is a therapeutic call to arms, with Rashad demonstrating how to cast out the stressful elements of his life over producer Crooklin’s head-bobbing soulful beat. It’s a much-needed slice of summer in the midst of a spring spent inside. —Bob Marshall
  
  
  
  
  



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  Reyna: “Coachella”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=MHDhzDRnhdM
  
  
  
  Indie-pop sister duo Reyna have got “infectious chorus” down to a science, and their latest track “Coachella” is no exception. The bilingual bop relives a happier time for a relationship at Coachella, a sadness that feels more relatable right now than ever. From the begin, it’s a melancholic beat that takes you back to the better times of Aprils past. “We were so happy at Coachella / Life era una novela,” they sing over a hypnotizing chorus that takes on a Spanish twist. As Mexican American artists, it was essential for the two to pay homage to their Latin heritage on the track, and the result is swelling daydream that feels as sunny as we may possibly get now. —Carson Mlnarik
  
  
  
  
  



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  Kahri 1K: “Fort Night”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=Fwwa8B1C_gY
  
  
  
  Kahri 1K figures out how to turn one of the big video games in the world into the soundtrack to sinister activity on “Fort Night,” the latest release from the initial artist signed to Pusha T’s new record label, Heir Wave Music. It’s not that far of a stretch since the very nature of Fortnite is attacking people, taking their weapons, and building houses. With a sinister and darkly suggestive beat that would sound at house in an evil chemist’s lab, Kahri puts on a mask and lays on thick lines marinated in a distinctly Virginian drawl. Another thing I love: There’s a nice Menace 2 Society reference that you’ll immediately catch once it cuts on. —Trey Alston
  
  
  
  
  



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  Ric Wilson & Terrace Martin ft. BJ the Chicago Kid: “Chicago Bae”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=ql-yoviDQas&feature=youtu.Be
  
  
  
  I’ve only been to the Windy City a handful of times, although “Chicago Bae” makes me feel like I’m back there. Things start seemingly in media res, with an indelible hook from BJ the Chicago Kid, rapidly zooming into Wilson’s dizzying disco-rap cadence and Martin’s sparkling retro production. It adds up to a towering celebration of the city in three minutes flat. —Patrick Hosken
  
  
  
  
  



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  Mz.007: "Important"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=q8Wb5GO7_SE
  
  
  
  Mz.007 has something she wants to share, and you'd better listen any time as soon as she does. She's crucial. She's coming through, bitch. She's gorgeous. Nevertheless she really doesn’t need to remind you, because you must already know. This club banger will pump your ego up to the point of no return up until you begin believing how crucial you are. Feeling low since you began staying residence all of the time? Let the St. Louis rapper's confidence radiate through you and you'll be strutting from your bedroom to the kitchen in no time. That Zoom call you’re about to jump on has no idea what’s about to hit it. —Brittany Vincent
  
  
  
  
  



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  Zsela: “Undone”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=gfYUkLO2kjs&feature=youtu.Be
  
  
  
  Today marks the release of Ache of Victory, the rather anticipated debut EP from 25-year-old singer Zsela. The musician has become known within New York's fine art and style circles for her haunting, a capella, mixed, and stripped renditions of Madonna and Nina Simone songs, performed live as soundtracks to runway shows and museum events. That same ethos — slow, otherworldly, however without unnecessary embellishments — is infused in the single "Undone." It's a sparse track, comprised of layers of vocal loops singing with each other in harmony; the empty space brings a person's eye to Zsela's low voice, which vibrates over a softly humming synth, building as if to the edge of an explosion. This must be the sound of a spell: transfixing, commanding. —Coco Romack
  
  
  
  
  



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  Sam Smith and Demi Lovato: “I’m Ready”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=glD1M418bC0
  
  
  
  SpongeBob SquarePants might be known for running around Swim suit Bottom shouting “I’m ready!” Although dare I mention that Sam Smith and Demi Lovato do it better? The unexpected duo released their empowering anthem and corresponding Olympic-themed music video late last week, and nevertheless in spite of the fact that the 2020 Summer Olympics have sadly been postponed as a result of the continuous coronavirus pandemic, this bop-and-a-half has me practicing my back handspring, diving (into a full bag of potato chips), and training for the triathlon.
  
  
  Despite the Olympic themes present in the video, the lyrics are actually about being ready for a relationship that, unlike the ones from your past, isn’t totally disappointing. “It’s so hard as soon as you’re with someone / Your heart breaks and it also ain’t no fun,” goes the pre-chorus. Yet just as an olympian risks it all for the gold, Smith and Lovato risk it all for true love. —Jordyn Tilchen
  
  
  
  
  



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  Wale: “Sue Me”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=JpeC1dKjn2E
  
  
  
  Wale flips the American script with his new video for “Sue Me” that reimagines the nation with its gaze forever fixated on the Black body. White people have become the discriminated-against minority, and over the course of the eight-minute video (which follows star Lucas Hedges), we visualize dark situations reimagined with the races flipped. Billboards that promote stop-and-frisk have black officers on them, and people minding their agency in MoreBucks (a play on Starbucks) get kicked out for doing absolutely nothing wrong, which is based on a real-life situation that happened in 2018.
  
  
  These moments, and more, are soundtracked by the gospel-influenced tune that finds Wale at his most trustworthy and introspective, exploring everything from how his Nigerian parents have affected him to the reception to his assignments that have incensed him in some way. Over the years, Wale has proven himself as one of rap’s top-tier lyricists, and here it shows that he’s stepping into the role with untouchable lyricism. This openness is refreshing and rare, contributing to the feel that listeners are listening to a confessional over a spiritual backing. —Trey Alston
  
  
  
  
  



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  Tomorrow X Together: "Thank U, Next" (Ariana Grande cover)
  
  
  https://soundcloud.Com/txt190304/thank-u-next
  
  
  
  do you really require a relaxing balm for the quarantine blues? The five boy wonders of Tomorrow X Together got you. While preparing for their next album — confirmed to be dropping in May — the members took some time to record this special gift for patient fans: a soft cover of Ariana Grande's smash single "Thank U, Next." This isn't the initial pop mask the men have posted to their Soundcloud; Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Huening Kai are also huge fans of Shawn Mendes. And, personally, they've never sounded better as a unit (those harmonies are impressive), however there's something ultimately wistful about the track's delicate piano melody and airy vocals (with an assist from Big Hit Entertainment producer Adora on the backing track).
  
  
  If Ari's empowering kiss-off was meant to be screamed at the best of your lungs, then this is for those moments of isolation — a sweet lullaby to drown out the quiet that can be so deafening. —Crystal Bell
  
  
  
  
  



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  Bronze Avery: "Boys!"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=QW1YO2h8IBQ
  
  
  
  “It’s something ‘bout boys,” Bronze Avery croons on his new track “Boys!” Yeah, there sure fucking is. I hate them although also, er, love them, also! It’s a struggle. “Something ‘bout the way they tell their lies / Makes you feel so special even once you know it’s / Something that I question every time.” Spot on.
  
  
  Avery’s first single of 2020, “Boys!” Is a welcome relief to this dreary, quarantine day in New York City, speedily transporting me back to warmer beach days on Fire Island. Its dreamy soft-pop pulse is hypnotic because the moment you lock eyes with someone and all your “intuitions [are] under attack” and everything melts away. The accompanying video — another group effort between Avery, Justin Gilbert, Joe Desantis, and Shawn Binder, saturated with the hazy glow of summer — captures the mood properly. Be cautious any time watching: You just might catch feelings for some “Boys!” —Daniel Head
  
  
  
  
  



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  Westerman: “Kathy’s Song”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=9uxRM2DPGNY
  
  
  
  This week, British electronic-pop crooner Westerman dropped “Your Hero Isn't Dead,” a devastatingly cute piece built around a number of piano chords and his gentle, deep well of a voice. Although for about each year, another Westerman venture has declined to leave my head: his wiggly cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s folk ballad “Kathy’s Song.” He keeps the road-weary embrace of the original nevertheless adds an entire new dimension with buzzing, plinking electro energy. The result is a mini opus, a pocket symphony of inner conflict and inevitable acceptance. —Patrick Hosken
  
  
  
  
  



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  DJ Crucial Hype Blend's J. Cole and the Neptunes: "Lights Please"
  
  
  
  
  
  DJ Crucial Hype has done it again. In 2015, he set the world wide web ablaze with his mashup of Chance the Rapper’s vocals with classic Kanye West beats. Nearly five years later, he’s recreated this magic thanks to the way that he’s mixed J. Cole’s raps over classic beats from Pharrell and The Neptunes. With such spacey and cosmic production, J. Cole’s voice has never sounded so crisp and alive. My personalized preference is J. Cole’s raps from “Lights Please” over the production for Common’s “Come Close.” It’s a nice touch: The former’s about the opposite of love, while the latter is a classic example of blossoming romance. There’s something here for each person. —Trey Alston