Bop Shop: Songs From Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Alessia Cara, And More

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  Taylor Swift: "Lover"
  
  
  https://m.Youtube.Com/watch?V=cvUAzpn48xA
  
  
  
  Taylor Swift hasn’t named an album soon after a song since 2012’s “Red,” so to mention “Lover,” the title track from her seventh album out next week, had big shoes to fill could be a understatement. She’s been teasing the song with Easter eggs since the “ME!” Music video, and no surprise here: she delivered.
  
  
  “Lover” finds Taylor at perhaps her softest however, with an atmospheric production reminiscent of an empty bar, or club. She’s serenading her lover with a vow of dedication that feels and sounds timeless. Her high notes are whispered secrets under the covers, the drum is a steady heartbeat. Her most confessional moments spill out through one-liners in true Swiftian style, as she wonders aloud, “Have I known you 20 seconds or 20 years?” The absolute highlight is the bridge, where Swift herself mentioned she “was really able to go to Bridge City.” “My heart’s been borrowed and yours has been blue / All’s well that ends well to just be with you,” she sings. Her emotions feel big, even any time her voice gets small. In a way, she sounds like she never has before, yet she’s never been in love like this. – Carson Mlnarik
  
  
  
  
  



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  Miley Cyrus: "Slide Away"
  
  
  
  Miley surprised fans with a new single at midnight today (August 16) that usually be telling her side of the story about her relationship and recent split with Liam Hemsworth. The song is saying goodbye to someone who, according to the lyrics, she’s grown out of. “Slide Away” is 2019’s version of Miley’s 2008 “Bottom of the Ocean,” and the heartbreak is just as real. Miley sings over a somber melodic vibey beat “So won't you slide away, back to the ocean, I’ll go back to the city lights,” which is a far cry from her 2017 “Malibu” lyrics that read “I never came to the beach or stood by the ocean. I never sat by the shore under the sun with my feet in the sand, however you brought me here and I'm happy that you did.”
  
  
  Miley’s vocals are smooth and silvery however strong and enthusiastic, sort of reminiscent of her sound on her 2010 album, Can’t Be Tamed. “Slide Away” is deep, sad and definitive. It’s the sort of bop that you passionately sing over your steering wheel in the vehicle once you’re in your feelings. So let it out! Miley, we’re with you. – Alissa Godwin
  
  
  
  
  



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  Alessia Cara: "Rooting For You"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=SO7Odt_N90U
  
  
  
  There’s definitely no shortage of songs about true love and heartbreak, however what about songs that sit in that awkward, in-between space once you’ve just realized that the person you like is actually, well, a total jerk? Look no further than Alessia Cara’s “Rooting For You” — a sassy new single that fearlessly calls out her summer fling for making her feel “like the elephant in each room” she walks into. “Damn, why you gotta be so cold in the summertime? / I was really rooting for you / We were really rooting for you," she sings in the chorus. And yeah, we’ve all been there.
  
  
  The truth is, we’ve all rooted for people who’ve later proven themselves to be unworthy of our time and effort. And while @we could (or might not directly) have called out that specific person for their wrongdoings IRL, Cara simply articulates it better than we ever could in this nearly three-minute-long bop. Whether she’s clapping back at their blatant phoniness in lines like “Now I visualize you’re havin’ so much fun with each person / You had so much fun makin’ fun of,” or being susceptible by admitting that she’s heartbroken, yet “a little disappointed,” the bouncy track makes it crystal clear that, nevertheless it could some days seem like it, we’re not the only ones who’ve wasted energy on those who are undeserving of it. – Jordyn Tilchen
  
  
  
  
  



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  30H Black: "All Talk"
  
  
  https://youtu.Be/vxbDsm4xMZc
  
  
  
  At two minutes and 47 seconds into the video for "All Talk," 3OH Black leans out of a kitchen in a goofy slow-motion maneuver, holding a pistol. You know what comes next. There really are four people intruding on his personalized space. Immediately following the crackle of a gunshot, he says, right now there's just three." Another crackle. Right now there's just two." Another two crackles. Right now it's just me." This 11-second moment has been memed to oblivion. It's been used to describe everything from innocent situations like teaching kids about math, to odder ones like simulating a similar animation from V.A.T.S. However aside from this brief laugh, several, including myself, wondered if the song had any real value or if it was, although another, viral moment throwaway.
  
  
  It turns out that yes, "All Talk" is more than the clip suggests. 3OH Black isn't a punchline purist or a melody-obsessed rapper like several of his rising peers. He is a relaxed lyricist whose energy and fashion make up for any other artsy shortcomings. Plus it works. Especially because "All Talk" feels like a back-to-back build-up; there really are more spaces between words at the begin of the song than compared to the end that sees it become a frantic storm of trap lyricism. It's routinely hard to top viral moments, especially clips that become your tagline, nevertheless 30H Black's skillset should visualize him outlive his hilarious countdown from four. – Trey Alston
  
  
  
  
  



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  The Asteroids Galaxy Tour: "Heart Attack"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=ELNvmFGNLRU
  
  
  
  Let's get one thing straight: almost every song The Asteroids Galaxy Tour puts out is a certified banger. However I have been feeling this one ever since I first heard it, like several of you likely did, in the Netflix pic The Kissing Booth. This eye catching, psychedelic bop plays on exactly how it feels to be "head over heels," because the song says, for that certain someone in your life. Its raucous, manic energy surrounds you and lifts you to heights you never thought you can reach, and then hits you like a brick with a staccato chorus. Oh, and also you won't have the ability to get it out of your head. Sorry, not sorry for getting it buried in there for the next week or so. – Brittany Vincent
  
  
  
  
  



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  BODEGA: "Shiny New Model"
  
  
  https://youtu.Be/h7_A8fqHNBQ
  
  
  
  Brooklyn-based post-punkers BODEGA are back with a catchy new bop that finds the musical group evolving from their lo-fi roots to polished pop-rock, all of the while keeping the group's trademark cynical outlook on modern life. Between the infectious hooks of "Shiny New Model" is an allegory about the concepts of disposability and conspicuous consumption, all from the perspective of walking around in an actual bodega. (Which is another name for a convenience store, for those of you who live outdoors of New York City.) The band's new EP, also titled Shiny New Model, is out on October 11. – Bob Marshall
  
  
  
  
  



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  RALPH: “No Muss No Fuss”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=BuOvy_Nuy5M
  
  
  
  Before she heads out on tour with Carly Rae Jepsen this fall, Toronto singer RALPH has a couple of things to get off her (fabulously vintage-clothed) chest. Namely, how come ex-boyfriends seem to have a sixth sense that puts them closer to you just as you’re finally pulling away? That’s the question at the heart of her new single “No Muss No Fuss,” although make no mistake: There will be no mulligans here. “I wish you well / However there’s no chance in hell,” she confidently coos over a bubbly dance beat. It’s a sassy dance-pop earworm with a sprinkle of “thank u, next”-style graciousness, along with a must-hear for anyone whose ex is threatening their hot girl summer vibes. Mention it with me now: “I want no muss, no fuss, no us.” – Madeline Roth
  
  
  
  
  



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  Boootychain ft. Sickboyrari: "4L"
  
  
  https://youtu.Be/16r2Bm2vD5Y
  
  
  
  Boootychain and Sickboyrari are a match made in an alien and alarming netherworld. Finding statistics about the two rappers is next to impossible; Boootychain has no visible Internet trail aside from her SoundCloud releases; the sole nugget of Sickboyrari data resides on Genius, where he's simply listed as a rapper from Richmond, Virginia. It's rumored that the pair have been dating for the last few years, which may explain their dizzying and intense artistry. Abstract rap might be the ideal way to describe it, gothic and dark while not necessarily furious, yet mysteriously subtle.
  
  
  On "4L," their new group effort, the two rappers dive in murky pools of melody that sound like the end credits of a hellish nightmare. Sickboyrari's stretched out voice sounds like it's yawning, as he stumbles by way of the chorus and first verse, while Boootychain cleans up with an impish delivery, rapping about murder as if she's biting her lip while she's doing it. They are a couple in sync on the mic off, and perhaps two of the scariest artists you'll listen to today. – Trey Alston