Bop Shop: Songs From Zolita, Giveon, Dove Cameron, And More

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  Dove Cameron: “Boyfriend”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=SOn3_0Oav0k
  
  
  
  Dove Cameron has arrived! Between a handful of Disney-approved hits and also a stint in the off-Broadway Clueless musical, Cameron is already a certified pop star. Nevertheless her newest entry feels markedly different. Soon after coming out as bisexual in 2020 — and making an appearance as a visitor judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 — she totally embraces every facet of her identity on “Boyfriend.” Over a sinister-sounding production, complete with finger snaps, plucking strings, and well-timed beat drops, the singer makes a flirty invitation to a woman whose man dared to leave her alone on the dance floor: “I would be a higher class of boyfriend than him / I may do the shit that he never did.” Her confidence and late-night promises are nothing short of convincing, especially in the chorus’s last alluring line: “Plus, all my clothes would fit.” —Carson Mlnarik
  
  
  
  
  



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  Faouzia: “Hero”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=2zfTPxaX5ss
  
  
  
  I’m holding out for a hero, and thus for now, Moroccan-Canadian singer Faouzia is serving my song in shining armor. Because the pop scene awaits her upcoming project Citizens, including her latest percussive single “RIP, Love,” I’m diving back inside this 2021 bop. It’s a much-needed stimulating call to support and love each other. “I’ve routinely been one to give my all in my friendships, and one-sided relationships are something that I’ve found a lot in people around me,” she told Hypebae. “This song is the opposite of that.” —Zach O’Connor
  
  
  
  
  



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  Giveon: “Lie Again”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=CA1VHbdq5hY
  
  
  
  If you’re like me and still have “Heartbreak Anniversary” stuck in your head, you’re in luck because Giveon is back with a new ballad to pull on your heartstrings. The singer-songwriter’s new single, “Lie Again,” pleads for a lover to lie about their infidelity rather than reveal the painful truth. Giveon croons, “Lie so sweet, up until I believe that it’s only been me, to touch you / I pretend that no one has had you like I did / I don't need the truth, baby, so lie, lie again.” The R&B melody has hints of jazz, a frequent inspiration for the artist. It’s the best song to comfort you in times of sadness, deceit, and heartache. —Alissa Godwin
  
  
  
  
  



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  Verivery: “Undercover”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=UNUCV_UomZo
  
  
  
  The males of Verivery take listeners on a futuristic journey with the hip-hop-heavy “Undercover.” In stark contrast to last month’s soft and sultry “O,” “Undercover” is a song serious about the VRVR rap line enthusiasts. Featuring a powerful trap beat layered with heavy 808s and lyrics describing an internal battle, “Undercover” not only display’s the group’s versatility nevertheless also their growth and maturity as a team. The track is accompanied by a dark and cinematic music video that transports viewers to a parallel universe through numerous sets and silhouettes, giving the members unique possibilities to showcase their sharp and ornate choreography. “Undercover” explores a surprisingly dark concept from Verivery, yet any time it comes to this categorize, it’s better to just expect the unexpected. —Sarina Bhutani
  
  
  
  
  



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  Matt Copley: “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (Encanto Cover)
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=3Sy_OWn1Vik
  
  
  
  Encanto’s smash-hit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno'' has spent 17 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and the earworm has been stuck in our heads for just as long. The song has been covered numerous times and even got a remix from Megan Thee Stallion throughout last month’s Oscars ceremony, nevertheless the latest treatment from Unwell vocalist and Broadway Does Punk mastermind, Matt Copley, is probably my preferred rendition. Copley’s musical theater roots are clear as he dynamically navigates the track’s numerous characters while still delivering a punk-rock bop. It’s a cover I never knew I wanted that has me manifesting a rock musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda. —Farah Zermane
  
  
  
  
  



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  Malia Civetz: “Partied Out”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=-v_yVZZBnzI
  
  
  
  Is it ironic that a song about being all partied out makes me desire to get up and twirl? No? OK, good, because I am loving this cut from Malia Civetz’s EP Heels In Hand. The track is cheerful and bright, its dreamy virtual music video features RuPaul’s Drag Race queens Jackie Cox, Yuhua Hamasaki, and Laganja Estranja, and also Los Angeles-based performer Rhea Litre. Why were these they included? Because they’re fierce, duh! “Drag performers have inspired me to be the most creative and free version of myself,” she told Instinct Magazine. “I respect their artistry and commitment to being the truest version of themselves.” As RuPaul closes every episode of the show: “Can I get an amen?” —Zach O’Connor
  
  
  
  
  



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  Zolita: “I F*cking Love You”
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/embed/ptHY0sKWyLw
  
  
  
  Alt-pop singer Zolita has captivated the world wide web with her viral lesbian romance trilogy. It begins with a high-school coming-out story in “Somebody I F*cked Once,” weaving its way to a college breakup with “Single in September,” and comes to an epic conclusion with new single “I F*cking Love You.” The track itself is a vivacious and triumphant anthem about completely giving into love, with its sticky chorus playing out like a synthy stream of consciousness: “What if I let it slip, tell you that / You’re the only one I’m seeing?” The infatuation in her voice is palpable, as if we’re hearing her come to an earth-shattering realization in real-time: “Oh my god, I fucking love you.” “The song itself is one of the opening true love songs I’ve ever released, and I think it properly encapsulates the euphoric, terrifying feeling of falling in love, both sonically and lyrically,” she explained in a statement. As for its eye catching, larger-than-life visual, which imagines Zolita as a massive pop star in the near future who finds herself reacquainted with the artistic outsider who stole her heart? You’ll have to watch the video to find out if the ending is jubilant because the song scoring it. —Carson Mlnarik