Bop Shop VMA Edition: Songs From Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, 5SOS, And More

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  5 Seconds of Summer: "Teeth"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=JWeJHN5P-E8
  
  
  
  The last we heard from Best Pop/Best Order nominees 5SOS, they were channeling Nine Inch Nails in a cave. Right now, they're evoking New Group on the anesthetized "Teeth." Right following the quartet pivoted to technicolor pop on 2018's Youngblood, a song like "Teeth," all buzzing bass and relentless pounding, is alarmingly industrial. New Categorize themselves even get a songwriting credit here, likely for that descending chorus melody that echoes "Blue Monday" — the one Rihanna also utilized for "Shut Up and Drive." Simply put, "Teeth" is a real horror show — way more in line with the darkness of Billie Eilish than, mention, the neighborhood revelry of influences Sum 41 — although so is the world, man. 5SOS smiles, and their shiny "Teeth" mirror back our everyday chaos. —Patrick Hosken
  
  
  
  
  



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  Taylor Swift: "London Boy"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=VsKoOH6DVys
  
  
  
  Lover’s title track makes clear soon considering that all of the heartbreak, Taylor Swift (leading the 2019 VMA pack with 10 nods) has finally noticed her one wonderful love. Although “London Boy” probes even deeper into that relationship, proving that she fell for the man of her dreams and the city he hails from.
  
  
  “I love high tea, stories from uni, and the west end,” she sings over a steady pop beat. “You can find me in the tavern, we are watching rugby with your school friends.” And while it’s definitely a love song to her “London Boy,” it also serves as an ode to the city itself — from Camden and Soho to Brixton and the West End.
  
  
  However don’t worry: Just because she’s made room in her heart for London doesn’t mean she did not remember where she came from. “I love my hometown as much as Motown / I love SoCal,” she sings in the initial verse. “And you know I love Springsteen / Faded blue jeans / Tennessee whiskey.” And while those things feel like residence, make no mistake: Yes, she loves her residence, however the definition of it has been blurred. “They mention residence is where the heart is,” she croons. Nevertheless God, I love the English.” —Jordyn Tilchen
  
  
  
  
  



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  Monsta X: "Carry On"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=5EojA5KiYvI
  
  
  
  it could be nearly the end of August, yet Best K-pop nominees Monsta X have blessed us with a new track that's a must for any summer playlist. Late Song of the Summer contender “Carry On” is an easy, breezy, cute bop and the latest single off the Korean group’s second Japanese album, Phenomenon. With Wonho in the driver’s seat, this song was made to be enjoyed in a top-down red convertible. Of course, your bias can take the wheel, also) No matter what you're going through, Monsta X is there to remind you to not to waste all your energy on the past, yet to reside in the present and appreciate the opportunities the future holds. Honestly, this is unlike anything I’ve heard from Monsta X in the recent past — it’s pure pop reminiscent a couple of tracks on their early mini-albums. Overflowing with lyrics of joy and positivity, “Carry On” is a love letter between Monsta X Monbebe, and also a welcome addition to this summer’s soundtrack. —Daniel Head
  
  
  
  
  



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  Lady Gaga: "Bloody Mary"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=VFwmKL5OL-Q
  
  
  
  This is one song I've never gotten to hear two-time 2019 nominee Gaga perform live, and yes it seems as though it's just faded away into the background of her catalog, although that doesn't mean I love it any far less. While I love almost every song on Born This Way, everything about this track is dark, cute perfection. From the way she growls "fury" to the way she purrs her French later in the song, lamenting that she doesn't desire to perish alone, this is Gaga at her best. It's slinky electro-pop that you can't help although sing along to, and I'm hoping that for LG6, it's something she finds her roots in once more. I love Joanne with all my heart, yet I'm ready for a sweeping return to form. —Brittany Vincent
  
  
  
  
  



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  2 Chainz ft. Ariana Grande: "Rule The World"
  
  
  https://www.Youtube.Com/watch?V=zh4J-yW3LHw
  
  
  
  This story begins with a home. A pink residence — specifically the one in Atlanta 2 Chainz used to drum up hype for his 2017 album, Pretty Females Like Trap Music. It generated coverage for its various uses, from allocating church services to HIV testing, and for per year, the pink trap home came to be synonymous with Best Rap nominee 2 Chainz himself. So as soon as Ariana Grande released the video for "7 rings" this year — which featured her and her crew dancing in a similar-looking pink residence — eyebrows were raised. 2 Chainz joked on Instagram that he would confront her. "It got further than I thought because her management called my management," he told radio host Angie Martinez earlier this year. "We set up just a meeting in a studio so we may have some dialogue."
  
  
  That discussion birthed two new songs: a "7 rings" remix that quelled the whispers of beef, and "Rule the World," which appeared on 2 Chainz's follow-up, Rap Or Go to the League. Its massive, glitzy sound places it in loftier territory, because the contrast between 2 Chainz's southern drawl and Grande's feathery voice makes you melt. The production, reminiscent of Amerie's 2002 hit, "Why Don't We Fall in Love," is like heaven first up for a grand celebration. Those concepts combine for a jovial and exhilarating celebration of a partner's love and fidelity that looks to a successful future — from the pink trap residence to ruling the world. —Trey Alston
  
  
  
  
  



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  Ariana Grande: "Needy"
  
  
  https://youtu.Be/Km__cJEJ3JI
  
  
  
  Ariana Grande has spent most of her thank u, next era being Bad Bitch Ari, whether she was flexing for the hell of it on “7 rings,” or stealing your man in “break up with your boyfriend, i’m bored.” And while we love that for her, we also love that she’s just soft because the rest of us, and nowhere does that shine through as much as on “needy.”
  
  
  With several simple notes and choruses of finger snaps and vibrating vocals, Ariana (who's up for 10 trophies this year) twists her neediness into her strength. Assuring her lover, “I know how good it feels to be needed.” She lists her flaws nevertheless asserts her power, admitting she’s “a little messed up” nevertheless she can “hide it as soon as she’s all dressed up.” It’s a bop as finely attuned to meditative nights alone as it is to scream-crying in your vehicle. Ari leads us into a melodic smash, building us up only to cautiously lower us down. She hums, and it also sounds like what it’s like desire to be wanted in your neediest moments. Ari gets it. —Carson Mlnarik
  
  
  
  
  



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  Beabadoobee: "She Plays Bass"
  
  
  https://youtu.Be/9wFwPh-KbEY
  
  
  
  Why is Beabadoobee the future of the VMAs? Well, similar to fellow teen Billie Eilish, she has a very clear vision of what she wants her aesthetic to be and why it should compliment her music. And much like how Normani tapped into a passion for the early 2000s for her "Motivation" video, Beabadoobee not only honors '90s bedroom pop with "She Plays Bass," yet she uses it as a jumping-off point to invent something wholly original and forward-thinking. Watch out for Beabadoobee any time the 2020 VMAs release their nominations! —Bob Marshall
  
  
  
  
  



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  Taylor Swift: "Style"
  
  
  https://youtu.Be/-CmadmM5cOk
  
  
  
  As I was recently going through my mental power rankings of my main go to Taylor Swift songs (because I have nothing better to do on my commute), I was surprised to learn that "I Knew You Were Trouble" no longer contained the best spot on my list. Case in point, it has been superseded by fashion which mtvU has been playing in the lead-up to the VMAs.
  
  
  What makes fashion so excellent, outdoor of Max Martin and Shellback's propulsive and seductive '80s synth beat, is how well it showcases Taylor's songwriting and arrangement. In the verse, we rapidly meet our two characters: lovers for whom things maybe aren't going so good. Then, as Taylor does so well, she uses the pre-chorus as a literal breakdown – in this case, using the pause to spell out that the real problem is that the relationship is toxic although addictive for both parties. Finally, the big climactic chorus cleansing hits, and it's Taylor summing up everything you heard in a chant-able, cathartic way. Then she does it all again beginning with the second verse. It's basically using verse-pre-chorus-chorus as a three-act structure, and it's the coolness and simplicity of fashion that sets it apart from her other songs that do the same thing.
  
  
  Taylor's strength since her nation days has been her ability to turn stories that hinge on familiar tropes into immediately memorable ear-worms for maximum emotional impact. With her new album out today, I can't wait for her to sing a couple of more stories, even if I already know how they end. —Bob Marshall