Bop Shop: Songs From Selena Gomez, Samia, Hello Mary, And More

The search for the ever-elusive “bop” is difficult. Playlists and streaming-service recommendations can only do so much. They often leave a lingering question: Are these songs really good, or are they just new?

Enter Bop Shop, a hand-picked selection of songs from the MTV News team. This weekly collection doesn’t discriminate by genre and can include anything — it’s a snapshot of what’s on our minds and what sounds good. We’ll keep it fresh with the latest music, but expect a few oldies (but goodies) every once in a while, too. Get ready: The Bop Shop is now open for business.

“I’m constantly trying to fight something that my eyes can’t see,” Selena Gomez sings on “My Mind & Me,” her vulnerable new single that accompanies the new Apple TV+ documentary of the same name. It’s a sparse piece of music that instead focuses on Gomez’s voice — and her words, forged from years of navigating her share of both mental duress and ultimate understanding. The premise is simply that “it gets hard to breathe sometimes / But I wouldn’t change my life.” Acceptance is a powerful thing. As director Alek Keshishian told MTV News, “She’s trying to give hope to others, realizing that you can pick yourself up.” —Patrick Hosken

Samia’s latest single is about needing clarity that there’s no remaining negative feelings after the fallout of a relationship, while simultaneously not wanting to know nor care anymore about it. Paradoxical and relatable! Samia had to cosplay a mindset she’s never experienced — not letting what others think affect her confidence. It isn’t easy holding your head up high while down in the dumps. However, the pop singer shows that surrounding yourself with people who’ll distract you with their love won’t cure a broken heart. But it is certainly the best medicine. Samia’s sophomore album Honey is out January 27. —Gwyn Cutler

Brooklyn-based band Hello Mary brings a new eerie psychedelic single about overwhelming jealousy in a relationship. “Scaring myself, alright,” vocalist Helena Straight sings distantly. “Is it a coincidence? / You’re hanging out all night / While I’m on the other side.” But instead of bringing it up, she spirals into drowning under paranoia. Fittingly, distorted bass and grunge chords sound in the end to symbolize the dissociation from reality. —Athena Serrano

Jeff Rosenstock told me in 2018 that he and pal/frequent collaborator Laura Stevenson are “Long Island ska kids” forever. What happens when they take on the Godfather of Grunge? For one, they already did — their 2019 Neil Young covers EP Still Young is a gem. And they’ve decided to do it again, calling the new one Younger Still. (Get it?) An easy highlight is “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere,” a top-five Neil song for me, rendered here in perfectly brief, slightly wigged-out fuzz madness by, yep, two Long Island ska kids. —Patrick Hosken

Can I just say that Leven Kali’s entire Let It Rain EP is absolutely flawless? It’s got everything you’d want: funky party hits, slow down-and-dirty jams, and this glorious track that really does make me want to cry tears of joy. In it, Leven describes the little moments he’d provide for a hypothetical doting relationship, and his heartfelt promises will romance your pants off. No visuals yet for this sentimental tune, so for now I’ll imagine the intimacy just as Leven does. Fans of the groovy duo Silk Sonic could be pleased with this release if they give it a try. —Gwyn Cutler

Just in time for the wistful part of autumn, Swedish indie band Girl Scout have dropped “All the Time,” a bit of smeared-paint jangle pop that feels timeless. We get an extra hour of daylight soon. Spend it listening to “All the Time” on repeat. —Patrick Hosken

No bop tops this song that’s having a viral moment more than a year after its release. You may have heard the sped-up version of Becky Hill and David Guetta’s “Remember” on TikTok recently, paired with the trend of people jumping in and out of frame lip-synching to the track. The catchy dance beat makes the song impossible not to sing along to — especially with its relatable message. While reminding just how strong of a vocalist she is, Hill also details the wavering feelings of a breakup as she belts out, “It’s only when I’m lying in bed on my own / And I wake up and I don’t see your name on my phone / It’s in the moments where I think that I’m better alone / That’s when I remember.” The world is singing along with her now. —Alissa Godwin

Introducing: a disco-pop anthem with a wholesome message in addition to an exhilarating house beat. The South African star Nakhane sings of striving, not just surviving, to be the best and for others to do the same. In his video, though, it’s a perfect pairing of violent and sexual tension. Nakhane depicts himself and another man grappling with their insecurities as they literally wrestle, intercut with actions of anger and desire. Watch them rise above inhibition, first pitted against each other but ending up entwined together. It takes a special kind of talent to recognize and replicate the disco-era sound and its themes of gay love. This modern source, however, gets to show it unrepressed and delightfully brazen. —Gwyn Cutler

Lyrically, there isn’t more of a “Taylor Swift” Taylor Swift song than this one. The songwriter extraordinaire is not only admitting that her brain is always steps ahead, but she does so in a catchy, cheeky, and sonically pleasing way with her new song, “Mastermind.” She cunningly and sweetly confesses, “What if I told you none of it was accidental / And the first night that you saw me nothing was gonna stop me / I laid the groundwork and then just like clockwork / The dominoes cascaded in a line.” With intricate lyrics and attention to detail, the track captures the essence of every beloved Swift song — love, strategic longing, and happily ever after. It serves as the perfect conclusion to her new album, Midnights, which contains some of her most honest and lyrically dense music yet. And let’s just say the serotonin alone from the way she sings the line, “What if I told you I’m a mastermind,” will have you hooked immediately. —Alissa Godwin