A Dichotomy of Bops, Bangers, and Jams

I've been trying to explore, musically, this week. I do this thing – I don't know if you've heard of this – where I tend to only listen to things I already know, and I'm trying to be better at keeping myself abreast of the situation musically.

To this end I asked people on the internet for their favourite songs of the year so far to contribute to my New Music That is Good playlist. People were honestly pretty bad at this prompt, there were multiple songs from not this year at all. I decided to allow songs from last year – as that does at least align with my refusal to believe time is passing – but nothing earlier than that.

This project has been reasonably successful. I put all the songs on a playlist I'd started earlier and, while the six or seven songs I'd already put on it myself are still, I think, the best ones there I've frequently found myself thinking oh, this is a bop, or this is a jam, or this one isn't good actually.

All of which made me think about the differences between bops and jams and bangers and I've decided to communicate those difference to you. Largely because of my deep seated anxieties about people not knowing what words mean. I will do this using some of the songs from my New Music That is Good playlist.

I'm obviously not going to get to all of them, so if you suggested something that isn't here then you can just assume that it simply wasn't useful as an illustration, rather than having been immediately removed from the playlist because it was not good. You don't need to worry at all about what I think of your taste in music. Worrying about what I think of your taste in music is optional.

So let's start with bangers. A banger is pretty clear. A banger goes of. It thrills. It will often be a big sing, if you know what I mean. Almost every song from the 80s is a banger. (This doesn't mean they're good; see me after class for more on mine and Jamie's playlist of Terrible Bangers.)

You know it's a banger when you're throwing your head back and closing your eyes to belt along. You know it's a banger when it makes you realise that your belt is not strong enough. You know it's a banger when it makes you wish you'd applied yourself more in your singing lessons twenty odd years ago.

The obvious example from the play list is Golden from KPop Demon Hunters. (Shut the fuck up and watch KPop Demon Hunters.)

And this is where I really need to tell you about a secret of bangers for your own safety, because this song makes it clear that you cannot belt all bangers. This is way to high for anyone to belt (except for the curséd menfolk, who belt at the top of their range instead of the middle, the scumsucking dirtbags, death to the patriachy).

She is not belting here, she is using what's known amongst those of us who are professionally trained as twang. Twang is very hard and you need extremely good technique or your could hurt your vocal folds so I recommend simply reconciling yourself to warbling about as best you can when you sing along to this, or dropping down an octave.

Also a banger, Every Girl You've Every Loved by Miley Cyrus.

Truth be told I'm still considering this song's place on the playlist because Naomi Campbell's spoken voice poem thing is deeply not the one, and the line I'm a little bit angel, I'm a little bit not is difficult to take seriously. Also Easy Lover from the same album is also on the playlist and a much better song.

But it's an undeniable banger, a proper power ballad, and you can imagine screaming the chorus at the top of your lungs on a deserted city street in the middle of a rainy night.

To go to the opposite end of the spectrum, a jam is chill. A jam is a good vibe. A jam makes you think about drinking a beer while you watch the sun go down behind rolling fields. But they're not really slow songs. There's a bit of a beat there. They're soothing but not soporific. There are a lot of jams in reggae music, obviously. If you've watched the movie Always Be My Maybe as many times as I have you'll recognise the entire output of Hello Peril as jams.

From the playlist, a clear Jam is Cinderella by Remi Wolf.

You see what I mean? You know exactly the manner in which I am bopping my head to this song. You can imagine being lightly stoned to this song. This song is for a nice, untroubled evening, it's for summer nights with a light breeze. It's a jam.

Also a jam, Suzanne by Mark Ronson and RAYE.

A different variety of jam, but you're still a bit stoned, right? Just this time in a swaying about in a boho chic dress channelling Stevie Nicks in a mellow mood kind of way. A jam is, above all things, undemanding.

Finally a bop is here for fun. It's cheerful. Upbeat but not in an aggressive way. The song of the summer will usually be a bop.

An argument for this year's song of the summer and a qualified bop is Soda Pop from KPop Demon Hunters. (Yes, another song from KPop Demon Hunters, shut the fuck up, you're lucky you're only getting two.)

It's a bop because it makes you bop, obviously. Where a jam makes you zen, a bop makes you cheerful. Probably the most commercial of the three, but you're not made about it. Because you're having a very small boogie.

Also a bop, Take Me Back by Haim.

You see what I mean? Makes you do a little wiggle in your seat. Like, you're probably not jumping up and twirling around the room like you might with a banger, you're just have a small quiet party with your shoulders.

Speaking of which, watch Common Side Effects.

Now, you might be thinking that some songs don't fit clearly into one category and you'd be right. There are hybrids. There are hybrids everywhere.

Not In Surrender by Obongjayar is both a bop and a jam.

You might assume there'd be a lot of bop/jam hybrids and you'd be right.

Also relatively common a bop that is also a banger.

See Crewneck by Ivory Layne.

I'm honestly don't think I need to explain myself here, it's obvious what's going on.

Now, jams that are also bangers are not so common. Bangers are typically high energy, even if they're slow, while jam tend to be low energy even if they're fast. But they happen.

See Bloom Baby Bloom by Wolf Alice.

I feel like I should explain myself here, but I'm not sure I can. It's a weird mix, right? It has all this intensity to it but there's something so vibey about the simple piano part and the drumbs sticking so heavily to the toms. It's got a low groove to it that's full jam, but the shrieks of a banger.

Look, I don't require you to agree with me.

I am right, though.