Shy | 3 to 5 BOPS

Shy: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 4 (2023), features musical BOPS courtesy of Leon Bridges, Tiësto x KAROL G, The 1975, Tinashe, and Twenty one pilots.

Ah, you know what time it is! It’s 3 to 5 BOPS time – WOO! On 3 to 5 BOPS, it’s all about brevity and sweetness… for the most part! There’s a theme/topic, 3, 4, or 5 songs, and a blurb – two paragraphs or less.  3 to 5 BOPS, hence, is a mini playlist that shouldn’t take much time to consume.  In the 4^th edition of 3 to 5 BOPS (2023), we select songs that are associated with being SHY. The BOPS arrive courtesy of 🎙 Leon Bridges, 🎙 Tiësto x KAROL G, 🎙 The 1975, 🎙 Tinashe, and 🎙 Twenty one pilots. Okay, let’s get into it!

1. Tinashe, “Shy Guy”

💿 333 • 🏷 Tinashe Music Inc. / Equity Distribution • 📅 2021

“You could be here sippin’ with me right now / You should be here, but you’re trippin’ on my right now.” 🎙 Tinashe is bored and lonely on 🎵 “Shy Guy,” the brief fourth track from her 2021 LP, 💿 333.  She has to occupy herself because it’s so quiet in her house without him and she gets in her head.  The thing is, she probably has good reason to be in her head, judging by the shyness he exhibits in the chorus: “Shy guy, always sayin’ it’s the wrong time / Even though you know it feels right / Love don’t fit into your timeline.” Speaking as a shy guy, Tinashe’s characterizations can be accurate – love, which can open doors, can also be overwhelming, even if there is a vibe between two people.  Speaking of vibes, this one-minute- and change track is certainly a vibe albeit it bite sized. 🎛 dwilly produces this picturesque exploration into male shyness and female loneliness.  That beat is the sugar honey iced tea! The synths too, honestly!

2. Twenty one pilots, “Shy Away”

💿 Scaled and Icy • 🏷 Fueled by Ramen • 📅 2021

In advance of 💿 Scaled and Icy (2021), 🏆 Grammy-winning alternative duo 🎙 twenty one pilots – Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun – unveiled, 🎵 “Shy Away”.  Like much of the band’s music of the past, there’s plenty to sink one’s teeth into. Twenty one pilots keep things short and sweet on “Shy Away.” The production is intriguing; sleek and well-rounded.  Given its rhythmic sound and quick pace, there’s no way to shy Away from this record.  Joseph exudes ample personality as he performs. The theme and lyrics go a long way in making this a successful record. Tyler encourages ditching the shyness and being unafraid to reach for dreams and ambition – shedding modesty and reaching for the stars.

“Don’t you shy away (Ah-ah-ah)

Manifest a ceiling

When you shy away (Ah-ah-ah)

Searchin’ for that feelin’

Just like an ‘I love you’ (Ooh, ooh)

That isn’t words (Ooh, oooh)

Like a song he wrote, that’s never heard (Ah-ah-ah)

Don’t you…”

Appears in 🔻:

• ‘S’ Songs: No Rhyme or Reason, Vol. 2
• Away: 5ive Songs No. 12 (2022)
• 13 Terrific AWAY Songs

3. Tiësto & KAROL G, “Don’t Be Shy”

🎵 “Don’t Be Shy” • 🏷 Musical Freedom / Atlantic • 🗓 2021

What happens when you pair 🎙 KAROL G and 🎙 Tiësto? Sheer excellence, of course! The Colombian singer/songwriter and the Dutch DJ join forces for a worldwide smash, 🎵 “Don’t Be Shy”. An enigmatic, ear-catching intro sets the tone before G drops her clear, sexy, expressive vocals with warm vocal effects (reverb). “Baby, break my heart / Give me all you got / Don’t ask ‘Why, why, why?’ / Don’t be shy, shy, shy.” KAROL’s best moment comes on the chorus, which is melodious and infectious. She continues singing, “Is it love or lust? / I can’t get enough  / Don’t ask ‘Why, why, why?’Don’t be shy, shy, shy.”

While Ms. G holds it down, Tiësto plays a sizable role too, behind the boards.  Alongside 🎛 Teemu Brunila, they construct sleek production, set in a minor key. The listener is treated to colorful synths, a banging beat, and an auditory experience where you can’t remain in your seat – makes you want to D-A-N-C-E.  Shifting eyes back to KAROL for a moment, those “la-la-las” she drops are particularly infectious in the post-chorus. Ultimately, “Don’t Be Shy” is a surefire V-I-B-E.

4. Leon Bridges, “Shy”

💿 Good Thing • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2018

“Running from a feeling now / You know that I want you.” On 🎵 “Shy” (💿 Good Thing, 2018), 🏆 Grammy-winner 🎙 Leon Bridges is dealing with a girl he greatly desires but her shyness is a barrier. “Mmm, don’t get me started at this time of night,” he sings in the pre-chorus, adding, “Hard to keep my guard up and the feeling’s right.” Woo! He goes on to describe her as “standoffish, coy,” when meeting her, trying to woo her and make her realize how much he digs her. “Shy” may not be the crowning achievement from Good Thing – looking at you, 🎵 “Bet Ain’t Worth The Hand” – but it is a sweet moment. It features simple but  effective production work courtesy of 🎛 Ricky Reed and Niles City Sound. One of the best features of this mid-tempo, romantic joint, besides those incredible vocals by Bridges (goes without saying, honestly) is its memorable chorus.

“I just want to see you, you could come over
I know ya shy, you can be shy with me
You know I need you and I’m not quite sober
I know ya shy baby, you can be shy, shy it’s alright.”

5. The 1975, “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)”

💿 Notes on a Conditional Form  • 🏷 Interscope • 📅 2020

🎵 “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)” arrives as the seventh single that 🎙 The 1975 released in advance of their gargantuan album, 💿 Notes on a Conditional Form.  “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)” feels like ‘lucky number seven’ – it’s accomplished in just about every facet. Instrumentally, it serves up decadent ear candy, styled in the 80s vain with its horns and keys complementing the guitars. One of the brightest spots musically comes by way of an electrifying saxophone solo. Vocally, 🎙 Matthew Healy is compelling, particularly given the subject matter: online dating.

“I see her online, all the time / I’m trying not to stare down there.” Hmm, maybe it’s sketchier than online dating. Regardless, Healy is particularly intrigued by her looks and the sexual potential more than an emotional connection.  In the second verse, he freakily adds, “I’ve been wearing nothing every time I call you / And I’m starting to feel weird about it…” Of course, the chorus is the crowning achievement:

“‘Maybe I would like you better if you took off your clothes

I’m not playing with you baby; I think that you should give it a go’

She said, ‘Maybe I would like you better if you took off your clothes

I wanna see and stop thinking if you’re too shy then let me –

Too shy then let me know.’”

Wow.  “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)” is a fun, memorable cut – quite the bop thanks to its sound, energetic vocals, and theme & lyrics.

Appears in 🔻:

• 11 Superb Songs, Five Minutes or More
• 15 Fantastic Songs Where You Just KNOW

Shy: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 4 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Atlantic, Columbia, Equity Distribution, Fueled By Ramen, Interscope, Musical Freedom, Tinashe Music Inc.; Anand Vijay Krishna via Pexels]