Bop (Slang)

About

Bop is a slang term with several different interpretations, originally appearing online in the mid-2000s. The word may be used to describe a catchy song (similar to a "banger") and is also sometimes used to refer to a promiscuous woman. Search interest about the meaning of the term "bop" notably increased in 2023, with the second interpretation of the term seeing renewed usage on TikTok in 2024, primarily among Gen Z. Black Girl Confidence Bop is a prominent meme using the term "bop" in the early 2020s.

Origin

The term "bop" in modern internet slang can refer to a lively and rhythmic style of dancing, or it can also be used to describe a catchy and upbeat song. This interpretation of the slang was popularized online in 2016, as Urban Dictionary^[1] user @exothekings posted an explanation about bop being used "to reference a good song; to say that a song is really good." The post (shown below, top), uploaded on June 20th, 2016, amassed more than 10,000 likes in eight years.

Before the music-centered meaning, "bop" was also an African American Vernacular English (AAVE) slang term since the early 2000s, receiving the earliest mention on Urban Dictionary^[2] on June 12th, 2005, by user @Eyebis, who described the term as "a name to call a female who gives head [blowjob] to anyone. They call them a bop because when they give head they bop their heads." The post (shown below, bottom) received roughly 6,100 likes in 19 years.

Spread

In early 2016, "bop" was slowly popularized online as a way to describe a catchy or particularly good song. For example, on May 22nd, 2016, X^[3] user @alwaysinaphase posted a thread about "Nickelodeon bops," recollecting the most memorable songs from the American cable and satellite network. The post (shown below) describes the Jimmy Neutron theme song as a "true bop," which amassed more than 11,000 likes and 9,600 retweets in a eight years.

Search interest about the meaning of the term "bop" increased in 2023 and 2024 as it became highly used on TikTok videos referring to a promiscuous woman.

For example, on March 21st, 2024, TikTok^[4] user @therealldesiree posted a video with the quote "he left you for a what?" while lip-dubbing a song saying the slang "bop." The post (shown below, left) amassed over 8 million plays and 1 million likes in a month. On February 18th, TikTok^[5] user @theiiprod posted a video explaining what "bop" means when it is used to refer to a woman (shown below, right), amassing roughly 4 million plays and 120,000 likes in three months.

Related Memes

Black Girl Confidence Bop

Black Girl Confidence Bop refers to a viral video of TikToker Andie, aka @realistichuman, a white person, dancing to the song "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae under the caption, "This song is such a little Black girl confidence bop." The video continued to inspire parodies in July 2023, including by TikToker @alpha.pookie.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References