Every summer has that one song — the one playing at every cookout, spinning at every club and dominating every radio station. To become the “song of the summer,” a track must be more than just a chart-topper — it must be a cultural touchstone, a smash-hit that everybody knows, whether they like it or not.
The “song of the summer” was easier to identify in past years thanks in large part to more centralized media consumption, past examples ranging from Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” to Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.”
In recent years, however, the death of radio and an increasingly fractured internet culture has made it more difficult to identify. Last year had a slew of frontrunners, ranging from Charli XCX’s “360” to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” This year, however, has had very few songs that permeated the mainstream — here are some of the most interesting contenders.
Justin Bieber has been mired in controversy all year — many of which involve his relationship with his wife. His latest album, “SWAG," rejects all those characterizations, departing from his previous “expensive-sounding” pop music for a softer, warmer shade of R&B. “DAISIES," the standout lead single, wraps his vocal charm in greasy textures, pulling us deeper into his world.
The man really pulling the strings here, literally, is Mk.gee. Mk.gee, who has gone from a no-name to a renowned guitar prodigy in the past couple of years, drowns the track in his signature style of glossy ‘80s-inspired pop — all while co-producer Dijon infuses the track with his unique approach to avant-R&B, drenching the song in ambient noise and tuning the drums just right to muddy the mix.
Recession pop is back, and it is the sound of the summer. Addison Rae — whose influencer-to-pop-icon rebrand was complete following her viral feature on Charli XCX’s “Von dutch” remix — served as the ambassador of nostalgic pop this summer, leading the 2014 Tumblr-core revival. “Fame is a Gun," the final single from her self-titled album, is queer-coded and drenched in paranoia, a callback to a Spears-inspired vision of alt-pop.
Rae’s breathy, trip-hop-esque vocal delivery haunts the track as she bathes in the limelight of her newfound fame. “I'm your dream girl, but you're not my type … I got a taste of the glamorous life,” she repeats on the chorus, a callback to the Prince-produced “The Glamorous Life.” Atop modulating synths and an ominous four-on-the-floor drumline, she draws us into a surreal, noir-esque atmosphere that would not seem out of place in a David Lynch or Gregg Araki film.
The age of shortform content has given birth to another facet of the ‘song of the summer’ debate — the trending audio. This summer, there was no shortage of contenders — but few had the outsized impact of Skrilla’s “Doot Doot (6 7)." The song gained popularity after an edit of basketball player LaMelo Ball using the song went viral — and soon snowballed into a full-fledged meme with people referencing the number ‘6 7’.
On “Doot Doot (6 7)," the beat stumbles and swerves, zig-zagging like a car drifting on an empty street. It seems haunted as eerie vocal samples play over a stuttering drill pattern and police sirens loom over the chorus. Skrilla’s lethargic, piercing vocal delivery gives the song its unique edge as he flexes his designer clothes, making it a track built for risky, high-adrenaline nights.
“KPop Demon Hunters” was, almost indisputably, the movie event of the summer — in no small part due to its stellar soundtrack. “Golden," the film’s centerpiece, encapsulates its core message of self-acceptance. “I'm done hiding, now I'm shining / Like I'm born to be,” Rumi sings on the pre-chorus, mirroring her struggles with rejecting, and finally accepting, her half-demon ancestry.
Saja Boys’ “Soda Pop” and “Your Idol," other songs from the soundtrack, put up a good fight — HUNTR/X, however, beat out both to become the first K-pop group to ever reach the #1 spot in global Apple Music chart history, and the first girl group to top the charts in over 20 years. Like the movie it comes from, “Golden” bursts with energy from front to back thanks to its pounding drive, towering vocals and empowering message of self-love — the perfect anthem for the summer.
Read More
“Weapons”: These families should have locked their doors
By Isabelle Halliday | 11 hours ago“Weapons” features the story of 17 children disappearing without a trace into the night.
The Fralin’s “In Feeling” is a multisensory journey through disability and art
By Fiona Goo | 2 days agoThe exhibit opened Aug. 30 and explores how we empathize with others, highlighting the experiences of lived disability through different mediums such as space, music, video, text and drawing.
‘A small business’: The inner workings of the University’s a cappella groups
By Darya Bartol | 3 days agoWith a variety of concert performances, album releases and busy audition cycles, the a cappella groups on Grounds not only have to sing but also manage their group’s image and schedule.
