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Tag: song of the summer

  • Summer’s Ending: Here’s Your 2024 Summer Playlist

    Summer’s Ending: Here’s Your 2024 Summer Playlist

    I hate to say it…I hate to even acknowledge it…but it’s the truth: the summer is ending. Sure, the solstice technically goes until late September, but we know the real summer ends after Labor Day.

    And while we soak up these last few peaceful weeks of Summer Fridays and vacations on the beach, the looming threat of the fall and colder weather is quickly approaching. We avoid the very thought of it like the plague.

    But, I want to make the most of the end of summer 2024. When you look back at it, we’ve had a crazy summer in terms of pop culture:
    the rise of Chappell Roan, the reign of Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poet’s Department, Charli XCX teaching us what it means to have a BRAT Summer, Billie Eilish’s enormous hit, “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” and of course, Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” and “Please, Please, Please” to soundtrack our summer.

    Yes, the pop girlies have ruled the scene this summer…alongside major country vibes with albums from Zach Bryan, hit songs like “The Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey, and even fresh country additions from Lana Del Rey and Quavo with their single “Tough.”

    The Song of Summer 2024 may forever be up for debate, with a few top contenders already mentioned. Former President Barack Obama just released his Summer Playlist, and it got us thinking.

    What I’m looking for are songs that are perfect for closing out the summer. Different from my usual Weekend Playlist, these songs aren’t necessarily new…but they’re still astonishing.

    Some were released this year, and some just perfectly embody the end of the summer. If you’re already feeling a tad nostalgic and blue about summer 2024, here’s a playlist that’ll help you feel better:

    “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter

    Let’s start it off with Sabrina, who is becoming one of the biggest pop stars in the world as we speak. Her new album —
    Short ‘n Sweet, out August 15 — and she’s somehow still eligible for Best New Artist at the Grammy’s this year?

    “Espresso” is an awesome start to the playlist because it also kicked our summer off with a bang. With fun little lyrics like “that’s that me espresso,” we can’t help but hit replay each time the song ends.

    Spotify says, “Since June, the song has spent 20 days at #1 on Spotify’s global charts – topping 25 regional charts in countries like Australia, Malaysia, Jordan and Singapore.”

    “HOTTOGO” by Chappell Roan

    It’s the summer of Chappell Roan, we can’t even lie. Her insane rise to superstardom deserves to be marked in history books. Thousands flock to see her perform at festivals before it gets too tough to buy her tickets on Ticketmaster.

    With hit songs like “Good Luck, Babe!” and “HOTTOGO” from her album,
    The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, have certainly soundtracked our summer. She’s one of the most exciting artists we’ve seen in forever, so of course we had to include this banger.

    Spotify data says, “The song saw its biggest spike of the summer on June 10 (globally), the day after her
    Gov Ball set in New York City.”

    “Back On 74” by Jungle

    This song is viral on social media because of its feel-good vibes. I love any Jungle song this summer because they keep it lighthearted, with a bit of a nostalgic, retro feel to their sound.

    It’s an exceptional mix of modern and classic, and “Back On 74” delivered fantastic energy all summer long. If there’s anything we’ve learned, it’s that Jungle can make a cohesive album throughout.

    “Guess (Remix)” by Charli xcx and Billie Eilish

    We are totally having a BRAT Summer, and when Charli and Billie collabed on this “Guess” remix…the world felt it.

    When two representatives of today’s culture and music industry come together to create a fun, sexy track that combines pop and electronic music in the best way…it just works. This remix is like a shock of energy to the system from the second you turn it on.

    Especially with Eilish and Charli having such huge summer albums, this feels like an acknowledgement that the music industry is going to be okay…and they’re in complete control.

    “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish

    Obviously, we had to mention Billie Eilish’s solo work: her third album,
    HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, is a complete masterpiece. A how-to on production and high-quality vocals, Billie Eilish and her brother, FINNEAS, are up there with the best — and youngest — singer-songwriter-producers in the industry.

    “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” is one of the singles on the album. A viral success that constantly tops charts and breaks records, this song is nothing short of sensational. It’s proof that Billie gets better with age, using all of her knowledge so far and channeling it into her latest album.

    According to Spotify, “Billie had a refreshing return to tempo this summer with this breezy summer hit. A leading track from her third studio album, the song reached a fever pitch after a poignant performance at the summer games closing ceremony – quickly rising to #1 on Spotify’s global charts with over 678M streams and counting.”

    “She’s Gone, Dance On” by Disclosure

    Year after year, Disclosure gives us countless dance tracks to highlight our summers. They’re highly regarded in the house industry as juggernauts who know how to get people up and dancing.

    “She’s Gone, Dance On” was previewed at
    Coachella by Dom Dolla, as the American Royal Couple — Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift — danced in the crowd. Shortly after, the song was released to the public and we haven’t stopped listening to it since.

    “360” by Charli xcx

    Again, we can’t mention a Charli remix without an original
    BRAT song. “360” is an introduction to what it really means to have a BRAT Summer. It’s carefree, fun-loving, and club-ready.

    It makes us want to let loose and forget about our problems for a while. Charli XCX has started a movement, and solidified herself as our fearless BRAT leader.

    “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey

    There seriously hasn’t been a time this summer when I’ve been out at a bar and this hasn’t played. I would be biased if I didn’t include Shaboozey’s song in this playlist, because it truly has been everywhere. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is his follow-up after a massive feature on Beyonce’s
    COWBOY CARTER.

    Spotify data suggests that since June, the song has hit #1 on Spotify’s Charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and the US and has been #1 on Billboard for six weeks so far. It reached #1 on Spotify’s US Chart for the first time on July 4th, proving it to be the perfect summer holiday anthem.”

    What the song does well is capturing everyone’s attention early on and opening up into a full-out stomp-and-holler country song that we all love. It’s a
    summer of country for a reason, and this is great for country fans and non-fans alike.

    Jai Phillips

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  • The Fight For Shawn Mendes: Sabrina Carpenter vs. Camila Cabello

    The Fight For Shawn Mendes: Sabrina Carpenter vs. Camila Cabello

    There are only a few guarantees in life: death, taxes, and women fighting over the same man. In terms of celebrity drama, the public has always loved pitting women against one another, especially in relationships. Take
    Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter over Joshua Bassett, Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez over Justin, and most recently, Carpenter and Camila Cabello over Shawn Mendes.

    When
    Sabrina Carpenter’s highly anticipated latest album, Short n’ Sweet, debuted on August 23, fans tuned in. It was everything we expected: witty beyond imagination, an upgrade to her Pop Princess status, packed with songs of the summer and catchy throughout. But what we never expected were the songs taking obvious digs at Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello.

    To be honest, I didn’t even know
    Carpenter dated Mendes…and that’s on me for being a casual fan. But the proof is in the pudding, Carpenter and Mendes were spotted countless times last year on celebrity gossip page, Deuxmoi. The pair were flirting outrageously on Instagram. And then he was back with Camila.

    And that was it for a lot of us. We didn’t think twice as Mendes and Cabello cozily sidled up to one another, we just let them return to being the weird couple they always were. Then Sabrina started dating
    Saltburnstar Barry Keoghan and we focused on the short stack duo.

    But now, we had to go back in the archives thanks to
    Short n’ Sweet. Songs like Dumb & Poetic take obvious shots at Mendes, Sharpest Tool jabs at Cabello and so does Coincidence. The picture Carpenter has painted isn’t good, and Cabello has even taken a few swings in her own music.

    So if you’re just as lost on the Carpenter-Cabello-Mendes love triangle…you won’t be for long. Here’s the story of how Camila Cabello potentially stole Shawn Mendes back from Sabrina.

    Shawn Mendes and Sabrina Carpenter Relationship Timeline

    We all know how
    Cabello was with Shawn Mendes first. After two years together, the pair broke up in 2021. Then, after they were seen kissing at Coachella 2023, rumors were rampant about a reunion. Two months later, they called it quits again.

    But in the midst of it all comes Sabrina Carpenter. In what seemed like a quick whirlwind, Shawn and Sabrina quietly launched their flirtation on Instagram in December 2022. Mendes posted an Instagram where Carpenter commented, “was it cold tho.”

    By January 2023, more dating rumors swirled as Mendes was spotted in Paris and for absolutely no reason. While that may seem like nothing, Carpenter posts from the same 5-Star, Luxury
    Costes Hotel in Paris a week later. Now that’s suspicious.

    In February 2023,
    Deuxmoi has a sighting of Shawn Mendes and Sabrina Carpenter “on clearly a date.” The anonymous tip came with the description of Carpenter wearing a brown mini skirt and Mendes with a freshly shaved head.

    Screenshot of Deuxmoi post r/Fauxmoi on reddit

    Close to a week later, they are finally photographed in Los Angeles where
    People reports Carpenter is clearly wearing Shawn’s hoodie.

    Enter Camila Cabello.

    Fans began to notice how Camila Cabello was interacting more with Sabrina Carpenter posts on Instagram…even liking her BBC Radio 1 performance of Carpenter’s “Late Night Talking” cover. Screenshots have surfaced of Cabello liking countless Carpenter-related posts from around the time Mendes and Carpenter went public.

    By March 13, 2023,
    ET reported that Sabrina Carpenter and Shawn Mendes were dating but “trying to keep things low-key.” Somehow, this news got broken by The Cancelled Podcast.

    This doesn’t last long, however, because Carpenter and Mendes split up sometime between March and April of 2023…and then he’s seen in April with Cabello.

    While there are two sides (or, I guess three in this case?) to every story, all signs point to Cabello swooping in on Mendes immediately after (if not
    during) his relationship with Carpenter.

    And now, fans have noticed that one of Camila’s songs from her new album,
    C,XOXO, “June Gloom” is also about the situation. With lyrics like “If she’s so amazing why are you on this side of town?” and “We’re a house fire for sure/Hope it’ll burn out but it just gets bigger,” are potential nods to her rekindling things with Mendes.

    In a recent TikTok, Cabello even posts herself singing along to “June Gloom” which social media users are taking as her official admission to the beef.

    @camilacabello hope it’ll burn out but it just gets bigger 🙄
    ♬ June Gloom – Camila Cabello

    Not only that, but Cabello and Carpenter don’t follow one another on Instagram. Which could mean nothing, considering they have shown a lot of support for one another in the past publicly. Either way, the situation is intriguing.

    Wait…So Who Is Shawn Mendes Dating Now?

    While
    Cabello and Mendes split two months after the Coachella sightings, it appears that they may be back together again. It seems like old habits die hard with these two (remember those slow walks they did during COVID?)

    Cabello and Mendes were seen at the Copa America final on July 14 this year, where Argentina played Colombia. Not only that, but Mendes has also been liking Cabello’s Instagram posts. But, you never know.

    Songs on Short n’ Sweet about Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello

    Now that you’re all caught up on the drama and fully-invested…you’ll probably want to go back and listen to
    Short n’ Sweet! And since about half the album revolves around this love triangle, let’s break down which song is about who!

    “Taste”

    “Heard you’re back together, and if that’s true/ you’ll just have to taste me while he’s kissing you” sings the chorus of this song. If you need me to spell it out for you, this is clearly about Camila Cabello.

    “Coincidence”

    Ohhh boy, does this tell the entire story. Lyrics include “Your car drove itself from L.A. to her thighs/Palm Springs looks nice, but who’s by your side?” and “Trying to turn past into the present tense”, it’s clear who this is about. And Carpenter adds she’s not shocked they broke up again.

    “Dumb & Poetic”

    This is for you, Shawn Mendes. Notable lines include “Just because you talk like one, doesn’t make you a man,” “save all your breath for your floor meditation,” “you’d make a great wife/And I promise you those mushrooms aren’t changing your life,” Carpenter rips into Mendes…and this one is obvious.

    Potential Songs About Mendes

    While Mendes certainly isn’t the only sinner in Carpenter’s stories, there are a few questionable songs where it could be about her other exes. Songs like “Sharpest Tool” refer to finding God at his exes house, which could be a reference to either Mendes or Joshua Bassett.

    There’s also a general warning to men, “Lie To Girls,” where she promises you don’t have to lie to a woman to get you to like them…they’ll lie to themselves and make excuses for you if they like you.

    Finally there’s the breakup anthem that closes the ironically short and sweet album, “Don’t Smile,” where Carpenter begs her ex to cry that it ended…not smile because it happened. Again, could be a nod to Shawn Mendes and her wanting him to repent.

    Regardless, this drama has been fun…and with
    Short n’ Sweet potentially gearing up for a #1 Billboard Hot 100 chart spot, Carpenter comes out on top.

    Jai Phillips

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  • These Can’t All Be The Songs of the Summer: Summer Hit Showdown

    These Can’t All Be The Songs of the Summer: Summer Hit Showdown

    Each new song is claiming to be
    the song of the summer. This is not random TikTok singers doing their obligatory self-promo with the tried-and-true hook: “Did I just write the song of the summer?” But don’t blame them. Blame the labels that are vying for a number-one hit. Blame TikTok for making songs viral overnight. Or blame each and every one of us who exclaims “song of the summer!” whenever our favorite songs come on the radio. There’s even a Spotify playlist power ranking all of this years contenders.

    Everyone’s seeking the perfect summer soundtrack. I make a new playlist once time April hits (overeager, I know) with all the songs I have on repeat for the season. It ranges from UK Drill to Alt-Pop bangers. If you don’t have Central Cee and Clairo playing back-to-back this summer, what are you even doing?

    But yet, come summer one song stands out as
    the song of the season. It’s the song that’s on everyone’s mind and everyone’s playlist. It’s the song everyone requests at parties, that plays every hour on the hour at the club, and the song we find ourselves humming mindlessly at the pool and on the beach.

    Some years, it’s obvious. But this year, we’re spoiled for choice.

    Dare I say it: we’re having a Summer 2016 Replay. For Gen Z and younger Millennials, Summer 2016 has taken a mythical quality online. Fall and Winter were when everything started to go wrong — some even say the killing of Harambe that May was the catalyst to all the ceaseless tragedy that’s happened since. If you’d told us then what the world would look like now, I would
    not have believed you. It was the rise before the fall. It was a summer of possibility, incredulity. And it was a summer of really good music.

    Leading up to Summer 2016, we had new albums from Beyonce (
    Lemonade), Rihanna (ANTI, her last project), Drake (Views), Justin Bieber (Purpose), and Ariana Grande (Dangerous Woman). Those albums gave us summer hits like “Sorry,” “Work,” “One Dance,” “Controlla,” “Love Yourself,” “Into You,” and so. Much. More. Not to mention, right at the end of summer, Frank Ocean finally dropped “Blonde” and changed music forever. He ushered in the genre-less, experimental sound to mainstream music and is on the inspo board of everyone you love, I promise.

    The radio was also blasting singles that still get regular play at clubs. Mike Posner’s “I Took a Pill In Ibiza,” “This is What You Came For” by Calvin Harris, Dua Lipa’s first hit “Hotter than Hell,” “Cheap Thrills” by Sia, and “Panda” by Desiigner. Doesn’t that take you back?

    Since then, no other summer has matched the vibes and the soundtrack of Summer 16. Last summer was the summer of cinema — with
    OppenBarbie taking over the box office and the planet. It was the summer of the girl, too. But summer 2024 is promising to have it all.

    The summer festival circuit is in full swing with lineups that people are actually excited about and performances that are making and reigniting stars. Chappell Roan at
    Coachella blasted her way to success, going from a niche, “gay famous” singer to a mainstream hitmaker. Lana Del Rey is so back in a big way after headlining Coachella with a special appearance from Billie Eilish. Billie released her best album yet, full of summer bangers and ballads alike.

    But we can’t talk about Summer 16 without talking about Sabrina Carpenter. “Espresso” has been sitting pretty at the top of the charts since spring. It’s everyone’s hyperfixation song. It’s been played and played and I’m not even close to tired of it. While Sabrina has been writing music for years, her 2023 album
    emails I can’t send has been a gamechanger for her career. Her mainstream success was slowly climbing with hits like “Nonsense” and “Feather” but nothing can compare to the level of fame she’s seeing in the wake of “Espresso.”

    Out of nowhere, the lead single from her upcoming album became the unexpected song of pre-summer. But as we head into the season’s later months, can it keep up its momentum? Only time will tell. We’re spoiled for choice this summer with a bevy of hits from artists of every genre. Of course there are expected summer stars like Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, and Post Malone, but other more surprising contenders are vying for the Song of the Summer Title.

    Here’s what we think of all of summer’s most infectious songs:

    Espresso — Sabrina Carpenter


    The perfect summer anthem. “Espresso” is a feel-good bop that I can listen to on repeat. I doubt I’ll ever get tired of it — no wonder it won’t exit the Billboard chart. The only thing keeping it from being the definite song of the summer is that it came out in early Spring. But don’t worry, Miss Sabrina has more than one card up her sleeve.

    Please, Please, Please — Sabrina Carpenter

    After announcing her next album, Sabrina released her latest single, “Please, Please, Please,” alongside the video with her boyfriend, Barry Keoghan. “Don’t embarrass me, motherf*cker,” she croons in the song — talk about relatable. Taking a different tone than “Espresso” but no less infectious, Sabrina’s close-to-Country crooning displays that she’s a versatile star who won’t be banging out versions of the same song forever.

    I Had Some Help — Post Malone ft Morgan Wallen

    Speaking of Country Music, Post Malone’s country era is going swimmingly for the former-rapper with his new song, “I Had Some Help,” featuring Country star Morgan Wallen. Post Malone is no stranger to songs of the summer with hits like 2017’s “Congratulations,” 2019’s “Circles,” and his
    Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse song “Sunflower” in 2019. This summer, he’s switching up genres but still racking up streams. Be prepared to hear this at every barbecue, beach house, or lake house or this summer.

    II Most Wanted — Beyonce and Miley Cyrus

    When Beyonce released her own Country album, it came with the infectious hit, “TEXAS HOLD EM.” The song’s opening line, “This ain’t Texas,” was on the tip of my tongue for months. Now that the album’s finally out, the surprising hit is her unexpected collaboration with Miley Cyrus, “II Most Wanted.” Miley had the song of the summer last year with “Flowers” and teaming up with Beyonce on this emotional ballad is pure magic.

    Nasty — Tinashe

    Tinashe has been toiling for years aiming for a hit, and now she finally has one. A true TikTok song, this summer anthem went viral in a hilarious video of TikTok user Nate Di Winer when he posted a video of himself dancing to Hey Choppi’s “Blind.” Tinashe took the video’s success, overlaid her own video and audio over it, and it went crazy-crazy-viral. The rest is history. Now it’s a sneaky, sleeper hit of the summer. And the TikTok sound “I’ve been a nasty girl” is sure to outlive it and head into the golden days of Autumn — at least.

    Million Dollar Baby — Tommy Richman

    We can’t talk about TikTok songs without mentioning Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby”. No, not the 2004 brutal boxing film starring Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, and Morgan Freeman. It’s a viral hit that instantly became an earworm. Who is Tommy Richman, you might ask? The 24-year-old singer and rapper is brand new to the scene — and what a debut. I wish it
    really was 2016 so everyone’s Instagram captions could be “Million Dollar Baby.” Simpler times.

    Too Sweet — Hozier

    TikTok is also responsible for Hozier’s first #1 hit in the US. Hozier’s been bringing his Irish accent-tinged voice to the charts since his massive debut single, “Take Me to Church.” But it took a post-album EP to skyrocket him to #1. After releasing
    Unreal, Unearth in late 2023, Hozier dropped a 4-song EP this April with some extras that didn’t make the album. And thank goodness he didn’t let these songs languish because “Too Sweet” is the folksy summer anthem we need.

    Good Luck Babe! — Chappell Roan

    The gays won with this song. Chappell Roan has been belting out her ballads and bops of yearning since her extended album promotion in 2020. Finally,
    The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, her debut album came out in late 2023 but it took until her 2024 single “Good Luck Babe!” to get people to tune in. But now that the masses are listening, they cannot stop. This unapologetically queer hit has transcended the gay pop genre and is a chart-topping summer anthem for all of us entering our eras of yearning.

    LUNCH — Billie Eilish

    Speaking of unapologetically queer, this new Billie Eilish era is unmatched. Billie’s brand-new album,
    HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, is a masterpiece and already gaining Grammy buzz. Album of the Year? Probably. And she deserves it. She traverses genres and moods with this album, managing to create a sound that’s refreshingly unique and a album that feels cohesive despite its leaps and bounds. “LUNCH” is the sapphic song of my dreams, and “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” is a pop ballad that shows her range and her ability to create pop songs that last forever. [Read our full review of HIT ME HARD AND SOFThere.]

    Cinderella — Remi Wolf

    Remi will always be on my summer playlist so it’s exciting to hear her getting mainstream play. “Me and the boys in the hotel lobby,” is an infectious hook. And paired with her belting the chorus, it’s a textured song that I want to scream along to in my car with the windows down. [Read out interview with Remi Wolf at Spotify’s Lorem party
    here.]

    Houdini — Dua Lipa

    Queen of Vacationing. Queen of Red Carpets. Formerly, Queen of Summer. After 2017’s “New Rules” made her a certified pop girl, and “Levitating” was the post-covid anthem, we all expected Dua to have the Song of the Summer with hits from her latest album,
    Radical Optimism. Although hits like “Houdini” and “Training Season” have charted moderately well, they didn’t seem to stick. The vibes are good though, earning them a spot on my summer playlist despite everyone falling asleep on the job.

    Houdini — Eminem

    While Dua’s “Houdini” remains in the middle of the charts, Eminem’s return to music with his song, “Houdini” is climbing up the charts. It debuted at number #2 and is reaching for #1. This is his best showing on the charts in over a decade and bodes well for his upcoming album,
    The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce). The song is classic Slim Shady controversy bait. If cancel culture were actually real, Shady would be canceled for this one for sure — there’s a line about Megan Thee Stallion being shot (can rappers leave her alone?) and calling everything “gay.” But it’s catchy so it’s definitely going to stay in the charts for a while.

    Not Like Us — Kendrick Lamar

    By far, the most buzz-worthy rap hit is Kenrick Lamar’s diss track, “Not Like Us.” One of the final songs in the weeks-long saga that was his beef with Drake, it’s the final nail in the Drizzy coffin. You know you lost a rap war when one of the diss tracks becomes the song of the summer. Ouch!

    BAND4BAND — Central Cee, Lil Baby

    Wanna know who else is beefing? The US and UK rap scenes. The collaboration from Central Cee and Lil Baby isn’t bringing the two countries together, but tearing them apart. Each side is claiming their country carried the song. The British claim Lil Baby doesn’t sound as tough or “hard” as Cench, while Americans are making TikToks dancing to Cench’s verse in Bridgerton-like garb. I just want everyone to have fun. After Central Cee teamed up with Dave for my personal favorite song of
    last summer, “Sprinter,” they could never make me hate him.

    places to be — Fred Again.. Ft Anderson .Paak and CHIKA

    I wanna hear this at the club. I wanna hear this on a rooftop. I wanna hear this while sprinting through a field or rolling down a hill or doing something else to fix my inner child. “places to be” is fun, refreshing, and sounds like the endless possibilities of summer. [Read our review of Fred Again..’s Stanford show here.]

    Langa Chinyoka

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