Well, itâs that time again⊠time to pull out the bathing suits, beach towels, suitcases, and cameras. Summer is officially on its way! Summer isnât complete without the essentials: good food, fun adventures, time with friends and family, and donât forget the biggest one: music! Whether itâs through small bands at festivals, concerts, or your car Bluetooth speaker/system on a late-night drive, the summer is never complete without a good playlist! We all have our preferences, but here are some of my choices for summer tunes and artists that never fail to get me dancing, singing out loud, and smiling!
The first artist that comes to my mind has grown so much in popularity, not just for his role as Steve Harrington in Netflixâs Stranger Things, but as his musical counterpart DJO. His album The Crux has been on repeat in my apartment and car for the past few months, and so many of the songs remind me of the summer atmosphere. You canât go wrong with âEnd of Beginningâ; but more recently his song âBasic Being Basicâ has grown in popularity, capturing the desire to stand out and be yourself; a common summertime feeling. For those who are able to see him in concert this summer, be ready to scream the lyrics to these songs at the top of your lungs!Â
Harry Styles has been a face of the summer since his days in One Direction, with hits like âKiss Youâ, âWhat Makes You Beautifulâ, and so many others. Now, as a solo artist, his name is tied to summer songs like âWatermelon Sugarâ, âAdore Youâ, and more recently his newest album Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally.Â
Finally, another artist who has taken the summer music scene by storm is Sabrina Carpenter! Hits like âFeatherâ, âEspressoâ, and more recently âManchildâ have made listeners this summer feel confident, adventurous, and free; all qualities summer should bring.
Summer is also a time for nostalgia, so of course it is necessary to mention some of the classic summer hits over the years! The summer season is never complete without some iconic karaoke songs like âCalifornia Gurlsâ by Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg, âCounting Starsâ by OneRepublic, âClassicâ by MKTO, and so many others!Â
Everyone has their pick on aux during the summer, and sometimes their taste is unmatched. You could have a friend who will listen to endless hours of yacht rock or country, as well as a friend who only listens to rap or songs from the â90s.Â
Better yet, you could be the person who will play Disney Channel songs that automatically feel like summer, songs like âSummer Belongs to Youâ from Phineas and Ferb, âCruisinâ for a Bruisin,â from Teen Beach Movie, âWhat Time Is It?â from High School Musical 2, and it still works perfectly for summer.
Whatever matches the mood or setting, it is bound to be a summer classic! I personally like to mix up my summer playlist occasionally, but I will always be a sucker for a playlist titled âSummer Top Hits 2010sâ.Â
The 2010s were legendary for the music industry, producing hits like âDespacitoâ by Luis Fonsi, âCanât Stop the Feelingâ by Justin Timberlake, âCloserâ by the Chainsmokers, âLush Lifeâ by Zara Larsson, âFancyâ by Iggy Azalea, âCruel Summerâ and âShake It Offâ by Taylor Swift; you get the picture. We honestly can always trust songs from that era to remind us of just how special summer is.
One thing many are looking forward to is the return of Ariana Grande to the music scene with her new album Petal releasing July 31; this one is sure to have some classics already.Â
Ariana is no stranger to producing summer classics: âProblemâ featuring Iggy Azalea, âInto Youâ, âThe Wayâ featuring Mac Miller, âBreathinâ, âThank U, Nextâ, and âLove Me Harderâ with the Weeknd have always been repeats on radio stations during the summer months, and it will not be a shock when her new album has fans going crazy waiting to listen to all sheâs got. Now that she is returning to touring as well, she may be dominating playlists once again this summer!
As the hot weather, summer trips and experiences, and cool trends begin to make their long-awaited appearances, donât forget the speaker to go along with you for the ride! All songs can be summer songs, but there are some that when you hear them, you immediately think, âsummer is finally hereâ!