Every summer, I listen to music very intently and with the goal of finding a song that I can deem my song of the summer. Over the past few months, I have been taking mental notes of songs that really connected with me and best encapsulated my summer vibe. After careful thought and consideration, I ultimately decided on one song that is my true song of the summer but, the contenders were as follows:
I Think I Left the Stove On Hotel Ugly
I was put on to this song by one of my best friends in May and was immediately obsessed with it. Indie pop is one of my favorite genres and this song fits right into it. To me, this song sounds like what it feels like to be in love– very light and comforting. Like you are hugging the person you love and all of the anxieties and stressors of the world fall away and there’s just pressureless happiness. I am aware that that’s a lot of emotion to attribute to a song, but if you know it I think you’d understand what I mean.
Mona Lisa Dominic Fike
When I heard this song in the second Spider Verse movie, I clocked it as Dominic Fike almost instantly. I am a huge Dominic Fike fan. I think he is incredibly talented, I love his voice, and his backgrounds are just so much fun. I listened to this song on loop for nearly the entire month of June but because of that, I got sick of it pretty fast. I still think it’s a great, super fun, and upbeat song, but I tend to skip it when it comes on shuffle nowadays.
(It Goes Like) Nanana Peggy Gou
House music summer anyone?! My roommate interned in my city this summer and she is a big fan of house and techno music. We spent a ton of time together and she gave me lots of awesome song recommendations. I can’t quite remember if this song in particular was one of the ones she showed me, but we definitely listened to it several times every time we saw each other. It is super upbeat and dancey and just so much fun. I had many dance parties, alone and with friends, to this song. Though it is not my number one song of the summer, it is an easy #2.
Who Told You? J Hus
I actually found this song from Obama’s summer song list that he posts on instagram every year. I am a huge Drake fan so when I saw that a song featuring him was first on Obama’s list, I knew I had to give it a listen. It really did not disappoint! It is house music adjacent but would be more accurately categorized as afrobeats. Another fun and upbeat song but with a slightly more R&B vibe than the others.
You Seemed so Happy Japanese House
And last but not least, my number one song of the summer, You Seemed so Happy by Japanese House. Total vibe switch-up, I know, but I have been enthralled by this song since I first heard it in my friend’s car in May. It’s generally upbeat but very melancholic, which really sums up not only my summer, but honestly the overall vibe of my life. This song is so incredibly good, and I have grown to love Japanese House over the summer. I tend to prefer male singers, but this girl’s voice is so gorgeous and she fits the music perfectly. This song feels like a breath of fresh air and I completely adore it. Despite not being as fun as the others, it was the only song that resonated with me throughout all of the summer months and the only song that I never felt the need to skip.
I personally would add all of these songs to your playlist right now, but that’s just me! As much as I enjoyed summer and all of the amazing music that fits the vibe of summer, I am really looking forward to fall!