I cannot wait for summer to start. On especially cold days, I find myself missing the little things, like weather in which you can actually enjoy, iced drinks, or driving with the windows down and a good playlist. There’s nothing better than a summer spent with friends and great music, whether you’re at a concert or lounging in the shade by the pool. In between final exams and dodging the freezing rain, I compiled a list of five artists who will be on heavy rotation throughout the next four months.
1. Frank Ocean – Blonded RADIO
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/curator/blonded-radio/1082541771
I will always be a loyal supporter of Frank Ocean. In collaboration with Beats 1, Ocean released a series of seven radio mixes which are available on Apple Music. Each mix features at least one of his own songs, as well as a wide range of artists, from Céline Dion to Marvin Gaye. The mixes are also available as playlists, so you can find and save your favourite songs.
2. Lauryn Hill – Miseducation 20th Anniversary
Lauryn Hill is on my Top 25 Most Played, and she’s also a Grammy award-winning legend. Oh, and she’s just announced a 20th Anniversary tour for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill which will be coming to Toronto on July 18. I’m not freaking out or anything though.
3. Brockhampton – Saturation Trilogy and AAT
I am embarrassingly late to the game when it comes to the self-declared boy band, Brockhampton. Two of my friends have been on me to listen to them for over a year, but I never got around to actually playing their albums until a few weeks ago. I look forward to discovering more about the group and have a feeling that songs like “SWEET” will be a backing soundtrack to most of my summer.
4. Lana del Rey – Born to Die
I loved Lana del Rey upon the release of her debut album in 2012, and I haven’t stopped listening to her. While all of her albums are full of perfect summer vibes, Born to Die is an essential album for the season. Ultraviolence, Honeymoon, and Lust for Life will definitely be included in my playlists though. Lana’s collaborations with A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti, Stevie Nicks, and Sean Ono Lennon were all I anticipated for months last summer.
5. Rihanna – The entire catalogue
I spent about five minutes trying to narrow down Rihanna’s catalogue before I discovered this is a virtually impossible task. A Rihanna feature is an almost guaranteed hit for producers, which becomes clear following a cursory swipe through her top songs. I’ve also been re-listening to 2016’s ANTI and throwbacks from over a decade ago and loving all of it.
6. Honourable Mentions
Drake – All albums, ever, I figured this was a given.
Tyler the Creator – Flower Boy
Vince Staples – Big Fish Theory and Summertime ‘06
Khalid – American Teen
Lil Uzi Vert – Luv is Rage 2 and Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World
Amy Winehouse – Frank
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV