If you’re like me and you love curating playlists for yourself or friends, you probably have a playlist on hand for every mood and every occasion. As the stressful spring semester ends and we enter the lax days of summer, there’s no better time to switch up the soundtrack of your life than summer vacation. Beach day, driving with the top down, ice cream dates or whatever the event, I have five songs for you that no summer vacation playlist should be without this year!
- “About Damn Time” by Lizzo
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Following the critical acclaim of her 2019 album, Cuz I Love You, Lizzo is releasing a new album this year entitled Special. Set to release later this July, the singer debuted the first single off the album on Saturday Night Live, with a music video premiering shortly after. The song has a funky, discotheque beat with a chorus sure to be stuck in your head for days! It gives me retro, roller skating rink vibes and if the rest of the album is as groovy as this song is, it’ll be one to keep your ears out for!
- “Banana” by Conkarah feat. Shaggy
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Is it truly summer without a Shaggy song? Some may remember this song briefly went viral on TikTok last year but still, I feel it went under the radar way too soon. Underrated for what it’s worth. It samples Harry Belafonte‘s “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” and features Jamaican reggae beats mixed with heavy bass beat drops. DJ FLe’s Sick Wit It Crew Minisiren Remix is the version that went viral on TikTok and I think both songs are worth a play at your next summer nighttime party!
- “24/seven” by Big Time Rush
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Kendall, James, Carlos and Logan are back and going on tour!
This 2013 hit featured on their titular Nickelodeon television program has been a staple on my summer playlist since the summer it came out. I have fond memories from my early teenhood of driving from my hometown to Orlando to spend a day with my family at a water park, blaring this song through my headphones on the car ride there. After a seven-year hiatus, the boys are back and have been releasing new singles, such as “Call It Like I See It” and “Not Giving You Up,” and will be going on their Forever reunion tour throughout 2022. If you’re feeling nostalgic for your boy band phase this summer, this song is for you!
- “Vacation” by The Go-Go’s
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Speaking of summer playlist staples, this 80s bop is the perfect addition for fans of the classics looking to invoke a simple and upbeat, yet vintage atmosphere in their summer. The titular album cover always makes me think of waterskiing and other fun watersports. The Go-Go’s are well-known for their other hit songs from the 1980s, such as “We Got The Beat” and “Our Lips Are Sealed.” Alvin and The Chipmunks and The Chipettes may not be for your tastes, but they also have a great, modern, bass-thumping version of this song featuring BASKO off of their third movie soundtrack and I have both on my playlist!
- “Bummerland” by AJR
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If you’re feeling the summer blues this year, the Met brothers have a song. This is the second track off of their newest album, OK Orchestra, released last spring. All of the songs on this album were, sometimes very obviously, written while in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, and “Bummerland” is no exception. It’s a song about being at rock bottom, but instead of wallowing in misery, it’s actually a very hopeful song and gives the listener optimism for future summers to make up for the ones we missed out on while in quarantine and that things will get better.
AJR is also currently on tour for their OK Orchestra album, so be sure to check their dates and see when/if they’ll be coming to a town near you!
If you want to check out some of my other playlists, shoot me a follow on Apple Music or on Spotify!
H.A.G.S!