The nice weather is finally upon us, Kansas City! It might be a little chilly in the morning but it is officially spring and that means summer is around the corner. The warm weather is bringing the crowds outside and windows of cars down. So here are some of my favorite summer bops––both new and old.
- Driving to Hawaii by Summer Salt
-
When this song starts to play, you can definitely feel the salty ocean air wafting through the air. This song is my go-to bop for any beach and/or pool day in the summer! With melodies reminiscent of the Beach Boys, Summer Salt has a newer and fresher sound that makes you super retro. Go rent a fancy vintage convertible and drive it around for a day while listening to this song.
- Malibu by Miley Cyrus
-
How could this song not make the list? A song about one of the pretty beaches of sunny California, this song radiates calm and soothing vibes. Cyrus’ song of love and understanding is one that can make anyone happy. Also, this song might be more relatable to you if you just so happen to find a special summer love over the break (totally a goal of mine).
- Mutual by Shawn Mendes
-
This song is just fun. I don’t even know how else to describe it. Mendes’ voice is like no other when it comes to making everyone fall in love with him. Even though James Charles is always sliding into his DMs, Shawn has yet to find the one. This means that there might be a possibility for one of our sisters to get boo’d up with him!
- Y.A.L.A. by M.I.A.
-
You can act like you’re at any music festival that you actually can’t afford to attend when you play this song! She has an impressive lineup of songs that can make any summer dance party 1000 times better. The fun carefree beat makes for epic head bopping and just trying to be as cool as M.I.A.
- Tim McGraw by Taylor Swift (or the cover by Maggie Rogers)
-
We have the OG country-pop bop sung by Taylor Swift and the updated version recorded by Maggie Rogers in 2018. It’s the same song but both of these artists have such different vocals. Swift’s original is definitely country but Maggie Rogers’ cover branches into the pop category. I love this song as the lyrics are great to belt to. 10/10 would recommend.
- Young Dumb & Broke by Khalid
-
Pretty much every college student in the summer, right? Acting like we are rich and driving to the ends of the earth all summer, acting like gas is free and not toxic to the planet. This song is just super relatable and fun to listen to!
- Burnin’ Up by the Jonas Brothers
-
“I’m Hot” is literally the first lyric, and basically the Jo Bros are talking about a girl or the rising temperatures on earth that we can attribute to climate change. This song never fails to make everyone in the car burst into song and that is why after so many years it never fails to be a bop.
There you have it, folks! Some of my favorites from my MANY summer playlists on my spotify––@alani.amira––if you all want to see some creative playlist names and me listening to John Legend at 2:00 a.m. on a Friday. I would also like to include a special shoutout to “Cool” by the Jonas Brothers. I definitely think it was written to counteract the whole “Burnin Up” era, but that’s just my theory! This song will make you feel instantly ~cooler~ in this hot summer heat. Happy listening!
Another little FYI: Summer Salt, Shawn Mendes, Maggie Rogers, & Khalid, all have concerts in the KC area in the summer so if you like these bops, you can spend some summer money on concert tickets!