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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Virginia Tech chapter.

Since the summer of 2016, artists have been expected to drop their best music during the summer season. In no particular order, here are my top 10 releases–a mix of albums and individual songs–of summer 2019:

 

Soul Searching – Bazzi

In his sophomore album, Bazzi continued to show his vocal range and surprising beat changes. He’s one of the few artists who also produced his own album. In an interview in On Air With Ryan Seacrest, he said his intention was “to make a record that felt like summer”.

Revenge Of The Dreamers III – Dreamville, J. Cole

This was one of the most ambitious collaborative albums of all time and it was very successful. J. Cole produced most of it, which was new for him.

“Slide Away” – Miley Cyrus

We’ve all known Miley Cyrus since we were kids and I for one was always rooting for her and Liam. Since “Slide Away” was about their divorce, it seemed to hit me in the feels a little harder.

“Summer at 7” – Russ

“Girl you look like summer at 7, I think I’m in heaven”… I mean… who wouldn’t want to be compared to a gorgeous summertime sunset?

“Caught Up (feat. Khalid)” – Majid Jordan, Khalid

This was honestly the collab I didn’t know I needed in my life. Their voices complement each other very well and the mellow production made it the perfect song for summer night drives.

“Hot Girl Summer (feat. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign)” – Megan Thee Stallion, Ty Dolla $ign

Do I even have to explain myself here? Megan Thee Stallion took the lifestyle of Hot Girl Summer and turned it into a banger with Nicki Minaj, her predecessor and queen of rap right before she retired.

Ginger – BROCKHAMPTON

BROCKHAMPTON, technically a boy band, put out what I think is one of the more diverse albums of 2019. All the guys in it have very different strengths, and the album is a various mix of hip-hop, r&b, rap, and pop.

Ghetto Lenny’s Love Songs – SAINt JHN

This album is another summer nights vibe and there really just isn’t a single song I skipped on it. Seriously, take a listen. 

“hot girl bummer” – blackbear

Blackbear took Megan Thee Stallion’s hot girl summer phrase and added his own signature girls-partying-drugs-drinking lifestyle to it. I can’t even explain it, just listen to the song.

“Hair Down (feat. Kendrick Lamar)” – SiR

With SiR’s beautiful vocals and Kendrick’s ability to rap a verse on any beat, this song was played non-stop during my summer. It was also one of the few, if not only, things Kendrick Lamar put out recently.

Choosing just ten songs and albums was not easy. If you want to see more of my favorites follow my Spotify @ruchikakkad and check out my playlists! I also post a lot of song recommendations on my Instagram stories @ruchikakkad04!

GIFs sourced from: Giphy.com

Ruchi Kakkad

Virginia Tech '21

Ruchi is a Computational Modeling and Data Analytics major. When she's not at the library she can be found listening to music, working on her podcast, or drinking iced coffee.
Camden Carpenter

Virginia Tech '21

Senior studying Smart and Sustainable Cities, with hopes to become a traveling urban developer. Attemping to embody "Carpe Diem" in her everyday life, both physically by getting a tattoo of the quote, and mentally by taking risks while trying to maximize each day's full potential.