Every year when the weather begins to warm up, the sun starts to set a little later, and the quad is littered with students on a sunny afternoon, it becomes clear that summer is just around the corner. With this fresher air and plethora of ice cream trips to Bedford Farms comes a wave of music that plagues the radio between the months of June and August.
An unofficial term, the “song of the summer,” refers to a song that gains immense influence in popular culture during this time and is commercially successful, typically appearing on the top of music charts. Billboard’s top ten songs of the summer, determined by their status on the Billboard Hot 100 throughout the summer months, reveal some music trends in the past ten years. The most popular genres on the summer top ten since 2014 are pop and rap by a landslide, with songs by Drake, Justin Beiber, Post Malone, and Taylor Swift frequently appearing on the list. Most of the songs are upbeat, produced tracks. However, there are some noticeable outliers. Billie Eilish’s dark, alternative “Bad Guy” dominated in 2019. The most popular songs in 2017 and 2021 were sung by international artists: “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee and “Butter” by BTS, respectively. 2023 marked a shift toward the genre of country, with the top two songs being “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs’ cover of “Fast Car.”
2024’s song of the summer may not be released. This spring, a collection of artists have announced highly anticipated album releases, including but not limited to Maggie Rogers, Taylor Swift, Chief Keef, Dua Lipa, and Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign, notably all in the rap and pop genres. Swift’s album, The Tortured Poets Department, will be categorized as “synth pop,” a typically upbeat and electronic style relying on the use of the synthesizer, the same as her record breaking album 1989. Additionally, one of the songs on the album, “Fortnight,” features Post Malone, whose music appears on the Billboard summer charts as often as Swift’s. Swift's collaborations with rappers have almost always made their way onto the top ten.
Dua Lipa’s album Radical Optimism is also a strong contender that may contain the song of the summer. The artist described the album as “psychedelic pop” with influences from UK rave culture. Lipa’s energetic and creatively produced songs are frequently high on the Billboard charts, and the upbeat, dynamic nature of her music perfectly suits the lively and joyous energy of the summer months.
Will one of these popular artists release a track that will define 2024? Will the music trends stray from the predictable rap and pop? What will this year's song of the summer be?