IT SEEMS LIKE both just yesterday and forever ago that the world was smitten with Despacito. The Latin crossover hit topped the charts in Ireland for a whopping fifteen weeks last summer and remains the most viewed video on YouTube by some distance.
But this is a new year and a new summer. That means there are a throng of new songs vying for dominance and hoping to serve as the soundtrack to your balmy evenings and sweaty nights out.
Roll it there, Colette.
Calvin Harris – One Kiss (feat. Dua Lipa)
Calvin Harris / Twitter
Calvin Harris / Twitter / Twitter
Banger extraordinaire Calvin Harris has struck gold once again with this effortless house number featuring pop star du jour Dua Lipa. One Kiss is mellow, sunkissed and utterly addictive. Merely listening to it makes you question why you aren’t walking around barefoot on a beach drinking a pineapple-flavoured cocktail.
It has already had an impressive six-week run at the top of the charts and is fast becoming that song you can’t (and don’t want to) escape. Does it have the legs to last the rest of the summer? If this video of Liverpool supporters belting it out is anything to go by, one suspects so.
Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
When Ariana Grande unleashed her latest song in the world, she expressed hope that the song would bring solace to those touched and affected by last year’s terror attacks in Manchester. But she was also clear that she didn’t want this to be an emotional ballad.
“I hope this song brings you light and comfort but also makes you wanna dance and live ya best life!” she wrote.
The result is No Tears Left To Cry, a lush pop song that serves as a rebuke to anyone that would seek to divide rather than unite in these dark times. It’s bright and optimistic, resilient and hopeful. And yes, it makes you want to dance and live ya best life. Just what the doctor ordered.
Anne-Marie – 2002
Sensing that the world might be suffering from ‘remember the nineties?’ ennui, Anne-Marie has released a song that references pop songs from the early noughties. The song’s chorus rattles off references to Baby One More Time, 99 Problems, The Next Episode, Ride Wit Me, Oops I Did It Again and Bye Bye Bye at warp speed.
The selection of these songs is confusing at many weren’t actually released in 2002. 99 Problems, for instance, wasn’t released until two years later. Factual inaccuracies aside, the song is fine, if a little bland and disposable. I am more partial to Anne-Marie’s Ciao Adios myself. (Side-note: isn’t it gas that there’s a pop star named Anne-Marie?)
It is burning up the charts, however, so perhaps it’s striking a chord with those still mourning the passing of the noughties. Song of the summer it ain’t, though.
Drake – Nice For What
Who knew Drake had it in him to craft an anthem for gals’ nights out? Nice For What is a gloriously old school banger that comes with a Lauryn Hill sample and lyrics waiting to serve as Instagram captions.
Will it be the song of the summer? Possibly. It’s holding steady in the charts, after all. But bear in mind that Drake is putting out a new album this month meaning he’s liable to drop another anthem at a moment’s notice. It’s Aubrey’s world and we’re just living in it.
Childish Gambino – This is America
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Last month, Donald Glover broke the internet with his incendiary and provocative visuals for This is America. Fans and critics alike spent weeks dissecting the semiotics of the video while Twitter got to work making memes. (You may have seen the Call Me Maybe version.) The song deftly flits between joyful choral music and dirty trap beats, while offering a commentary on the state of the union. It’s a triumph, pure and simple.
Will it be song of the summer? Maybe, but it doesn’t really matter. Glover has created something far more meaningful: a song for all seasons destined to be consumed and combed through for many moons to come.
Clean Bandit and Demi Lovato – Solo
Did you know that Clean Bandit are required by law to release at least one cello-infused banger per year? The group have drafted in Demi Lovato for their latest song, Solo. Like the rest of their catalogue, it sounds as if a string quarter took a fistful of yokes. And I don’t hate it! Go forth and dance!
Post Malone – Better Now
He may be one of the most successful artists in the world, but I can’t get on the Post Malone bandwagon. Maybe it’s the fact that his album is called Beerbongs and Bentleys. Or maybe it’s the fact that he looks like he’d harass you for skins and filters. Either way, I’m not on board.
Better Now is a perfectly serviceable pop song, but it’s far too downbeat and mumbly to be seriously considered as a contender for song of the summer. Next.
Cardi B – I Like It
Have you listened to I Like It and wondered why the sample sounds so familiar and like it’s been haunting you for the last few years? It’s because it was featured in a Centra ad. Mystery solved!
Anyway, I Like It is a joy to behold. Brimming with summer vibes, it combines salsa with Cardi B’s eminently quote-worthy bars. In other words, it’s everything you could possibly want from a summer bop. I defy you to listen to it without feeling compelled to swivel your hips and book a holiday to Miami.
George Ezra – Paradise
This is your Dad’s song of the summer.
Worthy of consideration
- Christine and The Queens – Girlfriend A deliciously funky bop that’s made for swaying and finger clicking.
- Disclosure – Ultimatum The dance duo are back with a song that samples a song by Malian musician Fatoumata Diawara. The result? A cheerful, jazzy number tailor-made for the beer garden.
- Kacey Musgraves – High Horse A breezy disco-country bop made for summer road trips.
