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America, you made your voice loud and clear when deciding this year’s Song of the Summer. I’d like to thank everyone for participating in this contentious battle of the love of sunshiney seasonal sounds. We got some great responses, some of which I hadn’t even heard before, and some songs that I thought would dominate didn’t do as hot. So, who came up victorious? Before we get to the Official DJ ChickenParm-stamped Song of the Summer…let’s take a look at all the submissions who didn’t get a spot in our Top 5, but who did get some love.
Honorable Mentions
Laugh Now Cry Later – Drake
Pretty shocked this didn’t crack top 5! Absolute banger from Drake, fun sing-a-longy, but might’ve come out a little too late to really own the Summer.
Stunnin’ – Curtis Waters
This song is so freaking catchy. One of the many Tik Tok-influenced hits that got played often this summer. Great pick.
What’s Poppin’ – Jack Harlow
Great song. Great features. Think it might have been a little too “trappy” to be song of the summer with good vibes and stuff? But overall, love it.
Midnight Sky – Miley Cyrus
Definitely a cool vibe, I hadn’t heard this yet. Got that 80’s “Blinding Lights” type thing going on. Might be a little too recent to be the SOTS but can see this catching steam.
Grateful Dead – Ramble On Rose (Live at Red Rocks 7/8/78)
*Read in hippie-stoner cartoon character voice* Ladies and gentlemen, we have a head in our midst! Jerry was super in his element during this late 70s run man, good vibes across the board. The song may have peaked all the way back in the 70s but man if you’re a fan of the dead…you’re peaking your whole life brother. Much love.
Go Crazy – Chris Brown and Young Thug
DISQUALIFIED, Chris Brown is cancelled on this blog….but that being said this is very bouncy and fun…NOT AN ENDORSEMENT THOUGH. I gave it a one time listen for research purposes. Watch at your own risk.
Golden Hour – Kygo
The whole album Golden Hour was recommended but I like this song for sure. I gotta go back and check out this album I think it got lost in my shuffle this summer but I generally like Kygo’s stuff and is super tropical/perfect for the season.
Whatever is On Poolside FM
A PERFECT answer. If you haven’t checked out Poolside FM yet you need to ASAP. It’s an online radio station that plays mixes of Lodi-Vibes, Future Funk, Disco-Edits, and anything that will remind you of a futuristic beach party. My 2 favorites are below. If you were around me for more than 5 minutes at all this summer I played To Sao Paulo With Love…the vibes are off the charts with that one.
Electric Love – BØRNS
I guess this song came out in 2014? But it definitely boomeranged with Tik Tok I think? Fun song!
Van Halen – Panama
As much as I would’ve loved this to be SOTS…certainly did not peak this summer. But love the energy behind the submission.
City of Angels – 24kGoldn
I didn’t know this song but it’s super cool. Catchy guitar riff and cool voice on this dude, definitely has summer vibes too.
I Should Go – James Vincent McMorrow & Kenny Beats
I didn’t know this song but it’s super vibey! Surprised I hadn’t heard it before either I’m a huge fan of Kenny Beats and highly recommend watching his “Beat Battle” videos on youtube. Great content.
Think About Things – Daòi Freyer
If you don’t know this song watch this video immediately. Great funky fun vibes and will be stuck in your head for days in the best way.
Folklore Songs – Taylor Swift
Alright I got a lot of “Anything from Folklore” and a lot of “August” and I gotta say…they just don’t fit the bill of a summer song. Just because the title is “August” doesn’t make it a summery good vibe song you know?
I want to be clear, I really enjoy this album and August especially (strings at the end gimme chills). Betty, The Last Great American Dynasty, Invisible String…alll great! It’s just that the SOTS is supposed to be fun! Good vibes! This album makes me wanna sip wine in the dark by myself and think about all the regrets I have about past relationships…so yeah, not a great time! I will say, I think Betty is the closest you can get to a more fun sing-a-long though.
Alright folks, now we get to the real winners. These are the ones that garnered the most votes from the Google Form and via the Instagram poll. And numbers don’t lie. So without further ado…
The Top 5 Songs of the Summer 2020
5. Levitating – Dua Lipa
Dua’s album is undoubtedly the most fun album of 2020 and this song is the most fun off of it so…yeah…it’s fun as hell. Super groovy, great hook, fun to sing along to. Can’t really ask for more. Only reason it’s not higher up in my opinion is just that it wasn’t really popping OFF off. Which is a shame and something that I don’t think would happen if clubs/bars/dancefloors were open. But hey, that’s 2020.
4. 7 Summers – Morgan Wallen
I honestly hadn’t heard this song until it was submitted a few times in the poll. I am a pretty known country music hater but I REALLY liked this. Like, added it to my library, liked it. It’s definitely got that warm nostalgic summer-fling type vibe which I think everyone can relate to and enjoy. Definitely not text-book “fun song” but I think it makes sense people would think of it as their SOTS. Having summer in the title definitely helps.
3. Rain On Me – Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande
Alright I REALLY dig this song. Super fun, 2 mega stars, super futuristic and weird in the best way. My big question though is why isn’t this everywhere? It’s got hundreds of millions of views from 2 of the biggest people in music and yet I don’t think I’ve heard this outside of my headphones ever? Weird that it’s not a blockbuster #1 hit but the super-fans ran it up the polls and I’m glad it’s on the list.
2. WAP – Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion
This should come as no surprise. This song took over the world in the blink of an eye faster than any other piece of music in my lifetime I think. From the memes, to the criticism and controversy, just an absolute hilarious banger of a song that everyone can have fun dancing and rapping along to. You love to see it.
1. Watermelon Sugar – Harry Styles
Hell yes. I’ve been in on the Harry train for a while and the minute I heard this in December I knew it had potential to be the Song of the Summer. He waited long enough, then released this music video right before the season with him on the beach with a bunch of models eating watermelon? Nailed it. This song was destined to own Summer 2020 and it was evident everyone agrees. This song got twice as many votes as the runner-up. Absolute heater.
So folks, play Watermelon Sugar as much as you can the next few weeks and keep summer alive. That’s a wrap on the Song of the Summer 2020, see y’all next year.
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