The summer months are long, hot and in constant need of musical accompaniment. Every person chooses to score these sunny months differently.
Emma Duhé – “HOT TO GO!” By Chappell Roan
In 50 years, the summer of 2024 will be remembered as one thing and one thing only – the summer of Chappell Roan. The Missouri-born artist known for her unapologetically fun and queer aesthetic is in the midst of a meteoric rise to stardom following the release of her debut album, the Rise and Fall of Midwest Princess, in 2023.
After opening for Olivia Rodrigo on her ‘GUTS’ tour and a historic run on the festival circuit, Roan has officially cemented herself as a main pop girl in my eyes. The undeniable highlight of her live shows is “HOT TO GO!”, a soaring, silly pop banger about being hot and, well, ready to go. The chorus is an endlessly fun ’80s children’s entertainment style spell-along, and accompanied with it is a YMCA-esque dance, perfect for a Chappell Roan concert, a bar, alone in your room or even in the car (at your own risk).
This song is especially impactful when it is quite literally “one hundred ninety nine degrees,” in southern Louisiana on the daily.
Colin Falcon – “Boom Clap” by Charli XCX
When an artist releases a great album, it can be easy to take that fact for granted. It’s easy to hold that moment of divine, lightning-strike creativity taken shape in an album in your head and forget the journey that took place in the months and years prior to the album’s release. Musical artists, at least the great ones, are constantly evolving, and the mark of a truly great artist is when the seeds of their later greatness can be seen and heard in their earliest works.
With Charli XCX’s “Brat” releasing to near unanimous critical and listener approval, it’s important to look back at one of the first moments that Charli XCX established herself as a generational artist, capable of writing songs that speak to the core of the human soul. “Boom Clap” is without a doubt one of those moments, and for that reason it is the song of summer 2024.
“Boom Clap” captured the heart of every Tumblr browsing, galaxy backpack wearing teen in the year 2014, and a full decade later, it holds up as a bombastic pop banger. It’d be a shame to celebrate the heights that “Brat” soars to without appreciating the song that built the runway.
Jason Willis – “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter
How can you write an article about the songs of the summer without including “Espresso”? There’s debate between which of Sabrina Carpenter’s blockbuster hits of the last few months reigns supreme. To me, though, “Espresso” is more of the classic earworm, and as someone who listens to music for the sound, that makes it my pick.
That, plus the production and twangy instrumentals just make for a perfect beachy, summer vibe. Yes, it came out in April, but shhh – its impact has stretched well into the hot months and will stretch even further until we’ve all heard it at least 100,000 times (and we won’t be mad at it).
Kaitlyn Hoang -
As a person who’s day-to-day life is filled with music, I don’t think I can choose one song or one artist. My current repeats include “Dial Drunk” and “False Confidence” by Noah Kahan, “Too Sweet” by Hozier, “Million Dollar Baby” by Tommy Richman, “Saturn” by SZA, “Flowers in Your Hair” by The Lumineers and “Freakin’ Out On the Interstate” by Briston Maroney. You may be looking at these songs and artists confused. I believe that a good variety is what keeps the soul alive.
Camille Milligan – “Apple” by Charli XCX
Although every song from “Brat” by Charli XCX should be on this summer’s soundtrack, “Apple” is a uniquely bubbly pop song you don’t want to overlook.
Charli XCX is like the queen from Snow White giving her fans enchanted fruit, and this song perfectly exemplifies her pop prowess. Whatever spell she’s put on this particular apple is powerful! Unlike some of the other songs on “Brat,” “Apple” is less of a rave track and more of a catchy, melodic jam. Like its title suggests, it’s a crisp, fresh and colorful song reminiscent of other iconic summer hits like “Say So” and “Kiss Me More” by Doja Cat.
Once you bite into “Apple,” it will play over and over in your head long after you’ve taken off your headphones. I suggest you let the magic wash over you and enjoy your “Brat” summer.
Jacob Chastant – “New Mistake” Jellyfish
Summer is a time of freedom and with it comes spontaneity. The song “New Mistake” encapsulates living impulsively and dealing with the consequences later. The recurring line “Cause I love my new mistake” shows the protagonist embracing this lifestyle despite recognizing his cycle of faults. The song was released in 1993 from the San Francisco band Jellyfish, known for blending classic rock and power pop.
Riley White – Please Please Please by Sabrina Carpenter
It’s hard to choose just one song to claim the contentious title “Song of the Summer” – so I won’t. But Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please” has been stuck in my head all week (we’re pretending the clean version doesn’t exist because “little sucker” is criminal), so y’all should go listen to that.
Emily Bracher -
I have to agree with Emma, because Summer 2024 is the summer of Chappell Roan. I think I listen to “Pink Pony Club” at least three times a day. The rest of her music is also incorporated into my playlist, and she’s ranked at number three of my top artists playlist this month.
Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” has also been a constant in my playlist and I don’t think I’m the only one. I can never pick just one song, so a few are “Magdalene” by the 502s, “Real Love Baby” by Father John Misty and “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” by Luke Combs.
