Who has the final say on the song of the summer? Is it TikTok, which named Tommy Richman’s “MILLION DOLLAR BABY (VHS)” and Tinashe’s “Nasty” as its songs of the summer earlier this month? Or is it Spotify, which released its five songs of the summer today, August 28?
Maybe each of us has our own personal summer song.
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Spotify has named five songs that defined the summer of 2024 and presented them without ranking, instead sorted by the name of the artist. The songs include the viral sensation and the catchy tune “Espresso” by Short and sweet Sabrina Carpenter, Kendrick Lamar’s triumphant Drake diss track “Not Like Us” and “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” from Billie Eilish’s latest album. Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!” and “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey rounded out the list.
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In a press release, Spotify explained its methodology, writing that these tracks were “handpicked by Spotify’s global music editorial team” and “represent the diverse sounds and moments that defined summer 2024 for listeners across the Northern Hemisphere.” In the past, the music streaming giant chose just one song of the summer. However, it’s worth noting that of the five selected, “Espresso” has the most streams so far, with over a billion streams.
Both “Not Like Us” and “HOT TO GO!” saw their highest streaming peaks of the summer following viral performances—Lamar’s Juneteenth concert and Roan’s Gov Ball performance, respectively.
“Not Like Us” and “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” were the only songs on Spotify and TikTok’s lists. Notably, none of the lists included tracks from Charli XCX’s brat despite its undeniable cultural influence.
