by Anton Dedvukaj
The summer is almost upon us, and as such, the competition for what the “song of the summer” will be this year has started to heat up.
The title has gone to a wide variety of songs over the past few years and last year, it went to BTS’ “Butter”. Other past winners include DaBaby and Roddy Ricch’s “ROCKSTAR”, Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old Town Road”, and Drake’s “In My Feelings”.
The first contender that I’ll look at is “As It Was” by Harry Styles. The song ranks at No. 2 on the Hot 100 this week, after spending three weeks atop the chart. It’s also likely to return to the top spot soon, as Styles recently released his new album, Harry’s House, on which this song is featured, which will likely boost this song’s streaming and sales numbers. It’s currently also the most-heard song on the radio by weekly audience numbers, and the song’s upbeat and relaxed sound will likely keep it in this position. Additionally, it fits the summer mood quite nicely.
The next song that I want to look at is the current No. 1 single, “First Class” by Jack Harlow. While the song’s current position on the chart is augmented by the release of Harlow’s last album, Come Home The Kids Miss You, it has remained very popular since its release, never leaving the top three since its debut. The song also has a relaxed sound to it, and its prominent sample of “Glamorous” by Fergie and Ludacris definitely helps make the song more catchy and adds to its replayability.
Next up, I’ll look at a rising star on the charts, “About Damn Time” by Lizzo. While it initially didn’t have much of a big debut, it has absolutely surged in popularity since going viral on TikTok, which has allowed the song to enjoy a lightning-fast rise to its current No. 9 peak on the Hot 100. It’s also got a summer-ready, upbeat, and danceable sound to it, which makes summer the perfect time for it to get huge. I don’t know how big it will get, seeing as it’s still early in its run, but this song’s momentum up the charts is certainly promising.
Up next, I’ll take a look at “WAIT FOR U” by Future, Drake, and Tems. Sure, this isn’t the most upbeat song on the charts, but it’s got a relaxed sound that can make it work nicely for summer nights. Also, the numbers aren’t hurting its chances. Drake is a seasoned veteran to the “song of the summer” honor, having earned it alongside WizKid and Kyla on “One Dance” in 2016 and again on his own with “In My Feelings” in 2018. Also, the streaming numbers are massive. It debuted at No. 1 following the release of Future’s album, I NEVER LIKED YOU, and while it’s not there anymore, it’s still dominating Apple Music and the overall audio streaming charts, so once radio play for the song picks up, I’d avoid counting this one out just yet.
Finally, I’ll take a look and see what songs from the swath of recently-released albums could potentially take the crown. Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers just debuted with the biggest first-week numbers for any album this year, and I can see a song from there earning the title. Firstly, there’s “N95”, which was the album’s highest-debuting track. I think that this could work, but I get the feeling that “Die Hard” with Blxst and Amanda Reifer, which was the second-highest debut from the album, could be more of a challenger. It’s got a more relaxed, upbeat, R&B-influenced sound, and I feel like, if it gets pushed as a single to radio, it will see a lot of success.
Even then, maybe Harry Styles or Bad Bunny’s albums could be in play here. Styles’ Harry’s House is aiming for first-week numbers even bigger than Lamar’s, and its second single, “Late Night Talking”, has the huge streaming numbers and the upbeat sound that radio will inevitably love to be a challenger. On the other hand, Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti – which directly translates to A Summer Without You, funnily enough – has been remarkably stable on streaming charts in the weeks following its release, and could potentially see one of its songs become a long-lasting hit. Sure, the language barrier could prevent any of its songs from reaching the very top, but I still think it could happen.
As for what the song of the summer will end up being, I don’t think that I’m ready to make a prediction just yet. Still, with the recently-ramped-up release schedule for albums and singles in the second quarter of 2022, this summer is bound to be an eventful one for the music industry.
