Songs of the Summer 2023

By Ariana Mendoza

Music Journalist

With the end of summer approaching and school sneaking up on us all. It is time to look back at all the music we were gifted with. From fresh releases to the classics, here are the songs that have been in my rotation these past few months.

 

Newbies:

First song on my list is “4EVA” by KAYTRAMINÉ featuring Pharrell Williams

 

 

This duo consists of the producer KATRANADA and rapper Aminé. KAYTRAMIMÉ came out with a collab album in May with “4EVA” as the lead single. This song carries the warm and fun feelings of summer. From the bright colors on the cover to the groovy beats, the song just makes you want to chill out by some water.

 

Another song of the summer is “Popular” by The Weeknd, Playboi Carti, and Madonna

The song comes from the soundtrack of the show ‘The Idol.” The show was created and stars The Weeknd himself. Both the soundtrack and show came out in June, which really set the tone of the summer and was talked about everywhere online. The Idol has many songs throughout the series but “Popular” has an upbeat sound compared to the rest. It also ironically is the most popular from the soundtrack with 150 million streams on Spotify.

Next is “Angel (from the Barbie the Album)” by PinkPantheress

The Barbie movie came out this summer on July 21^st and was the most successful in the box office. With the movie came a wonderful soundtrack which started releasing months before the movie came out. Every song on this soundtrack deserves to be on your summer playlist. However, “Angel” has the iconic PinkPantheress beat and soft voice. Which is perfect for the long car drives with friends on a long summer day.

Last newbie on this list is “MODERN JAM” by Travis Scott featuring Teezo Touchdown

Travis Scott dropped his album Utopia on July 28th along with his movie “Circus Maximus”. The movie included performances and acts with his music from the album. The song “Modern Jam” is very electronic and fun. The performance of the song in the movie was bright and colorful with everyone dancing. Which screams summer and makes you want to go out on the town with its funky beats.

 

Classics:

Even though we have heard these songs before, they are just an absolute during this warm season.

“Summertime Magic” by Childish Gambino

 

It is not summer if you are not playing the Summer Pack Ep by Childish Gambino. It consists of the two songs, “Summertime Magic” and “Feels Like Summer.” Both classics to the season, they sound very tropical like enjoying a relaxing yet existential vacation. Both are necessary for the summer playlist.

Next is “Passionfruit” by Drake

Just like Gambino’s songs Drake’s ‘Passionfruit’ also gives that tropical feel. Every year this song always makes it back to my summertime playlist. Every time you are sunbathing this tune needs to be on.

Last but not least, the song that adds the perfect touch to every summer rotation is “Digital Love” by Daft Punk

This one is an oldie but has peak summer energy. The guitar and electronic beats on this track are very emphasized. This song radiates jamming out with your friends and just cannot help but dance.

These are my top songs and must-haves in my summer 2023 collection. Each of these songs accentuates the warm feeling and the carefree spirit of the season! Plug in your headphones and let these songs elevate your summer!