With the start of school inching closer and closer, I find myself recapping all the music that came out this summer. From the multitude of songs about butts to all the underground hits that didn’t get their time in the spotlight, it has been an interesting summer in music. I’ve made a simple list of some of my favorite releases this summer, ranging from the current pop princess Ariana Grande to the haunting whisperer that is Grimes. Overall, I was really satisfied with the music this season, but I feel these six songs are really special.
1: “Go” by Grimes ft. Blood Diamonds – Grimes’ music is not easily defined. It includes various mixes of different genres she creates to form her eclectic style. However, “Go” takes most of its inspiration from electronic music. Grimes, being a singer/songwriter as well as producer, actually wrote this song for Rihanna. Luckily, it never ended up with Rihanna, and we get Grimes’ original performance of the song. The contrast between her soft, eerie voice and the vicious and aggressive synth makes this song uniquely Grimes and puts her at the top of my list. She even dabbles in directing for her music video for “Go,” which she directed with her brother.
2: “Happy Little Pill” by Troye Sivan – Australian YouTube star turned professional singer released his first EP this summer. His first single “Happy Little Pill” ended up proving to be a solid introduction into the world of pop stardom for Troye. It floats between beautiful lyrics and heavy electronic synths; it reminds me a lot of Lorde and Broods, who are also both Aussies. “Cocaine, dollar bills/ and my happy little pill,” Troye sings as the song builds to its climactic chorus, proving that talent can be found in the strangest places.
3: “Like I Can” by Sam Smith – It’s no surprise that Sam Smith is on this list. With one of the best albums of 2014, The Lonely Hour, Sam has made a name for himself as a powerhouse of soul. “Like I Can” is one of the more upbeat songs on the album; it’s a lovely contrast from the slow-moving ballads that I still love. It will have you singing along with every “like I can” and makes me adore Sam Smith even more. It is definitely a song you should check out.
4: “My Song 5 – Remix” by Haim ft. A$AP Ferg – One of the most unexpected collaborations of the summer was Haim’s remix of “My Song 5.” This percussive rock song with A$AP Ferg came out of nowhere for me. I had always enjoyed Haim, but this song really stepped them up for me. It’s all about lies, and you find yourself empowered whenever you hear “honey, I’m not your honey pie.” The music video also has the most cameos I’ve ever seen. Kesha, all of Vampire Weekend, Big Sean, cast members of SNL and even Grimes all had their time in the spotlight in this hilarious video. It’s a funny rendition of talk shows like Jerry Springer and Maury, and it goes perfectly with the theme of lies.
5: “Love Me Harder” by Ariana Grande ft. The Weeknd – Ariana’s sophomore album My Everything wasn’t really “my everything,” but it definitely had some high points, one of which was “Love Me Harder.” Yet another unexpected collaboration, Ariana and The Weeknd create beautiful music together that’s subtle and dreamy. Their voices drift over soft synths as the post-chorus coos, “ooh-ohh-ohh love me, love me, love me/ohh-ohh-ohh harder, harder, harder.” Ariana has grown up a bit since her first album, and “Love Me Harder” is showing how she has matured as an artist.
6: “Break The Rules” by Charli XCX – Rebellious pop star Charli XCX is finally breaking into the mainstream. With her summer hit “Boom Clap,” people are starting to know more about this unruly, rock-inspired songstress. Charli’s second single from her new album Sucker, due October 22, is “Break The Rules,” a perfect end-of-summer banger that will have you reluctant to go back to school. “I don’t want go to school, I just want to break the rules,” she chants over and over until the music drops into a cool electro-rock breakdown that is a nice change to the typical heavy bass drops we’ve all heard so much. It’s the perfect anthem for everyone heading back to school.
I could probably extend this list for about 20 more songs, but I’ll save you and end it here. This summer’s music was very interesting for me; I listened to everything I could and ended up discovering new artists to fall in love with. Although our radios were filled with Iggy Azalea, songs about booty and plenty of one-hit wonders, I was very happy to find such amazing music.
