I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love music. Country, hip-hop, rap—whatever your genre of choice may be—everyone has some special song or artist that speaks to them.
Thanks to Senior Julia Morales, who told me, “We need to make a playlist for summer,” I compiled a list of both popular and niche songs that brought energy to any car ride or pool day.
Under my title of summer aux bearer, I feel some responsibility to un-gatekeep some of my personal summer favorites, so you could throw them in your playlist for summers to come. The songs are organized by genre:
House
This genre of music is good if you want an upbeat song that’s fun and easy to listen to with friends.
“Bout It” by JMSM
“Treat You Better” by RUFUS DU SOL (shoutout to my sister, Kaitlyn Salazar ’16, for putting me on this one.)
“Pacific Coast Highway” by the Hip Abduction
“Swollen – Napoleon Remix” by Bent is my most gatekept, so enjoy.
Nostalgia/Throwback
Nothing is better than vibing to a song that you and all of your friends know and enjoy. Throwbacks are ESSENTIAL for having an awesome playlist.
My recommendations are:
“Slide” and “Rollin” by Calvin Harris and Other Artists
“8TEEN” and “Location” by Khalid as such throwbacks and energize every car ride!
“Hey Ya! (Radio Edit)” by Outkast
“Eastside” by Benny Blanco and Other Artists
R&B
R&B is a super popular and diverse genre that everyone needs in their playlist. These are some of my picks:
“West Savannah” by Isaiah Rashad and SZA definitely deserves more attention than it gets, in my opinion.
“Sure Thing” by Miguel
“Thinkin Bout You” by Frank Ocean (or anything off of this man’s discography, really)
“Unthinkable” by Drake and Alicia Keys
“Lava Lamp” by Thundercats
Worship
Worship music has expanded so much over the years. Here are some of my top picks:
“Tell Him” by Ms. Lauryn Hill
“God Is” and “Ultralight Beam” by Kanye West are definitely my top two.
“Mercy” and “Heavenly Father” by Montell Fish
All in all, I hope these songs can make a good addition to your playlists. Make sure to comment on your favorite summer songs. Let me know which ones you add to your playlist!
