Summer was a thrilling time for the music industry, with an abundance of new releases and rising stars. From “360” by Charli xcx to “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter, here are five songs of the summer from The Eagle.
“BIRDS OF A FEATHER” – Billie Eilish
Eilish’s second album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” debuted with 500 million streams in May.
The album’s second single, “Birds of a Feather,” is a romantic pop song about wanting to spend forever with someone. It’s a catchy track that can be applied even to platonic love. Since releasing “Ocean Eyes” in 2017, Eilish has won nine Grammys and continues to take the world by storm.
Although Roan’s debut album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” came out last year, it wasn’t until recently that songs such as “HOT TO GO!,” “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Red Wine Supernova” were cemented as the pop soundtracks of the summer.
While a variety of Roan’s other songs could be used in this list, “HOT TO GO!” is made special by the popular TikTok dance created to accompany it. As Roan spells out “H-O-T T-O G-O,” fans form the letters with their bodies, reminiscent of dances to songs such as “Y.M.C.A.” by The Village People. Roan recently won Best New Artist at the VMAs.
“Espresso” – Sabrina Carpenter
Carpenter has been declared one of the people’s new pop princesses, blessing the world with songs such as “Espresso”, which won Song of the Year at the VMAs, to “Please Please Please” to “Taste.”
“Espresso” is pure delight, with playful lyrics that’ll be stuck in your head such as, “I’m working late, ‘cause I’m a singer.”
Fans may recognize Carpenter from her time on Disney Channel, when she played Maya Hart on “Girl Meets World” a spin-off to the popular show, “Boy Meets World.”
“360” – Charli xcx
With the world abuzz about Charli xcx’s sixth studio album “BRAT,” it would be remiss not to mention “360,” the second single from that album.
Charli xcx uses TikTok as a way to promote her album, with “brat” becoming a movement among Generation Z. Charli xcx even endorsed presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris by tweeting “kamala IS brat” in July.
“360” is pure bliss, with lyrics that are fun to sing along to like “When you’re in the mirror, do you like what you see?” The track’s fast tempo and synth lines work to its advantage, creating a memorable song perfect to dance to.
“Not Like Us” – Kendrick Lamar
The Internet this summer exploded with celebrity drama, which of course included the feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, reflected in the diss track “Not Like Us.”
“Not Like Us” debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 after its release in May and was the center of the pop culture conversations for weeks. With the recent announcement that Lamar will perform at the Super Bowl halftime show, it’s apparent who the majority of people are in favor of.
While summer has ended, that doesn’t mean the fun is over yet. Listeners can still enjoy all of these songs on a variety of music streaming platforms, and the debate of Song of the Summer will certainly continue next year.
This article was edited by Jessica Ackerman, Marina Zaczkiewicz and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Ariana Kavoossi and Charlie Mennuti.
