By Anthony Belinfante
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Taking the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for a record breaking 19 weeks, Lil Nas X’s country hit “Old Town Road” should be considered the song of the summer, right? Well, with its short time stamp and questionable lyrical integrity, that is certainly up for debate. Songs like Truth Hurts by Lizzo, originally released in 2017, could also take the coveted crown, along with fiery duet Senorita by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello. While all of these songs received major radio spins and streams over the summer, there are also some songs that didn’t get the same attention, or are just now gaining traction, that deserve a chance at song of the summer.
“Hot Girl Summer” by Megan Thee Stallion ft. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign
After filing to trademark the term “Hot Girl Summer” back in June, rapper Megan Thee Stallion enlisted Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign on the energetic track of the same name. The term “hot girl summer” went viral thanks to Houston born rapper. After a chance encounter on Instagram Live, Megan was able to get Minaj on the song that has since debuted at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Produced by super producer Juicy J and sampling the hit “Act Up” by City Girls, the trio successfully proclaim that it is, in fact, a hot girl summer.
“Motivation” by Normani
Before releasing her solo debut single, former Fifth Harmony member Normani has managed to score two number one singles on pop radio thanks to her collaborations “Love Lies” with Khalid and “Dancing with a Stranger” with Sam Smith. Last week, the singer released her fiery single “Motivation” accompanied by a dance-filled video. The song has since been listed as one of the best songs of 2019 by GQ Magazine, and the video has garnered praise from the likes of Bella Hadid, Kylie Jenner, Kelly Rowland and many more. Although “Motivation” was released at the end of summer, it seems to outshine most of the songs we’ve been jamming to all summer, making it worthy of the title.
“Doin Time” by Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey covering Sublime is probably one of the best things to happen in music this summer. Del Rey’s rendition of the sleeper hit almost makes you forget about the original as soon as you hear her sing “summertime, and the livin’s easy.” The cover was released back in May to coincide with the premiere of a documentary on the punk band, but Del Rey’s cover seemingly stole the show–and the summer.
“All The Time” by Zara Larsson
After releasing two lackluster singles earlier this year, Zara Larsson finally got it right with the pop perfection that is “All The Time.” The Swedish songstress seemingly channels her inner Daft Punk with this electronic banger as she reminisces about a past romance. Larsson, who is most known for her duet with MNEK “Never Forget You”, released the single back in June, and it deserves to be bigger than it is, as it is perfectly formulated to be a summer hit.
“Ritual” by Tiesto, Jonas Blue & Rita Ora
Although Rita Ora is a major pop star across the pond, she is criminally underrated in the United States. “Ritual,” a collaboration with DJs Tiesto and Jonas Blue, is yet another song by Ora that has been overlooked by the masses. This club banger sounds like a song that would be all over the radio if it had The Chainsmokers attached to it with Hailee Steinfeld vocals. The trio seemingly made the song specifically for the summer, but it did not get the recognition it deserves.
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