Summer is almost here, and students know what that means: school is out, the weather is warm, tans are starting to show, and soon, they will be spending endless days on the hot beach. But, all these summer perks would not be complete without songs of summer. The year 2021 is shaping up to be a good one for the music industry as concerts are slowly beginning to return and top artists have begun to release new tracks. 

The majority of popular music in 2020 was played in homes and through the radios of cars. With the rise of the pandemic came many restrictions, including the prohibition of large gatherings and parties, nightclubs, and concerts. The race to see which song would remain superior and would be named as “the song of the summer” was simply uneventful. 

But, with the summer of 2021’s slow return to normalcy, many people are itching to finally see what summer will bring. Billboard, a song ranking website and magazine, presented its list of prediction “songs of the summer,” and here is what some students have to say.

“Peaches” by: Justin Bieber, featuring Giveon and Daniel Caesar:

     Pop legend Justin Bieber has been staying under the radar this year until the recent release of his album Justice. The album was released in March, and Billboard describes it as “marital bliss in a fairly serious tone.” The song “Peaches” is a light, fun song with an exciting start that contains elements of R&B provided by artists Giveon and Daniel Caesar. The song also has a music video that was released with Bieber’s album; it truly embodies the carefree feel of summer. The song remains at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. 

     Bieber recently rescheduled his tour for his comeback album, Changes, which was released in 2020. He converted it into a tour for his album Justice, and fans are eager to hear “Peaches” performed live in 2022. Freshman Grace Loiselle commented, “I am a huge Justin Bieber fan and fell in love with this song as soon as I heard it. I have it playing on repeat and can’t wait to hear it performed live.”

“Levitating” by: Dua Lipa, featuring DaBaby:

Pop artist Dua Lipa and rapper DaBaby teamed up to create a song that many believe will be crowned as the ultimate song of the summer. This incredibly unique track contains all the qualities of a summer song and is being played nonstop, from the beach, to boating docks, and through the speakers of car radios. “Levitating” was released in March 2020, and the remix with DaBaby was released in October 2020. The song remains superior and stands at the top of the Hot 100 chart, according to Billboard. 

“Levitating” was featured in Lipa’s second album, Future Nostalgia. With its catchy lyrics and electrifying instrumentals, this upbeat song really takes listeners “on a ride through the galaxy,” as Lipa sings. Freshman Kerry Cullen commented, “There is nothing I do not like about this song. It is just so fun, with its upbeat tune, and it’s perfect to roll the windows down and turn the volume up to.” 

“Leave The Door Open” by: Bruno Mars, featuring Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic:

This hot song by Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, who form the group “Silk Sonic,” is a hit, and quickly earned its No. 1 spot on the Billboard 100. The song was performed at the 2021 Grammys and received positive feedback from fans. The “throwback-soul jam,” Billboard explains, is reminiscent of the ‘70s; the Grammys performance even included old-school elements such as synthesizers, as well as bell bottom pants, and old fashioned microphones. The song is constantly played on the radio and is “Silk Sonic’s” debut song. The song is soulful and lyrically expressive. 

“Leave The Door Open ” is a huge competitor in the contest for the song of the summer. Sophomore Alyssa Inserra said, “I love the smooth, jazzy feel of this song; it definitely shows off another musical side to Bruno Mars that I haven’t seen recently, and I love it. I think it fits Mars’ persona and character perfectly, and I hope more songs like this one get released in the future.”

“Astronaut in the Ocean” by: Masked Wolf:

Australian artist Masked Wolf originally released this song in 2019, and it has recently gone viral. The song reached the top of the charts in certain places in Europe and later shot onto the Billboard Hot 100. Like the other songs, Tiktok helped this song make its way to the US. “Astronaut in the Ocean” includes a beat drop like no other and “lyrics about anxiety and mental health that have already resonated with listeners,” Billboard described. 

“I really enjoy this song,” said freshman Lucia Palumbo. “The lyrics are very beautifully written and relatable to all. It gives listeners a serotonin boost, and I can’t stop listening to it.” The artist Masked Wolf has created a catchy song that will have fans chanting “What you know ‘bout rolling down in the deep” all summer long.

“Save Your Tears” by: The Weeknd, featuring Ariana Grande:

Pop superstar The Weeknd, the artist that created 2020’s most streamed song of the year, has teamed up with icon Ariana Grande once again to create a hit single. The team previously worked together on the song “Love Me Harder” in 2014. Both artists have had a successful year with the release of Grande’s album Positions, and The Weeknd becoming one of the most streamed artists in 2020 and 2021. The song “Save Your Tears” was already thriving before Grande’s remix, and now, it has surpassed one billion streams. The remix only enhances the beauty of the song, and it has rightfully held its place as No. 1 on the Hot 100 list. 

The R&B flair from The Weeknd, with the added pop elements from Grande, combined with the upbeat tempo really qualifies this song to be one of the songs of the summer. “I was already a fan of the song before the remix was released,” said freshman Abby Guttman. “I think both artists have unique voices, and they just work beautifully together. I’ve already listened to this song so many times and can’t get enough of it,” Guttman added.