A summer music recap
By: Miller Rogers
October 2, 2024
After summer ends, people ask the question: what was the song of the summer? Or, who was the face of the music industry for the summer?
The summer was filled with lively music featuring new releases and chart-topping hits. The music industry saw the resurgence of many genres and the rise of emerging artists, making it a dynamic and exciting summer.
By the numbers, according to Rolling Stone, the top 10 summer hits go as follows.
1. Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" has generated 538 million streams, making it the year's top hit. The song's catchy lyrics and beat, which aim at Drake, have propelled Lamar not only to win the Drake vs. Lamar “beef” but also to headline the 2025 Super Bowl.
2. An artist's first major release rarely becomes one of the summer's hit songs, but Tommy Richman's "Million Dollar Baby" is an exception. With 462.7 million streams, it has gained popularity on TikTok and is now considered one of the summer's top songs.
3. After making an appearance on the "Into The Spider-Verse" soundtrack and collaborating on Beyonce’s "Cowboy Carter," Shaboozey finally achieved a hit of his own with “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” With 410 million streams, “(Tipsy)” will surely be on everyone’s end-of-year playlist.
4. Post Malone and Morgan Wallen’s country collaboration to produce “I Had Some Help” has also secured a spot in the top ten list with 392 million streams, solidifying it as one of the biggest country songs of the year.
5. Many consider "Espresso" the song of the summer. The song has gained a lot of buzz since its release and is considered by many to be the perfect summer song. With approximately 331 million streams, "Espresso" is a certified summer hit.
6. “Please, Please, Please” numerically, as it has produced over 202 million streams compared to the songs higher up on this list. The song has been a hit, leading to Short N’ Sweet being one of the year's biggest albums.
7. Chappell Roan has quickly become one of pop’s newest headliners. She has been everywhere, and her music is gaining popularity on platforms like TikTok. Her song "Good Luck, Babe" has been streamed over 161.2 million times.
8. Billie Eilish's lead single "Lunch" from her third studio album "Hit Me Hard and Soft" has amassed 142.9 million streams. The album explores the stages of a relationship and the reflection one undergoes to learn, overcome, and find comfort in grief.
9. With 54.4 million streams, Tinashe’s “Nasty” has become one of the most viral songs on the internet, earning 54.4 million streams per The Rolling Stones, which gave her an unexpected breakthrough into the summer hit list.
10. With 44.3 million streams, Charli XCX’s “Brat” became a clear symbol of summer. Its unique green cover with the word "brat" quickly became a staple on social media platforms, even infiltrating the Kamala Harris presidential campaign. This led to the song “360” becoming another summer song.
University of Maryland students shared their opinions on the summer music scene.
Kelcie Jacobs, a freshman in the letters sciences program, called the summer music trends a “fun pop resurgence with the arrival of ‘brat’ and ‘Espresso;’ even if there are sadder lyrics, it was common to find a pop beat over them.”
Adonis Hodges, a freshman computer science major, called the summer scenery, “White girl pop EDM music slowly making a comeback,” and said, “Sabrina Carpenter [and] ‘brat.’”
Lux Sherplee, a freshman journalism major, had very similar ideas. She said, “The main music trends of the summer were upbeat pop songs like ‘Espresso’ by Sabrina Carpenter.”
The summer was filled with lively music featuring new releases and chart-topping hits. The music industry saw the resurgence of many genres and the rise of emerging artists, making it a dynamic and exciting summer.
By the numbers, according to Rolling Stone, the top 10 summer hits go as follows.
1. Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" has generated 538 million streams, making it the year's top hit. The song's catchy lyrics and beat, which aim at Drake, have propelled Lamar not only to win the Drake vs. Lamar “beef” but also to headline the 2025 Super Bowl.
2. An artist's first major release rarely becomes one of the summer's hit songs, but Tommy Richman's "Million Dollar Baby" is an exception. With 462.7 million streams, it has gained popularity on TikTok and is now considered one of the summer's top songs.
3. After making an appearance on the "Into The Spider-Verse" soundtrack and collaborating on Beyonce’s "Cowboy Carter," Shaboozey finally achieved a hit of his own with “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” With 410 million streams, “(Tipsy)” will surely be on everyone’s end-of-year playlist.
4. Post Malone and Morgan Wallen’s country collaboration to produce “I Had Some Help” has also secured a spot in the top ten list with 392 million streams, solidifying it as one of the biggest country songs of the year.
5. Many consider "Espresso" the song of the summer. The song has gained a lot of buzz since its release and is considered by many to be the perfect summer song. With approximately 331 million streams, "Espresso" is a certified summer hit.
6. “Please, Please, Please” numerically, as it has produced over 202 million streams compared to the songs higher up on this list. The song has been a hit, leading to Short N’ Sweet being one of the year's biggest albums.
7. Chappell Roan has quickly become one of pop’s newest headliners. She has been everywhere, and her music is gaining popularity on platforms like TikTok. Her song "Good Luck, Babe" has been streamed over 161.2 million times.
8. Billie Eilish's lead single "Lunch" from her third studio album "Hit Me Hard and Soft" has amassed 142.9 million streams. The album explores the stages of a relationship and the reflection one undergoes to learn, overcome, and find comfort in grief.
9. With 54.4 million streams, Tinashe’s “Nasty” has become one of the most viral songs on the internet, earning 54.4 million streams per The Rolling Stones, which gave her an unexpected breakthrough into the summer hit list.
10. With 44.3 million streams, Charli XCX’s “Brat” became a clear symbol of summer. Its unique green cover with the word "brat" quickly became a staple on social media platforms, even infiltrating the Kamala Harris presidential campaign. This led to the song “360” becoming another summer song.
University of Maryland students shared their opinions on the summer music scene.
Kelcie Jacobs, a freshman in the letters sciences program, called the summer music trends a “fun pop resurgence with the arrival of ‘brat’ and ‘Espresso;’ even if there are sadder lyrics, it was common to find a pop beat over them.”
Adonis Hodges, a freshman computer science major, called the summer scenery, “White girl pop EDM music slowly making a comeback,” and said, “Sabrina Carpenter [and] ‘brat.’”
Lux Sherplee, a freshman journalism major, had very similar ideas. She said, “The main music trends of the summer were upbeat pop songs like ‘Espresso’ by Sabrina Carpenter.”