My 10 Favorite Summer Songs ATM-Part 2

Whether I’ve been sitting at home doing work, reading a book, or just looking out the window, I’ve always had music playing in the background. In May of this year, I started a playlist called ‘summer’ in which I would collect all of my favorite songs from this season. Some of these songs emanate a clear summer vibe (luminous, flowy, sanguine, sultry), and others are just songs that I discovered this summer. To honor the end of August, and summer as a whole, here is part two of my favorite songs on my summer playlist. (I did not include August by Taylor Swift because that’s obviously one of the best songs for summer!)

11. Groupie Love by Lana del Rey (feat. A$AP Rocky)

I’m a huge Lana Del Rey fan, and while my favorite albums by her are NFR and Ultraviolence, Lust for Life does not disappoint. Groupie Love is the best song on the album that includes a feature, in my opinion. I’m not too into rap, but A$AP Rocky’s verse matches the vibe of this song so well. While I would love to explain how this song encompasses summer, I might as well show you these lyrics. “This is my life, you by my side/ Key lime and perfume and festivals/ Taking our dreams, turning them to things/ It’s like magic, babe, isn’t life wonderful?”

12. Cariño by The Marías

This single by The Marías switches between Spanish and English, and some people refer to this song as a “love letter”. If you translate some of the lyrics, you can tell this is exactly true. I wouldn’t call this song sluggish, but it makes you feel like you’ve been sitting in the sun and want to close your eyes, in a good way.

13. Melting by Kali Uchis

I haven’t listened to many songs off of Kali Uchis’ album Por Vida, but the two that I do know, I love. Melting and Lottery are both songs that I would have included on this list, but I decided to include her more popular song which would be Melting. Melting makes you feel like an ice pop in the summer which is sweet and oozy. Lottery and Melting both feature instrumentals in the background of Kali’s voice which are like bells, and they add to the song in the best way.

14. Lucy by Still Woozy, Odie

Lucy by Still Woozy sounds like a song I would have listened to on repeat in 2017, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Back then, I would listen to super upbeat songs that I usually found on Today’s Top Hits, and honestly, this song belongs on that list. The chorus of this song is the best part and it’s so incredibly catchy. I think the reason for this catchiness is the inclusion of phrases that give off the effect of alliteration. This makes the song fun for people to sing, and that’s mainly why I like it.

15. Lauren by Men I Trust

From Show Me How to Seven to Tailwhip to Numb, I love Men I Trust. Their music is so calming to listen to and if you like Phoebe Bridgers, Faye Webster, or Soccer Mommy, you will probably love Men I Trust. While most of their songs give off an Autumn vibe, Lauren is the one song of theirs that has a summery beat. One of the verses goes, “Rather chase a gentle breeze/ Set my thoughts by taller trees/ Cause I can’t stay forever/ Cause I can’t stay forever/ By my window”. These lyrics, along with the beat in the background, remind me of the time in the summer when you feel like getting out of the house because the weather is so nice.

16. The Spins by Mac Miller

This song is so upbeat and fun to jam to while driving in a car at night. I recommend you learn all of the lyrics perfectly so you can rap Mac’s verses along with him, it just makes the listening experience so much better. I come back to this song every summer, and I couldn’t really tell you why, but it's a vibe!

17. Pink + White by Frank Ocean

I don’t know that many Frank Ocean songs. I know…I know…what am I doing? I mean I know some of his more popular or “mainstream” songs, but Pink + White from his album Blond is my favorite so far. The second this song starts I am in awe by how Frank immediately sets the mood, which is calming and lax. Listening to this song feels effortless…if that makes sense.

18. Spotless Mind by Emily Lind

I found out about Emily Lind through the Gossip Girl reboot, and she plays a character named “Audrey”. When I found out she made music I searched her up on Spotify and saw that she only had two songs. Both of them are incredible and I believe Spotless Mind is underrated and should become more popular. This song is so calming and Lind’s voice is so raw to listen to. There are barely any instrumentals in the background and again if you like Phoebe Bridgers, then you will love this song. It sounds like it came straight out of the album Stranger in the Alps. Speaking of which, I have a song recommendation from that album as well.

19. Scott Street by Phoebe Bridgers

Scott Street is one of my favorite Phoebe Bridgers songs, and this is mostly because of the amazing outro. Of course, the whole song is good and Phoebe has a great voice and lyrics, but once the instrumentals in the outro start playing, I feel like I’m levitating. This song is perfect to listen to when you are on a drive in the summer and are looking out the window. I highly recommend it.

20. Dance Dance by Lucia Zambetti

I came across this song because it was recommended to me by Spotify, and I instantly loved it. This song deserves to be more popular because of the unique ebbs and flows Lucia Zambetti includes. At some points, she is singing with soft instrumentals, and then suddenly the instrumentals pick up and the song transforms into something completely new. I also think Lucia tells a story with her lyrics (which isn’t that hard to understand once you pay attention to the words). Here is how the first verse goes, “My baby said he loved me before he left a month ago/ He said he’d be a rockstar and he’d play me like a show/ He didn’t even look back, now I can’t hear the notes/ But now I’m dancing slowly and I’m dancing on my own”. Genius.