Welcome back, Colgate University! If you’re anything like me, you listened to a lot of music this summer and are starting to feel nostalgic for warmer days. To reminisce, this week’s collection features 13 songs I had on repeat this summer:
1. “360” — Charli xcx (2024)
If there was a word to describe Gen Z’s summer this year, it would be “brat.” Charli xcx took the summer by storm with her bright green album full of catchy, electronic hits. Her unmistakable album art inspired political campaigns and brand advertisements alike.
2. “Doll House” — Del Water Gap (2023)
“As if you needed a reason to call me / A reason to call me at all,” S. Holden Jaffe sings, emphasizing that his lover could get in touch with him at any time and he would be there. Jaffe delivers a dreamy production on this track, making it ideal for escaping back to carefree summer days.
3. “Dreams” — Fleetwood Mac (1977)
“Dreams” was one of my favorite songs to play on the train ride to my internship. Its steady beat coupled with Stevie Nicks’s ethereal vocals makes the track ideal for waking up and getting in the mindset to do work.
4. “misses” — Dominic Fike (2024)
Dominic Fike puts his signature beachy sound on this catchy track. The guitar and drum beat always transport me to the beach, and due to its short length, it’s inevitable to listen multiple times in a row.
5. “Suddenly I See” — KT Tunstall (2005)
“Suddenly I see / This is what I wanna be,” KT Tunstall sings, inspired by an image of singer Patti Smith. The guitar in this track is upbeat and great for blasting on drives with the windows down.
6. “Please Please Please” — Sabrina Carpenter (2024)
Another summer staple, “Please Please Please” introduced Sabrina Carpenter’s country twang in her new album “Short n’ Sweet.” Lyrics like, “And we could live so happily if no one knows that you’re with me,” bring Carpenter’s relationship drama into the summer music scene.
7. “Writing’s On The Wall” — ROLE MODEL (2024)
“Dad’s on the phone, and he’s lecturing me / ’Bout a girl that he met back when he was 19,” ROLE MODEL sings, opening the track and his sophomore album, “Kansas, Anymore,” with a bang. I listened to many of his tracks this summer, as they had the perfect, upbeat folk sound for the season.
8. “Roses” — The Chainsmokers, ROZES (2015)
I always like to have a few songs on my rotation that are from summers past, and “Roses” captures the mid-2010s nostalgia perfectly. The electronic beats and effects take me back almost 10 years to chevron stripes, flower crowns and mustaches.
9. “Booster Seat” — Spacey Jane (2020)
“And if it wasn’t for that time in the taxi,” Caleb Harper sings at the beginning of each of this track’s choruses. Spacey Jane’s Australian surf rock sound was the best background for lying on the beach and soaking up sun.
10. “Close To You” — Gracie Abrams (2024)
Gracie Abrams teased this track for a couple of years before she finally found a home for it on her new album, “The Secret of Us,” released in mid-June. The catchy, synth beat makes you want to get up and dance like Abrams does in the music video, and it matches the vibe of the rest of the album.
11. “Judy You Hung The Moon” — HARBOUR (2017)
If there was a song that sounded like the word ‘summer,’ it would be “Judy You Hung The Moon.” The indie rock song is bright and fun, and lyrics like “Summer nights together, driving Cobra / No headlights, rum and Coca-Cola,” illustrate the carefree nature of the season.
12. “She Moves in Her Own Way” — The Kooks (2006)
“But uh-oh, I love her because she moves in her own way,” Luke Pritchard sings in this energetic track about not being able to move on from an ex-lover even when they move on themselves. I love how Pritchard’s accent comes through when he sings each line.
13. “Let’s Get Married” — Bleachers (2017)
Jack Antonoff sings about how much he wants to marry his lover in this happy and catchy track. Lyrics like “Let’s just get married / Don’t wanna walk alone,” capture Antonoff’s vibrant energy.
