songs of the summer 'for breakfast' pt 1: the blueprint
what IS a song of the summer?
In June of 1910, one writer for the New York Tribune attempted to predict the next hit song.
“The roof gardens are opening and the summer shows begin. In the words of the almanac, ‘About this time look out for the summer song’ What will it be this season? Will it be humorous? Will it be sentimental? Will it be unmitigated trash? Will it be at least bearable, in text or music, or both?”
When I think of the song of the summer, I suppose it encompasses each of these traits. Humorous: my song of the summer has to be a bit tongue-in-cheek, a subtle or completely unsubtle entendre helps. Sentimental: In lyric and in vibe, my sots has to be so overtly summery that no other season can claim it. Unmitigated trash: Maybe not trash but rather trash-y and overbearing. A song of the summer needs to be a catchy ear-worm, it’s learned against your will.
To ring in summer ‘for breakfast,’ I’m serving up my first of a few curated lists of songs of the summer. These pieces will be short and sweet discussing three songs of the summer that fit a select category.
Today the category is BLUEPRINT. The songs in today’s lineup demonstrate the many facets of the ‘song of the summer.’ If you don’t have an idea of what characteristics qualify a track as a sots already, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge by the time you’ve finished reading. If you feel so inclined to learn more I got you; I’ll be giving you many places to get started, just click on my links when they jump out at you!
In order to qualify as the blueprint, the criteria for a song of the summer is to be popular (your parents have heard it), be infectious (you can sing the hook after one listen), and have ruled at least one (1) summer in recent memory (if it’s not a chart topper already, you could’ve sworn it was number #1 on Billboard).
The goal of 'for breakfast' is to break off a piece of the media landscape, giving you an easy way to find stuff you love and consume it in a way that works for you. Just like you are what you eat, I believe you are what you watch, read, and listen to as well. As simi for breakfast, I’ll be your guide to creating a balanced, nourishing media diet where the name of the game is enjoyment through critical analysis.
for breakfast: Drake - One Dance ft. WizKid & Kyla
Since the summer of 2016, nothing has felt right. According to the several hit tweets on the topic I see each year, that is. While I personally don’t have any memories of the material or digital landscape of my 14-year-old self at the time, I’ve seen this sentiment enough to believe it has some juice. What I do know is for any one summer to be nostalgically and sonically coveted the way 2016’s has, it needs a song of the summer; and one thing about Drake… he’s gonna make a song of the summer.
“One Dance” had some steep competition for this title. If listening to this song isn’t enough of a time machine, throw on “Closer” by the Chainsmokers, Rihanna’s “This Is What You Came For,” Fifth Harmony’s “Work from Home,” or Desiigner’s “Panda” and I’m sure the memories of Stranger Things Season 1 and Beyonce’s Super Bowl Halftime show (featuring Bruno Mars) will start to flood back.
If you’re unfamiliar with this format, my breakfast pick is my most accessible, the most agreeable. I think we can all agree that “One Dance” and its dancehall and afrobeats influences brought something refreshing to the pop landscape at the time. Drake actually has several songs of the summer under his belt; from “Passionfruit” and “In My Feelings” to “Nice For What” and “Summer Sixteen,” I think what sets “One Dance” apart is that it transcends the very Drake-ness of Drake. Drake steps back and leaves some space for more than just himself; Every part of this song has room to breathe and what results is a breezy, fun, and danceable classic, exactly what a song of the summer blueprint calls for.
The surprising history of the "song of the summer"
Song Of The Summer: Pop Radio's Bread And ‘Butter.’
for lunch: Harry Styles - Watermelon Sugar
Hear me out. However you feel about Mr. Styles, if we are discussing pop songs in recent memory that represent the blueprint for song of the summer, “Watermelon Sugar” deserves a seat at the table. The song itself, of course, screams summer. From the fruits, not so subtle metaphors, and vibrant visuals (!), to those horns that make you wanna prance around on a beach, Watermelon Sugar just sounds sunny. However, a song of the summer is more than vibes and content, it's about context.
For lunch, I need you to learn an important lesson about a subject in a way you didn’t expect. When do you think “Watermelon Sugar” came out? June? Maybe a late-contender August release? WRONG. Harry Styles debuted this promotional single for his album, Fine Line, on November 16, 2019. Then, not only did the song become the summertime hit of 2020, it went on to rule the Summer of 2021, following back-to-back Grammy and BRIT award wins earlier that year. A two-year stint on the airwaves is no small feat for a song of the summer. Besides representing that a song of the summer must have some sort of special sauce to keep you happy enough while listening, “Watermelon Sugar” teaches us the lesson that a sots transcends space and time. A fall, spring, or winter release date is no match for a song built for summer.
for dinner: Doja Cat & SZA - Kiss Me More
Dinner is for the holy grail. The Grammy-winning “Kiss Me More” is pop perfection; When you have it on you can’t think of anything else but summer. The song is so perfectly crafted, however, that you can’t help but to listen to it year-round. I only wish every song of the summer was like “Kiss Me More.” It’s chill, it’s sexy, it’s almost hilarious, and it’s a song that makes you smile as much as it makes you dance.
If “One Dance” is the song where an A-list rapper takes a vacation, and “Watermelon Sugar” is the nostalgic bop with staying power, then “Kiss Me More” represents one more archetype of the summer’s songs: A sots that is by and for the girls. Every summer there are at least a few perfect tracks from music’s coolest and most reliable main pop girls. Think Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe,” Dua Lipa’s “Levitating,” or Lana Del Rey’s “Summertime Sadness.” Among these songs, “Kiss Me More” sticks out to me as the blueprint because of the Avengers-level collaboration and chemistry between SZA and Doja. “Kiss Me More” could not have been made at any other time. The math is mathing: Doja reaping the benefits of a pandemic blowup, plus SZA putting an end to her musical hiatus, plus the first summer out of lockdown equals a pop hit that you can't help but love. That specificity is what makes “Kiss Me More” exactly what a song of the summer is for: a time capsule that makes you feel the sun on your face and the ice rumbling around in your drink.
The podcast that put the sots archetype of “by and for the girls” on my radar:
songs of the summer ‘for breakfast’ pt 1 and its accompanying reading and listening is here to give you the blueprint for a typical song of the summer. Well, now that you have the blueprint, in the next few weeks I’ll be mixing it up by serving new categories for new sets of songs that go a little deeper on what a summer hit can be.
ONE MORE SURPRISE: I’ll be taking submissions for both songs and categories, so in two weeks when sots pt2 arrives you will be getting a curated playlist of songs of the summer that make you think BLUEPRINT.
Submissions are open here OR feel free to dm me on instagram or email me at forbreakfast@substack.com!
lush life by zara larsson has stayed in my summer playlist since 2016
Good read! Last Last by Burna Boy is it for me this summer