This summer’s most popular songs are a solid mix of victory laps from established hitmakers and bold statements from industry newcomers. Lots of them are fun, breezy anthems; a few are disappointingly repetitive. Let’s walk through them.
“Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan
Grade: A+
With a bright, poppy sound, this song is the perfect addition to a summer playlist. Chappell Roan showcases her signature yodels and vocal scoops, which can be found throughout much of her 2023 debut album, and brings the listener through her range of rich lower notes and soaring high notes. The upbeat, bouncy synths almost distract from the song’s darker message, which is on full display in the punchy bridge. “When you wake up next to him in the middle of the night / With your head in your hands, you’re nothing more than his wife,” Roan sings, referencing a past lover who repressed her queerness by marrying a man. The music cuts away to a simple snare before Roan delivers her classic high belt in the bridge. She wraps up the track with the repetition of the phrase, “You’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling,” taunting her past lover and saying that she’ll never be able to erase her feelings for Roan.
“Apple” by Charli xcx
Grade: A
Off of Charli xcx’s recent dance-pop album BRAT, “Apple”’s hard-hitting snare, electric synths, and auto-tuned vocals embody the album’s now iconic electric sound. However, this deceivingly upbeat production makes it easy to overlook Charli’s introspective lyricism: on the surface, the track offers a funky club beat, but a closer look at the lyrics reveals a deeper message about Charli’s generational trauma, referencing the saying, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” “I think the apple’s rotten right to the core / From all the things passed down,” Charli sings. The song’s rise in popularity on social media was helped by Kelly Heyer’s now-viral TikTok dance, which has been performed by Charli herself.
“I Had Some Help” by Post Malone & Morgan Wallen
Grade: C
Opening with a twangy guitar makes “I Had Some Help” an easily recognizable country track as Post Malone officially makes the genre switch that he has long discussed. On his first song in the genre, Malone’s signature quick vibrato is familiar and nicely complemented by country star Morgan Wallen. Ultimately, the song’s unoriginal message of “teamwork makes the dream work” doesn’t help the track’s generic country vibes shape into anything notable. The bridge provides a nice break from repetition to carry the track to its conclusion but doesn’t help make the song any less boring to listen to.
“Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar
Grade: A+
A result of this year’s now-infamous beef between rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar, this track is Lamar’s final release in the back-and-forth between the two artists. Not only is it full of humorous lines, but also serious accusations concerning pedophilia and Drake’s “colonization” of rap and hip-hop. Lamar doesn’t hold back, and the Pulitzer Prize-winner’s exceptional lyricism is on full display as he provides a slew of biting attacks. “Certified Lover Boy? Certified pedophiles,” Lamar raps before saying, “Tryna strike a chord and it’s probably A-Minor.” The production is simple, made up of a bassline, sampled strings, and snaps, allowing the focus to be on Lamar’s lyricism and catchy rhythms. With the line, “You not a colleague, you a f*ckin’ colonizer,” Lamar establishes himself as somewhat of a protector of rap, criticizing Drake’s lack of authenticity in the genre and accusing him of exploiting the music scene. With sharp insults and a sense of electricity, Lamar is as strong as ever on this stinging diss track.
“BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish
Grade: A
Billie Eilish deviates from the darker sound on her recent album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT in “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” a bright, feel-good track. The sunny tune has relaxed melodies and a constant drum pattern that carries the listener smoothly through the song. Though Eilish starts out with her recognizable whispery quality, she doesn’t shy away from showcasing her higher and stronger belt as the song progresses. Singing about loving someone eternally in the song, Eilish never specifies what kind of love she’s singing about, allowing listeners to develop a more personal connection to the song by interpreting it as they please. Eilish’s use of reverb allows the song to move through space fluidly, creating a floaty and airy celebration of love.
“MILLION DOLLAR BABY” by Tommy Richman
Grade: C
This head-boppy, electro-funk track is one of Tommy Richman’s most recent singles and his most popular yet. Richman explores his somewhat nasal falsetto during the chorus, though he also uses his lower range in the verses. While not an outstanding vocalist in either register, Richman adequately navigates the song’s simple and repetitive melody. “MILLION DOLLAR BABY”’s catchy hook helped it take off on social media, which spurred the song’s increasing popularity, but also caused it to eventually become an overplayed sound bite. The song is about Richman’s desire to make it in the music industry, and with the song debuting at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, Richman hopefully feels that he’s on his way.
“Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter
Grade: A-
Sabrina Carpenter, whose past year has ascended her to pop princess status, has one of her biggest hits ever with “Espresso.” This lead single for her upcoming album has the perfect groove for a flirty summer track, with a muffled intro that makes the music sound like it is coming from underwater speakers, putting the listener in a tropical mindset. The summery themes of the music video further solidify this song as an ideal ‘song of the summer.’ Carpenter sings of her lover, who is addicted to her like someone gets addicted to espresso. She is laid back as she plays hard to get, singing, “I can’t relate to desperation.” With her cheeky wordplay on lyrics like, “I know I Mountain Dew it for ya,” Carpenter’s confidence and magnetic personality are contagious.
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey
Grade: B-
For the past six weeks, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has topped the Billboard Hot 100 and dominated social media feeds. Shaboozey, who was featured on two songs from Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER shortly before releasing this single, uses his rich tone to excellently supplement his take on modern pop country. Touches of violin bring in a more traditional country sound, while the song’s structure itself adheres to a typical pop format. The joy of celebration radiates throughout the track, with various ad-libbed background cheers and hollers featured. However, the song has a darker meaning, with the singer revealing that alcohol is providing an escape from the monotony of a nine-to-five. The track is a country twist on J-Kwon’s 2004 hip-hop song “Tipsy” with Shaboozey replacing the word “club” with “bar” in the line, “Everybody at the club gettin’ tipsy.” Although this very line becomes overly repetitive by the end of the song, it’s not too difficult to instead focus on the track’s warm music and atmosphere.
