A Recap of This Summer’s Best Music
To some, Summer 2018 was the season of the Shiggy. To others, it was time to bless the rains down in “Africa,” once more. Music is central to celebrating the summertime. The weather is warm on your skin, the sun is shining into your eyes, and the hits are never-ending. See below for some of my top picks of this summer’s hits. And follow Her Culture on Spotify to download the full playlist!
1. “Girls Like You” by Maroon 5
Come on, Culture Girls, this was THE Summer bop for ladies who needed some soul-warming. The video features a diverse group of talented women, like badass race-car driver Danica Patrick — the most hilarious comedian of the year in my opinion, Tiffany Haddish; talented transgender actress, Trace Lysette; YouTube superstar and vlogger, Lily Singh; and so many more. It gave me all the feels to see such a wide range of powerful women dancing to a catchy, yet empowering song. It wrapped around me all summer like a beach blanket.
2. “Dinero” by J.Lo featuring DJ Khaled and Cardi B
I’m a born and raised Bronx girl so naturally I fell in love with this track by two queens from the Boogie-Down. Cardi B has been killing it this entire year, but a single by Jenny from the Block was the banger I needed. I’m a broke millennial, of course I want to rap along with two boss ladies about how much money I deserve! And it’s also a damn good song to celebrate a political queen hailing from our little ‘ole borough, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, the youngest woman to ever be elected to the US congress. Bronx ladies, unite!
3. “Africa” by Weezer
It’s not every summer that a rock band covers a classic 80s tune… because a fan begged them to on Twitter. “Africa” by Toto is a legendary song, and Weezer does it justice by putting their own mellow, yet unique sound to the tune. “I bless the rains down in Africa,” has been a sing-a-long line for quite awhile, but this summer you could practically hear it wafting out of every bar in Brooklyn.
4. “High Hopes” by Panic! At the Disco
Brendon Urie never ceases to blow me away with his croons. His album, Pray for the Wicked, was one of my favorites this summer. “High Hopes” is the perfect song to blast in your car, when you want to let free your desire to reach for the stars. I always feel the optimism pouring out of Brendon’s energy-fueled bops. The song will lift you up when you need it as the season winds down. Try not to smile watching his performance of the song at the VMAs. Impossible.
5. “Turn” by The Wombats
Technically this song was released in the spring, but it’s been at the top of my sunshine soundtrack. Having just discovered The Wombats recently and just begun to delve into their discography, I was blown away by the version of this song featuring Norwegian pop singer, Dagny. It’s a beach day tune, for sure. Pairs nicely with summer flings.
6. “Our Time to Go” by State Champs
I couldn’t end this list without praising one of my favorite pop-punk jams of the summer. State Champs’s video for “Our Time to Go” is basically a short film with ET and Stranger Things vibes mixed with Sixteen Candles sweetness. The song just builds and builds into this epic, emotional release of a soundbite.
I could go on and on about all the great music that was released this summer and still not capture it all. From Post Malone’s singles stealing the charts, to newcomer Juice WRLD putting out some standout songs, to Ariana Grande’s album taking over the end of August, there’s so much to say for Summer 2018’s musical onslaught. I suggest you follow our playlist now to listen to all of these great songs above and discover all those I didn’t cover!