4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
How to crack the code on the song of the summer
Every year, there's one track that somehow makes its way from a teenager's headphones to my mom's Pilates playlist. You know, the song that plays at rooftop bars and seeps into your subconscious through car radios and TikTok feeds. By early August, it's everywhere—inescapable, undeniable, and, somehow, still a bop. Is it possible to construct a song with the summer fame in mind? What actually makes a song the summer song in the modern age?
After years of writing music for brands, bands, and everything in between, I've realized it's not just about vibe. It's also math (yes, really), great marketing, strategic timing, a lyric with a seasonal tinge, and most elusive of all—bottled lightning.
Let's break down the necessary elements that can determine whether or not the song will be the one for the summer. 1. The math: BPM (Beats Per Minute) is the foundation
When I crunched the numbers from the biggest summer tracks of the past five years, tempo was one of the common denominators.
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There are two lanes. Swagger tracks generally groove below 112 BPM. They're confident and cheeky, they don't beg for attention, and they wink. Think of BTS's 'Butter,' Taylor Swift's 'Cruel Summer,' and Sabrina Carpenter's 'Espresso.' These tracks carry a retro or breezy confidence, which leans back rather than forward. On the other hand, shimmer songs punch in at 125 BPM or higher. These are your danceable, effervescent tunes that make you want to move. Think Harry Styles's 'As It Was' and Calvin Harris's 'Blessings' with Clementine Douglas.
Now, songs that are between 112 BPM and 124 BPM are on tempo no man's land. They're too sluggish for shimmer, too hyped for swagger. If your track's stuck there, odds are you won't be creating this summer's anthem. Sorry. Maybe next year. 2. The marketing: TikTok or bust
Whether we like it or not, TikTok is the new radio. If you're not soundtracking a transition video, a get ready with me, or releasing solid remixes, you're missing out on potential. Just look at Sabrina Carpenter's 'Manchild': Over 4 million TikTok users propelled it to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Last year, Carpenter's 'Espresso' sparked choreography and creator remixes before the full track was even officially out. 'Blessings' by Calvin Harris got traction from remixes. 'Love Me Not' generated mashups and retro dance clips that boosted it to a Hot 100 top ten.
3. The summer cred: seasonality sells
Of course, a summer song has to sound like summer. A familiar groove, or even a single lyric line, can seal the deal. 'That's that me espresso' is a fun hook that feels sun-drenched.
Even 'Love Me Not,' despite its retro DNA, sparkles with heatwave heartbreak. It feels like cool lemonade spilled on a vintage cassette tape. Contrast that with Zara Larsson's 'Midnight Sun' or PinkPantheress's 'Tonight.' They're catchy and vibey, but have no visceral summer tag. 4. The intangible: bottled lightning
Some songs just hit a nerve. It's the undefinable quality that blows up influencer feeds, festival sound systems, fashion week playlists, and even Facebook timelines.
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Sometimes it's a surprise. Harry Styles's 'As It Was' is heartbreak disguised as pop candy. Sometimes it's a mystery ('Love Me Not' breaking through a slow chart year with retro-swagger). Sometimes it's perfect timing ('Espresso' landing right as spring needs a caffeine jolt). 'Blessings' also caught the perfect club season wave. Potential summer song of 2025
Based on this, who's winning summer 2025?
'Manchild' checks nearly every box: BPM? Check. Viral? Over 4 million uses. Lyrics? Skirts the lightness of the summer. Magic? You bet. Where I'm not so sure is whether or not it delivers on bottled lightning, which generates staying power.
'Love Me Not' is a stealth contender. You have viral TikTok edits and a retro freshness. However, it's on the cusp of 'no man's land,' so it's dangerously sitting on no man's land.
'Blessings' by Calvin Harris has big shimmer energy. It's danceable, has international reach, and is poolside playlist ready.
Alex Warren's 'Ordinary' might be the big sleeper hit, but it's not a song of summer. Sure, it's a great song released in the summer. It was initially slow on the digital marketing front, but suddenly exploded, and it topped U.S. and global charts for weeks. It's the perfect groove tempo and an irresistible anthem, but unlikely to make anyone think of bikinis or mai tais by the pool.
Bottom line: I don't see one clear winner—yet. Currently, I'm seeing a lot of great songs that check some boxes, but not others. Perhaps we can expect that due to the fractured nature of the media. It has never been more difficult to create that singular song of summer across all audiences unless a song comes along with a heavy checkmark in all four boxes.
We've yet to see a song with the jolt of 'Espresso', but summer is far from over. And until then, there's still a top spot open on the charts and on my mom's Pilates playlist.
