Topline
Critics, charts and even former President Barack Obama have weighed in on their picks for this year’s song of the summer, nominating hits from Harry Styles, Beyoncé, Kate Bush and Bad Bunny, among others.
Beyonce appears at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on March 14, 2021.
Key Facts
“Break My Soul,” Beyoncé: A surprise June release, Esquire, Pitchfork, The Guardian, PopSugar and Obama all selected the song as one of the top hits of the summer; it’s also No. 19 on this week’s Billboard chart, and it was named as a contender by Quartz and NPR.
“Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God),” Kate Bush: This 1985 hit has caught on with a younger generation since being featured on Stranger Things in the spring, it’s No. 2 on Spotify’s chart, No. 5 on Billboard’s, and was flagged as a song-of the summer contender by Pitchfork, Quartz and NPR.
Songs from Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti: Fans and critics are divided on their favorite song from this album, but they’re no doubt a hit of the season; His tunes take up half of Spotify’s chart, Esquire and PopSugar chose “Tití Me Preguntó,” while Obama, Pitchfork and USA Today liked “Ojitos Lindos,” and the Guardian selected “Yo No Soy Celoso” and The Daily Beast named “Moscow Mule” as an early contender.
“First Class,” Jack Harlow: Quartz named this song, which samples Fergie’s “Glamorous,” as an early contender–it’s also a favorite of PopSugar’s and it has sat comfortably at No. 2 on Billboard’s chart for weeks.
“About Damn Time,” Lizzo: Quartz, NPR, USA Today, PopSugar and The Daily Beast all named this disco-inspired single as a favorite; it ranks at No. 3 on Billboard’s most-recent chart.
Key Background
Bad Bunny’s album Un Verano Sin Ti has topped the Billboard 200 for seven weeks, while “As It Was” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks since its April release. “Break My Soul” has reached a peak of No. 6 on the Hot 100, but that’s expected to change now that Beyoncé’s album Renaissance was released last week. Contenders for last year’s song of the summer included Olivia Rodrigo’s “Good 4 U,” BTS’ “Butter” and Dua Lipa’s “Levitating.”
Big Number
5. That’s how many weeks are left until Labor Day, the unofficial end of the summer.
Further Reading
Lizzo Tops Hot 100 Again As Glass Animals’ ‘Heat Waves’ Breaks Chart Record (Forbes)
Harry Styles’ Hit ‘As It Was’ Tops Billboard Chart For 10th Time—Tying Adele And BTS (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/08/03/song-of-the-summer-as-it-was-break-my-soul-running-up-that-hill-among-top-contenders/