Summer Sounds
Updated: Oct 4, 2022
As the tagline of this website says, music is culture and culture is music. Most songs are inexplicably linked to the decades, movies or cultural events that made them iconic.
You can't think of Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)" without thinking of "The Breakfast Club."
"All Along the Watchtower" and the Vietnam War. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and the 1990's. You get the idea.
Summer's no different. Every year, a new song seems to define the summer: the smells, the sights, the feelings. Here are some of my favorite songs over the years that define summer. (*Note: "Summer" does not have to be in the title for a song to be considered*)
First up is "Summertime" by Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Some say this is Smith's best musical work.
His lyrics paint a picture: not only does he create an image of what 90's summers were like, but he also delves into a little reminiscing of his own on the song.
Wearing brand-new sneakers to the park to impress the girls, heading to family reunions, and showing off new cars.
Even Walmart knew it was an essential summer song because they used it in a commercial a few years ago for a seasonal campaign.
Next is "Passionfruit" by Canadian powerhouse Drake. The name alone is just tropical.
You hear it and you want to dance outside, no matter how hot the weather is. This song also paints a picture, one where Drake croons about the struggles of being in a long-distance relationship. It can be hot, sticky and uncomfortable, just like the summer heat.
Finally, we have "Summertime Magic" by Childish Gambino. As part of the "Summer Pack" released in Summer 2018 (which also featured smash hit "Feels Like Summer"), the song relies on a dance-friendly beat that incorporates steel drums. Gambino seals the deal by singing about his love for his summertime crush. Gambino doesn't know if the relationship will last after the season ends, but he doesn't care. He just knows that those three short months will be the best of his life.
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