The Song of the Summer Debate
- Izzie Claudio
- 16 hours ago
- 4 min read
Cover image created with brat generator
My favorite podcast, Switched on Pop, which covers a wide range of global pop music, recently devoted a full week of episodes to the current state of country music. As a listener, it was an eye-opening week exploring an area of the music realm that I’m unfamiliar with. Still, there’s no denying country’s growing presence on the pop charts. A quick look at the Billboard Hot 100 shows that country has dominated the top 10 for the majority of the summer season. In all honesty, the chart-toppers have been confusing me, but the uptick in country melding with the pop world has taken me down a path of questions and contemplation.
The Annual Question: What is the Song of the Summer?
Fresh off of brat summer last year, a music phenomenon spearheaded by Charli XCX, the summer of 2025 begs the question: What is this year’s sound of the summer? It seems that every summer, especially in the age of social media, has standout songs that define the summer season. 2024 saw the popularity of “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter and “Apple” by Charli XCX. In 2023, it felt like “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus was playing 24/7 everywhere you went, and “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles became an eternal earworm. Even if we take it back to 2016, songs like “One Dance” by Drake and “Don’t Let Me Down” by The Chainsmokers defined the distinct sound that can transport most ears right back to that specific summer in our lives.
So, what about 2025?
The Return of Icons and the Rise of New Stars
This summer has delivered an eclectic mix of new music, each release adding its own flavor to the season. Australian pop sensation Lorde returned with her new album Virgin. Her album, full of hard-hitting lyrics and nostalgic melodies, resonated with both old and new fans. Addison Rae, an artist who first rose to fame on TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic, released her debut album. She quickly garnered praise for her new music, already surpassing 16 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Lady Gaga and Beyoncé are both embarking on world tours for their new albums, Mayhem and Cowboy Carter, respectively. Established artists are also reaching new heights in popularity with new music, such as PinkPantheress with “Illegal” and Ravyn Lenae with “Love Me Not.”
While all of these artists have certainly stood out during the summer of 2025, I argue that none of them have reached the level of summer definition that has been observed in years past.
We’re forgetting one more piece: the country of it all.
This Summer’s King of the Charts
Morgan Wallen is a name that is all over the Billboard Charts and in multiple top 10 spots. The Tennessee native released his new album, I’m The Problem, in mid-May, which hasn’t left the charts since its release. Listeners can’t seem to get enough of his country sound, and his collaborations with well-established artists such as Post Malone and Tate McRae have only further solidified his spot in the limelight. 2025 has proven to be a year for country to make its way into the mainstream, and Morgan Wallen’s chart domination is a key shift in the changing landscape of pop music.
Past songs of the summer were usually chart dominators as well, so does that mean Morgan Wallen’s “I’m the Problem” should be considered this year’s song of the summer? Maybe I'm the problem, because I don't think so.
In all honesty, Morgan Wallen’s popularity has left me puzzled because his name has never been uttered in my circle of friends. But that’s just it. The communities I’m in aren’t listening to Morgan Wallen and the recent boom of country, but there are plenty of others in the U.S. that are. This year, where you are in the U.S. may play a bigger role when considering the defining songs of the summer. I might insist Wallen isn’t the sound of the season, but others may say “he absolutely is!”
Music Bubbles
Apple Music has a neat feature that allows you to look at the top 25 songs in major cities in the U.S. My hunch was proven correct: every city looks different. Location makes a difference when it comes to song popularity, so there will always be a location bias when it comes to determining the song of the summer. While I previously listed off songs that defined summers of the past, someone from another part of the country may completely disagree with me. And that’s okay! In the end, the music you grew up with, the music you are surrounded by, and the artists that stand out to you serve as a stronger influence on that summer sound. Sure, there may be a collection of songs that most people can agree define a summer, but this year is different. This year, the summer song phenomenon is personal.
Pop is No Longer a Genre
The 2025 song of the summer debacle reveals a bigger picture of the state of pop music. I argue that pop as its own distinct genre is no longer an applicable classification. Genre-mixing, experimentation, and the rise of other genres, such as country, in the “pop” charts have revealed that pop music has reverted to its original state: Pop has always been short for popular, and the music we are seeing rise to the top of the charts is a unique amalgamation of genres. Pop music as a genre is dead, but from the ashes, a refreshing music realm has emerged. One in which all genres are reaching new heights of popularity and recognition.
While we may close the summer of 2025 without an iconic song of the summer, it’s exciting to see the vast scope of music that is getting attention. Listeners are in a state of exploration, and maybe it’s because we’re all trying to find the music that grounds us the most in these turbulent times.
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