Summer is coming to an end, but that only serves as an invitation to look back and acknowledge our favorite songs that helped us celebrate the proverbial vacation months. Personally, I don’t always consider Billboard to be a reliable source of trending music, especially when “Old Town Road” somehow reigned at number one for seventeen weeks. However, I also like to listen to music across a wide variety of genres, including Rock, Indie, and K-pop. Honestly, 2019 has been the year of great music, so it’s rather difficult to narrow down any kind of list, but I’ve restricted this one to just ten tracks. With that in mind, please enjoy my personal selection of summer favorites, starting with:
- “Highway to Heaven” by NCT-127
At this point, my love for NCT-127 has made me an enormous supporter. I just discovered the group back at the beginning of the year, but it was just in time for my ears to be blessed with the masterpiece that is We Are Superhuman! Actually, NCT is a 21-member group (although WayV’s inclusion is rather confusing these days) who emphasize global dominance. NCT-127 is just one of the sub-groups, and probably the most popular one, consisting of ten members: Taeyong, Mark, Haechan, Taeil, Doyoung, Johnny, Yuta, Jungwoo, WinWin (I think), and Jaehyun. Of course, WinWin was not apart of this particular album, but I’m pretty sure he’s still apart of NCT-127? Regardless, this brilliant track from the album also comes with a beautiful English version that makes for a wonderful driving song. It’s also accompanied by a wholesome music video in which the members all seem to enjoy themselves just as much as we enjoy listening to the song.
- “Sunflower” by Post Malone
I really missed out when this track was first released, like an entire year ago, so now it gets the recognition it deserves! I mean, it’s hard to imagine that this is a song by Post Malone, aka, the same artist who sings about getting his heart broken in “Better Now.” In fact, “Sunflower” is a rather beautiful song with a catchy melody and a wonderful chorus that’s wholesome enough for a PG-13 Spider-Man movie, which really just makes it even cooler. To be quite frank, this is the first Post Malone song that I’ve genuinely had stuck inside my head, and that’s definitely a good thing. Best of all, the lyrics didn’t take much time for me to learn which means I get to sing out loud on my morning commute to work without any disruptions!
- “Beautiful People” by Ed Sheeran
Where have you been hiding this album, Ed Sheeran? No. 6 Collaborations is an absolute masterpiece! It’s one of those albums that I could listen to every day without complaint because every song is just that good. Of course, “Beautiful People” is my personal favorite from the album. Firstly, Ed Sheeran collaborating with Khalid is a dream and something I never thought would happen. However, the soothing harmonic quality of their vocals blended so well together that now it’s hard to imagine a world without this collaboration. Let’s just say that the music is soothing and pleasant to enjoy when you’re trying to relax, but also upbeat enough to sing with friends even if everyone sounds out of tune.
- “Senorita” by Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes
Yeah, I knew they were totally dating. How could they make a music video like that and not be dating? But good for Camila and Shawn because this song is a breath of fresh air on a warm summer’s evening. It’s got a latin-esque flare and a snazzy sound that makes it difficult to resist snapping along to the beat. Also, the perfect combination of Camila’s high-pitched vocals and Shawn’s raspy tone completes a once-in-a-lifetime duet. Lastly, and I really can’t get over this, I love the Chorus where Camila sings, “I love it when you call me Senorita” while Shawn Mendes sings, “I love it when you call, Senorita.” That is brilliant songwriting and the two artists should be very proud of their creation.
- “Miroh” by Stray Kids
You better get used to my profound love for K-pop music. Also, prepare yourselves for my recent obsession with Stray Kids, the rookie JYP group ready to totally test NCT as my favorite boy group. To put it bluntly: I loved the Clé 1:Miroh album more than I enjoyed We Are Superhuman. There, I said it, and I won’t take it back.
But seriously? Clé 1:Miroh is a fantastic album that really subverts the K-pop genre as a whole. That’s probably why I loved it more than anything else because it was so different from the music I usually hear. Plus, Changbin is an awesome rapper and probably one of the best in the industry, at the age of 21 no less! So do yourself a favor and listen to this song and then go listen to the whole album because your mind will be blown!
- “Who Do You Love” by Monsta X featuring French Montana
Here comes Monsta X with an unexpected English collaboration. I mean, I’ve been a fan of Monsta X for a while, but I’m not quite used to hearing English versions of their music, let alone entire songs written and produced in my native language. However, that’s exactly what we got with “Who Do You Love” and it’s absolutely brilliant. The song features a far more harmonious version of Monsta X and an entire rap verse dedicated to French Montana who sings about LL Cool J and Gordan Ramsay. Actually, it’s a pretty great inclusion and fits the overall vibe of the Hip-Hop inspired song.
- “Aurora” by Ateez
Ateez is the newest rookie K-pop boy group sensation and rightfully so. The group has been producing albums like some sort of well-organized factory. In fact, it’s a rather remarkable turnover considering the group just debuted in 2018. Plus, they now have plenty of hard-hitting singles including “Say My Name” and “Pirate King.” Of course, my inclusion on this list is a far more relaxed hit single, providing the perfect mood for a summer playlist. Furthermore, it’s the ideal song to listen to in the car while driving with the windows rolled down. I should know considering the amount of times it played while I made my morning and afternoon commute to work.
- “Time of Our Life” by Day6
Day6 has been around since 2015, but I just now discovered them and that’s a shame because they’re exactly my style! More than just K-pop, I would go as far as to categorize the group as pop-rock or alternative rock. Each member contributes with both vocals and instrumentals and they are all heavily involved in the production of their music. “Time of Our Life” is the band’s newest single, and if JYP refuses to promote them, then I guess I’ll have to help out with this well-placed addition to my summer playlist.
- “Only Human” by the Jonas Brothers
Who do I have to thank for the return of the Jonas Brothers? Because I will thank them every day for the rest of my life. “Sucker” was a surprisingly wonderful song that landed the Jonas Brothers their first #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. However, when the album Happiness Begins finally dropped, I found myself favoring “Only Human” for its throwback musical style. It has an incredibly catchy melody and the vocals are positively exquisite.
- “Talk” by Khalid
Music never ceases to inspire me, and I love each of the songs on my list because they will all be far more memorable compared to “Old Town Road.” Regardless, Khalid is still a fairly new artist who manages to continue making hit sings like he’s somehow discovered the magic formula. “Talk” is by far my new favorite song, and I love the vibe and sound because it’s fascinatingly unique while still remaining true to its genre.
Agree with the songs on my list? Feel free to leave a comment with your personal summer playlist!
