6 candidates for 2023 Song of the Summer, from One Margarita to Cruel Summer

Who will be No. 1 this summer? Taylor Swift or Olivia Rodrigo?

The Fourth of July is in the rearview mirror, with all the hot dogs having been consumed and (hopefully, for the sake of my dog) all the fireworks having been launched. That means we are in the throes of summer, complete with mosquitoes and humidity and dreaming about being at the pool rather than at your desk.

Summer also means we are in prime new music territory, and there are several candidates I’ve found that could be 2023’s Song of the Summer. The Song of the Summer is one that you can’t escape. That plays all the time. That brightens your mood. Think 2013’s “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk or “As It Was” by Harry Styles last summer.

Please note this is not a scientific list, just a collection of bops that I would consider have the potential to be played on repeat as you sip an Aperol spritz and pretend that you’re actually not sweating for a second.

Warning: some explicit lyrics and topics follow in this post.