Top 10 Songs For Summer 2018
School's out, the sun is shining, and the race for the track that will rule our hearts and the radio charts begins. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we'll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Songs for Summer 2018.
For this list, we're taking a look at the popular music that will undeniably form the soundtrack for our summer 2018s.
#10: “Humility” (2018)
Gorillaz feat. George Benson
This chilled-out tune arrived just in time for summer beach hangs. A mid-tempo track with synthpop undertones, “Humility” was one of our first glimpses of Gorillaz’ new album The Now Now, which Damon Albarn has said is very much a “summer record.” The video features 2-D roller-skating in and around the palm trees and hippy culture of Venice Beach while Jack Black riffs on a guitar, which couldn’t be a better visual for how the dog days of summer should ideally be spent: just hanging around and letting your troubles drift away.
#9: “No Tears Left To Cry” (2018)
Ariana Grande
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Ariana has been poised to land a song of the summer for a few years now, and this rousing dance number might just be the closest she’s come. Penned by pop music mastermind Max Martin, “No Tears Left To Cry” showcases Ariana’s powerhouse vocals while providing a positive refrain to get you on the dance floor. Especially after the bombing outside of Grande’s Manchester concert last summer, this lead single from Sweetener signals the light she’s found after overcoming all of that darkness, which is a spirit we should all take with us as we head into the new season.
#8: “Born to Be Yours” (2018)
Kygo & Imagine Dragons
When it comes to summer playlists, no combo is a better match than the slick electro production of Norwegian hitmaker Kygo and the robust vocals of Imagine Dragons. Leading with a laid-back acoustic sound, “Born To Be Yours” swiftly builds up to an electrifying hook that wouldn’t be out of place at the club or by the campfire. The song’s tropical-house-style drop arrives out of nowhere, just like a refreshing summer rainstorm. This Kygo and Imagine Dragons collab blends the sounds of two of pop’s biggest musical acts right now, so expect to hear a lot more of this as the season unfolds.
#7: “Bubblin” (2018)
Anderson .Paak
When you’re fine-tuning your summer bod you need a banger, and with “Bubblin”, Anderson .Paak delivers just that. Here’s a drum-heavy song to play at full volume whether you’re at the gym or on your way to a party. Featuring near-flawless bars from .Paak and a red-hot trap beat, on the surface it’s a triumphant song about celebrating success, which could reflect Anderson’s recent rise to the topmost echelon of hip-hop. But, if you look deeper, you’ll see that “Bubblin” is also about society’s insatiable lust of money… and how people will never have enough of it.
#6: “Chun-Li” (2018)
Nicki Minaj
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You definitely don’t want to mess Nicki when she channels Chun-Li, the vengeful martial artist from the classic video game series Street Fighter. Propelled by a slapping hip-hop beat, “Chun-Li” turns the rap game into a fight to the death… which is why this hard-hitting track may just have the strength to come out on top as 2018’s summer anthem. While Nicki has been a reigning queen of summer radio in the past, it’s typically been for lighter, more bubblegum material. Yet this abrasive and fiery battle song is just the shot of adrenaline our summer soundtracks need.
#5: “Psycho” (2018)
Post Malone feat. Ty Dolla $ign
Post has been having an incredible year. He has more than one song that could be a contender for track of the summer, but we’ve got to go with the one that’s simultaneously toned down and turnt up. “Psycho” is classic Post Malone, both rejoicing in and exposing the darker sides of the rap lifestyle. With constant references to jewelry, a desert-set video that may be an homage to Fallout, Post’s favourite video game, and a verse from go-to guest feature Ty Dolla $ign, it would be psycho not to foresee this relaxed rap track becoming a summer radio mainstay.
#4: “God’s Plan” (2018)
Drake
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OK, we know this track debuted in January… so how can it be in the running for song of the summer? The answer is, even though it arrived a few months ago, this relentlessly feel-good party record just hasn’t disappeared. Drake is notorious for dropping tracks in the winter that thaw come summertime, and “God’s Plan” is no exception. The song is just too much of an infectious ear worm, and when you combine that with a ready-made viral video, a string of other hit singles, and a forthcoming album… then Drake may be the one to beat this summer.
#3: “One Kiss” (2018)
Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa
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What’s the recipe for ensuring a spot on the charts all summer long? Take is a Calvin Harris-produced house beat, stir in a spirited female vocal performance, add a dash of funk and blend it all together. Dua Lipa and Calvin Harris have both scored seasonal pop anthems by themselves, but together they’re unstoppable with this track that is at once retro and futuristic. Every summer needs that mellow hit about blossoming summer love, and this one pulses like two heartbeats in sync on a dance floor. It’s been blasting from radios since back in April, but we think it has enough momentum to carry through to the end.
#2: “This Is America” (2018)
Childish Gambino
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Let’s face it: the world is in a state of disarray, and sometimes mindless pop isn’t exactly the kind of art we want to engage with. Enter Childish Gambino, today’s preeminent rapper, with a track that toggles between the high delight of a folk melody to sheer trap chaos in a matter of seconds. The song is inseparable from its now-legendary music video, which used politically-charged metaphors and shocking imagery to depict gun violence and racism in contemporary America. It got loads of people talking, and for good reason: it’s a wake-up call compared to what typically rules the radio. Even as it kills our replay button, it fuels an important conversation.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honourable mentions.
“Youth” (2018)
Shawn Mendes feat. Khalid
“Lucid Dreams (Forget Me)” (2018)
Juice WRLD
“Girls Like You” (2018)
Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B
#1: “I Like It” (2018)
Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin
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In the spirit of last year’s “Despacito” remix, our #1 song of the summer uses the influence of Latin music to craft an incontestable bop for all your sunshine basking needs. Updating a sample from Pete Rodriguez’s “I Like It Like That” to give it a salsa-meets trap-aesthetic, “I Like It” serves an ideal soundtrack for letting loose or laying back. If 2017 was Cardi B’s breakout year, then 2018 solidifies her a one of the biggest artists around. With a Miami-shot video bursting in color, “I Like It” is about wearing shades but never throwing it: it’s for living in the moment and soaking up every last bit of the summer while it’s here.
