Setting the right vibe at a summer get-together requires a truly amazing playlist. Fortunately, summer 2018 has provided more in the way of great summer hits than any year in recent history, with fun, danceable tunes hitting the airwaves week after week. Before you try to create the perfect playlist for your next party, make sure you’re well-acquainted with these hits everyone will want to hear:
Drake, “In My Feelings”: Perhaps the biggest, most meme-worthy hit of Drake’s career, “In My Feelings” has become a worldwide phenomenon. The song, which has Drake asking girls if they love him and will stay with him, has become a YouTube sensation, thanks to what’s been dubbed the “In My Feelings Challenge.” To complete the challenge, participants simply dance to the song and lip-synch its lyrics. However, while some of these challenges take place in a luxury condo, others outside in a field, and others in school or office settings, the most ridiculous—and potentially deadly—ones are done when someone jumps from a moving car to replicate the song and dance.
Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin, “I Like It”: Taking a sample from Pete Rodriguez’s iconic 1960s hit “I Like It Like That,” this reggaeton- and rap-infused hit is about as danceable as they get. Combining Cardi’s hilarious rhymes, like “I like those Balenciagas, the ones that look like socks,” and an infectious beat, putting this song on is sure to get any party started.
Janelle Monáe, “Make Me Feel”: Janelle Monáe has been bringing it lyrically for years now, but virtually none of her work comes close to the remarkable tracks she’s put out on her Dirty Computer album, released in April 2018. The most notable among them, however, is “Make Me Feel,” a Prince-inspired funk-pop tune that touches on Monáe’s much-gossiped-about romantic life, as well as the nature of love, in general.
Troye Sivan feat. Ariana Grande, “Dance to This”: With a name like “Dance to This,” you know this Troye Sivan track is going to be a fun song. Fortunately, the tune, which also features Ariana Grande, more than lives up to its name, with a mesmerizing, highly danceable synth and drum-backed beat topped with dreamy vocals.
Lizzo, “Boys”: If you’re looking for a summertime girl power anthem, look no further than Lizzo’s “Boys.” While Lizzo has been serving some of the most fun and eclectic hip-hop the industry has seen for years, “Boys” is truly a game-changer for the industry. Instead of hearing yet another male artist talk endlessly about the joys of the female body, Lizzo takes charge in this song, offering lyrics like, “Baby I don’t need you, I just wanna freak you”.
Who can choose a single song of the summer when there are so many amazing musical numbers hitting the charts on what seems like a daily basis? This summer, liven up any gathering, heat up your workouts, or just throw a solo dance party at home with a playlist full of these can’t-miss hits.