The Song of the Summer?
The Fiercest (and Most Important) Debate of the Year
T. F. C. Kierse
WHILE WINTER RAGES IN AUSTRALIA, there remains one major question for our American and European friends. What fantastic tune of the finest singers will have the illustrious title of “The Song of the Summer”? While the debate is broad throughout with contenders such as Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy), it seems like the two main competitors are Sabrina Carpenter’s pop hit “Espresso”, or Tommy Richman’s classic “Million Dollar Baby”. So, what is the general consensus, and do these hits live up to the former greats that have been hit with the title?
Image Credit: Google
Well first, what determines a “Song of the Summer”? According to every student’s most trusted friend Wikipedia, the definition verbatim is “an unofficial designation of the song that is dominant both culturally and commercially between the end of May and the beginning of September in a given year, primarily in the United States.”. Right, pretty simple concept. A “Song of the Summer” is the most culturally significant and relevant song in the summertime in the Northern Hemisphere.
Let’s then move on. What are some examples to base these two candidates off? While there is no formal award for a “Song of the Summer”, it is most likely very easy to pick a winner based on popular opinion and common sense. Previous winners include Katy Perry’s “California Gurls” in 2010, Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” in 2013, and Jack Harlow’s “First Class” in 2022. All are popular hits to this day, and most certainly captured the public’s attention during their initial publication.
Sabrina Carpenter, Singer of “Espresso”
So, let’s review the cases for the two main competitors. Firstly, Carpenter’s “Espresso” has spent over four weeks on top of the Global 200 Billboard and has amassed over 970 million streams on different platforms. Although impressive, Carpenter has had previous success in pop music with hits such as “Nonsense” and “Feather”, and being associated with Taylor Swift, as she had performed as an opening act many times, including in Sydney. Nonetheless, an extremely strong case for the up-and-coming Carpenter’s number one hit.
Tommy Richman, Singer of “Million Dollar Baby”
Conversely, Tommy Richman is new to the music scene. Relatively unknown before his hit, this makes his rise to the top of the music industry all the more impressive. While only achieving 670 million streams, it peaked at Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 and has hit number one in the charts in numerous countries, including Australia, Latvia and New Zealand. Although a bit more niche, it is very catchy and has been praised by critics.
My personal opinion is that Carpenter’s “Espresso” takes the cake in this race. The cultural phenomenon of the newly anointed “Queen of Pop” has been extreme, and there is no debating the quality and catchy nature of her headline hit. Not to understate the cultural relevance of Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby”, which has been Number one on popular social media outlets such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, but its relevance in culture among not only the internet but among people is simply less than that of “Espresso”. For me, that seems to settle the debate.
“The Song of the Summer” is a long fought after title and should continue to be into the future. Stars often base their releases and genres on the ability to achieve the illustrious title, as it brings with it a deeper cultural meaning than just a title. But now a new question arises: will the classical pop musical establishment arise to the new kids on the block, challenging them for their top spots on the Charts? When will we see the next hit from Beyonce? Where is Taylor Swift’s contender?
But for now, the rise of Tommy Richman, and the anointing of Sabrina Carpenter will most likely represent a new generation coming through snatching this title year after year. But until the establishment returns, or new stars emerge, the debate will most certainly continue to rage on.