BY JULIA SAFRIN
Hit songs are like fresh produce. Songs are written and when they are “ripe” and ready to be delivered to the public, they are released. They get put up on the shelves and bought by consumers. However, they do not stay ripe forever. They define a point in time before and after they are no longer topping the charts. Every time a past hit is played, people are taken back to when this hit could be heard everywhere, back to the year defined by those songs. Here’s a look at five songs that have defined the summer of 2018.
5. Maroon 5 — “Girls Like You”
“Girls Like You” comes off of Maroon 5’s sixth studio album “Red Pill Blues,” released in November 2017. The song did not catch attention until a version featuring rapper Cardi B was released to the public at the end of May 2018. The music video, which starred various female celebrities including Jennifer Lopez and Camila Cabello, further aided in the song’s growing popularity. This song climbed up the Billboard Hot 100 chart since its most recent release, where it peaked at number four and was noted as the biggest in airplay, or how frequently a song is being played on the radio.
4. Bazzi — “Mine”
Bazzi’s break-out hit “Mine” off of his debut album “Cosmic” has been topping the Billboard Hot 100 charts for over 22 weeks and peaked at number 11. What started as a voice memo on his phone has been constantly playing on radio stations for months. With more than 359 million streams on Spotify, it is a song that has made its mark. The lyrics are stuck in people’s brains, whether they are a fan of the song or not. This one will surely go down in the memories of many as one of the most played songs of the summer of 2018.
3. Post Malone — “Psycho”
On the third single off of his sophomore album,“Beerbongs and Bentleys,” hip-hop artist Post Malone raps along with Ty Dolla $ign about the trust issues he developed from his luxurious lifestyle. Like Post Malone’s previous hit, “Rockstar,” “Psycho” also peaked at number one on Billboard Hot 100 and has remained in the top 10 songs for over 17 weeks. Although it may be hard to understand some of Malone’s raps, his catchy beats have led him to fame and constant radio play.
2. Drake — “God’s Plan”
Drake is no stranger to producing hits, with his most recent being “God’s Plan.” Its now famous lyric, “She said, ‘Do you love me?’ I tell her, ‘Only partly’ I only love my bed and my mama, I’m sorry,” has been pasted on T-shirts, phone cases and memes. Its highly successful music video, which has over 730 million views on Youtube, was shot in Miami. The hit was released in January of this year and peaked at number one on Billboard’s Hot 100, staying in the top ten for over 22 weeks. This hit is just one more Drake can add to his long list of successful songs.
1. Selena Gomez — Back to You
Selena Gomez’s “Back to You” played during the second season of “13 Reasons Why,” a Netflix original series she produced and released in May of this year. Although it only peaked at number 22 on Billboard’s Hot 100 after six weeks on the charts, it was named as Rolling Stone magazine’s Official Song of the Summer. Not only did Rolling Stone name it the Official Song of the Summer, “Back to You” has also been nominated for Choice Summer Song at the 2018 Teen Choice Awards. The song may not have climbed up to the top of the charts, but it has definitely gained a great deal of love and recognition.
These songs have defined the summer of 2018. Although they will soon rot like fresh produce and new songs will take their place on the charts, they will forever hold a place in this summer’s memories.
Photo by Julia Safrin
