Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7lLO2Hxo536ryyzWC4A8UV
The hits of summer 2024, a vibrant mix of genres from rap to pop to country, provided everyone with music to remember. I polled around 5 Greeley students (mostly freshmen), and here are their top hits for the summer of 2024:
HOT TO GO by Chappell Roan
Chappell Roan is quickly becoming a superstar. Roan grew up in Missouri and got her first taste of fame when she released the song “Die Young” on YouTube. In her debut album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” released in September 2023, HOT TO GO is the most popular song and takes after the classic YMCA song as she encourages fans to spell out the words with their hands. Like most of Chappell’s songs, the song fits into the indie pop genre.
Not Like Us by Kendrick Lamar
“Not Like Us” was written as part of Kendrick Lamar’s feud with Drake. It was released shortly after (around 20 hours) another Drake diss track (“Meet the Grahams”) on May 4, 2024. Kendrick calls out some of Drake’s alleged illegal behaviors with minors. The song, a mix of hip-hop and rap, blew up due to its catchiness and how it exposed Drake, another popular rapper and singer.
Apple by Charli XCX
Charli XCX is a known name in the music industry as she has had hit songs in the past such as “Boom Clap” and “Speed Drive”; the latter was featured in the 2023 film “Barbie”. This summer, Charli XCX’s album “Brat” blew up, with many calling the season a “Brat Summer.” All the songs on “Brat” became viral, and “Apple” is the most popular of them all with its own trending TikTok dance. Like Charli’s other music, “Apple” is a mix of electropop and synthpop.
Birds of a Feather by Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish initially rose to fame at the age of 14 with her song “Ocean Eyes”. Her most popular song is “BIRDS OF A FEATHER,” which has approximately 1.2 billion streams on Spotify as of October (released on July 2, 2024, with the rest of the album “Hit Me Hard, Hit Me Soft”). Fitting into the romantic pop genre, the song is about Eilish’s desire to stay with her lover.
Beautiful Things by Benson Boone
After emerging as a star on TikTok, Benson Boone went on the show American Idol. Boone is most known for his songs “In the Stars” and “Beautiful Things”, which were released in January 2024. The song is along the lines of pop rock and general pop music. Often used as a trending TikTok audio, “Beautiful Things” reflects on Boone’s outlook on his career and life journey.
Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter started her career in Hollywood with the sitcom “Girl Meets World”, and her music career started in 2014 with the song “Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying”. After that, she continued to release albums and singles, and recently she even performed the opening song for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour in 2023. Her most popular album is “Short and Sweet” released on August 23, 2024. As the most popular song on the album, “Espresso” is a pop song with elements of funk and disco.
I Had Some Help by Post Malone
Post Malone specializes in a wide range of music genres, from pop to R&B to rap and now to country music. As his first attempt at writing a country song, “I Had Some Help” is a collaboration between Malone and Morgan Wallen, another country pop singer. The song was released on May 10, 2024, and quickly became a hit in the pop and country scenes.
Million Dollar Baby by Tommy Richman
Tommy Richman has been making songs since 2016, but “Million Dollar Baby” is by far his biggest hit. The song blew up on TikTok after he released snippet segments online before its official release on April 26, 2024. The full song was a trending audio that accompanied many TikTok dances.
A Bar Song by Shaboozey
Shaboozey started his music career in 2014 when he released the song “Jeff Gordon”. Shaboozey’s most popular songs are “Start a Riot” and “A Bar Song”. Fitting into country music, “A Bar Song” blew up on TikTok shortly after its release on April 12, 2024.
Good Luck Babe by Chappell Roan
Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck Babe” is a mix of indie, synth, and baroque pop. The song became increasingly popular with Chappell’s appearances in the Coachella Valley Musical Festival, MTV Music Awards, and Jimmy Fallon’s “The Tonight Show.” Not just popular in the U.S., “Good Luck Babe” also went viral in other countries such as Australia and Ireland.
