Spotify’s Sizzling 2023 Songs of Summer Are Here
We’ve been waiting all summer, speculating and ruminating on what hot tracks would rise to the top as the songs of the summer. And now we have our answers for what hits have dominated during the past few months.
Drumroll please . . .
Globally, the most-streamed song of the summer is Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s smash hit, “Ella Baila Sola.”
In the U.S., the most-streamed song is Morgan Wallen’s croon-worthy track “Last Night,” the first country song to claim the title on Spotify.
Digging in for a global look
“Ella Baila Sola” topped the chart this summer. Eslabon Armado, an American música Mexicana group, is no stranger to success, with many music awards under their belt. And we knew Peso Pluma was a talent to watch when we declared him a Spotify RADAR artist earlier this year. Three other tracks of Peso Pluma’s also made it into the global Top 30 list this summer: “La Bebe – Remix,” “Peso Pluma: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 55,” and “El Azul.” It’s a big moment for the música Mexicana genre, which has seen 430% growth on Spotify over the past five years, globally.
Coming in hot as the second-most-streamed song globally is Bad Bunny’s “WHERE SHE GOES,” while Jung Kook and Latto’s “Seven” sits at number three.
Antonio Vazquez, Head of U.S. Latin Editorial at Spotify, explained why it’s no surprise that música Mexicana is taking hold of the charts. “Watching the rise of ‘Ella Baila Sola’ to become the global song of the summer has been truly exhilarating,” he said. “It’s a testament to how música Mexicana is not only capturing hearts but also dominating the international music scene and becoming one of the top growth-driving genres globally. This feels like an important milestone, and it’s only getting started.”
Latin music’s popularity has consistently and remarkably risen worldwide. “It’s not just about catchy beats anymore; artists are successfully infusing their music with their personal stories, experiences, and a sense of cultural pride,” said Antonio. “This authenticity, combined with cross-genre collaborations and a globalized music landscape, is contributing to the unstoppable growth of Latin music.” Antonio also noted that “the strong appeal of ‘Ella Baila Sola’ can be attributed to its unique blend of elements that resonate across cultures—the vibrant trombone-driven sound and the infectious requinto intro create a captivating experience.”
Summer party in the USA
In the U.S., listeners were feeling a little bit country this summer, with Morgan Wallen’s track “Last Night” as the most-streamed song. “‘Last Night’ has all the trappings of a hit that transcends genre,” explained Rachel Whitney, Head of Editorial, Nashville. “It kicks off with a storyline that keeps you guessing, and lands in the catchiest hook. It pulls in audiences from across the popular-music spectrum, with elements of R&B, pop, and country all in one. Between the beat, the hook, and the stripped-down guitar intro and Wallen’s signature southern drawl, it’s a song that can get people dancing or gathered around a campfire.”
Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola” is the second-most-streamed song in the U.S., and Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” holds down the number three position.
Overall, listeners had a lot of love for country hits as they splashed the summer away: Five songs from the genre made it onto the U.S. Top 20 list. As Rachel shared, this isn’t so surprising as summer is the season when listening really peaks for country fans—country songs are perfect for road trips and lake days. Morgan landed two more hits on the list with “You Proof” and “Wasted On You,” while “Fast Car” by Luke Combs and “Something in the Orange” by Zach Bryan also made the cut.
“Artists like Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan, and Taylor Swift—with the release of her country album Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)—have driven a surge in the popularity of country music over the summer, especially with younger fans,” said Rachel.
Sunny trends taking over the states
Here’s what else was trending in the U.S. this summer.
Viva Latino
From música Mexicana to reggaetón, Latin music made up 25% of the Top 20 U.S. list, with many tracks also included in our global list. “un x100to” by Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny, “La Bebe – Remix” by Yng Lvcas and Peso Pluma, and “TQM” by Fuerza Regida are among the standouts.
Angsty anthems
Emotions ruled with revenge pop anthems like “vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo, “Kill Bill” by SZA, “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” by PinkPantheress and Ice Spice, and, of course, Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer.”
Hi, Barbie!
One of the summer’s biggest films also drove streams, with two tracks from Barbie The Album making the Top 20 list: “Barbie World (with Aqua) [From Barbie The Album]” by Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, and Aqua, and “Dance The Night (From Barbie The Album)” by Dua Lipa.
Punchy podcast picks and grade-A audiobooks
Music kept the pool parties going, but podcasts and audiobooks were equally hot. Add these faves to your list.
Spotify Editorial’s U.S. summer podcast picks:
- The Prince Mixtape
- Call Her Daddy
- Believable: The Coco Berthmann Story
- Spellcaster: The Fall of Sam Bankman-Fried
- Lost Hills: The Dark Prince
- The Comment Section with Drew Afualo
- Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
- Texas Monthly True Crime: Stephenville
- LA Made: The Barbie Tapes
- The Laverne Cox Show
Spotify Editorial’s summer audiobook reads:
- Yellowface by RF Kuang
- Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS by BTS, Myeongseok Kang
- Sing Your Name Out Loud by Jason Derulo
- The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
- Out of Nowhere by Sandra Brown
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
- Happy Place by Emily Henry
Summer’s not over yet, so there’s still plenty of time to queue up our Songs of Summer playlist for your next gathering. And if you’re heading out on one last sunny vacation, don’t forget to take a look at our podcast picks and audiobook selections for the perfect story for beach listening.
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Spotify’s most-streamed songs of summer, globally:
- “Ella Baila Sola” by Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma
- “WHERE SHE GOES” by Bad Bunny
- “Seven (feat. Latto)” by Jung Kook, Latto
- “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift
- “La Bebe – Remix” by Yng Lvcas, Peso Pluma
- “un x100to” by Grupo Frontera, Bad Bunny
- “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus
- “Daylight” by David Kushner
- “Sprinter” by Dave, Central Cee
- “As It Was” by Harry Styles
- “Cupid – Twin Ver.” by FIFTY FIFTY
- “LALA” by Myke Towers
- “Kill Bill” by SZA
- “Peso Pluma: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 55” by Bizarrap, Peso Pluma
- “vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo
- “Dance The Night (From Barbie The Album)” by Dua Lipa
- “Classy 101” by Feid, Young Miko
- “TQM” by Fuerza Regida
- “I Wanna Be Yours” by Arctic Monkeys
- “Calm Down” by Rema, Selena Gomez
Spotify’s most-streamed songs of summer in the U.S.:
- “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen
- “Ella Baila Sola” by Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma
- “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift
- “fukumean” by Gunna
- “vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo
- “Fast Car” by Luke Combs
- “Kill Bill” by SZA
- “See You Again (feat. Kali Uchis)” by Tyler, The Creator
- “un x100to” by Grupo Frontera, Bad Bunny
- “You Proof” by Morgan Wallen
- “All My Life (feat. J. Cole)” by Lil Durk, J. Cole
- “WHERE SHE GOES” by Bad Bunny
- “La Bebe – Remix” by Yng Lvcas, Peso Pluma
- “Barbie World (with Aqua) [From Barbie The Album]” by Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, Aqua
- “Something in the Orange” by Zach Bryan
- “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” by PinkPantheress, Ice Spice
- “Wasted On You” by Morgan Wallen
- “TQM” by Fuerza Regida
- “Dance The Night (From Barbie The Album)” by Dua Lipa
- “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift
