Since the temperature started creeping up this summer, we’ve been keeping a close eye on the songs that would come to embody the season. Our editors made their predictions in May, we shared an update in July, and now the time has come to share the final results. These are Spotify’s 2026 Songs of Summer: the five tracks that defined the season across the Northern Hemisphere. Our global team of music editors made their selections by weighing streaming data, cultural impact, and their own editorial expertise.
And the list comes from all over the map. We saw listeners lean into Ella Langley’s instant country classic, while others could attest to the undeniable pull of a Sam Fender and Olivia Dean collab. Meanwhile, Shakira and Burna Boy partnered for a global crossover, Yung Miami delivered late-night party energy, and Ariana Grande gave us one of the season’s defining pop hits.
Below, take a closer look at the five tracks that defined the sound of summer 2026. And since they’re all winners in our book, these are listed alphabetically by artist first name.
“hate that i made you love me” by Ariana Grande
Fueled by her Eternal Sunshine Tour, Ariana Grande’s “hate that i made you love me” became an instant summer staple with its polished, emotionally charged pop.
The track debuted at No. 1 on our Global Chart on May 29 and went on to spend 22 days at the top spot and 89 days in the Global Top 10. It ultimately became the most-streamed song of the season on Spotify—helping Ariana reach the milestone of 100 million monthly listeners this August.
“Choosin’ Texas” by Ella Langley
Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” had all the makings of a summer hit before the season even began, pairing a laid-back country sound with heartbreak-inflected lyrics.
The song reached No. 1 in the U.S. and enjoyed a record-breaking run, spending 70 days at the top. But perhaps most striking was its international reach: “Choosin’ Texas” spent 98 days on Spotify’s Global Top 50. And in the U.K., the distinctly American track helped solidify a growing country music trend, becoming one of the most-streamed songs there this summer.
“Rein Me In” by Sam Fender and Olivia Dean
In the U.K. and Ireland, this summer belonged to Sam Fender and Olivia Dean. Their collaboration “Rein Me In” delivered a historic run, spending 75 days at No. 1 in both countries.
With its soaring vocals and singalong chorus, the track became a festival favorite. A standout live performance from Olivia and Sam on one of the summer’s biggest stages added to its momentum, helping the song reach No. 63 on our Global Chart on August 7.
“Dai Dai” by Shakira and Burna Boy
As the official song of the world’s biggest soccer tournament, “Dai Dai” brought its Latin and Afrobeats roots to center stage. It spent 37 days at No. 1 on our Global Charts and reached the top spot in 17 countries, including Switzerland, Germany, and Portugal.
Its biggest streaming day came on July 20, the day after the tournament final, and it was also the most-streamed music video of the season. The song’s success helped Burna Boy’s listenership nearly double over the summer, while Shakira crossed 100 million listeners in July—adding another chapter to her history of beloved soccer anthems.
“Spend Dat” by Yung Miami
Yung Miami of hip-hop duo City Girls made a major solo breakthrough with “Spend Dat.” Its ultra-sticky hook was a natural fit for party playlists, and helped turn the song into one of the season’s biggest hip-hop tracks.
Backed by a viral social media dance, daily streams of the track surged over 200% over the course of the summer, peaking globally on July 25. Yung Miami’s monthly audience itself nearly quadrupled, growing from 1.6 million in May to 6.3 million in August.
Stream the full playlist featuring our original predictions below, then dive deeper into Songs of Summer 2026 with more insights from our editors.
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