Tag: Songs of Summer

Quiz: This Week on ‘For the Record’

July 2, 2021

Think you're up-to-date on the latest in Spotify news, data, and trends? Take our quiz to test just how well you’ve been following along.

1. Spotify’s Songs of Summer predictions are here! Which of the following songs is featured on our playlist?
2. What advice did EQUAL artist of the month Barbara Pravi give other women artists?
3. The new Summer Breakouts playlist is made up of tracks that Spotify’s editorial experts predict will pop off this summer, while also ranking the order in which they appear to fit each user’s taste. How often is this playlist updated?
4. On June 21, Spotify launched “Enjoy Enjaami - Spotify Singles,” a collaboration between Dhee and DJ Snake. It marked the first Spotify Singles recording in which country?
5. This Pride Month, our on- and off-platform campaign encouraged LGBTQIA+ creators, artists, and Spotify employees to:
6. “Body - Remix” by Russ Millions and Tion Wayne and featuring ArrDee, Fivio Foreign, Bugzy Malone, E1 (3×3), ZT (3×3), Buni, and Darkoo, became the first-ever U.K. drill track to be featured on which playlist?
7. Which European contest did Italian rock band Måneskin win most recently?

Spotify’s 2021 Summer Song Predictions Are Here

June 29, 2021

We’ve been counting the days, and summer has finally arrived in the Northern Hemisphere. As parts of the world begin opening up for outdoor concerts and backyard barbecues, this is sure to be a season dominated by feel-good jams and odes to a fresh start. 

Spotify’s global curation team has been hard at work reviewing streaming numbers, analyzing current track trajectory, and peering into crystal balls—all in service of forecasting what songs may feature heavily on your playlists this summer.

Grab your sunscreen and headphones. Here, in no particular order, are Spotify’s official Songs of Summer predictions:

Ready to bask in the sunshine to a new soundtrack? Stream Spotify’s Songs of Summer playlist.

The Most-Streamed Songs and Podcasts of Summer 2020

August 25, 2020

The summer of 2020 was unique from the start, with celebrations like Pride and music festivals like Notting Hill Carnival taking place virtually for the first time. But as always, people turned to music and podcasts as lively, consistent sources for comfort and entertainment, both in person and apart. And most notably, they turned to “ROCKSTAR” by DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch, which soared to its spot as the most-streamed song of summer 2020.

With more than 380 million streams between June 1 and August 15, the track has been a mainstay on our global chart and is one of the year’s most-played songs on our flagship RapCaviar playlist. The track’s success is certainly not lost on DaBaby himself.

“I knew ROCKSTAR was going to be a hit while I was creating the record,” the rapper told Spotify. “But to watch the world make it into a global hit is an amazing feeling. God is great!”

Read on for more about the songs that dominated summer, plus, for the first time, the top podcasts. Finally, check out our new digital experience to help you feel some of the summer vibes you may have missed.

Sing along to the top songs of summer

Following DaBaby’s “Rockstar” is The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights,” which takes the slot for the second-most-streamed song this summer. It racked up just under 340 million streams between June 1 and August 15, and although it was released last November, it speaks to cities being “cold and empty.” In third place is SAINt JHN’s upbeat jam “Roses – Imanbek Remix,” which collected over 280 million streams and was added to many workout playlists.

Harry Styles infused plenty of flavor with “Watermelon Sugar,” which also landed in the top 5. Dua Lipa features twice in the top 20 with “Don’t Start Now” and “Break My Heart,” two tracks featured on the singer-songwriter’s album Future Nostalgia, which she released during quarantine. Ariana Grande also brought double trouble—in the best way possible—with her hit collaborations “Rain On Me” with Lady Gaga and “Stuck with U” with Justin Bieber. Scroll to see the full song list below. 

Get hooked on the top podcasts of summer 

It may have only launched three weeks ago, but that didn’t stop The Michelle Obama Podcast from becoming the top podcast of the summer with millions of listeners. The former first lady took to the mic to speak to listeners on topical themes such as identity, self-care, and family.  

Speaking of topical, listeners were clearly in the mood for plenty of news: NPR News Now and The Daily were the second- and third-most-popular podcasts based on number of listeners between June 1 and August 15. Other top shows include Call Her Daddy, TED Talks Daily, and Harry Potter At Home: Readings, as read by familiar voices like Daniel Radcliffe and Helena Bonham Carter. The mystery obsessed sunk their teeth into Crime Junkie, Last Podcast on the Left, and My Favorite Murder.

Dive into our new digital experience

Didn’t get to take the summer vacation of your dreams this year? Get transported—digitally—to somewhere summery with our new immersive experience, Wish You Were Here. You’ll be able to enjoy some of the season’s biggest hits overlaid with those summer sounds you may have missed: think crashing waves, a sizzling barbeque, or a crackling campfire.

Our 2020 Songs of Summer Predictions Have Arrived Along With Your Summer Rewind

June 23, 2020

Ahh, summer. Time for long days, warm nights, and outdoor adventures. While this year may look a little different in many parts of the world, one thing’s for sure: music will continue to be the backdrop for the best moments the season has to offer.

So what songs are most likely to soundtrack summer 2020? We turned to our global curation team to find out. They took a look into their crystal ball (a.k.a. current streaming numbers and trends) to come up with Spotify’s official Songs of Summer predictions. The songs that rack up the most streams by summer’s end will join the ranks of past top songs, including Drake’s “In My Feelings” and Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello’s “Señorita.”

Speaking of which—for those who are feeling a bit nostalgic for summer days gone by, we’re bringing back an oldie but goodie: Your Summer Rewind. This personalized playlist is comprised of songs listeners had on heavy rotation during previous summers.  

Songs of Summer Predictions

From hip-hop to indie, our 2020 Songs of Summer predictions have a little something for everyone.

Our list includes new hits like DaBaby’s “ROCKSTAR (feat. Roddy Ricch)” and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage Remix” (featuring Beyoncé), as well as older tracks like “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles, which was released in 2019 but remains a fan favorite. Plus, as the cultural conversation has shifted on ways to support the Black community, two songs in particular have made a comeback: “This is America” by Childish Gambino and “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar, both of which are likely to be on repeat all summer long.

And now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for. In no particular order, our list of summer 2020 predictions. 

Ready to get sunglass season started? Stream the official Songs of Summer playlist—which will update all summer long with the hottest hits—below.

Your Summer Rewind

Even if you can’t travel very far this summer, you can take a trip down memory lane with Your Summer Rewind playlist. For each user who has streamed songs during the summer in previous years, we’ve pulled together a personalized mix of past summer jams sure to send you daydreaming. Starting today, the playlist is available to Free and Premium listeners in the Northern Hemisphere on iOS and Android.

 

If you’re looking for even more music, or are new to Spotify this summer, we’ve got you covered like SPF 50 and a wide-brimmed hat. Check out our Summer Hub to find everything from Your Summer Rewind to a mix of the hottest playlists and podcasts to liven up your summer. Stay cool.

Spotify’s Most Streamed Songs of Summer 2019

August 27, 2019

We know what they did this summer. Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello turned up the heat with their second collaboration, “Señorita,” which is Spotify’s most-streamed global song of the summer for 2019. With more than 565 million streams since its June release, the hit track has simmered atop Spotify’s Global Top 50 chart for eight straight weeks. 

Understandably, Shawn is pretty excited about this: 

 

Listeners also favored another collaboration during the Northern Hemisphere’s warmer months: Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber’s “I Don’t Care” is the second most-streamed song this summer globally, followed by “bad guy” by Billie Eilish. 

And a tip of the (cowboy) hat must go to breakout rapper-singer Lil Nas X, whose “Old Town Road” took off in the Spring – as both a meme and a hit song – and the remix featuring Billy Ray Cyrus is the summer’s fourth most-streamed track globally. Proving that he’s no one-hit-wonder, Lil Nas X has a smash in follow-up single “Panini,” too, which is also featured on our global top summer songs list. 

Rapper Lizzo has also had an impressive breakout year, and this summer, her sleeper hit “Truth Hurts” reached fever pitch. Scotish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi also stepped into the (sun)light; our listeners around the world couldn’t get enough of his piano ballad “Someone You Loved” this summer. 

Another newcomer is Panamanian singer Sech, whose R&B twist on reggaeton is resonating with Spotify listeners as a fresh sound. His collaboration with Darell on “Otro Trago” is one of five Spanish-language songs to land in the top 20 most-streamed songs globally. Also taking off is Puerto Rico’s Lunay, whose “Soltera – Remix” got a great boost from Daddy Yankee and Bad Bunny.

In the US, the most-streamed song of the summer comes from breakout rapper Lil Tecca. His track “Ransom” shot to the top of our US Top 50 chart three weeks ago, and since then, Lil Tecca’s audience has grown from 12 million monthly listeners to more than 19 million on Spotify. 

It’s the breakout artist story we love to tell at Spotify. Our music editors saw Lil Tecca’s potential from the get-go, and in March added his track “Molly Girl” to our Fresh Finds playlist. After debuting “Ransom” in our Most Necessary playlist in May, the track’s momentum was clear, and it continued to resonate with listeners and grow in multiple playlists, like New Music Friday, Pop Rising, Clout Culture, Today’s Top Hits and of course, on our signature hip-hop playlist, RapCaviar. 

“Seeing Lil Tecca’s track pop as a result of our team throwing support behind it is so rewarding,” said Spotify’s Head of Urban Music, Carl Chery. “As usual, our listeners guide the way, and the energy around ‘Ransom’ is evident from the moment it hits each playlist.” 

Relive the sound of summer 2019 by streaming the top 20 on our Songs of the Summer playlist. 

 

Catching Up with Bazzi after Spotify’s Songs of Summer Soiree

July 1, 2019

R&B/pop artist Bazzi started making waves in the music world with the 2018 release of his breakout album, Cosmic. But there’s no telling what the stars have in store for the 21-year-old singer, rapper, and producer—and with the start of summer in the U.S., he’s plenty busy.  

Bazzi opened the month of June with his release of “Focus (featuring 21 Savage).” The collaboration revealed the young performer’s genre-blending range and dynamic musical ability. Then, Tuesday night, June 25, Bazzi took to the stage at Spotify’s Songs of Summer Soiree in New York City to celebrate the start of the summer season and Spotify’s Summer Rewind playlist with music and nostalgic trivia of songs from summers past. DJ Steph Cakes played the tables as the sun set over NYC, and then Bazzi took the floor.

How Well Do You Know the Spotify Songs of Summer? Take Our Nostalgia Quiz

June 25, 2019

It’s (finally) getting hot in the northern hemisphere, which means it’s time to start searching for the perfect summer song. Each year, we release our own predictions on which tracks will be the hottest songs of the season. Now we’re also taking a look back at the tracks that ruled summers past. Take our quiz below to find out if you remember all the artists that soundtracked your summertime.

It's getting hot in here.
So take our summer music quiz.

Start

The year was 1995 and crop tops were everywhere. Which track was not a top summer jam that year?

"Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" - Los Del Rio

The “Macarena” was a massive global hit in 1996, not 1995. Today on Spotify, the track averages 30K streams per day and is especially popular in Mexico and Germany.

Which artist has claimed two Spotify songs of the summer in the past 5 years?

Drake

Drake's “One Dance” was the most-streamed song in 2016 and “In My Feelings” was the top summer song in 2018. Kiki, do you still love me?

Which popular summer song from the aughts was parodied by “Weird Al” Yankovic as “Trash Day?”

“Hot in Herre” - Nelly

Nelly's "Hot in Herre," which ruled charts in the summer of 2002, appears in nearly 8 million playlists on Spotify. 

In 2012, we were all obsessively tending to our terrariums, sharing corgi memes, and listening to one summer bop nonstop. What was that song?

“Call Me Maybe” - Carly Rae Jepsen

Curiously, this peppy track sees a significant spike in streams whenever the month of May rolls around. 

Which summer hit tested Justin Bieber’s Spanish-speaking abilities?

“Despacito (Remix)”

“Despacito (Remix)” by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee & Bieber streamed 780M+ times in the summer of 2017.

Survivors’s “Eye of the Tiger” is widely considered to be 1982’s song of the summer. Today, in which Spotify playlist does it stream the most?

All Out 80s

But there’s no denying that when played at the right volume, "Eye of the Tiger" can bring out anyone’s swagger.

Not every summer song is a carefree, feel-good jam. Which song stalked the charts to become
the song of the summer in 1983?

“Every Breath You Take” - The Police

Understood to be about stalking a former lover, “Every Breath You Take” is always popular with Spotify listeners, who have streamed it 85M+ times so far in 2019 alone.

There are 135K+ songs with the word “summer” in the title on Spotify. Which one is the most streamed?

“Summer” - Calvin Harris

“Summer” was also Spotify’s most-streamed song in summer 2014.

Which musician told the world they were suffering from “summertime sadness”?

Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Ray released the song “Summertime Sadness” in June 2012. While it’s not especially upbeat, the track is still a popular pick for listeners’ summer-themed playlists on Spotify.

Complete this lyric from the Grease classic “Summer Nights.” We went strolling, drank _____.

Lemonade

Lemonade. That sounds pretty refreshing, doesn't it? Bottoms up - you made it to the end of the quiz.
Let's see how you did...

You scored out of !

Beat the heat with more cool summer jams.

 

Just in time for those beach or poolside days, we’re also renewing Your Summer Rewind. The personalized playlist is filled with songs you listened to heavily on Spotify during your past steamy, streaming summers. Users in some regions that celebrate summer starting in June* can find their playlist on the Summer Hub and at spotify.com/rewind.  

*Including United States, Great Britain, Mexico, Germany, Spain, Canada, France, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Belgium, Ireland, Czech Republic, Portugal, Austria, Japan, and for the very first time Romania and Israel.