It's almost that time of year again...We can all sort of feel it when we only have to throw on maybe a hoodie before we walk outside. And every once in a while we can smell and almost taste it when a neighbor down the road decides to cook his first hotdogs and hamburgers out on the grill. And we can just barely see it when we decide to throw on that cool pair of Ray-Bans (or Panama Jacks if you're on the Wal-Mart budget) before we walk to class or drive to work. But we can definitely hear it on the radio or Pandora or iTunes: SUMMER.
Yes. That august time of year that means no school, beach days, sunburns, cookouts, just-for-fun flings, and, most importantly, out-of-this-world music that becomes the soundtrack of our lives from May until September. Visions of every summer (as far back as I can remember, at least) can be conjured up in my mind with the melodies and lyrics of some iconic songs:
D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince's "Summertime," TLC's "Waterfalls," Lisa Loeb's "Stay (I Missed You)," Santana feat. Rob Thomas's "Smooth," Nelly's "Hot in Herre," Beyonce's "Crazy in Love," Usher's "Yeah!," Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone," The Pussycat Dolls' "Buttons," and my personal faves, Rihanna's "Umbrella," Chris Brown's "Forever," and, of course, Miley Cyrus's "Party in the U.S.A." Whether we can hear these songs now and A) joyfully bask in their syrupy, pop-confection gloriousness or B) feel the need to stick rocks in our ears and dry heave like we've been drinking and smoking pot on an empty stomach all day is up to us and our musical tastes. However, no matter what reactions spill forth out of us, we cannot diminish the fortitude of these season-defining tunes.
EXHIBIT A:
"Summertime girls got it going on
Shake and wiggle to a hip-hop song
Summertime girls are the kind I like
I'll steal your honey like I stole your bike"
I think we can all agree that we, as a nation, want nothing more than to forget LFO and "Summer Girls" and these lyrics, yet we simply cannot. Thus, the staying power of the summer song.
Now, as for SUMMER 2010, I have compiled a comprehensive list of songs that I predict will all be vying for the official Summer Song Crown. This title is given to the song that will still be blasting out of the speakers of some random gay club or NAVY-approved strip joint in September. Just when we're all ready to close up the coolers, put away the flip-flops, throw away the half-used bottles of sunblock, and stop drunk-texting that boy or girl from...um...I think...well...we can't remember where they're from, but anyway, you get my point. You may be asking yourself, "Why should I trust Ryan and his 'Summer Girls' quoting ass?" And I can respect that. But at this moment, with my hand over my pop music loving heart, I will promise you this:
Over the next four months, these songs will creep out of your car radio, or slink out of your friend's iPod, or glide out of your favorite bar's jukebox, or wriggle out of your fling's laptop and will have you noddin' your head and tappin' your foot and shakin' your booty. Enjoy!
POP
HIP-HOP/R&B
ROCK
DANCE/CLUB
And, of course, we all need a good song to just chill out to after the that humid summer day when we're surrounded by some of our favorite people and the sunset seems to last especially long and we begin that countdown of how many days left before...
