Where Is 2025s Song of the Summer? Professor Joe Bennett comments on why this year doesnt have a clear song of the summer.
By
Tara Bellucci
August 19, 2025
Image by Kelly Davidson
Remember 12 months ago? On TikTok, 2024 was Brat summer. Other songs, like Sabrina Carpenters Espresso, Shaboozeys Bar Song (Tipsy), and Post Malones I Had Some Help were on repeat seemingly everywhere else.
2025 has yet to have a clear winner for song of the summer, and professor Joe Bennett has some ideas on why. He spoke to the Boston Globe about the trend-or lack thereof-this year.
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Songs of the summer as a trend started in the '90s, first with New Yorks Summer Fun issue in 1995, and New York Times music critic Ann Powers bracket competition in 1999. Billboard launched its summer music chart in 2010.
Bennett told the Globe that songs of the summer often have a certain feel-good quality to them. They tend to be up-tempo, often major key, very crowd-pleasing, [with] big hooky choruses, and a relatable lyric theme with the title prominently sung in the chorus, preferably more than once. Examples like Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen and Katy Perrys California Girls fit the bill.
According to music industry data and trend analysis company Luminate, recession pop-music that was released around the 2008 economic recession-is on the rise in streams for its sense of nostalgia and potentially bigger themes of escapism, the company said in a statement.
Joe Bennett
While some people think this years political climate is contributing to a lack of song of the summer, Bennett disagrees. Danceable songs and hedonistic feel-good pop music feels good to anyone, regardless of their politics.
The more likely culprit is how we get our music these days. With streaming, the way we select music is different, Bennett said. People can simply pick the music that they like on a song-by-song basis.
That doesnt mean hes ringing the song of the summers death knell. Personally, his pick is Carpenters Manchild, currently eighth on Billboards summer chart.
The jury's still out for 2025, he said.
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Where Is 2025s Song of the Summer? Professor Joe Bennett comments on why this year doesnt have a clear song of the summer. 
