I finished the three minutes of the song, and I'm like, oh, I need to hear this again immediately, and I need - I just need it everywhere.
You got to have replayability, right? Because the song of the summer you hear all the time, and this does it for me. RASCOE: And so what is it about this song that stands out to you?ĬRUZ: It's catchy. Drag you out at midnight to dance in headlights and making out in the rain. TOVE LO: (Singing) Look alive and come with me. But I could totally see it as something that will stick with us for a few weeks at least to get us through the end of the summer. So something that I've been tuned into and a lot of my friends I've been tuned into is the song "2 Die 4" by Tove Lo, which very recently came out. And I think you can look to a lot of gay clubs, and you can look to a lot of the queer and trans population specifically on what songs become song of the summer because I feel like those communities have a tune to the sort of saccharine popness that we need in an effective song of the summer. And I say that off of Beyonce's album, which is clearly a dedication to gay, Black and brown communities through the use of ballroom music. RASCOE: So give us something to wrap up with here.ĬRUZ: I think song of the summer contenders - something that I think is really interesting about them is that they sort of cater to the queer community. UNIDENTIFIED SINGER: (Singing in Spanish).
And me personally - I'm Puerto Rican, so I like listening to it because it's an ode to Puerto Rico, and it makes me think of my culture. And the song for me that is my personal song of the summer is "El apagon" off of "Un verano sin ti."ĬRUZ: It's indicative of a particular energy that comes with tropical temperatures. I think the album of the summer comes from none other than Bad Bunny because it sort of speaks to that zeitgeist. RASCOE: So you're also bringing us some heat from Puerto Rico, right?ĬRUZ: Wepa, baby. RASCOE: I mean - and part of this is this is a summer where people are trying to, you know, be back outside, you know? Feeling fussy, walkin' in my Balenci-ussies, tryna bring out the fabulous.ĬRUZ: Lizzo does a really great job at capturing the public consciousness through her music and kind of making it this omnipresent event. LIZZO: (Singing) In a minute, I'ma need a sentimental man or woman to pump me up. The part where she's like, Balenci-ussies (ph), you know. There's that breakdown in the middle, which I've seen a lot on, like, TikTok and Instagram. There's a bright summery sound, on Lizzo specifically, between "About Damn Time's" guitar, like thinking of, like, Nile Rodgers, Chic, Prince, that sort of vibe. And I think a lot of what we hear in Lizzo is sort of similar to what we're hearing in Beyonce - the sort of disco revival, a lot of syncopation. 1 on Billboard during the heat of the summer, so I feel like that's inherently a qualification for it to be in song of the summer discussion. What do you think about that song, and how does it rank in Lizzo's body of work?ĬRUZ: Well, the song currently is No. RASCOE: She is on your list of must-haves this summer. LIZZO: (Singing) Turn up the music, turn down the lights. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME") RASCOE: Another person who has some really great dance songs, really upbeat up-tempo - you have "About Damn Time" by Lizzo. Like you're in the club, everything blends together, kind of goes from one track to another. It's what Beyonce was intending, I assume, especially with the seamless transitions, which make me think of a house or a disco mix. I just felt like I was in a hot, sweaty club, even though I'm just sitting here at my desk doing, you know, interviews.ĬRUZ: Yeah, I mean, as an avid clubgoer, I feel like you hearing it as if you're in a hot, sweaty club is the perfect mindset to be at. And I was dancing, you know, with the arms.ĬRUZ: With the gloves that have the lights on the end, and people kind of move them around? And I've never been to a rave, but, like, I had glow sticks. And then the other thing is it made me feel like I was almost, like, at a rave. I didn't even know you could do that anymore. It's all the songs - like, they have transitions into each other. RASCOE: First of all, I think we really need to give some space to Beyonce because it is a sound of the summer. So we've called Reanna Cruz, who's with Vulture's music podcast "Switched On Pop" in Los Angeles. RASCOE: But there is a lot of other good music out this summer, so we want to take time to talk about the iconic Beyonce and also do right by other hardworking artists also worthy of your eardrums. (SOUNDBITE OF BEYONCE SONG, "CHURCH GIRL")īeyonce has a new album called "Renaissance." And like a lot of things Beyonce does, it's like a solar eclipse.īEYONCE: (Singing) I've been up.