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Friday, May 23, 2014

Ranking The Potential 2014 Song of the Summer Candidates

5) Calvin Harris "Summer"

Calvin Harris' "Summer" is the perfect blend of pop mainstream EDM. It's fast enough to dance to but just slow enough that it feels like the dog days of summer. Its biggest problem though is that it tries too hard. A rich man doesn't need to tell you he's rich and a summer jam doesn't need to tell you it's a summer jam. Even The Fresh Prince's "Summertime" is barely a summertime jam anymore.

4) Iggy Azalea f/ Charli XCX "Fancy"

When it's all said and done, I think we're going to remember the Summer of 2014 as the Summer of Iggy Azalea, but I think it will be because of a combination to "Fancy" *plus* #2 on this list, and not any one song alone. But that being said, I think "Fancy" has two things going against it (and no, the fact that it's an Iggy Azalea song is *not* one of them). The first is that it's sort of a statement song. Summer jams are pure bangers through and through. The second is that I think it's peaking too early. It's already up to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it has already made Grantland's Overplayed Song of the Week. Robin Thick's "Blurred Lines" didn't hit #1 until the middle on June. Same with Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" in 2012.

3) Ed Sheeran "Sing"

"Sing" is produced by Pharrell, which is not only why it feels like a summer jam, but why it's destined to duke it out to become the Song of the Summer. Pharrell is partially responsible for both Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" and Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines", the hand down top 2 songs of the summer of 2013. Pharrell's "Happy" would have been the Song of the Summer this year, but it's already been #1 for two straight months in the spring. Even great songs have their limits and "Happy" has already stretched beyond its limit. Anyways, back to Sheeran. The biggest problem that "Sing" has is that it shouldn't be an Ed Sheeran song. It should be a Justin Timberlake song, or hell, it should be Pharrell's song. If Pharrell had followed up "Happy" with 'Sing" then "Sing" would jump to the top of this list. But the hipster, white-boy version of "Sing" holds its potential back.

2) Ariana Grande f/ Iggy Azalea "Problem"

Holy shit is "Problem" one catchy ass song. I'm not typically a fan of this kind of song, but I can't get The Ying Yang Twins Whisper Song "I Got One Less Problem Without Cha" line out of my head. It's probably too much of a break up song to be considered a Song of the Summer, but with no real catchy pop banger competition, "Problem" will just have to do. It scares me a little that it's already #3 on Billboard's Top 100, but with John Legend's "All Of Me" still strongly holding down that top spot and Iggy Azalea's "Fancy" still too new to be considered truly overplayed, there's no reason "Problem" can't become #1 on Billboard in a month.

1) Kongos "Come With Me Now"

This may be wishful thinking on my part, but the same reaction I had when I first heard "Come With Me Now" on the radio was the feeling I had when I first heard Daft Punk's "Get Lucky". I know "Blurred Lines" is the technical 2013 Song of the Summer, but in my mind it always was and will always be "Get Lucky." Adrianne Grande can take #1 on Billboard, Kongos will become the true 2014 Song of the Summer. Its hook is catchy and repeatable, and the song is isn't about anything. That makes for the perfect Song of the Summer because you can both dance to it while having it play on the beach. You don't need to be in the perfect mood to listen to "Come With Me Now" like you may have to with other songs on this list.


- Pharrell's "Happy": The song is already overplayed and kids are still in school. No way it lasts all summer.

- Lady Antebellum's "Bartender": The absolute perfect summer song... except that it's a country song. I like "Bartender" a lot (and I'm the first person to hate on country music) but the fact remains is that The Song of the Summer can't be country; it's still too niche.

- Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake's "Love Never Felt So Good": It feels too much like an 1980's song to be considered 2014's Song of the Summer. Kids today probably don't even know who Michael Jackson was.

- Usher's "Good Kisser": Too choppy and weird of a beat that it's barely a banger.

- Katy Perry's "Birthday": Katy Perry is no stranger to having the Song of the Summer, but come on, this is a birthday song. A birthday song just can't be a Song of the Summer.

- Coldplay's "A Sky Full of Stars": Anytime your Mom says, "Hey, I like that song" automatically disqualifies you to be the Song of the Summer.

