Footage stills courtesy of Island Records (via YouTube); Interscope Records (via YouTube); Island Records (via YouTube)
Billboard has released its list of the "official" Songs of the Summer for 2024, and as members of the LGBTQ+ community, we have to ask: WTF are these songs???
According to Billboard, the number one song of the summer is something called "I Had Some Help" by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen. We soundly reject that. We also reject songs by Tommy Richman, Hozier, Teddy Swims, Benson Boone, Zach Bryan, and Eminem that were high up on it's list.
Instead, we have some songs that actually have the catchy hooks, memorable lyrics, genre-defying appeal, sing-along-abilty, and just plain greatness to deserve a title like "Song of the Summer."
Remember, these songs are standing up to the legacy of all-time great pop songs like "California Gurls," "Call Me Maybe" and "Old Town Road."
Here are 14 songs that we are naming our official Songs of the Summer!
1. "Not Like Us" by Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar unleashed one of the all-time greatest diss tracks in rap history with this song about fellow rapper Drake. Has there ever been a number one song that features that word "pedophile" so prominently? This song has had us singing along and calling out Drake all summer.
The song has spent 16 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (one more than "I Had Some Help"), peaking at number one.
2. "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey
Currently the number one song in America and spending the last 19 weeks on the chart, "A Bar Song" has made Shaboozey into a household name this summer with this hit that works for all demographics. He spent eight weeks at number one with this party anthem that interpolates J-Kwon's 2004 hit "Tipsy."
3. "Espresso" by Sabrina Carpenter
This truly has been Sabrina Carpenter's year. "Espresso" was literally everywhere this summer, playing on beaches, at clubs, at parties, at barbecues, at malls, and on every teen's streaming service. This is the closest thing to "California Gurls" that we got in 2024.
The song peaked at number 3, but has been in the top ten all summer long and has over a billion streams on Spotify alone.
4. "Good Luck, Babe!" by Chappell Roan
Chappell Roan had her first top ten single with this song about CompHet, peaking at number six. The lesbian anthem got so popular that even straight couples are singing along. Once you've got straight people singing about lesbian sex, you know you have a song of the summer on your hands.
5. "Birds of a Feather" by Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish's latest love song peaked at number 5 this summer, but it was EVERYWHERE! The song soundtracked a million TikToks, was featured in the Olympics closing ceremony, and was stuck in our head all summer.
6. "Please, Please, Please" by Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter's second hit of the summer came out two months after "Espresso" and actually topped it on the charts, hitting number one! Carpenter rocketed to A-List status with songs like this, and we completely understand why!
7. "Mamushi" by Megan Thee Stallion ft. Yuki Chiba
We learned some Japanese this summer thanks to Megan Thee Stallion and Yuki Chiba who both rap in both English and Japanese in this track off Hot Girl Meg's self-titled album Megan that went viral on TikTok. "Okane kasegu, watashi wa suta," Megan raps in a hook that we had stuck in our heads all summer.
8. "Slut Me Out 2" by NLE Choppa
"Mmmmm... smell's like badussy," NLE Choppa raps in this hilarious, sexy, and super fun song that simmered below the charts, but had a huge impact on gay summers everywhere. If this song wasn't on your summer playlist, your summer was not as good as it could have been.
9. "Lunch" by Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish put out her version of a queer anthem with this salacious song about her favorite meal, girls. "Lunch" peaked at number 5 on the charts, helping people across the country learn more about cunnilingus.
10. "Hot to Go" by Chappell Roan
This song was actually released as a single in summer of 2023, but thanks to the Chappell Roan's meteoric rise this year, the song made its way to the top 20 at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. With an easy-to-learn dance to go along with it, "Hot to Go" is one of the catchiest songs of the year.
11. "Wanna Be" by GloRilla ft. Megan Thee Stallion
We all wanted to get White Boy Wasted and get our full Channing Tatum on thanks to this badass song that got up to number 11 on the Hot 100 from GloRilla and featuring Megan Thee Stallion. This song is the perfect example of a viral lyric that makes Songs of the Summer what they are.
12. "360" by Charlie xcx
One of only two songs on this list to not reach the top 40, "360" had an undeniable impact on pop culture this summer, which was actually declared "Brat Summer." We all wanted to be "so Julia" everywhere we went this year, and it was all because of this song.
13. "II Most Wanted" by Beyonce ft. Miley Cyrus
"Texas Hold 'Em" got the most attention of all songs from Cowboy Carter, but we'd count this beautiful duet with Miley Cyrus as one of several better songs from the album. Queen Bey and Miley sing a love song worthy of Thelma and Louis in the greatest ballad of 2024.
14. "Guess" by Charlie xcx ft. Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish hopped on the remix of this Brat track with Charlie xcx, igniting our sexualities this summer just in time to dance sweatily to at the hottest end of summer parties.
