Sunny, frothy fun. That’s what the song of summer is.

Drive around with the stereo blasting that song. Stand face to face with your bestie, belting that bop at the top of your lungs. Make a super-fun TikTok video of that tune.

Before the concept of the song of summer became institutionalized as a Billboard chart in 2010 and an MTV Music Video Award in 2014, music lovers just knew what favorite song dominated the radio and their listening habits in those out-of-school months.

However, in 2025, music lovers seem to be confused when it comes to the song of summer. Why?

Because it’s been a cruel summer. Layoffs, tariffs, price increases, never-ending wars, lawmaker assassinations, AI ickiness, all kinds of cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill. A preponderance of negativity.

Music reflects the t

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