Whether or not you had a “Brat summer”, every music genre had a smash hit this season with overnight successes like Chappell Roan, and throwbacks like Jack Johnson playing their way to the top of everyone’s playlists, “For You” pages and radio stations.
June 6, 2024, summer was launched with Sabrina Carpenter’s pop song, “Please Please Please”, reaching the Billboard Hot 100 list with its catchy blend between country, disco and pop. Carpenter, previously establishing herself as a pop icon with the song “Espresso”, also recently released her highly-anticipated album, “Short n’ Sweet”, August 26, 2024.
The pop genre of this summer can be defined by the rise of“Midwest Princess”, Chappell Roan. From street performances to breaking Coachella’s record of the largest crowd, Roan seemingly became an overnight success. “Good Luck, Babe”, “HOT TO GO!”, “Casual” and “After Midnight” have sky-rocketed her career, blending synth-pop, love ballads and dance anthems to create a sound that really has made her “your favorite artist’s favorite artist,” as self-proclaimed by Roan.
Collaborations between artists such as Post Malone and Morgan Wallen, Charlie XCX and Billie Eilish and Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga have re-invented each individual artist’s sound, sparking a new wave of fans for musicians that debuted their music careers decades ago. Even solo artists, such as Jack Johnson, have had a revitalization in their music, with “Upside Down” becoming a summer theme song.
Country star, Zach Bryan, also released his new album, “The Great American Bar Scene”, July 4, 2024, in his typical, patriotic fashion. Songs like “28” and “Pink Skies” have reached his top five most streamed songs of all time since the veteran began posting original songs on YouTube in 2017.
Junior Maya Lopez has been infatuated with the album ever since its release. When listening to each track, the lyrics are “so relatable and have so much emotion in them,” Lopez said.
The indie-rock scene has had a wave of songs to make that relaxed summer feeling last through the cold, busy winter. Clairo, an already accomplished indie-pop artist, has brought a more mature and jazzy feel to her music with her new album “Charm”. Songs like “Juna” and “Add Up My Love” have been on rewind during my morning routine, studying sessions, and relaxed drives with the windows rolled down.
“Clairo’s new album, Charm, is so good,” junior Madelyn Azevedo, said. “The music is just so peaceful, but there’s also a lot of variety throughout the album. There are sad, slow songs, while others are so upbeat and really give those summer vibes.”
The music industry experienced one of its most culturally impactful celebrity feuds, resulting in a trade of daily diss-tracks between rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Ironically, no insult from Drake could tear down the success brought to Lamar as a result of his haunting hip-hop track, “Not Like Us”, which remained relevant long after the feud became old news in the tabloids
Junior Christiana Atangan, student and music lover, marks the end of this summer as an era well spent listening to music “every hour of every day.” Australian-born, Atangan feels connected to her home country through popular artists like Royel Otis, who she hopes to see live before the summer ends.
Sitting in a classroom, with the sun shining outside and the waves crashing across town, it can feel like summer is slipping away. That’s the great thing about music: no matter where you are or who you’re with, Zach Bryan’s album will always bring you back to July 4, 2024, and everyone will always be a little suspicious of Drake.
