The internet has become obsessed with the song of the summer. The hunt begins in early spring, and debates about the winner never seem to settle until the leaves turn brown and fall to the ground. In the dead of July, The Michigan Daily Arts writers set out to cover what they deem the music of the summer, from the songs they play in sweaty clubs to the albums channeling what heat feels like on skin. Read on to find a new soundtrack for your summer.
— Ben Luu and Campbell Johns, Summer Managing Arts Editors
“KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack
Sony’s newest release, “KPop Demon Hunters,” is an animated fantasy musical that features Korean folklore, new fan-favorite characters and an addictingly catchy soundtrack — one that debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart and No. 1 on the Soundtracks chart. But just who are these new up-and-coming artists captivating audiences?
Meet HUNTR/X, a badass girl group who uses their awe-inspiring pop music to unite fans and defeat demons, with their top song “Golden” debuting at No. 81 on Billboard Hot 100. Their demon boy band counterpart, Saja Boys, is experiencing just as much praise, with their song “Your Idol” reaching a top 10 spot on the Billboard 200. It’s a shame these groups are fictional, and we will never get a chance to see them live on stage, but we might get to with the real voices behind the characters: TWICE and Megan Thee Stallion did in fact perform some of the songs in the movie, like “TAKEDOWN” and “Strategy.”
One may attribute the soundtrack’s newfound virality to the growing Hallyu wave, but I’d argue that our fascination with these memorable melodies goes deeper than the stylized choreographies that accompany the music.
Whereas previous summers experienced songs about modern perspectives on dating, whirlwind romances or the tragic aftermath that occurs as a result, this year’s theme is slightly shifted.
In 2023, the warmer months became better known as “The Summer of Love” as we listened to songs that centered around forbidden romance, like “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift, and resilience, with breakup anthems like “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus and “Kill Bill” by SZA.
In the summer of 2024, we heard the rise of the pop girl phenomenon, with “Espresso” from Sabrina Carpenter, “Birds of a Feather” from Billie Eilish and “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan dominating music speakers, TikTok trends and summer playlists. Some even found names to dub last year’s rich and upbeat musical atmosphere, like the “summer of Sabrina” after the successful release of her Short n’ Sweet album and subsequent tour. And of course, brat summer.
Now, in July 2025, fictional K-pop bands are beating real ones like BTS and BLACKPINK on the music charts. These real K-pop groups indeed inspired the looks, energies and songs of HUNTR/X and Saja Boys, but what else is prompting the power of music and friendship from a kids’ movie to receive such rapt attention?
Perhaps the narrative depth and commentary about society bring these melodies to the next level. By incorporating clever critiques about the problems associated with idolization and focusing on self-reflection and facing vulnerabilities, the songs do more than provide a good beat for your daily errand runs. “Free” and “Golden” call on you to look within to understand your vulnerabilities, heal unprocessed emotions and learn to let go. “Your Idol” and “Soda Pop” prompt you to think about the facade idols must put on to maintain obsession and control. And lastly, “TAKEDOWN” prompts us to contemplate whether diss tracks enrich the music scene or wreak havoc instead.
Maybe this summer, it’s time to let go of the heartbreak and angst from previous years and look within ourselves, rather than relying on others to validate our portrayed external images. Maybe that’s how we’ll heal individually and how we’ll eventually heal our culture.
Daily Arts Writer Michelle Wu can be reached at michewu@umich.edu.
“Summerween” soundtrack
When I think of summer, what comes to mind is small beach towns, lazy days and witches.
That’s right, I am an avid summerween enthusiast. Nothing beats cruising down the highway with your friends and listening to some October-ish tunes, anywhere from something that sounds like it was stolen from my autumnal bible (“Gilmore Girls”) to outright eerie. Because while a beach summer has its moment, the heat and the lengthy days summon a sticky insanity that I can only reconcile with the promise of fresh, dark nights in the fall.
So, I love to pull from the “Practical Magic” movie soundtrack: Stevie Nicks is as haunting as ever, there’s total summer bliss with “This Kiss” by Faith Hill and the best song off of Joni Mitchell’s Blue — the cautious and tender “A Case of You.” There’s still some anticipation in these; we haven’t abandoned summer’s reckless joy quite yet. There’s an entire season stretching before you still, and no one’s quite sure what’s ahead.
But, if I’m wanting some weirder, more creepy Halloween vibes, Kate Bush has her uncanny falsetto down in “Army Dreamers” or “Wuthering Heights.” Dora Jar has songs like “Puppet” — where she croons about the audience’s impending death (peak Halloween) — and more chilled out, atmospheric summer songs, tracks I’d describe as descended from Taylor Swift’s “august.” Most recently, Jar’s single “The Explorer” has found its way onto my playlists, and its earworm-y quality is mostly to do with her wavering vocals creeping their way through the music. “Timelapse,” “Ragdoll” and the eponymous single of her latest album, “No Way To Relax When You Are on Fire,” all scratch this tepid itch for me, letting my summers stretch their legs while still beckoning toward the autumn months that follow.
Daily Arts Writer Cora Rolfes can be reached at corolfes@umich.edu.
“365 featuring shygirl” — Charli XCX
Despite the lengthy, sun-filled days of the summer that stretch and fill the greater part of our 24-hour cycle, there’s something special about summer nights. The heat lingers in the air, parading its independence from the ball of fire that rests for a few hours. Sleeping becomes impossible — from both the lack of air conditioning in my college apartment and the desire to be relishing in the hard-won warmth. The perfect place to spend your time instead? Naturally, it’s the club. If you’re already going to be sweating through your shirt just laying in bed, why not be on the dance floor?
Maybe it’s the effect of turning 21 this year, but these days I can’t deny my youthful hedonistic pleasures. They call me, forcing me to abandon any habits that might structure the dog days in a logical way. Sleep comes at 3 a.m. followed by a mandatory siesta at 2 p.m., and meals happen when I realize I haven’t eaten in the past eight hours. The chaos in my unmoored lifestyle matches perfectly with that found on the dance floor — the mangle of bodies, sweat glistening in the flashing lights. The perfect track to bump? Charli XCX’s “365 featuring shygirl.”
The frenetic energy of the song starts right from the beginning, with opening sounds reminiscent of metal clashing together and followed by an intense bass-boosted rush that follows. The sped up and repeated vocals bring urgency to this track, the exact type of mind-numbing vigor that dictates any good night out. Shygirl’s verse perfectly complements the remix, emphasizing the trashy haze that the alcohol, drugs, smoke and sweat of a summer night at the club bring. The track only runs two minutes and a second, but that’s all you need to immediately want to keep it on repeat until you forget how to think properly.
Is this song good? I’m not at liberty to say. But I can say that when this song comes on, I’m immediately ready to embrace a level of immaturity I struggle to find anytime else.
Brat summer may be over, but thank goodness for a remix. I certainly need it.
Daily Arts Writer Ian Gallmore can be reached at gallmore@umich.edu.
Weezer (White Album) — Weezer
Over the years, Weezer has garnered a so-so reputation. If it isn’t memes about the Weezer (Blue Album) cover or the “Buddy Holly” riff, then its widespread opinions about how their current work fails to live up to their two albums from the ’90s. I am here to tell you that is not true. While I could go on tangents explaining why, citing different releases, songs and even unreleased tracks, I’ll just cite the Weezer (White Album). Released in 2016, the White Album is very much themed around summer, with the cover literally being the band on a beachfront. But even outside of the obvious, the album itself manages to encapsulate the very spirit of summer. It’s an album that can either soundtrack my summer or make me wish for the summer to arrive in any other season. It’s simply incredible.
All 10 tracks on the album are coded for the season, but there are some that specifically take the cake. The opening song “California Kids” starts with the ambient noise of a beach, immediately engulfing you into the setting of the album. Even as the instrumental kicks in, the buildup toward the chorus feels nostalgic in a sense, resembling the hours and days back in elementary school when summer break slowly approached. And the California kids mentioned by Rivers Cuomo in the song might as well be a metaphor for the gods of summer, as they too will solve all your problems and “show you the sunshine.”
As mentioned, the White Album captures both the highs and lows of summer, and it couldn’t be more evident than when looking at tracks four and seven. “(Girl We Got a) Good Thing,” track four, is very triumphant and joyful in sound, channeling The Beach Boys, where Cuomo sings about a happy relationship he has found himself in. This track can easily accompany summer romances (or even flings), where everything feels carefree and fun. On the other hand, “Summer Elaine and Drunk Dori,” while still power-pop in nature, has a tinge of regret in its sound. The lyrics also reflect that, with the song being about a love that never managed to last: “She left me all alone” and “She swam away, and flexed her mermaid tail,” for instance. The highs and lows of summer.
The album ends with the track “Endless Bummer” — very much a play on the term “endless summer.” In sharp contrast to the other nine tracks, “Endless Bummer” is predominantly acoustic guitar until the rest of the band comes together at the end to build the crescendo. The song functions as a goodbye to summer, with the phrase “I just want this summer to end” repeated throughout. Then, it ends with the ambient noise of a beach, reminiscent of “California Kids” which began the album, thus creating a loop of sorts — a loop that rewinds summer all over again. And while Cuomo sings “I just want this summer to end,” whenever I listen to the White Album in the harsh cold of January, I yearn for the opposite; I want the summer to arrive.
Daily Arts Writer JC Rafal can be reached at rafaljc@umich.edu.
