{"id":2137,"date":"2025-07-26T01:49:04","date_gmt":"2025-07-26T01:49:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/2025\/07\/26\/the-michigan-daily-arts-reviews-their-music-of-the-summer\/"},"modified":"2025-07-26T01:49:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-26T01:49:07","slug":"the-michigan-daily-arts-reviews-their-music-of-the-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/2025\/07\/26\/the-michigan-daily-arts-reviews-their-music-of-the-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"The Michigan Daily Arts reviews their music of the summer"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><em>The internet has become obsessed with the song of the summer. The<strong> <\/strong>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.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u2014 Ben Luu and Campbell Johns, Summer Managing Arts Editors<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201c<strong>KPop Demon Hunters\u201d soundtrack<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sony\u2019s newest release, \u201cKPop Demon Hunters,\u201d is an animated fantasy musical that features Korean folklore, new fan-favorite characters and an <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/album\/14JkAa6IiFaOh5s0nMyMU9?si=1563a44d358649d6\">addictingly catchy soundtrack<\/a> \u2014 one that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/music\/chart-beat\/kpop-demon-hunters-number-1-soundtracks-chart-1236010325\/#:~:text=The%20soundtrack%20to%20the%20Netflix,1%20in%20over%20two%20years.\">debuted<\/a> 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?\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-1    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p>Meet HUNTR\/X, a badass girl group who uses their awe-inspiring pop music to unite fans and defeat demons, with their top song \u201cGolden\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/kcomicsbeat.com\/2025\/07\/04\/your-idol-kpop-demon-hunters-is-golden-on-billboard-hot-100\/\">debuting<\/a> at No. 81 on Billboard Hot 100. Their demon boy band counterpart, Saja Boys, is experiencing just as much praise, with their song \u201cYour Idol\u201d reaching a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soompi.com\/article\/1758465wpp\/kpop-demon-hunters-debuts-5-new-songs-on-billboard-hot-100-as-golden-and-your-idol-rise\">top 10<\/a> spot on the Billboard 200. It\u2019s 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 \u201cTAKEDOWN\u201d and \u201cStrategy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>One may attribute the soundtrack\u2019s newfound virality to the growing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/week-asia\/lifestyle-culture\/article\/3305553\/bts-and-beyond-k-pop-remains-top-global-symbol-south-korean-culture-survey-shows#:~:text=K%2Dpop%20continues%20to%20be,Kong%20for%20the%20first%20time.&amp;text=Other%20top%20associations%20with%20South,out%20of%20the%20top%20five.\">Hallyu wave<\/a>, but I\u2019d argue that our fascination with these memorable melodies goes deeper than the stylized choreographies that accompany the music.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Whereas previous summers experienced songs about modern perspectives on dating, whirlwind romances or the tragic aftermath that occurs as a result, this year\u2019s theme is slightly shifted.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, the warmer months became better known as \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/pro\/2023-songs-of-the-summer-what-did-they-sound-like\/#:~:text=Summer%20of%20Love,%E2%80%9CKill%20Bill%E2%80%9D%20narrate%20breakups.&amp;text=Your%20browser%20can't%20play%20this%20video.&amp;text=An%20error%20occurred.,%E2%80%9CKarma%E2%80%9D%20featuring%20Ice%20Spice.\">The Summer of Love<\/a>\u201d as we listened to songs that centered around forbidden romance, like \u201cCruel Summer\u201d by Taylor Swift, and resilience, with breakup anthems like \u201cFlowers\u201d by Miley Cyrus and \u201cKill Bill\u201d by SZA.<\/p>\n<p>In the summer of 2024, we heard the rise of the pop girl phenomenon, with \u201cEspresso\u201d from Sabrina Carpenter, \u201cBirds of a Feather\u201d from Billie Eilish and \u201cGood Luck, Babe!\u201d by Chappell Roan dominating music speakers, TikTok trends and summer playlists. Some even found names to dub last year\u2019s rich and upbeat musical atmosphere, like the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/entertainment\/music\/2024\/07\/05\/taylor-swift-praises-sabrina-carpenter\/74308021007\/\">summer of Sabrina<\/a>\u201d after the successful release of her <em>Short n\u2019 Sweet<\/em> album and subsequent tour. And of course, <a href=\"https:\/\/capsulenz.com\/do\/pop-culture\/brat-summer\/\">brat<\/a> summer.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-2    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p>Now, in July 2025, fictional K-pop bands are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/clyl1zyv1y2o\">beating real ones<\/a> like BTS and BLACKPINK on the music charts. These real K-pop groups indeed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/laurasirikul\/2025\/07\/01\/kpop-demon-hunters-songwriter-reveals-music-and-song-inspirations\/\">inspired<\/a> 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\u2019 movie to receive such rapt attention?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>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. \u201cFree\u201d and \u201cGolden\u201d call on you to look within to understand your vulnerabilities, heal unprocessed emotions and learn to let go. \u201cYour Idol\u201d and \u201cSoda Pop\u201d prompt you to think about the facade idols must put on to maintain obsession and control. And lastly, \u201cTAKEDOWN\u201d prompts us to contemplate whether diss tracks enrich the music scene or wreak havoc instead.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Maybe this summer, it\u2019s 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\u2019s how we\u2019ll heal individually and how we\u2019ll eventually heal our culture.<\/p>\n<p><em>Daily Arts Writer Michelle Wu can be reached at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/arts\/music\/music-in-a-minute-soundtracks-of-summer\/mailto:michewu@umich.edu\"><em>michewu@umich.edu<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cSummerween\u201d soundtrack<\/strong><\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-3    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p>When I think of summer, what comes to mind is small beach towns, lazy days and witches.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s 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 (\u201cGilmore Girls\u201d) 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So, I love to pull from the \u201cPractical Magic\u201d movie soundtrack: Stevie Nicks is as haunting as ever, there\u2019s total summer bliss with \u201cThis Kiss\u201d by Faith Hill and the best song off of Joni Mitchell\u2019s <em>Blue<\/em> \u2014 the cautious and tender \u201cA Case of You.\u201d There\u2019s still some anticipation in these; we haven\u2019t abandoned summer\u2019s reckless joy quite yet. There\u2019s an entire season stretching before you still, and no one\u2019s quite sure what\u2019s ahead.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But, if I\u2019m wanting some weirder, more creepy Halloween vibes, Kate Bush has her uncanny falsetto down in \u201cArmy Dreamers\u201d or \u201cWuthering Heights.\u201d Dora Jar has songs like \u201cPuppet\u201d \u2014 where she croons about the audience\u2019s impending death (peak Halloween) \u2014 and more chilled out, atmospheric summer songs, tracks I\u2019d describe as descended from Taylor Swift\u2019s \u201caugust.\u201d Most recently, Jar\u2019s single \u201cThe Explorer\u201d 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. \u201cTimelapse,\u201d \u201cRagdoll\u201d and the eponymous single of her latest album, \u201cNo Way To Relax When You Are on Fire,\u201d all scratch this tepid itch for me, letting my summers stretch their legs while still beckoning toward the autumn months that follow.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>Daily Arts Writer Cora Rolfes can be reached at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/arts\/music\/music-in-a-minute-soundtracks-of-summer\/mailto:corolfes@umich.edu\"><em>corolfes@umich.edu<\/em><\/a><em>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-4    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p><strong>\u201c365 featuring shygirl\u201d <strong>\u2014<\/strong> Charli XCX<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Despite the lengthy, sun-filled days of the summer that stretch and fill the greater part of our 24-hour cycle, there\u2019s 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 \u2014 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\u2019s the club. If you\u2019re already going to be sweating through your shirt just laying in bed, why not be on the dance floor?<\/p>\n<p>Maybe it\u2019s the effect of turning 21 this year, but these days I can\u2019t 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\u2019t eaten in the past eight hours. The chaos in my unmoored lifestyle matches perfectly with that found on the dance floor \u2014 the mangle of bodies, sweat glistening in the flashing lights. The perfect track to bump? Charli XCX\u2019s \u201c365 featuring shygirl.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s 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\u2019s all you need to immediately want to keep it on repeat until you forget how to think properly.<\/p>\n<p>Is this song good? I\u2019m not at liberty to say. But I can say that when this song comes on, I\u2019m immediately ready to embrace a level of immaturity I struggle to find anytime else.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-5    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p>Brat summer may be over, but thank goodness for a remix. I certainly need it. <\/p>\n<p><em>Daily Arts Writer Ian Gallmore can be reached at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/arts\/music\/music-in-a-minute-soundtracks-of-summer\/mailto:gallmore@umich.edu\"><em>gallmore@umich.edu<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Weezer (White Album)<\/em> <strong><strong>\u2014<\/strong><\/strong> Weezer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Over the years, Weezer has garnered a so-so reputation. If it isn\u2019t memes about the <em>Weezer (Blue Album)<\/em> cover or the \u201cBuddy Holly\u201d riff, then its widespread opinions about how their current work fails to live up to their two albums from the \u201990s. 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\u2019ll just cite the <em>Weezer <\/em>(<em>White Album<\/em>). Released in 2016, the <em>White Album<\/em> 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\u2019s an album that can either soundtrack my summer or make me wish for the summer to arrive in any other season. It\u2019s simply incredible.<\/p>\n<p>All 10 tracks on the album are coded for the season, but there are some that specifically take the cake. The opening song \u201cCalifornia Kids\u201d 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 \u201cshow you the sunshine.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-6    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p>As mentioned, the <em>White Album<\/em> captures both the highs and lows of summer, and it couldn\u2019t be more evident than when looking at tracks four and seven. \u201c(Girl We Got a) Good Thing,\u201d 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, \u201cSummer Elaine and Drunk Dori,\u201d 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: \u201cShe left me all alone\u201d and \u201cShe swam away, and flexed her mermaid tail,\u201d for instance. The highs and lows of summer.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0The album ends with the track \u201cEndless Bummer\u201d \u2014 very much a play on the term \u201cendless summer.\u201d In sharp contrast to the other nine tracks, \u201cEndless Bummer\u201d 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 \u201cI just want this summer to end\u201d repeated throughout. Then, it ends with the ambient noise of a beach, reminiscent of \u201cCalifornia Kids\u201d which began the album, thus creating a loop of sorts \u2014 a loop that rewinds summer all over again. And while Cuomo sings \u201cI just want this summer to end,\u201d whenever I listen to the <em>White Album<\/em> in the harsh cold of January, I yearn for the opposite; I want the summer to arrive.<\/p>\n<p><em>Daily Arts Writer JC Rafal can be reached at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.michigandaily.com\/arts\/music\/music-in-a-minute-soundtracks-of-summer\/mailto:rafaljc@umich.edu\"><em>rafaljc@umich.edu<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<aside>\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p><h3 class=\"jp-relatedposts-headline\"><em>Related articles<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2138,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[1220,573,222,24,2378,603],"class_list":{"0":"post-2137","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-daily","10":"tag-michigan","11":"tag-music","12":"tag-reviews","13":"tag-summer"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2137"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2139,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2137\/revisions\/2139"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tmbglobal.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}