Courtesy of Time Magazine

It’s official: Summer is near. Whether you’re spending summer vacation at the beach, eating ice cream or grinding for that summer job money, one thing that could make your summer even better is the music you listen to. After asking many friends, classmates and random people on campus what they listen to throughout the summer, the common answer included upbeat and happy music. Summer music hits differently, so here are some recommendations of new albums and singles that could perfectly capture the warmth of your summer (pun intended). 

“Oxnard” – Anderson .Paak

Although he released two different albums recently, Anderson .Paak’s “Oxnard”album is something that will play on repeat throughout the summer. This hip-hop/rap album is loaded with soulful and upbeat tracks, featuring mainstream artists like Pusha T, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and so many more. The energetic and harmonic voice of .Paak flows seamlessly throughout this album, especially on tracks such as “Tints,” “6 Summers” and “Cheers.” 

“When I Get Home” – Solange

This highly-anticipated album definitely delivered what fans were looking for. Solange’s newest record, “When I Get Home,” is a perfect R&B album for the summer. Her angelic vocals fuse well with the eclectic and groovy instrumentals, while also collaborating with mainstream hip hop influences like Gucci Mane and Playboi Carti. A lot of the tracks, like “Way to the Show,” “Stay Flo” and “Binz” are great neo-soul tracks for the summer.

Singles

Steve Lacy, a member of the band The Internet, recently dropped a single called “N Side,” and it has everything you would want in a summer song. It’s catchy, harmonic and funky – Lacy definitely aces that summer essence.

Rapper ScHoolboy Q just released his fifth studio album, “CrasH Talk,” and the song “CHopstix” with Travis Scott is certainly a song that will be played on the radio throughout the summer. Scott’s autotuned chorus brings the catchy and poppy elements, which could attract a lot of mainstream listeners, maybe even you!

Founder of Brockhampton Kevin Abstractjust released his album “Arizona Baby,” which is being received well by both fans and critics. The song “Peach” is an acoustic and intimate track, which is one of the more popular tracks on the record. 

After five years of silence, The Black Keys are back with a couple new singles, and fans are now awaiting a release date for their new album, “Let’s Rock.”The song “Lo/Hi” is everything you’d expect from The Black Keys, which is neither good nor bad. If you happen to like the band, you’ll like the song for sure, but you may not be impressed if you’re looking for something new. As for summer, you can never play too much of The Black Keys.

Although it isn’t clear when Tame Impala will announce a new album, the songs “Patience” and “Borderline” were recently released, and the fans are loving it aren’t unsatisfied . When thinking of summer, Tame Impala definitely comes to mind; therefore, “Patience” is a great track to add to your summer playlists.

It would be impossible to include every single artist or album that comes to mind when I think of summer, but the music listed here could make your summer all the more eventful and memorable. 

The summer, just like these albums and tracks, is looking bright and will hopefully be the break that students are all looking forward to.