By Gregory Castel
Writer, Contributor
Okay, enough with the baseball references. The summer of 2018 was one for the books, as we received incredible music from acts like Ariana Grande, Kanye West, Drake, Childish Gambino, and Beyonce & Jay Z. Many other second tier artist dropped on the scene this summer pumping the pedal to the floor.
We got songs that broke streaming records and albums that were highly anticipated. We even got a viral dance to boost the plays of Drake’s accidental hit, “In My Feelings”.
Although you and I both couldn’t avoid hearing the first 30 seconds of that song 800 times in July, I won’t bite into the temptation to crown “In My Feelings” as the song of the summer just yet. Perhaps, the “In My Feelings Challenge/ Shiggy Dance” can be crowned as 2018’s Most Viral Moment of the Summer.
Why? After those claps end forty seconds into the track, how many more people at that party are still rapping every word. It’s sort of like, 2016’s Black Beatles by Rae Sremmurd.
Whereas, with songs like 2005’s “Hollaback Girl”, or 2009’s “I Gotta Feeling”, or even with Drake’s “Hotline Bling” in 2016, from start to finish everybody at that wedding or summer fest were shouting the words obnoxiously because that’s what summer jams make you do.
Now, I do want to put out there that this was the “summer of thee album”. The hits were there, yes. However, if we’re grading critically-acclaimed albums, by the general consensus, it does seem like there we were witnessing a home run derby. With Post Malone and Cardi B warming us up at the end of spring, the hopes were high. With albums from A$AP Rocky, James Bay, The Internet, and Travis Scott, you better believe I’m writing an album of the year piece.
I can drop name after name, and all it’ll make you realize is that this summer was fitted and tailored for bangers.
Oversaturation. Could we have possibly grown numb to the concept of a hit like watching a home run at a home run derby? Sorry, last reference.
Are we spoiled by the digital streaming platforms?
Maybe, we’re overly satisfied with our mouths is dripping of proper fullness. We’ve sucked the bone dry and are licking our fingers after Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj have both released their mid-August projects. The summer window is closing and the fall is approaching. After taking some time to digest, I’m just not sure if we can all generally agree on that one unanimous hit.
Maybe “In My Feelings” really is the song of the summer, maybe it’s “Girls Like You”, “I Like It”, or “SICKO MODE”, or even an Aretha Franklin throwback. I probably just missed it.
I know what my personal song highlight for this summer would be. But, I don’t know what the song of the summer is. Nothing for me landed, but maybe it did for you!
So, what’s the song of the summer then?
Image sources: Phxsoul.com, billboard.com, vibe.com, hotnewhiphop.com, Allison Kohler/Stylecaster.com/GettyImages
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