As we inch towards the tip of one other sweaty summer season — full with document warmth waves, a Hollywood picket line rising weary, and unending, pink-themed collaborations — we’re counting our blessings that at the least we’ve had music to assist us by means of. In spite of everything, it solely takes one nice track to show any hour of the day round, whether or not you’re clocking in a double shift or heading residence from the seaside.
With fall across the nook, and back-to-school objects stocking the cabinets once more, we’re taking time to replicate on what tracks have finest captured this unusual, and barely apocalyptic summer season. Maybe it was a pop-punk banger from an early aughts band, or an ensemble acoustic ballad that’s gone viral on TikTok…
Learn extra: 25 finest albums of 2023 up to now
We requested our readers what one of the best various songs are this summer season. From alt-rock ballads to emo anthems, discover the highest fan picks ranked under.
5. “Not Sturdy Sufficient” — boygenius
As the primary No. 1 hit off the alt-rock trio’s 2023 album, the document, this boygenius track will undoubtedly be remembered as one in every of the songs of the summer season. Nodding to Sheryl Crow’s “Sturdy Sufficient” in a haunting rendition of its heartbroken refrain, “Not Sturdy Sufficient” is a surprising showcase of the group’s stripped-back harmonies. Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker kick off the observe with gorgeous vocals that stability frustration with acceptance, and Lucy Dacus takes the track residence with a baritone concord that’s completely chilling.
4. “Sunshine” — Teenage Wrist
Drawing inspiration from bands like The Treatment and The Smashing Pumpkins, Teenage Wrist hit every part from grunge to shoegaze to early pop-punk on their 2023 album Nonetheless Love. With distorted guitars and melodic riffs that open up for Galagher’s hovering vocals, “Sunshine” appears like your basic highschool summer season banger, with a nostalgic music video that transports you proper again to your suburban hometown. From paper-bagged beers to yard events, I believe this music video is what all of us want our summer season appeared like.
3. “2 BEST FRIENDS” — Waterparks
Waterparks‘ “2 BEST FRIENDS” showcases the band’s trademark mix of hyperpop and pop-punk in a bouncy observe off their critically acclaimed album Mental Property. The track is classic Waterparks: a combustion of grungy, pop dance music and heavy guitars, that’s paired with the Houston band’s distinctively cheeky songwriting. This observe is especially upbeat and cheerful — the precise track you’d need ripping once you’re on the pool (or pretending to be).
2. “Maintain Me Like a Grudge” — Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy’s “Maintain Me Like a Grudge” feels just like the surprising bridge between the 22-year-old band’s previous and current. Playful, danceable, and impossibly catchy — the observe displays on rising older and the inevitable passage of time. Their formidable music video even acts as a tongue-in-cheek extension of 2007’s “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race” in a campy, alternate universe. The emo rockers actually shine on this observe: Pete Wentz drops in with a cool bass line, a fab iteration of “One other One Bites The Mud,” and Patrick Stump’s searing vocals give the disco pulse a harmful edge. This has been one in every of Fall Out Boy’s favourite tracks to carry out on the highway in case you’re fortunate sufficient to catch them stay.
1. “Emergency Contact” — Pierce The Veil
Whereas the only got here forward of the album in November 2022, we’ll give this a go for the reason that track is now solely accessible for streaming on the 2023 album, The Jaws Of Life, and has been blasted throughout radio stations all summer season. A strong pop-punk anthem about romance and chaos, “Emergency Contact” is a slight redirection from Pierce The Veil‘s post-hardcore roots. The second single the San Diego-based rock band launched since their 2016 album, Misadventures, “Emergency Contact” marks the group’s subsequent chapter as they proceed to discover new sounds as a three-piece.
