Need a little help curating your go-to playlist for the next few months? Fear not: We at Vogue have put our heads together to compile our songs of the summer (so far).
So, what made the cut? Pop records from Miley Cyrus, Addison, PinkPantheress, and Marina have us working up a sweat, along with new releases from the likes of Role Model, Alex G, and Haim. And the season has only just begun—meaning that we have a ton more bangers to look forward to. Watch this space!
Here, Vogue’s early contenders for the song of the summer.
“Fame Is a Gun” by Addison Rae
Addison Rae wants it: the glitz, the chintz, the glamorous life. “Fame Is a Gun” is an ode to the unapologetic pursuit of pop superstardom set to blissed-out smoky synths, with a Gregg Araki-esque music video to match. And that choreography? Equal parts uncanny and cunt. It’s the perfect sunglasses-in-the-club, chain-smoke-and-yap-on-a-fire-escape-til-sunrise anthem. “God gave me the permission, and when you shame me, it makes me want it more,” she sings in a muffled, twinkly soprano—a mantra to propel your silliest summery decisions. —Anna Cafolla
“Outside” by Cardi B
I’ve had this on repeat since it dropped and simply can’t get enough of Cardi’s clever, hilarious, and utterly ruthless lines, clearly aimed at her ex. It seems wrong to delight in the phrase “next time you see your mama, tell her how she raised a bitch,” but here we are—this is a bop! —Leah Faye Cooper
“Tonight” by PinkPantheress
I’ve had PinkPantheress’s killer mixtape Fancy That on repeat since it dropped back in May, and my highlight is still the single “Tonight”—the wonky bassline and four-to-the-floor drums, paired with Pink’s sugary-sweet voice and that wildly catchy chorus, all come together to form a three-minute slice of pop perfection. And I’m obsessed with the Bridgerton-meets-Skins video. It’s just fun! —Liam Hess
“Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved” by Miley Cyrus
“Pose, pose, pose, pose!” Miley Cyrus’s whole Something Beautiful album has a glorious, partying-in-1980s-Miami feel (those saxophones!), but this track, featuring the iconic supermodel Naomi Campbell, really takes the cake. It’s cinematic, it’s fierce—and a little camp, too. —Christian Allaire
“Miraverahí” by Buscabulla
A sharp synth melody opens this groovy song, by the Puerto Rican duo Buscabulla, about asking your lover to get with the program and imagine what their life would be like if you walked away. The bassline’s like a taunt you can dance to, and the sticky “miraverahi”—the phrase “Mira a ver ahi,” or “take a look,” shrunken down to a single word as it spills out your mouth because you can’t hold it in any longer—demands to be sung over and over again. —Laia Garcia-Furtado
“Never Enough” by Turnstile
Turnstile is the hardcore punk band for people who didn’t think they liked hardcore punk—and on their fantastic fourth album, Never Enough, they’ve ventured into even more unexpected territory (at least in terms of genre), with songs like “I Care” and “Seein’ Stars” recalling the slick synth-pop of Sting and the Police. But my favorite is still the title track and its epic, anthemic chorus, which feels like it was specifically designed to be sung at the top of your lungs in a music festival field this summer. I hope I get the chance to do that at some point… —LH
“Spinning” by HAIM
Who knew that breakup music could be so fun? There are plenty of tracks on Haim’s fourth studio album, I Quit, that’ll get you out of your seat (hello, “Relationships”), but I’ve grown particularly fond of the Alana-led “Spinning.” Percussive and synthy with an addictive electric guitar riff, it’s a dizzying, glittery bop rife with nostalgia. After all, what’s a song of the summer if it isn’t a little bittersweet? —Hannah Jackson
“Leave Me Alone” by Reneé Rapp
I don’t know what screams “song of the summer” more than these lyrics: “Leave me alone, bitch, I wanna have fun!” That’s what Reneé Rapp brattily sings on her new summer track, which is all about living your best life—and giving the finger to anyone who gets in the way of that. —CA
“Sue Me” by Audrey Hobert
Although “Sue Me” is Audrey Hobert’s first foray into music as a solo artist, she is widely known within the Gracie Abrams fandom for being both Abrams’s best friend and a co-writer on many of the pop star’s biggest hits. Hobert has quickly proven herself as a performer in her own right with this absolute banger, however. Between the catchy lyrics and quirky music video, I plan to be screaming “Not that it matters, but I’m breaking patterns and getting so good at pilates” while drinking an Aperol spritz and dancing on a patio all summer long. —Florence O Connor
“Sally, When the Wine Runs Out” by Role Model
When I went to see Gracie Abrams with my colleague and bestie Florence last year, we sadly missed Role Model’s set by five minutes, but nevertheless heard only the most positive reviews of his set. I was a huge fan of Role Model even before his most recent album, Kansas Anymore, but this deluxe track is one of my favorites from the album. I mean, it’s the perfect song about a man who yearns for a woman he met at the dive bar—and there’s no better time to stay out late and go to the dive bar than in the summer! —Irene Kim
“Afterlife” by Alex G
“Afterlife,” the swoony first single from Alex G’s upcoming album Headlights, is a reminder, if we needed one, of the magic of a mandolin. (See also: REM.) This prolific Philadelphia singer-songwriter is steadily shedding his shaggy DIY roots with full bore crowd pleasers like this track, which is sparkly and clean—the kind of twinkly summer indie anthem that makes you want to sit on your stoop and watch the world go by. —Taylor Antrim
“End of the World” by Miley Cyrus
Even if her latest album, Something Beautiful, was more experimental at points, Miley still knows how to deliver a perfect pop banger—as she proved on the barnstorming “End of the World,” which sounds like the lovechild of ABBA and Fleetwood Mac, with Miley belting over the top in the way only she can. (Fun fact: It was co-written and co-produced by Molly Rankin and Alec O’Henley of Alvvays, one of my absolute favorite bands.) Turn the volume on your headphones up to full and stomp around the city to this one on a sunny day. —LH
“Whim Whamiee” by PLUTO and YK NIECE
While I don’t fully understand all of the lyrics (I’ll need to consult my 20-something cousins), I find this song so fun to listen to. From what I can gather, it’s an anthem by two friends who are living life to the fullest and partying like it’s their full-time job. Does that not scream summer? —LFC
“Man of the Year” by Lorde
It’s possible this single’s a bit...what’s the word…thrashier?...than your standard-issue song of the summer, but it’s just my speed this season: discursive, distorted, loud, weird. A big sorry to my neighbors! —Marley Marius
“Flash” by 2hollis
Every summer needs a pounding, late-night electro-anthem, and my discerning choice on that front is “Flash” by the 21-year-old, LA-based rapper/producer 2hollis, whose fourth full-length album, Star, came out in April. With its robotic beats; glitchy, relentless pace; and brainless, low-end, sweaty-dance-floor drops, “Flash” is two and a half minutes of sexy, showy fun. —TA
“Sexy Clown” Marie Davidson
Who knew some caustic spoken word about a sensual circus performer could buoy such a summer banger? Marie Davidson, the transgressive Montreal producer and musician, returned to the club on her album City of Clowns earlier this year. “Sexy Clown” is a propulsive central track, all dancefloor-worthy percussion and a strutting bassline underpinning Davidson’s quick-witted lyrics. “You like it when I’m mean, you find it sexy? Don’t get it confused, cuz I do it for me,” she sing-talks, both alluring and menacing—a perfect vibe for wherever you end up on some long, hot evening. —AC
“Money Is Everything” by Addison Rae
God, what a bop. I don’t even know where to begin—the girly-pop synth beats? The lyrics? (“Say it, baby, don’t lie: Money’s everything. / Diamonds are my best friend like I’m Norma Jeane.”) Addison Rae herself, who has embraced a Y2K, Britney Spears-esque aesthetic? Anyway, “Money Is Everything” is pure cotton candy. I only wish it were more than two minutes long. —Elise Taylor
“Nice to Each Other” by Olivia Dean
I’m a new Olivia Dean fan thanks to TikTok, but I’ve become obsessed with her beautiful, honey-like vocals and haven’t been able to stop listening to her songs. Her latest single, “Nice to Each Other,” has to be my favorite—it’s about a romance without commitment. One of the lines happens to be, “’Cause I don’t want a boyfriend but we could be nice to each other,” which is exactly how I’m feeling this summer. —IK
“Nausicaä (Love Will Be Revealed)” by Cameron Winter
Some may think Cameron Winter’s music is incongruous with summertime, but they’re wrong! This is a song for laying on the beach with your eyes closed, looking at the colors forming on the back of your eyelids. A song for long drives as the sun sets, looking out at the horizon and thinking about nothing and everything at the same time. Cameron’s falsetto cradles you like a baby, makes you feel like everything’s going to be ok, and that, YES, love will be revealed! —LGF
“Cuntissimo” by Marina
If you were to ask me to describe my summer 2025 mood in one word, it would simply be “Cuntissimo.” What does that mean, exactly? Not quite sure—but the lyrics in this super-fun, super-gay Marina pop song embodies all the things I love about summer living. Just consider some of her lyrics: “I’ve been living in a kaftan!”“A glass of ice-cold champagne, smoke a Vogue out in the rain!” “Leaving that loser on read, don’t let him back in your bed!” All things we should channel these next few months. —CA
“Take a Sexy Picture of Me” by CMAT
I was delighted to see CMAT, the Irish singer-songwriter with a distinctly country flair, break through over on TikTok with her single “Take a Sexy Picture of Me.” Equal parts funny and devastating, CMAT takes jabs at the social pressures girls face to perform sexuality from childhood, and the ways we contort ourselves to fit men’s desires. “You haven’t looked at me the same / Since I turned twenty-seven / Where goes my potential? / Oh, she’s up in Heaven / Rest in peace to any chance of me / Dating within the station,” she sings. I didn’t know that someone could sound so peart with lyrics like, “Oh, I’ve been having a horrible time / Of late, I get none of your sympathy,” but CMAT pulls it off with aplomb. —HJ
“Free” by Little Simz
While Little Simz released some flashier singles from her album Lotus earlier this year, the low-key “Free” is the ultimate chill summer jam: the gentle strum of the acoustic guitar, the lilting percussion, those gorgeous eruptions of strings. And of course, Simz’s brilliant lyrics: What begins as a series of self-empowerment mantras about fear and love slowly morphs into something more unusual, as the beat switches up towards the end of the song and she begins playfully twisting that simple word “free” into all sorts of unexpected meanings (“Every time I’m on the stage, I be feeling so free / Auntie Simbi what she call me when my niece turned free”). Nobody is doing it like Simz right now. —LH
“Expression on Your Face” by Mechatok, Ecco2K, and Bladee
The pulsing and playfully chirpy electronic beats of this song belie the sledgehammer impact of the lyrics. (“And to you so-called pop stars/I give my deepest condolences for your lost cause.”) This single, from Mechatok’s new album, features vocals by long-time collaborator Bladee, as well as Ecco2K, whose pixie power definitely contributes to the song’s addictiveness. —Laird Borrelli-Persson
“Writ Capo” by Palmistry
The imminently danceable “Do Me Like That” was the first single off Palmistry’s new album that grabbed me, but it is “Writ Capo,” that is on repeat. This is down to its bell-like instrumentals that are the sonic equivalent of sun sparkling off water, its wistful romanticism, and the idea of living “paranoia free.” —LBP
