School is back in session and the weather is starting to change. Most people see the fall season as a time to reflect on the summer and the beginning of the year. In this case, it’s the perfect time to reflect on all the songs that make us remember our favorite summer memories This list is all about the songs that remind me of summer and the memories I’ve made over the years.
- “Would That I” by Hozier
Now, the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions Hozier is his hit single “Take Me to Church.” However, fans of the artist will know him for his poetic lyrics and folk inspired music. His melodic guitar parts transport you to another world and there’s no other song of his that does it better than “Would That I.” In addition, the simple yet effective drums in the background make you feel as though you’re running through rows and rows of flowers on a bright sunny day. His voice makes you feel like the sun is warming your skin or the sparks of a late night bonfire are falling around you. While there’s so many songs from Hozier that make you want to lay in a meadow, or get lost in the woods, none of them paint that picture better than “Would That I.” It’s a song that makes you want to spend every moment feeling free underneath the warm summer sun.
- “Mystery of Love” by Sufjan Stevens
Best known from the romantic-drama film Call Me By Your Name, “Mystery of Love” by Sufjan Stevens does its job in depicting just what summer love feels like. Stevens’ soft voice perfectly conveys the whimsical nature and bliss of falling in love at the start of summer. Additionally, the delicate strings make you feel as though you’re spending a lazy afternoon in Italy with the person that makes your heart race just like the characters. The lyrics also perfectly convey those feelings of what it’s like to be in a summer fling and have it come to an end. It starts off with the initial butterflies you get when you’re with that person and ends with reflections on what could have been with that person. In fact, the title of the song says it all but it’s the instrumental and Stevens’ voice that really takes you to the rushing waterfalls of a bright sunny day before the weather turns colder.
- “gold” by Bellerose
Who doesn’t love discovering new music? From a new up and coming band based out of New York and New Jersey, “gold” by Bellerose has quickly become one of my new favorite songs. Anyone that knows me knows that I love keeping my usual playlists on repeat but “gold” is a song that’s found its way into those playlists. The guitar part alone could make me imagine myself moving down to South Jersey and riding a bicycle on the boardwalk with the wind blowing in my face. If it were still summer and I was living in a nice beach house “gold” would definitely be the song I’d want to dance to on my porch. However, I’ll probably do that in the fall and winter anyways because the song is so catchy and the vocals are so smooth. Listening to it will make anyone feel as though they’re spending a fun summer night at the beach with their friends.
- “Tongue Tied” by Grouplove
Do you remember the adrenaline pumping through you as you waited for the bell to ring signaling the start of summer break? How about car rides down the shore with your best friends as the sun sets? “Tongue Tied” by Grouplove brings out all that nostalgia from the first note of the all too familiar guitar riff. Additionally, the song’s electropop beats and use of synthesizers will make anyone want to blast it on the radio on a late night drive or dance to it in a club at midnight. It’s a great song for anyone wanting to relive their teenage years and the times they spent going out past curfew during the summer. “Tongue Tied” is a song that you can’t help but feel good on the inside when you listen to it which makes it the perfect song to listen to when you want to reflect on the summers you had during your youth.
- “good 4 u” by Olivia Rodrigo
You can’t make a list of summer songs without mentioning the summer song of 2021: “good 4 u” by Olivia Rodrigo. Rodrigo broke records with her first single “driver’s license” and continued to break them with the song “good 4 u.” Taking us back to the punk rock sounds of Paramore and early 2000s rock bands, “good 4 u” makes you want to simultaneously headbang and cry to the catchy, upbeat breakup song. Everything you’d want in a summer song “good 4 u” has. This song works for any occasion. Getting over a breakup? Check. Karaoke night? Check. Something to shout along to in the car? Check. Rodrigo manages to give us one of the best post-breakup revenge songs the pop music industry has seen in years and it’s one of the best songs to listen to when you want to feel like the main character of a teenage coming-of-age film.
Even though the summer is over there’s no stopping anyone from listening to songs that make them want to run around the beach or light a bonfire at night. As the fall approaches it gives us an opportunity to reflect and these are the perfect songs to help you relive the summer before the leaves change color and the snow starts to fall.