Which Song of the Summer Will Take the 2026 Title?

Which summer anthem will take the title?

What’s summertime without a soundtrack? Regardless of your personal playlist for the season, a handful of songs always rise to the top—and during the best summers, just one track takes the crown, going down in history as the unofficial “Song of the Summer.” 

Occasionally, it’s a pick that the masses can get behind. Read: Neutral pop hits like “I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas or “As It Was” by Harry Styles proved agreeable, relatively undisputed anthems in 2009 and 2022, respectively. Other years, the seemingly christened song is endlessly debated (2025 is still undecided), or leaves everyone scratching their heads—think “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X in 2019. And more often than not, an unexpected late July release sweeps the charts and steals
the title.

Regardless of the song, the spirit of summer holds fast: Hear the track and you’ll be immediately transported back—whether you like it or not. But it’s not just whatever happened to dominate radio roulette; it’s a swath of rising stars, superstars, and breakout genres shaping the season in real time. Think of it as a form of cultural carbon dating. 

Here, we break down some of the top contenders* for the 2026 title.

“Stateside + Zara Larsson”
by PinkPantheress

GENRE: Girlboss bop bordering on hyperpop
Descendant of: “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter (2024)
Vibe check: Pitbull’s “International Love” but for the girls
Soulmate: Alysa Liu

“drop dead”
by Olivia Rodrigo 

GENRE: Soundtrack for closing credits of a 2000s rom-com
Descendant of: “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush (2022)
Vibe check: Synth-pop for Swifties
Soulmate: Sofia Coppola

“Click Clack Symphony.”
by RAYE and Hans Zimmer

GENRE: Show tune meets film score meets girlboss pop
Descendant of: “Lights” by Ellie Goulding (2012)
Vibe check: A would-be flawless fit in the Ocean’s 8 soundtrack 
Soulmate: Maya Rudolph

“I Just Might”
by Bruno Mars

GENRE: Little bit of disco, little bit of soul
Descendant of: “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson (2014)
Vibe check: Your middle-aged mom’s favorite song for the next year
Soulmate: Christine Baranski

“E85”
by Don Toliver

GENRE: Melodic rap with a touch of indie R&B
Descendant of: “NOKIA” by Drake (2025)
Vibe check: Mellow, high-performance + low maintenance
Soulmate: Jenna Ortega

“Midnight Sun”
by Zara Larsson

GENRE: Sparkly dolphin electro-pop
Descendant of: “Lush Life” by Zara Larsson (2015)
Vibe check: Going straight from the beach to the club 
Soulmate: Paris Hilton

“Doors”
by Noah Kahan

GENRE: Crunchy campfire folk tune
Descendant of: “Ho Hey” by The Lumineers (2012)
Vibe check: The optimal Subaru Outback song
Soulmate: Stevie Nicks

“Babydoll”
by Dominic Fike

GENRE: A little performative but very lovable indie pop
Descendant of: “Circles” by Post Malone (2020)
Vibe check: Sounds like it smokes cigarettes + carries a tote bag
Soulmate: Paul Mescal

“SWIM”
by BTS 

GENRE: Emotional yet reassuring electronica K-pop
Descendant of: “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee (2019)
Vibe check: Slow night drive through a cityscape
Soulmate: Billie Eilish

“Aperture”
by Harry Styles

GENRE: Euphoric but slow-burning dance hymn
Descendant of: “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals (2022)
Vibe check: Charli xcx’s brat summer, reheated (sorry not sorry)
Soulmate: Troye Sivan

“Going Shopping”
by The Strokes 

GENRE: Tears for Fears revival synth rock
Descendant of: “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk (2013)
Vibe check: A mild + modern take on NYC indie sleaze
Soulmate: Sombr

*As of press time