NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� What makes a great Is it an up-tempo pop banger? Something with an earworm chorus? Does it need to feature the words 鈥渟ummer,鈥� 鈥渟unshine,鈥� or another synonym 鈥� 鈥淐alifornia鈥� 鈥� in the title? How could anyone attempt a song of the summer after the composed them anyway?
It very well may be subject to the eye (well, ear) of the beholder, but The Associated Press views the song of the summer as the one that takes over those warm months between June and August, the kind that blasts out of car speakers and at beach barbecues in equal measure. And that means many different things for many kinds of listeners.
So here are AP鈥檚 2025 song of the summer predictions across categories, with for reference.
Find your song of the summer and then listen to our
Song of the summer that inexplicably came out in January: Bad Bunny
A song of the summer doesn鈥檛 actually have to arrive in summer, or even in spring. History has proved this time and time again, lest anyone forget hit at the top of the year in 2021. But this summer, like every summer, is about Bad Bunny. On his latest album, Benito Antonio Mart铆nez Ocasio pulls from Puerto Rico's rich musical history and hybridizes it. He does so from the very opener, 鈥淣鲍贰痴础驰辞尝,鈥� which samples the fittingly named 1975 salsa hit from El Gran Combo, 鈥淯n Verano en Nueva York鈥� (鈥淎 Summer in New York鈥�).
Past champion: 鈥淏oy鈥檚 a Liar PT. 2,鈥� PinkPantheress, Ice Spice (2023)
Song of the summer for the chronically online: PinkPantheress
An internet hero releases another super hit: PinkPantheress鈥� 鈥淭onight鈥� is an undeniable good time; all bassline house meets hyperpop vocals with a naughty chorus. The 24-year-old British singer-songwriter has proved she鈥檚 than a few viral hits 鈥� but her huge songs that blow up online? They tend to stay. That鈥檚 more than can be said about past winners in this category.
Past champion: 鈥淢illion Dollar Baby,鈥� Tommy Richman (2024)
Breakup song of the summer: Lorde
Lorde鈥檚 first new single in four years recalls the clever synth-pop of her casting aside the folk detour of 2021鈥檚 鈥淲hat Was That鈥� is reserved revelation, introspective electropop that takes a measured look at a relationship鈥檚 dissolution. It feels good, and bad, which is the point.
Past champion: 鈥淗ow Can You Mend a Broken Heart,鈥� Bee Gees (1971)
Song of the summer for the girls and all those who love them: KATSEYE
born out of K-pop development techniques, are 鈥淕苍补谤濒测,鈥� and they鈥檇 like you to be, too. The song is asymmetrical pop with a cheerleading cadence and extensive, expensive product placement. You鈥檙e here for the girls, or you鈥檙e not. Gnarly!
Past champion: 鈥淏ills, Bills, Bills,鈥� Destiny鈥檚 Child (1999)
Song for singles ready to mingle this summer: Young Miko
Flirting is central to these hot months; no other season has a fling named after it. knows this better than most, and her track 鈥淲ASSUP鈥� is all about charisma 鈥� and it doesn鈥檛 hurt that it interpolates 鈥淟ollipop鈥� by Lil Wayne featuring Static Major and 鈥淐hulin Culin Chunfly鈥� by Voltio featuring Residente.
Past champion: 鈥淏uy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin鈥�),鈥� T-Pain featuring Yung Joc (2007)
Song of the summer for those who love British boy ballads performed by an American: Alex Warren
Last year brought glossy soft pop-rock; this year, Alex Warren鈥檚 鈥淥rdinary鈥� is inescapable. A big, inoffensive ballad with loosely religious themes, it is meticulously designed to the pull at heartstrings. And it does 鈥� the song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Past champion: 鈥淏eautiful Things,鈥� Benson Boone (2024)
Song of the summer for when you lose the beef but still have fight left in ya: Drake
For the last year, Drake has mostly made headlines for one of the biggest beefs in modern rap music history. but on 鈥淣辞办颈补,鈥� he鈥檚 certainly a winner. The song is a return to what Drizzy knows best: a massive rap-R&B-pop song for the ages, one that will live inside the minds of listeners for the whole year. Just, you know, replete with the nostalgic sounds of a Nokia ringtone.
Past champion: The difference here, of course, is that Drake won But nonetheless: 鈥淏ack to Back,鈥� Drake (2015)
The TikTok-approved, blast-of-dopamine song of the summer: 803Fresh
Social media is the wild west and inevitably sources its own song of the summer. Usually, there鈥檚 in the track 鈥� like 2023鈥檚 鈥淭he Margarita Song鈥� by That Chick Angel, Casa Di & Steve Terrell. This year is a bit different: 803Fresh鈥檚 鈥淏oots on the Ground鈥� is an organic hit that centers a kind of soulful line dance 鈥� it鈥檚 country-pop with trap hi-hats and fun for the whole family.
Past champion: 鈥淭he Spark,鈥� Kabin Crew & Lisdoonvarna Crew (2024)
Song of the summer for it girls: Addison Rae
Charli xcx fans, fear not. is stuffed with bejeweled, hypnotic pop songs for the Best of all is the Grimes-esque 鈥淔ame Is a Gun,鈥� a sunglasses-in-the-club banger with synthetic vocal textures and an unignorable chorus. For fashionable listeners, and those who aim to become more fabulous.
Past champion: 鈥淏ad Girls,鈥� Donna Summer (1979)
Song of the summer of revenge: Sabrina Carpenter
Does it sound strikingly similar to at times? Sure. But has Sabrina Carpenter cornered the market on country-tinged, satirical pop songs about heterofatalism, an internet neologism for those who find heterosexuality embarrassing and hopeless? Also, yes. But you know, with a wink, vengeance and a danceable quality. Amen, hey men!
Past champion: 鈥淏efore He Cheats,鈥� Carrie Underwood (from her 2005 debut album, but released as a single in 2006)
Biggest song of the year, and therefore the default song of the summer: Kendrick Lamar and SZA
Is a song released in November too dated to qualify for song of the summer? Perhaps. But here鈥檚 the rub: held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 weeks in 2025 鈥� over half the year so far. Popularity makes the contender. It doesn鈥檛 hurt that 鈥淟uther鈥� is also one of the best songs of both this year and last, a tender R&B ballad that samples Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn鈥檚 1982 rendition of 鈥淚f This World Were Mine.鈥� 鈥淟uther鈥� has since been dethroned on the charts, but no other song has come close to its run this year.
Past champion: 鈥淟ast Night,鈥� Morgan Wallen (2023)
Country crossover song of the summer: Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae
If terrestrial country radio is your leading metric for selecting the song of the summer, then Morgan Wallen鈥檚 鈥淚鈥檓 The Problem鈥� is likely your pick. But a catchier track with true country crossover appeal is 鈥淲hat I Want鈥� with Wallen and pop singer Tate McRae. It is on one of his songs. It's a rare embrace for the chart topper, who historically prefers to buck country duet tradition and double down on his vocal style 鈥� warm, muscular, masculine.
Past champion: 鈥淵ou鈥檙e Still the One,鈥� Shania Twain (from her 1997 album, but released as a single in 1998)
Song of the summer released half a decade ago: Charli xcx
The data doesn鈥檛 lie and what is old is new is old is new again. In the year after desire for more Charli xcx is still strong. As a result, fans have dug up a cut from her 2020 album, 鈥淗ow I鈥檓 Feeling Now,鈥� and turned it into their own summer anthem 鈥� five years later. So much so, in fact, that Charli released a music video for it in May.
Past champion: 鈥淐ruel Summer,鈥� Taylor Swift (released in 2019, crowned song of the summer in 2023)
Song of the summer with a canine-themed title: 鈥� Leon Thomas
Look, 鈥淢utt鈥� also arrived in 2024, but in 2025 鈥� bolstered by and a recent Chris Brown remix 鈥� makes 鈥淢utt鈥� an easy song of the summer pick for some listeners. It鈥檚 difficult to hear that chorus and not sing along: 鈥淪he said, 鈥楾ake your time, what鈥檚 the rush?鈥� / I said, 鈥楤aby, I鈥檓 a dog, I鈥檓 a mutt.鈥欌��
Past champion: 鈥淏ird Dog,鈥� The Everly Brothers (1958)
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
