Summer is about more than just late-night ice cream runs, pool days, and bike rides. You also need to consider the songs in the background while you partake in these super-fun festivities! It’s no secret that music has the power to transport you to the best of times and places, and endless memories will be made with catchy summer anthems. That song about coffee by Sabrina Carpenter? You’ll always remember it years from now as one of the best summer 2024 songs, and the backdrop to beach days with your best friends.

How about the latest of several brutally catchy summer tracks by Tinashe? It was likely played while you were shopping, surfing, and savoring hot dogs on the pier, and it’s the greatest thing ever. What number one hits had the honor of being called the best songs of summer 2024? Many of which will be played on tour this fall? Check it out:  

“Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish

Last summer, Billie Eilish had us all by the heartstrings with her soulful ballad, “What Was I Made For?” Also known as the Academy Award-winning theme song for the hit film, Barbie. Now, she’s done it again with “Birds of a Feather!” The second single off her third album, this year’s Hit Me Hard and Soft, one of the best summer 2024 songs is a breezy new-wave jam that brings the summer sensations front and center. 

It’s also an emotional display of Eilish’s growth as an artist, crafted alongside her brother Finneas and ushering in a mature new chapter of her career. Those who have swayed back and forth to “Birds of a Feather” all summer likely did the same with the rest of her new album. And luckily, they’ll get the chance to do the same in person as she embarks on the mother of all Billie Eilish tours this fall. 
Don’t miss out on the chance to see her perform Hit Me Hard and Soft almost in its entirety!

“Cardinal” by Kacey Musgraves

As one of the reigning queens of country-pop, it’s no secret that Kacey Musgraves knows how to craft a carefree and upbeat summer anthem. But she may have outdone herself with “Cardinal.” Suitable for everything from beach days and car rides with the top down to relaxing days spent in the park, this single has ambient undertones that do your soul good.

Of course, it has all the same benefits for your body and mind in the fall, too. And we’re looking forward to hearing the songstress perform “Cardinal” in all its glory, guitar in hand, on the Kacey Musgraves tour this fall. Dubbed the “Deeper Well tour,” named for her just-released sixth album of the same name, Musgraves will show love to every song and season as she dips into her well of country-pop gems. Get your tickets now!

“I Had Some Help” by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen

Post Malone and his foray into country music has been a long time coming. The multiplatinum rapper has covered Nashville-approved-tunes for years, while he even played a full country music set at the 2024 Stagecoach festival! This summer, Post Malone slipped on his cowboy boots for real as he entered his honky tonk era…which started with the hit single “I Had Some Help.” 

Featuring guest vocals from Morgan Wallen, this single made history from the moment it was released in May. debuting at number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. The song stayed at No. 1 on each for five consecutive weeks, a first-ever feat for any artist in the charts’ history! Therefore, it’s rightfully earned its spot as one of the best summer 2024 songs…and will stay in your head for years to come.

And we’re hardly surprised, since this summer-ready song is all about good times, great friends, and everything else that this season is about. “I Had Some Help” is included on Post Malone’s upcoming sixth album, F-1 Trillion, due for release on August 16th. Meanwhile, he’ll embark on a full-length Post Malone tour this fall that trades his hip-hop rhymes for honky tonk choruses. Will you be there to celebrate Nashville and have nonstop fun?

“Nasty” by Tinashe

“Match my freak” is a term that’s been used across social media all summer, and it’s courtesy of this standout track by Tinashe. The R&B songstress has reached a new level of mainstream success with the song — with a #1 spot on Spotify’s Global Viral 50, 500 million+ global streams, and 13 billion views on TikTok!

Why is everybody listening to “Nasty?” Simply put: it’s incredibly catchy, and has the feel-good vibes that many of us chase each summer. And the best part? The song will be performed in dozens of cities this fall on the “Quantum Baby” Tinashe tour, named for the singer’s upcoming seventh album of the same name. 

“Quantum Baby is about getting to know me on a deeper level,” Tinashe told Brooklyn Vegan. “It’s about exploring who I am as a person and who I am as an artist. I’ve never been one to be put into a box, so the name Quantum Baby encompasses all the different parts that make up who I am as a creative”.

The album will be released very soon on August 16th, so why learn all the words to not only “Nasty,” but all eight tracks as you prepare for the fall Tinashe tour? Tickets are available now. 

“Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter

“Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter was born to be a summer anthem — from its carefree vibes and cool aesthetic to the countless seasonal activities featured in the music video. Just like Carpenter frolicks on the beach in her cutest bikini within these visuals, you can do the same with “Espresso” on your playlist.

The track, along with “Please Please Please” and other tunes off Carpenter’s new record, Short n’ Sweet, have made summer 2024 songs that much better. And the best part? She’s bringing a bit of summer into the next season, too. While you’re jamming along to her greatest hits, don’t forget to grab your tickets for the Sabrina Carpenter tour kicking off this fall!

“365” by Charli XCX

This list wouldn’t be complete without the originator of “Brat Summer” herself, Charli XCX. After releasing her sixth album, Brat, in June, singles including “360” went viral on TikTok and garnered praise for their summer-ready vibes and versatile compositions. 

Call it electropop, synthpop, club tracks or anything else under the (summer) sun…the bottom line is that Charli XCX likes to have fun. And so do millions of listeners as they play songs from Brat during the best seasonal festivities. Are you ready to be one of them? 

When listening to the best Charli XCX songs, it’s easy to think of her as a friend that you’re just living your best summer 2024 existence with. And in many ways, you are! Get the full Brat experience with this summer anthem, and grab your tickets to the Charli XCX and Troye Sivan tour this fall. 

“Good Luck, Babe” by Chappell Roan

If it seems like the name “Chappell Roan” is everywhere these days, that’s because it is…and for good reason. She’s quickly become a pop culture phenomenon, queer icon, and playlist essential with hit songs like “Good Luck, Babe.”

Often described as bubblegum pop with a beautiful message, this track is squashing the tropes of queer-friendly music. “I Kissed a Girl,” it’s not, and trust us when we say that’s a plus. “Good Luck, Babe” is destined to make you feel empowered and all kinds of sexy this summer, and you shouldn’t wait to add it to your collection of seasonal hymns.

Roan is set to appear at several festivals in the coming months; including Hinterland Music Festival, Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, and All Things Go Festival.

“Too Sweet” by Hozier

While the list of summer 2024 hits has, thus far, been overrun by powerhouse women, we can’t forget about Hozier. The serenade-worthy, smooth-voiced, and summer-approved artist has gone from indie favorite to basically everywhere over the past couple of years. And as he continues to support his critically-acclaimed third album, Unreal Unearth, these songs have earned a permanent spot on our summer playlist.

Of course, “Too Sweet” is a more recent track that he put out this past March, a piece of the Unheard EP that Hozier released as a follow-up to Unreal Unearth. While the single didn’t make the final cut for the album, we frankly have no idea why. A folk-blues banger about the intoxicating sensation of forbidden love, with a bassline to die for and a chorus that serves as the perfect backdrop for a low-key summer bash, it’s a seasonal single in every way. 

That being said, “Too Sweet” will hit just as beautifully when he plays it this fall on the Unreal Unearth trek. This Hozier tour has been going strong for well over a year now, and you can’t miss your chance to hear him serenade the audience in every city. 

“Get It Sexyy” by Sexyy Red

Sexyy Red knows how to get the party started, and the rapper will add heat to any summer event with her new single, “Get It Sexyy.” As the title suggests, this track is superb at making listeners feel good in their own skin…whether they’re dancing at the club, catching waves, or anything in between. 

This hip-hop number combines a heavy, churning beat produced by Tay Keith with confident, playful lyrics. AKA, the prime mix of super-catchy rap and unserious verses that Sexyy Red has made her own. She’s quickly becoming one of the reigning queens of rap alongside Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion, and you won’t regret spending your summer with Sexyy Red.

And fall, too! She’s launching a new Sexyy Red tour, aptly called “Sexy Red 4 President,” next month, giving you the chance to witness her revolutionary rap in the flesh.  

“Greedy” by Tate McRae

Sexy, sweet, and undeniably dance-worthy, we’re still not over “Greedy” by Tate McRae. As the top single from her sophomore album, last year’s Think Later, it’s the ideal background music for sizzling summer nights. Whether you’re at the club, hanging around the campfire, or having a chill night in with your loved ones. 

With her meteoric rise to fame over the past few years, McRae has continuously proven that she has no problem being bold and brazen with her music. And “Greedy” proves it. Described as a “cool female empowerment song” that makes no apologies for its feisty nature, it’s a catchy peek into McRae’s fierce persona. Not to mention, the perfect tune for summer 2024!

Get your tickets for the remaining dates of the “Think Later” Tate McRae tour today.

“Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift

Who better to sing about a summer romance gone wrong than the world’s biggest pop star? While this Taylor Swift song is years old, first released in 2019 on her seventh album, Lover, the track’s history makes it nothing less than timeless.

Upon its release, fans couldn’t get enough of its synth-pop melodies and soft-but-sweet chorus, prompting “Cruel Summer” to reach No. 1 worldwide. Several years and one global pandemic later, the song was featured on the setlist on the much-talked-about Eras tour in 2023.

After it went viral on TikTok, “Cruel Summer” was re-released as a single last year, snowballing a “Summer of Swift” that we’re still not over yet. One listen to these relatable lyrics and genre-bending beats will show you why it’s still going strong in the summer of 2024 — the perfect soundtrack to your seasonal relationship woes or fun road trips. 

“Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you may have heard about one of the most prominent hip-hop fueds in recent years: Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake. And while their beef has received mixed reviews, at least we’ve gotten some solid hip-hop numbers out of it. Lamar has crafted not one, not two, but five diss tracks about Drake, the latest of which is “Not Like Us.” 

The critically-acclaimed track is classic Kendrick Lamar — with razor sharp lyrics, improvisational finger-snapping, and a ferocious defense of the West Coast hip-hop world. And of course, nonstop verbal assault against a certain Canadian rapper…which has ironically brought millions of hip-hop fans together from across the globe.

Is it the traditional summer anthem? Maybe not. But there’s no denying that Kendrick Lamar knows how to craft a chart-topping hip-hop single. And the Pulitzer Prize-winning, 17x-GRAMMY-holding artist will add heat to your seasonal festivities in more ways than one. 

“Illusion” by Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa is practically the queen of summer anthems…known for her certified brand of laid-back pop that’s made to be enjoyed on a yacht. Okay, most of us don’t have one of those. But we can guarantee that the danceable hooks and rhythmic elements of “Illusion” sound just as perfect at the pool or during a beach volleyball game. 

One watch of her latest music video will put you in the mood for blue skies and even bluer waters, launching you into a summer state of mind before the three minutes are up. Have we piqued your interest? Because it’s never been a better time to dance to Dua Lipa this summer and beyond.
While she doesn’t have a full-length tour anytime soon, you can see Dua Lipa this fall at the Austin City Limits Festival!