Idolator
Starting around, oh, March or so, pop, hip-hop and rock acts and their labels begin jockeying for position in the unofficial Song of Summer sweepstakes. Crack open Billboard by around May, and every third review you'll read on the singles page makes a claim about said song's Jeep-booming properties. The thing is, for all that labor, the anointing of a Summer of Song of [X] Year is a fairly organic process, and the public won't always do what it's told.
Sony/BMG probably thought it had a lock when the midsection-wiggling Shakira/Beyoncé duet "Beautiful Liar" dropped in late winter, one year after "Hips Don't Lie." No doubt the label expected beach/boardwalk dominance by June, but 16 weeks after its momentary tour of the top five, "Beautiful Liar" (Billboard No. 88) is now one week away from chart oblivion, while—as Matos pointed out here the other day—Avril "What's a Rubinoo?" Lavigne's "Girlfriend" is entering its fifth month in the top 10. Take that, undulating pelvises!
In short, there's only so much the powers that be can do to concoct a summer single. (Well, unless your label executive/guest rapper is Jay-Z.) Below, we poll our always-perceptive, finger-on-the-pulse readership on the Summer Song of 2007.
Since it's no secret that Rihanna's "Umbrella" is spending its seventh week at No. 1, we're going to make things interesting—and make the fight a little fairer—by replacing that obvious choice with Ri-Ri's fast-rising, car-celebrating followup, "Shut Up and Drive." Songs are in alphabetical order, except for the ringer we've placed at the end; don't laugh—it's still in the iTunes Top 40, more than a month after Tony Soprano's blackout. So pass the aloe and make your selection.
Comments
I'm looking forward to fall.
It just occured to me how very out-of-touch I am with pop music. I've heard exactly three of those songs, one on a ringtone commercial, and another one that's a quarter century old.
Why isn't Umbrella on the list? A much bigger hit than Shut Up & Drive.
And what about Big Shit Poppin?
Yuck. What a crappy selection. What 11-year old Idolator staff member came up with these songs?
[awesomeometer.blogspot.com]
@nffcnnr: Chances are your 11-year old cousin had more to do with this list. Any it is a bad list by the way. I voted for the Rihanna song even though I haven't actually heard it yet.
Yeah, I'm generally able to find plenty of stuff on the Hot 100 that I like at any given moment, but this is a pretty depressing lineup. It could probably use some more insurgent hits like "Tambourine" and "Wipe Me Down" and fewer popular but decidedly un-Summery crap like "Hey There Delilah." I'm voting for "Same Girl" by default.
@nffcnnr:
Hey man, don't blame the messenger..the charts don't lie!
Dream choice: Lloyd. Pragmatic choice: Kingston.
However, making a late run here (and this might be just a regional hit; I haven't checked the charts or anything): "Lean Like A Cholo" [www.youtube.com]
@DanGibson: That Lloyd song was my pick too. "The remix, baby."
Big Shit Poppin. TI = Summer.
I second that call for "Tambourine".
amy winehouse doesn't play in peoria
it's either lloyd or shop boyz
The first time I heard it I thought it was going to be Lil Mama, hands down. Since then it hasn't seemed to catch the way it needed to. Congrats, Sean Kingston.
Who listens to the radio, anyway?
What about the "Girlfriend" remix?
@Mr. Guy: Congrats on joining the Lloyd party, Mr. Guy. We're gaining momentum!
I'd like to vote for "Umbrella", too, DENNISOBELL, but I think you made the right call, because it is a somewhat unfair fight. So, from this list -- excellent job, BTW -- I'm casting my vote for "Rehab". This song is still growing among my friends and coworkers. Even now, a couple of times a week, people who know I'm a music nut will ask me, "Hey, have you heard that 'Rehab' song?"
@commenters: the "Song Of The Summer" is supposed to be that ubiquitous song you hear everywhere -- at the beach, in the club, on the mixtape [CD] your friend made for you, booming from the car passing you by, in the commercial for the local Hot 100 radio station, as background music for VH1's 40 Craziest Celebrity Breakdowns -- think of Britney attacking that SUV with an um-b-rella-ella-ella-ay-ay-ay -- etc. So, if we're looking for that song, I think we have a good set to choose from here.
@DHMBIB: Thank you, and you explained the whole premise of this better than I could. I didn't say anyone had to love all of the choices here. In fact, murderous hatred might be apropos in some cases.
Looks like Amy's the winner, but Journey put up a shockingly good fight.
"umbrella" peaked a bit early, perhaps? i dunno, it could play forever. i mean, it just knocked "s.o.s." out of my head.
lloyd is the hotness and sean kingston's right behind him. but the song that i hear booming out of every car right now is the fabolous/ne-yo joint. and since it can take pop radio a minute to catch on to the hood hits, i think this one will sneak up and take the title.
godspeed, lil' mama. we hardly knew ye.
I still think we're the wrong people to ask, and that "Umbrella" should still be on this list.
@DHMBIB: I think you're working off the assumption that the "song of the summer" is the same thing to all people. To me, the "song of the summer" is nearly always going to be an urban hit...ex: "Lean Back", if you will.
sean kingston seems to be the 1 right now. shop boyz also hot. theres 1 from england sonny jim 'cant stop moving' or some such.
I also liked the TI/TIP poppin & wipe me down also hot
I'm still thinking Justice's D.A.N.C.E. is going to come out of Europe and Gnarls Barkly everyone to death. It might take a little while longer though for it to get off the internet and onto mainstream radio.
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