Every Summer, certain stand-out tracks become your “jam”. We are talking about songs that once played, everything is lit. Whether you’re at an event, a barbecue or a club, they get you moving, no matter what type of lituation you are partaking in. Whether the song has a catchy hook, dope melody, or hard drums; it embodies the Summer vibe. You can feel the warm weather and even better vibes once the track drops. We all come together and bop to it or shout the lyrics in unison. Although you may have a few in your mind, we’ve taken the initiative and compiled a list of songs (in no order) that are heating up and have the potential to become anthems this Summer.
OMI – ‘Cheerleader’
The first song on our list ain’t even Rap. ‘Cheerleader’ by Jamaican artist OMI is actually a song from 2012 but it got that extra boost when it was remixed by German producer Felix Jaehn late last year. Since then, the song has topped the charts in Australia, UK, Germany and a few other countries. It is only now that the Dancehall song has started to gain traction in the U.S. The song is catchy, the lyrics are sweet and the sound embodies the Summer vibe in a damn perfect way. We predict this one to be at least a top 5 song on Billboard Hot 100.
Boogie – ‘Oh My’
Since we’re on the topic of songs that say “oh my”, let’s discuss Boogie’s latest banger ‘Oh My’. This is a stand-out track which is the first single off the Long Beach, California rapper’s upcoming debut album The Reach, set to drop this Summer. It exemplifies a catchy hook, smooth flow, and Jahlil Beats production — which is a deadly combination. ‘Oh My’ has the potential to be hotter than the grill you’re barbecuing on. As soon as the song starts, you know you’re about to hear some heat. It has the quintessential trap sound; Hard 808s, blaring synths, and hi-hats galore. We’ve personally seen the energy in the crowd when this came on at a club this past weekend. Everyone had their drinks in the air while vibing to the music. It had the crowd shouting, “Oh My Goodness! Oh My!”, in unison. That is the definition of what a Summer jam should be.
Rico Richie – ‘Poppin’
Once you hear that “808 Mafia” tag, you know that you’re about to get into something. This is one of the songs that everyone can vibe to; from the dudes in the back nodding their heads, to the people in the middle of the party getting crazy. This is another one that has great potential to reach mainstream. It has the hard trap beat complimented with a hook that everyone will know by the end of the song. Ever since Meek Mill cosigned the track a couple of weeks ago, it has been able to gain more attention. We all can relate to having some type of haters in life. Let’s face it, if you don’t have any, you ain’t “poppin”.
Rich Homie Quan – ‘Flex (Ooh Ooh Ooh)’
Three words: fire flame emoji. There’s not much to say about this track that hasn’t been said before; it’s just infectious as hell. A couple of listens of this song and you will be harmonizing “ooo-ooo-ooo” randomly throughout the day. This Rich Homie Quan single has a pretty good momentum right now, entering the top 15 of Urban radio this week and showing no signs of stopping any time soon. You hear it plenty of times in the nightlife scene as well.
Kendrick Lamar – ‘Alright’
The song which marked a turning point on To Pimp a Butterfly has huge potential to set the Summer of 2015 ablaze. Once you reached track 7 on the album, you enter a new realm that Kendrick has designed for us. A musical departure from most of the 6 songs that precede it. A favorite from the album for some of us already, this one will have you standing on couches in no time. It’s rare that you have a track with a real message become an anthem that people enjoy and can get loose to so it has great chances of putting a dent on the radio. The video should be released soon, which will provide the extra push in the coming weeks. The Pharrell assisted track features a positive message, ridiculous flows, and a prominent hook — all the ingredients for a valid Summer anthem.
D.R.A.M. – ‘Cha Cha’
If you haven’t heard this one yet, you’re missing out. ‘Cha Cha’ is a song from Virginia singer-songwriter D.R.A.M. (Does Real Ass Music) which has been getting popular each day, even getting attention of people like Rick Rubin and Beyonce. Possessing a great Summer party vibe, even the video reflects the sound in the perfect way as it features D.R.A.M. dancing with family and friends, all spending a perfect day of the Summer together. The song is from his EP #1EpicEP, available on iTunes now.
Young Thug – ‘Check’
This is a joint that will get the money getters on their feet. Young Thug has been quite on a roll this year — both for good and bad reasons. This is one of the standout tracks from the controversial rapper that gets people hyped every time. That signature delivery and flow Thug has juxtaposed with the smooth tunes London on da Track laced, this is a no brainer. This one’s off Barter 6, the pseudo album/mixtape he dropped in April. His real album Hy!£UN35 is supposed to drop in August but until then, he will continue his wave with this joint.
A$AP Rocky – ‘M’$’
This track passes what we call the “car test”. You put this on in the whip, turn your system up, and let it knock. Riding down the street with the windows down, sun blaring, and volume turned all the way up. Flacko’s vintage flow is definitely on display on this one, not to mention that the beat is ridiculous. Those elements are all you really need for a fire A$AP track. At.Long.Last.A$AP is out in stores now, which means we’ll be hearing this track a lot more in the coming weeks, especially because the new version features a strong guest verse from Lil Wayne. It’s dope to hear both these MCs do their thing and hold their own against each other on a track like this. The next time someone asks you what you’re talking about, simply reply, “EEEMMSSS!”
Future – ‘Trap N*ggas’
This song got us all chanting, “God blessin’ all the trap n*ggas”. Who doesn’t grab their strap before they brush their teeth, right? We had a feeling that this would be one of the standouts on the 56 Nights mixtape and that has certianly passed the test of time. Future has been killing the game since he released his mixtape Monster in October and it’s safe to say that he’s found his groove going into the next album.
Fetty Wap – ‘My Way’ (Feat. Drake)
Once you get a Drake co-sign, they strap a rocket to your back and let it fly to the stratosphere. The most recent example of this is Fetty Wap’s ‘My Way’. His songs have become staples in DJ sets across the States since ‘Trap Queen’ broke through. Fetty has been doing his thing lately, delivering unique melodies and catchy lyrics over hard instrumentals. Even LeBron was heard on the sidelines singing the hook during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Hawks. Since ‘Trap Queen’ did so well on the charts, ‘My Way’ already has a positive response from radio DJs and industry insiders.
– by Navjosh & Kelly Velez