As fall begins, Harrisites reflect on the new music gracing their latest playlists. Ranging from rap artists like Drake to pop legends like Ariana Grande, we all have a song that defines our summer.
For senior Melanie Esterine, that song was “Happier” by Marshmello and Bastille. She explained that the song “portrays moving on from a past friendship or relationship as a good thing and it teaches you something while also making you want to get up and dance.” She said the song helped her “learn to let go because sometimes that’s what’s best for a relationship and that’s what will allow you both to be happier.”
In contrast, freshman Jake Chang’s song of the summer wasn’t necessarily released recently. He explained that “Whatever It Takes” by Imagine Dragons offered him the motivation he needed this summer to work out and gave him the feeling that “nothing was stopping [him] from practicing to be on the road to be the best.”
Senior Joseph Zhao mentioned a similar idea through his song of the summer, “Oh My Dis Side” by Travis Scott and Quavo, which was released in 2015. He explained, “I relate to [the message of hard work and sacrifices] because this summer, I have been working and grinding hard in everything I do.”
However, for other students, the latest dance challenges popping up on social media platforms influenced their summer bops For junior Ashley Facey, “In My Feelings” by Drake was her most memorable song. “I heard it every day during the summer,” she said. “On the radio, on Instagram, on Snapchat, everywhere. It made everyone get up and dance and summer 2018 wouldn’t have been the same without the Shiggy challenge.”
While some songs were blasting everywhere on the radio, other summer favorites were more underrated than others. Joseph said that his underrated song of the summer was “Hopeless Romantic” by Rae Sremmurd. “When I first heard this song, I was so impressed and my immediate reaction was that it was going to be a summer smash,” Joseph said. “However, whenever I listened to the radio, ‘Hopeless Romantic’ never seemed to be playing.”
Some of the best songs of the summer were not always singles, but rather a part of an artist’s album. Two of the biggest albums of the summer were Drake’s Scorpion and Travis Scott’s Astroworld, securing the number one spots on the Billboard Music Chart upon release. These two hot drops gave students something to jam to all summer long. Junior Lucas Ayala said that Astroworld defined his summer and that it “was a really fun listen. It was filled with good vibes for summer as well.” Freshman Samin Chowdhury said that Scorpion was his favorite album of the summer. “The music is great to listen to while working out or just chilling with friends,” he commented.
“I think that the songs that I listen to over the summer really affect my mentality for the school year,” said Joseph. “They’ll always remind me of this year’s summer even after a long time.”
