Summer Jam 2021 CHAMPION COUNTDOWN!!

Another summer is officially over, people. And so we have yet again come to the time to crown our Final Eternal Champion. This artist's name will echo across the heavens, joining the immensely illustrious crew of the greatest Summer Jam Kings and Queens of this or any other lifetime:

2007: "Umbrella" by Rihanna
2008: "Bleeding in Love" by Leona Lewis
2009: "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas
2010: "California Gurls" by Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg
2011: "Park Rock Anthem" by LMFAO ft. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock
2012: "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen
2013: "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke ft. T.I. & Pharrell
2014: "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea ft. Charle XCX
2015: "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk the Moon
2016: "Can't Stop the Feeling" by Justin Timberlake
2017: "Despacito" by Daddy Yankee, Luis Fonsi ft. Justin Bieber
2018: "Never Be the Same" by Camila Cabello
2019: "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus

2020: "Blinding Lights" by the Weeknd

Now for my critical time, I still think "Blurred Lines", "Shut Up and Dance", "Can't Stop the Feeling", "Never Be the Same", and "Blinding Lights" are weak entries that haven't held up. I especially don't think "Shut Up and Dance" is synonymous with Summer 2015 like it is supposed to be. But we are not ones to pick, merely ones to report the rock solid mathematical formulas that go into creating these lists. Who is the 2021 Champion?! Read on to find out:

#8: "Build a Bitch" by Bella Poarch

Weeks on List: 5

Peak Position: #2 on 8/12 and 8/19

"Build a Bitch" never made it to the top of the countdown, but it was a little too niche of a song to make it there. It operates in an odd zone, where the melody is so sweet, but the lyrical content is honestly dark and sardonic. Its first appearance was all the way back in May, but it held on for a few weeks in June before peaking in August. Decent legs, bigger boobs, it's all there. It worked because it was a really novel and distinctive song in just about every way. A great debut for Bella Poarch, who I hope may continue to stand out amongst a sudden influx of female artists exactly like her this summer.

#7: "Butter" by BTS

Weeks on List: 5

Peak Position: #2 on 6/10

Listen, I never really liked "Butter" although I will be the first to admit that it's catchy as hell. It also held the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for most of summer, but I never heard it on the radio, Spotify, or in general conversation that much. I don't know if BTS is actually popular or people just think they're popular. Anyway, it did well in June, and then had some sporadic appearances in August. Definitely not their biggest song, but significant enough to warrant mention here!

#6: "Deja Vu" by Olivia Rodrigo

Weeks on List: 5

Peak Position: #1 on 7/08 and 7/15

Olivia Rodrigo tapped into something big this summer, and her whole album ruled Spotify for pretty much three straight months until Kanye and Drake crowded all the spots at the very end. This is one of two (spoiler alert) big hits she had, which is a rare feat for anyone. This list is competitive as hell, and there are many many artists who try and fail to get even one song into Summer Jam relevance. This is definitely the slower, chiller jam of the two, but it's still pretty fun. In that break-up sort of way. It debuted in our first week back in May, then hit three straight in July. To be honest, though, I'm still hearing it and I'd probably throw it on a September 13th list if we had one...

#5: "Astronaut in the Ocean" by Masked Wolf

Weeks on List: 6

Peak Position: #1 on 6/24

You know, I didn't realize until today that this song came out like two years ago. Good on Masked Wolf for being patient and finding his niche in Summer 2021. Last summer was so hip-hop heavy, this was really one of the only true crossover hits, and I loved jamming on this beat when it came on. It debuted in May and appeared every month, peaking in June, but hanging around all the way to the final week of summer. I also hope he finds a good career, he has a distinctive cadence, although it's not revolutionarily distinct from contemporary Migos-style artists. It's some hard-hitting stuff, though, and I hope he sticks around.

#4: "Kiss Me More" by Doja Cat ft. SZA

Weeks on List: 7

Peak Position: #1 on 7/29

"Kiss Me More" was one of those staples of summer this season. It was one of only two songs to feature in both Week 1 and Week 16. Lyrically it's decently generic, but becomes an earworm from Doja Cat's effortless flow through singing, rapping, and rap-singing. This was a great summer for her after she's been present in the last couple years, notably "Say So." Her album was another great Spotify presence, and she had her share of other songs that would crawl up and down, but this is still a song I enjoy listening to.

#3: "Peaches" by Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar, Giveon

Weeks on List: 8

Peak Position: #1 on 5/27, 6/03, 7/22

Now we're into the really heavy hitters. I thought this was for sure the Summer of Peaches early on. No one could touch Bieber during those first few months. It spent the first six weeks in an unbroken streak, including back to back wins when no other song seemed like a real threat. It hit the #1 spot more than any other track this season. Then it dropped off, though and couldn't really sustain through July. Of course, it won a week in July, and came back once in August, but although it proved to have a great showing, it wasn't enough. No one has EVER repeated as Summer Jam champion, but Bieber came really really close. It's still a fun song and one that I think will be appropriately associated with Summer 2021.

#2: "Leave the Door Open" by Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic

Weeks on List: 11

Peak Position: #1 on 5/20 and 6/17

I struggle to get sick of this song. It didn't totally light up the charts, but I kept hearing it and it still makes me crack up as it finds that perfect zone between sexy and wacky. It was also a very strong song early out the gate, winning Week 1, and then appearing once in every other month. It was the only other song to also appear in Week 16. It "only" had a five-week streak in June and July, though, but it was in the Top 3 during eight of its eleven weeks. This was so close to claiming it all, if it had had just one or two more weeks it would have gotten it. Still, a great showing of Bruno Mars, who continues to be one of the more unique creative voices in the industry. But the undisputed #1 QUEEN OF SUMMER is...

#1: "good 4 u" by Olivia Rodrigo

Weeks on List: 13

Peak Position: #1 on 8/12 and 8/26

Yep. In the end this wasn't really a debate. This song was huge, and a bit cultural force on the Internet and in the greater real world. I was actually surprised looking back that it hit #1 crazy late in the season, and only twice. It made its butter by only taking three weeks off, Week 1, 10, and16. So basically it owned the heart of summer. We should note that "Deja Vu" was present in Week 1 and 10, so she actually only missed the final week of the season. It was in the Top Three during eight of its thirteen weeks and put together nice meaty streaks of eight and five week campaigns. It dominated Spotify for most of summer and is ultimately the kind of no brainer song that makes me proud to solidify for Eternity as THE One True Summer Jam.

Honorable Mentions:

You know I hate these but I do them anyway. We actually only tracked 39 songs this year, but we had basically cut out a lot of the riff-raff in our new system. "Levitating" deserves mention for having ridiculous legs and we had pretty much ignored it for not being a Hot Jam anymore. Same with "Girl from Rio." Lil Nas X had two pretty big songs that didn't get any radio play, insert whatever homophobia or racism you want there.

I really liked Camila Cabello's "Don't Go Yet" but it debuted too late and ran out of time. "Heat Waves" was perfect, but actually missed some of its June lyrics. Then we had a ton of great new female-led rap tracks, from "Thot Shit" to "Best Friend" to "Twerkulator" and "Whole Lotta Money." It was pretty fun that studios are actually signing and promoting these women trying to find the next Cardi B. Maybe they can just realize that there is room for all these great artists?

Alright, I know what you are thinking. Is this it? We have been cranking this out for 11 years, now, which is one more than I had planned. It is definitely taking a bit of a toll, and we're at the point where we're realizing there is no endgame. There is no exit strategy for this blog. It exists as artificial stress to complete every week. Ugh, I hate that I can't fully say no. Maybe in the way that we did it this year, without worry to hit the magic 8 number each week or talk about nothing for a while. Or maybe we just recount it in September off of feel.

I don't know if I would be able to resist the temptation to do this again next year, but these have never been popular. I like the idea of this canon of Summer Jams. Never say never, I suppose, but if so, this was a fun summer that I'd like to leave on. Better than the summer where "Blurred Lines" beat "Get Lucky."

Until May of 2022, stay honest, true believers!

Summer Jam Week 16: Old Beginnings with New Endings

Well folks, all fun things must come to an end, and this summer is no different. We conclude Summer 2021 with a momentous occasion. I got married this weekend! But most importantly, we boogied to some sweet salty sultry summer jams all night long. Let's go through this one last time and then we will tally up to see who will become the FINAL Summer Jam champion!

"Psycho" by Dixie ft. Rubi Rose

Our last hot drop I think will be a big one - it helps that it sounds a bit like Ava Max but it's got a fu n beat and flow to it. You can get down. Obviously it's a little bit Ms. Irrelevant blowing up in the last week of Summer, but this could be a great Fall Jam!

"Bad Habits" by Ed Sheeran

"Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X

"Kiss Me More" by Doja Cat

"Leave the Door Open" by Silk Sonic

"Don't Go Yet" by Camila Cabello

And that's it. Forever! We'll attack this with some math and see who comes out on top as the TRUE SUMMER ROYALTY!

Thanks folks, it's been fun.

Summer Jam Week 15: Cruel Cruel Summahh

Heh, are you ready for this one?! We've got some new Kendrick, new Kanye, new uhh... Miranda Lambert. With but one week left we really don't have any chance of seeing any of these tracks doing any kind of real Summer Jam Damage. But in what is clearly going to be the last Summer of doing this crap, here is what we're ending with!

"family ties" by Baby Keem, Kendrick Lamar

You know, it's getting to be a long while since Damn. and it's about time Kendrick has some new tracks. This is fun and engaging, while also emblematic of his sly and darkly humourous style that's also not that humourous at all. It's a good track, maybe not as explosive as some of his earlier output, but it'll definitely do.

"Jonah" by Kanye

Haha, how does a song feel overproduced and underproduced at the same time? It's this weird blend of maximalism but also holding back. Dondai was big music news this week, I haven't quite yet listened to the whole thing. Modern Kanye isn't as bad as most people think, it's not nearly at late-2000s levels, but what can be?

"Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home)" by Elle King ft. Miranda Lambert

Elle King is looking more like Rob Schneider's daughter. This is old as hell, but whatever, I heard it this week and it's so rare that I like a country song. Miranda Lambert does it, man. She's got the pipes. This is obviously in no state to be a real Summer Jam, but I like it. Who knows, it's probably been popular for months down south. It's fun as hell.

"Butter" by BTS ft. Megan Thee Stallion

I'm not sure if I've ever heard a more forced collabo that definitely didn't alter the song at all except for throwing in additional vocals. Maybe the "Summertime Sadness" remix that had nothing to do with Lana Del Rey. It works that Megan's bars hit hard, the song isn't great to start with, and I love how it preserves the other BTS rap breakdown. Whatever, it does work in that I like the song a lot more now.

"Leave the Door Open" by Silk Sonic

"Rumors" by Lizzo ft. Cardi B

"Kiss Me More" by Doja Cat

"good 4 u" by Olivia Rodgrio

I was tracking it a bit this week. Olivia killed it again, and is hard pressed to not be SUMMER QUEEN.

Well, we got one week left, folks. We'll see how I do next week. I am in fact getting MARRIED this upcoming weekend, so this might not be high on my priorities. Oh who am I kidding, ALWAYS ROOM FOR A SUMMMMMER JAAAAAAAMMMMM!!!!

Summer Jam Week 14: Birthday Week

That's right! It is my birthday week. Certainly cause for national celebration. Or just another fantastic day in summer! It's hot, though. It's not going to get cooler. We suck, destroyed this planet. ARE YOU READY FOR A ROUND OF JAMS?!

No hot jam this week. Let's just get into it:

"Happier than Ever" by Billie Eilish

This song is generally too long, slow, and dramatic to be a summer jam I'm into, but it's been around long enough it deserves some recognition here. Someone's listening to it.

"Best Friend" by Saweetie ft. Doja Cat

"Telepatia" by Kali Uchis

"Don't Go Yet" by Camila Cabello

"Good 4 u" by Olivia Rodrigo

"Build a Bitch" by Bella Poarch

"Bad Habits" by Ed Sheeran

Yeah Ed Sheeran kind of came out of no where this week. It's been around for a while and I really don't like Ed Sheeran that much so I've been conveniently ignoring it. But it just kept flapping me in the face this week, so there you go.

We've only got two more weeks left, people! This is a shorter summer for whatever reason, maybe because last year's calendar was an unprecedentedly long 18 weeks! This has definitely been an okay summer, and we'll see if Olivia can pull it off!

I really debated "Rumors" because it's hot, but honestly hasn't broken out that much yet. And Bruno Mars is always in the equation but is "Leave the Door Open" played out yet? These are all big questions. But my decision is final! See you next week!

Summer Jam Week 13: Build a Summer

Mid-August! We're almost there! We've thrown in an assortment of new hot jams to jam to this week for your audial pleasure.

"Rumors" by Lizzo ft. Cardi B

It's about time these two got together! They did co-star in Hustlers (2019) after all! This is a funky beat and a great vehicle for both of their impeccable flows. I think it's deserving of the hype. Unfortunately it's dropped far, far too late to be a realistic Summer Jam contender. It hasn't totally lit up charts yet, either, but I think it could do great.

"Thot Shit" by Megan Thee Stallion

"Whole Lotta Money" by BIA

"Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X

I do want to mention that "Industry Baby" came on at the Gym today and it was changed very quickly.

"Telepatia" by Kali Uchis

"Girl from Rio" by Anitta

"Build a Bitch" by Bella Poarch

"good 4 u" by Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia reclaimed it this week. It was unambiguous to me, I heard this track everywhere. I would surmise that it's going to win it all, I don't necessarily see it slowing down yet. We've got just a few weeks left to find out!

I know we don't ever do honorable mentions or anything, but I did hear (relatively) new Foo Fighters this week, but it came out six months ago and isn't popular. So I can't in good conscience list here as a Hot Jam, but I always like throwing out some Modern Rock (as rare as good Modern Rock is), and this is surprisingly solid for new stuff from a nearly 30-year old band.

 

Summer Jam 2021 Week 12: Peaches in Rio

Here we go. Getting into mid-August now. It's hot as the devil's titty but fall is right around the corner now. We're entering into the solid last third of summer. Are we counting this right?

"Don't Go Yet" by Camila Cabello

I don't have too much commentary this week. This track is good enough. It's not nearly "My Oh My" status, but it's fun enough for a late summer jam. I'm not sure if we're getting a "WAP" this year. But the WAPserversary is coming up. Other than that, mostly sort of the same this week.

"Butter" by BTS

"good 4 u" by Olivia Rodrigo

"Montero" by Lil Nas X

"Peaches" by Bieber

"Leave the Door Open" by Silk Sonic

"Best Friend" by Saweetie ft Doja Cat

"Girl from Rio" by Anitta

I just heard "Girl from Rio" a ton this week and I like it. Clearly Spotify, Billboard, local radio, and my own personal tastes are NOT on the same page. That's fine, I expect as much. But I really dig this song! Totally not a Summer Jam Contender.

But at this point we do have to start talking about how these points are going to add up. I think it's going to be Olivia or Bieber. At this point if either miss a week it's a huge deal! Keep blasting those sweet summer jams!

Summer Jam 2021 Week 11: 11 Times the Fun

It's almost time, folks. We've got one more month of nonsense until this Summer of Jams is finally over! And this has got to be the last summer of doing this. We're just pulled in far too many directions to keep this up with ANY sort of consistency. So let's start jamming with more sincere jam than ever before.

"Skate" by Silk Sonic

I hate Bruno Mars...because he's so damn good. He's been riding this funk train for decades now and I get so amped up by all his stuff. It's so smooth and fun and ready to go. "Skate" could be a great song. Who knows if it'll catch on, everything is tough these days.

"INDUSTRY BABY" by Lil Nas X ft Jack Harlow

This isn't getting any radio play. WONDER WHY. It's crushing spotify, though, and that's that.

"Astronaut in the Ocean" by Masked Wolf

"good 4 u" by Olivia Rodrigo

"Heat Waves" by Glass Animals

"Ain't Shit" by Doja Cat

"Leave the Door Open" by Bruno Mars

"Kiss Me More" by Doja Cat

Summer Jam 2021 Week 10 has Fun in the Sum

We're rounding out the end of July, people and really only have a few short weeks to go. Is this year's season only 16 weeks? Or have I just really gotten off track? Undeniably a bit of both. It's peak Summer Vacation time, time to get in all the fun things before August creeps up its dirty slimy head and all this glory fades forever. As Mayor Larry Vaughn would say, "AUGUST?!"

"Wild Side" by Normani ft. Cardi B

There would never be a world where I don't like this video, but honestly the song is kind of shit. It's not really all that wild for its wild side. It plays out like a 90s R&B slow jam, which is all fine, I guess, but the video doesn't line up with the tempo, which doesn't line up with the lyrics, which don't line up with the beat. Sexy, though.

"INDUSTRY BABY" by Lil Nas X ft. Jack Harlow

I'll give Lil Nas X all the credit in the world for 1) Trying sooo hard not to be a one-hit wonder, 2) Making one of the gayest videos of all time, and 3) repeatedly repudiating an industry after making it big on his own merits. This is just pink soaked dick-grabbing fun.

"A Lil Bit" by Nelly and Florida Georgia Line

"Kiss Me More" by Doja Cat

This track hasn't dominated, but by this point has become a steady feature here. I'm curious to see how well it stays and what its final rankings are.

"Girl From Rio" by Anitta

"Levitating" by Dua Lipa

"Deja Vu" by Olivia Rodrigo

I thew this on and left "good 4 u" off this week - I don't think the latter is done, but definitely had a little break.

"Peaches" by Bieber

Honestly a big week, this feels like Olivia's summer, but "Peaches" is a roaring contender.

Summer Jam 2021 Weeks 8 & 9: Welcome to the Sum Jam!

 Yep, this is for the past two weeks. Screw everyone!

"Whole Lotta Money" by BIA ft Nicki Minaj

We are so thoroughly in the female rap revolution by now. It's nice to see Nicki still throwing down why she was the OG (at least of this generation). She was doing all this shit and blowing up bigger than anyone ten years ago now. But I really like BIA's flow and this is a seductive beat. I'm good with these women finally getting their own voices to do their thing here.

"Twerkulator" by City Girls

This song is the shit. City Girls just seem to continue to find ways to make songs about twerking. It also makes me think of Ali G: Indahouse (2002) which I'm sure was not on purpose. I dig this a lot, even if it's totally just that kind of song that blatantly samples its source material and is popular only because it mostly makes me want to listen to the original.

"Levitating" by Dua Lipa ft. DaBaby

"Leave the Door Open" by Bruno Mars

"Montero" by Lil Nas X

"good 4 u" by Olivia Rodrigo

"Deja Vu" by Olivia Rodrigo

This is so clearly the summer of Olivia - she DOMINATED everything this week, although she did trip up on the Billboard and Spotify charts this week. I am still convinced that no one actually listens to BTS' "Butter" though, and Bieber's new song hasn't really caught fire yet. Stay tuned, true believers!

Summer Jam 2021 Week 7: Beat the Heat with these Heat Beats

This summer has been an odd one so far. There just doesn't really seem to be any major shake-ups with the top tracks so far. It's just kind of...more of the same. I keep checking multiple sources and everyone seems content in their zone, without much huge debuts or huge fall-offs so far. It's still fun to jam on these hot jams tho, spread them on your toast and shove them down your gullet!

"I am the Stripclub" by Iggy Azalea

Make no doubt about it, folks - there is no redeeming part of this song. The beat is pedestrian, the video is uninspired, and Iggy's vocals are serviceable while not being super engaging. It's not a good song by any mark. I wanted to put it here because it's not popular, and also...is Iggy doing blackface here? She's always done black voice, did she get a tan and a black hair dye job to complete the Rachel Dolezal illusion? Also, is she aping "Montero" with the gay chic dancers? I guess normalization of this stuff is cool. But watching this feels a little like how much Target is into Pride. She has Summer Jam Royalty in her blood, but I hate to say that Iggy is probably done. Oof.

"Lil Bit" by Nelly and Florida Georgia Line

"Kiss Me More" by Doja Cat

"Good 5 u" by Olivia Rodrigo

"Leave the Door Open" by Bruno Mars

"Astronaut in the Ocean" by Masked Wolf

"Levitating" by Dua Lip and DaBaby

Yeah, I haven't really included "Levitating" that much because it is seriously CRAZY old, but...folks, this is still a thing. It's got great radio play and currently #3 on both Spotify and Billboard. Honestly, I still dig it, too. It really hasn't met that hotness freshness criteria so integral to be honoured here, but whatever, it's clearly still in the conversation and deserves to be acknowledged.

Summer Jam 2021 Week 6: Storms a brewin

Here we are, closing out our first real month of summer. By this time it seems like the contenders for the Summer Jam Throne are pretty much set. Now, we all know that there is always the potential for a late breaking song to just own everything. Look at "WAP"! While that could be around the corner, it does feel like we've settled into a serious groove. Let's dive in!

"You" by Regard, Troye Sivan, Tate McRae

"deja vu" by Olivia Rodrigo

"Butter" by BTS

"Peaches" by Bieber

"good 4 u" by Olivia Rodrigo

"Build a Bitch" by Bella Poarch

"Leave the Door Open" by Bruno Mars

"Astronaut in the Ocean" by Masked Wolf

Olivia Rodrigo has dueling songs right now and a nice appearance on First we Feast. Everyone else is kind of stagnant. "Butter" rules Billboard and "good 4 u" rules Spotify. To be honest, I don't think either are that popular right now and it feels more like an industry telling us they're popular, trying to grasp on to some kind of star power that has long since past. For real, there are next to no classically major artists on the Billboard Top 100. Migos are trying to do something, and Polo G had a big album, but damn that sound just feels like it's trying to fit in rather than doing anything on its own.

We're at a crossroads already - I don't think any of these tracks are necessarily stale yet, but they assuredly are about to be. Stay tuned, folks - we have the Fourth of July weekend fast approaching, always a seminal event in the Life of the Summer Jam!

Summer Jam 2021: RIDIN HOT!

Here we are folks - Summer has officially started, based on the petty three-month calendar year based on the solstice and science. We scoff at that! The only science we pray to is the science of hot hot bods! We are going to pull it back a little this week and probably forever on. I make no hiding of the fact that week after week this feels more and more like screaming Hot Jams into the void, and although my brain is always whirling, it's hard to find something worthwhile to say about "Peaches" each week. Ya'll like lists anyway, right? We might ramble here and there, but here is this week's splatter:

"Lightning Fast" by ohsobrkn

I heard this on the radio - the video was REALLY hard to find. I think I know why - this dude's name is impossible to spell or remember. I kept searching for lightning fast osorbkn and got 0 results. So, change your name, because this song is dope and feels like a 90s ska throwback with a contemporary backing beat and hip hop flow. I dig it a lot. If this ever takes off I want all credit, considering the official video has a whopping 416 views right now.

Okay, let's run through everyone else:

"Build a Bitch" by Bella Poarch

"Best Friend" by Saweetie ft Doja Cat

"Girl from Rio" by Anitta

"Peaches" by Bieber

"Butter" by BTS

"good 4 u" by Olivia Rodrigo

"Leave the Door Open" by Bruno Mars

There we go! There are a lot of women-driven hip-hop songs starting to track, and I really dig "Best Friend" and "Thot Shit" and all those picking up steam. The core songs of this summer seem pretty set. "Good 4 u" is a spotify champion with little sign of slowing - I hear it less on radio and in daily life, but it's definitely a thing. Also, it's actually totally just an Avril Lavigne song. Stay tuned for next week, folks!

Summer Jam 2021 Week 4: One Month Down, 18 to Go!

That's right! This will be the summer that never ends. Or was that last summer? We are knee deep in June by now and everything is fun and right with the world. It does feel weird, doesn't it? Like we're not quite in summer yet. It's still a fun time, but I hardly feel like any song has really staked a good claim to this season.

"Avalanche" by Migos

I was just complaining that you never hear from Migos anymore. Maybe because this is like...okay. It sounds like...a Migos song. That's good. The beat isn't super engaging and the video is broken up a lot so it's hard to get in the zone with it. Whatever, you will never listen to this track again.

"Thot Shit" by Megan Thee Stallion

But I love this song! Not quite getting too much radio play yet. For some reason. We need to get over that shit. Ms. Thee Stallion has such an edge to her while never giving up the integrity of her flow. Its a solid joint. I could get down in the club to this. Hot summer clubs. Hot summer nights.

"Save Your Tears" by The Weeknd

Last summer was the Summer of the Weeknd, and this feels like an extension of that. It's not a hugely popular song, but I heard it a bit this week. It's been around for a while but I wanted to get its acknowledgement in that it's a substantial Summer Jam. Okay, now we can move on.

"Peaches" by Bieber

This is still a thing. He's got a good lead by now. I think it's actually fading, though. It didn't seem nearly as big a part of my life this week as others. We'll see where the Biebs ends up and if he can repeat. Then again, it just doesn't feel like anyone is staying long this summer.

"good 4 u" by Olivia Rodrigo

Is this the summer of Olivia? It sure is so far. I didn't hear this too much, but it's still #1 on Spotify and that's something notable for sure. It does kind of feel like a late 90s pop punk ballad, don't it? I wonder if that's part of the appeal. This generation loves that old weird 90s crap. I lived through that stuff. I mean, I really dug it in when I was 12. It all comes full circle, man.

"Butter" by BTS

Okay, this definitely invaded my world this week. It's not very good, it also just sounds like any BTS song, which sounds like all boybands distilled in a blender and spat back out at us. I guess that's an impressive feat for seven Koreans. And there's seven! By Durin's beard. I mean, I kind of like it.

"Lost Cause" by Billie Eilish

This is maybe a curveball, but I heard this a few times and just got into it this week. It's so minimalist. It's not totally popular, but it snuck in my brain and stayed. That's how you get the deuce points and the #1 spot on this list, folks. Who knows what will happen this summer - I don't see this as an ubiquitous summer jam, but it's getting it this week.

Summer Jam Week 3: Late in Early June

Yeah, we'll get on some kind of schedule around here. We have a nice mix of songs this week, some are already putting together strong campaigns, others are coming and going like these tasty jams often do. Remember June 2020 for a second? Oof. I'm sure glad racism is over!

"Love Again" by Dua Lipa

So totally one of the worst songs on Future Nostalgia. Mostly because it does this trend of patently ripping off the riff of a much better song, in this case "My Woman" by Al Bowlly via Bing Crosby, which is more known as "Your Woman" by White Town. So this obviously doesn't hold much ground because the version I like is in fact also a sample of a sample. Anyway, it's a weaker entry than some of her other hits over the past 18 months. Dua Lipa is still earning her way to Diva stardom, though. Does anyone else think she's an industry plant? More on that as we go this summer.

"Your Power" by Billie Eilish

This song is crazy slow and I really don't like it that much. "Lost Cause" is on the Spotify Top 50 list, but this is on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Yeah, at #60. It just stuck in my head this week because it was pretty bad and I don't like it. Hey, these aren't always great moments, it's just what's hot, baby!

"good 4 u" by Olivia Rodrigo

The modern hit charts are bizarre, Olivia Rodrigo has seven out of the Top 20 spots. I think it's Spotify's way of streaming entire albums. This track has risen to the top over the last few weeks and pushed a little bit by radio play. It's a good song.

"Montero" by Lil Nas X

I didn't really get into his SNL performance, which was the gayest event of all time. It's still hanging around, although I feel like it won't have the legs to last the entire summer. Still, it deserves some acknowledgment here because it's a big hit. Lil Nas X is trying really hard to not be a one-hit wonder.

"Heat Waves" by Glass Animals

Mid-nights of June! Almost. This is still legitimately popular. Right? Sure. I like it. Kind of. It's not that great, I really just want to exploit those lyrics that I'm sure no one else really clues into.

"Leave the Door Open" by Bruno Mars

This ducked out a bit, but then found its way back into our hearts. It's not nearly as strong as it seemed when Summer debuted, but it's definitely still a contender. It's fun, sexy, and silly while being a seductive summer swing! Hoorah!

"Astronaut in the Ocean" by Masked Wolf

I'm still digging this quite a bit. I don't feel like any hip hop artists last any more. What was the last Desiigner song you heard? Or even like, Migos? Masked Wolf is cool, although I do struggle to distinguish him from a DaBaby or Roddy Ricch. But I dig this song and got pumped when I heard it this week.

"Peaches" by Bieber

This has been sort of a default song but up there for me. Or maybe it's not, I don't know. It's definitely achieved primo background status and is great for rolling, chillin, vibin, or jammin. That is a true Summer Jam in the making and it's become pretty radio-friendly despite some un-family friendly lyrics.

Also, is "Butter" by BTS going to be a thing? #1 on Billboard but I have literally never heard this song before. So, look out for that one!

Summer Jam 2021 Week 2: The Same!

Well folks, here we are in Week 2 of Summer 2021. Summer of Freedom? Summer of Kale and Fitness? Summer of Basic Human Interaction? It's all good. We don't have many earth-shattering shake-ups this week, most hot tracks are the same as the week prior. Let's tear this mother up.

"Astronaut in the Ocean" by Masked Wolf

I got a little Tyler the Creator vibes with this, not necessarily because of the vocals, a little bit because of the beat, but because this sounded like hip-hop with an edge that I hadn't heard before. Now, don't jump on me, I know it's not THAT ground-breakingly original, but it's still a cool song that I can get behind. Hip-hop weirdly doesn't really have a great history of summer jams, but that's also because we typically base this crap so much on radio play. All that cultural stuff is changing, so we'll see what happens with this!

"Kiss Me More" by Doja and SZA

I didn't hear this as much this week, but it's still a fun, sexy track with the flow that Doja is really honing in on these days. She's come a long way since "Mooo!" but I maybe still actually like "Go to Town" better. Still, her flow and rhyming is really satisfying here, even if it's not super intellectual or political. It's just...nice.

"Build a Bitch" by Bella Poarch

Heh, I like this song. It's got a really coherently thematic beat and a sly feminist attitude that's pretty fun. I can get behind it. I heard this like once this week but it really stuck with me in a way that a lot of early summer breakouts can do. I hope it lasts, we need more wacky songs that are actually important songs like this.

"good 4 u" by Olivia Rodrigo

That's right, we're going straight Spotify links! It's a new age. Anyway, I like this, it's got a thumper to it that keeps it rolling and it's primed well to have some strong summer legs. It's tough to choose between this, "Deja Vu," and frankly, "Driver's License," which is still a thing. But this is definitely the most spirited, and what has been hottest this week.

"Heat Waves" by Glass Animals

Hey, it's almost the middle of June! This song is old and I've heard it a ton, but that includes this week. It's another insidious track that does great brain creep. It sounds like every song you've ever heard, but also somehow distinctive. Pumped for the late nights in the middle of June when this becomes the most relevant song ever. It's like November Rain, baby.

"Peaches" by Bieber

This is proving to be a pretty big song. It definitely got all in my head this week and earns its title spot. It's catchy as hell. Bieber already got a summer jam crown years ago with "Despacito," although this is definitively more his song, even though it is also a collabo. We are so damn early, but it already feels like a fun summer song that could stay around a while.

Summer Jam 2021 Week 1: It All Begins Here!

 I long debated this, as you can likely tell from it being super late into the season already. Summer Jam tracking is exhausting, only kind of fun, and by far the least popular column we've ever done. But...I do just love Summer Jams!

So my goal now is to complete implode what we've done. I'm not even going to bother with a set number of songs each week. We're just going to chat about songs that are popular in the moment and I don't care about anything else. As long as I have the compulsion to write about this, it's going on the Internet. We'll tally a point for making it on the list and two points for winning and then figure things out in September. DONE.

"Deja Vu" by Olivia Rodrigo

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It's nice that Olivia Rodrigo is officially more than a one-hit wonder. I don't think this will hit "Driver's License" levels, but it's still in that good vibe zone that feels like it could be a big Summer 2021 hit. It's a fun song that just makes me think about who the hell hurt Olivia Rodrigo to get continually eviscerated. It's like Adele or Taylor Swift over here.

"Beautiful Mistakes" by Maroon 5

Maroon 5 is so weird. I really go in between thinking they're great and thinking they're shit. For the record, they are clearly the biggest sell-out rock group of all time, and have totally devolved into pop crap. But sometimes pop crap is great! I kind of dig this. It's old, but still hooky.

"We're Good" by Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa had the best 2020 and has never looked back. This is mostly off the strength of Future Nostalgia, and "Levitating" made the big news by scoring the #1 Billboard spot, but "We're Good" is the more recent song and equally smooth as far as I'm concerned. But for the record, "Levitating" also had a great week.

"Peaches" by Justin Bieber

I was never actually on that Bieber hating wagon - even the multiple eras of Bieber hating, from punk kid to jackass kid. He's got a good voice and now he's found a good niche of milking his pop stardom into a comfortable zone of not quite dominance, but certainly a good string of hits. I was also just eating some peaches this week.

"Kiss Me More" by Doja Cat

This song exploded this week and Doja is clearly hungry for a Summer Jam crown after coming close last year. I really dig her flow and she transitions between singing and rapping and sing-rapping with damn fine ease. I didn't actually know what the name of this song was, but I get bad Mondegreens all the time.

"Leave the Door Open" by Bruno Mars

Bruno kind of brilliantly makes a sort of sexy parody song that is still pretty sexy, but also hilarious. It's a very narrow zone to find a home in, but Bruno nails it. I also couldn't escape it this week, and neither could America. Your first #1 in 2021 in our new format gives Bruno an early edge. Will HE BE CROWNED CHAMAMPION?! Stay tuned, folks!