My summer playlist: 5 songs for summer

I love making playlists—I’ve got over seventy in my Spotify library, from playlists inspired by characters, to Dungeons and Dragons playlists, to personal mixes of certain musicians. One such playlist I made for last summer, and I called it ‘reclaim our youth’. The summer of 2021 was, for me, when I could reclaim some life indeed. After months in isolation, a playlist to excite me about summer again was a necessity. Most of these were old favourites; things that reminded me of life before the pandemic so that I could be transported back.

Now, however, such time travel isn’t needed. This year, I’m making a summer playlist based on what I’m looking forward to; songs I’ve heard throughout the year that would be best placed playing through a speaker on a late July evening, as the barbeque smoulders in the background. Songs that fill the late summer night in the pauses of my friend’s conversations as they sip at their juices and ciders. I hope some of these songs find their way onto your playlists too!

1) ‘What A Life’ by Scarlet Pleasure

I first heard this song in September when I watched Another Round at Warwick Student Cinema. It’s the perfect summer tune — the Danish band creates a song that feels perfect to bounce to, with the kind of carefree attitude that you want to be able to throw at the summer. Bonus points if you like the version from the Another Round soundtrack — the chorus of young people chanting the titular lyric “what a life” never fails to get me in the mood to get up to some shenanigans with my friends.

2) ‘Hocus Pocus’ by Focus

It’s another song I found in a film — this time from Edgar Wright’s 2017 film Baby Driver. The same energy of being carefree threads to this song from the last, only this one adds a reckless energy. Honestly, after a year of intense society work alongside my final year of undergrad studies, carefree recklessness is exactly what the doctor ordered for my summer. If you want a song to help you jump up and throw your limbs around in what can barely be called a dance, this song is for you!

3) ‘Take Me Out’ by Franz Ferdinand

Maybe listening to this song is just me wishfully manifesting that someone will, in fact, take me out (how they do that, well, that’s up to their discretion). But this cheery little tune, though playing with darker themes (looking at the lyrics and the meaning of this song is a treat!), is wonderfully bouncy and fits in well with the two previously mentioned. Much of Franz Ferdinand‘s self-titled album could take this spot — I find myself coming back to re-listen to it every summer year on year. Perhaps I’m just excited to go and see them when they tour in October, though…

4). ‘Cigarettes in the Theatre’ by Two Door Cinema Club

This song has a lighthearted energy to it — there’s less urgency to it than ‘Hocus Pocus’, but there’s still a recklessness here. Only with this song, it’s clear that whatever debauchery you’re getting up to, you’re doing it with friends. As the lead singer repeats “we’re past morning light, we’re past morning light” in the chorus, I like listening to imagine my friends and me drinking through the night until the sun rises. It absolutely deserves a place in any summer playlist.

5). ‘Oxford Comma’ by Vampire Weekend

“Who gives a f**k about an Oxford Comma” is an opening line that speaks to me now I’ve submitted my final essays for my degree. I’m done with them! Who isn’t tired of caring about referencing, the crunch time of essay season, and the constant anxiety that you aren’t doing enough studying. This song is a brilliant addition as a ‘sod off’ to university, as summer should be the place where we can all relax without the impending doom of the next essay season hurtling towards us.

Hopefully, some of these songs spark some summer feelings! I find that making a playlist for times like this helps years later when I want to relive some of the memories, so even if none of these are to your liking, I highly recommend making your own playlist for this summer.