by GABRIELLA DEPINHO, News Editor
Now that school is back in full swing, it’s only appropriate for radio show hosts and friends to start debating what the song of the summer was. This can be the song that dominated the airwaves for far too long, the song that made listeners feel like they were in a teen “carpe diem” flick, the song that changed your life this summer or really any song you want it to be.
The secret as to why it can be any song you want it to be is this: there is no such thing as the song of the summer.
There are only the songs of each and every one of our summers. There are the songs everyone played during graduation parties, late night drives to favorite ice cream shops, at summer jobs, in backyards and every place in between.
This Jasper Jams is dedicated to the songs that filled my summer – the ones I played on my daily drives back and forth from Rockland to the Bronx for my summer internship, to the beach, to Twist’n’Shake (my ice cream place of choice) and everywhere in between. Feel free to reach out and let me know if we had any of the same songs blasting this summer or if you had any that you think could be a song of the semester for me.
I Wish I Missed My Ex – Mahalia
Somehow I missed this song last summer with its original May 2018 release but I’m glad I found it this summer. Since Twitter officially dubbed this summer as “hot girl summer,” I think starting this playlist off with this choice is a good one. If you could not tell by the song title, she does not actually miss her ex, which, hopefully, you all feel on that one as you enter the “hot girl scholar” season.
Easier – Five Seconds of Summer
I’ve been a Five Seconds of Summer fan since early 2013 so I have seen this band go through their stages. Even as they change their sound, I will always have a soft spot for them because their music has been there for me through it all – the awkward stages to college move-in and then some.
Look What God Gave Her – Thomas Rhett
I find that any Thomas Rhett song in which he is singing his wife’s praises makes me swoon. A man that loves his wife as much as Rhett does in this day and age? Rare. A man who makes music about loving his wife so much? Someone whose music I can get behind.
Alligator – Of Monsters and Men
It’s been nearly four years since their last release but Of Monsters and Men is back and better than ever. They’ve shaken up their sound to the point that I didn’t recognize this as their song when I first heard it, but I’m still all about it. I hope to hear this song on a movie soundtrack soon.
Too Much – Carly Rae Jepsen
I love Carly Rae Jepsen. We, as a society, have failed her. She is more than “Call Me Maybe,” I promise. Her mid-May release “Dedicated” is full of songs that satisfied my desire for lustful ‘80s pop this summer.
Honest – The Band CAMINO
My love for The Band CAMINO started during the last three weeks of the spring semester as I churned out essays and study guides while only having their music on repeat. I listened to all their songs all summer long (and even bought concert tickets for September) but I figured if I had to pick just one song to share with you, I’d pick their mid-summer release.
Never Really Over – Katy Perry
Listen, I went through an “I hate Katy Perry” phase mostly inspired by my strong dislike for her songs “Swish Swish” and “Chained to the Rhythm.” However, this song is making me hopeful that she can reach the same level of iconicness with consistent amazing hits that she had from 2010-2013. Also, the lyrics on this one are just too real.
All My Friends – Owl City
I’ve had this song on my playlist for a while but it was one I would often skip in favor of songs I knew better or liked better. This summer, I had a rule that if I got thirty seconds into a song before I realized I wanted to skip it, I’d have to finish the song and that’s how, driving down the Saw Mill Parkway, I fell in love with this song. Owl City, much like Carly Rae Jepsen, is an artist that I feel we, as a society, failed.
Love Me Not – Whitney Woerz
Friends from home know you better than anyone and yet, they still have no idea how much you’ve changed. One of my best friends from high school recommended a different Woerz song, thinking I wouldn’t like this one. High school me would have only loved the other Woerz song, but present me bumps this track in traffic every day.
Gabriella – Card Club
I am always able to find keychains and mugs in tourist shops with everyone’s name but mine. Same goes for finding songs that include names in the title. For the first time in my life, I found a song that shares my name. And it’s a bop. Card Club, a band with this one song out, seems to be on track to be another alternative/indie band of white guys making songs about girls who won’t love them back. And I am here for it.
Jasper Jams will be posted online every other week, making special appearances in print, so follow along online for other playlists and keep your eyes peeled for future print editions.