Predicting the song of the summer of 2019 using Spotify data
It’s that time when the zeitgeist takes over and starts searching for a song that will forevermore embody the song that everyone will associate with the summer. I’m not entirely sure when or where this nonsense began–shouldn’t everyone have their own song of the summer?–but it’s become A Genuine Thing for the music industry.
Spotify, always generous with listener data, has released its predictions of which songs have the best chance of being ultra-ubiquitous this season. Using streaming numbers, a song’s current trajectory (up/down and how fast) and “future forecasting” (i.e. guessing), this is what the company has come up with in no particular order.
- “Never Really Over” – Katy Perry
- “Easier” – Five Seconds of Summer
- “Truth Hurts” – Lizzo
- “bad guy” – Billie Eilish
- “Con Calma” – Daddy Yankee, Snow
- “Summer Days” (feat. Macklemore and Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy) – Martin Garrixx
- “Someone You Loved” – Lewis Capaldi
- “EARFQUAKE” – Tyler, The Creator
- “The Bones” – Maren Morris
- “I Don’t Care” (with Justin Bieber) – Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber
- “Go Loco” – YG, Tyga, Jon Z
- “Bags” – Clairo
- “The London” (feat. J. Cole and Travis Scott) – Young Thug, J. Cole, Travis Scott
- “Rockstar” – YONAKA
- “Press” – Cardi B
- “SOS” – Avicii, Aloe Blacc
- “If I Can’t Have You” – Shawn Mendes
- “Hey, Ma” – Bon Iver
- “I Think I’m OKAY” – MGK, YUNGBLUD, Travis Barker
- “Acai Bowl” – Dominic Fike
The company also created a Songs of the Summer playlist. But given Spotify’s clout, won’t that twist the tables in favour of their twenty picks? Just askin’.
Via Spotify.
