Song of the Summer 2014 (June Edition)

Whether it's on your way to the beach, at a barbecue, or (for a few unfortunate souls) on your way home from work, the music scene's hottest season is summer. Obviously, people have a lot more free time on their hands as the temperature rises and that somehow has correlated to people loving their big hits. Over the past few years, the term "Song of the Summer" has been crowned upon the one song that stands tall above all others. It's even gotten so real that Billboard tracks, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, a "Song of the Summer" chart. And it's never too early to start the conversation, as many discuss potential summer smashes as early as March. But now, in June, we have a pretty good indication of what to expect as the top song on our radios this summer. So what songs have the best shots of sharing the title with previous "Songs of the Summer" such as Blurred Lines (2013), Call Me Maybe (2012), Party Rock Anthem (2011), and California Gurls (2010). Read on to find out...

A Billboard article from last month presented a list in numerical order of songs most likely to reach the peak. It's a good list, but I don't think I could list out the potential hits in a similar fashion, so this will be more like me churning out song titles as they come to mind or pieces that can be grouped together.

One thing that mostly everyone can agree on is that summer of 2014, if it doesn't already, will belong to Iggy Azalea. If you haven't heard of her yet, I'll skip over asking "Do you live under a rock?" and just inform you that you will know her name and face by September. Coming from almost complete obscurity, Iggy has been working the underground rap scene for a while now, but her first breakthrough single, Fancy featuring Charli XCX, started climbing up the charts earlier this spring, and just after Memorial Day, Fancy went on to become the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. The fact that the song is peaking at the beginning of June does wonders for its "Song of the Summer" chances. It may not be the usual formula for a "Song of the Summer" since the primary artist is a white female rapper, but the insanely catchy hook and sing-along ready chorus makes it instantly recognizable. Another Billboard article nails the Fancy phenomenon story and explains how a perfect storm of a great song, a new "It" girl, and a soon-to-be classic music video (posted above) are all markers that "I-G-G-Y" will be on our tongues all sumer.

However, the song that looks to be its closest challenger is another Iggy jam -- this time, it's as a featured artist on Ariana Grande's Problem. I remember just a few weeks ago, toward the end of April, when Grande was teasing the release of Problem. She had a lot of things working in her favor right from the get-go. To start, the song promised a new sound from Grande. In the first preview clip posted to her Instagram, listeners were treated to soaring vocals and a hint of trap, a new style for Grande, whose previous album veered to a 1980s-1990s sound. This new Grande song sounded like current pop. The song was co-written by Max Martin, a pop music genius who is responsible for a bunch of your favorite #1s (seriously, just Google his name). And when it was revealed that Iggy would be featured on the song, just as Fancy was beginning its surge to the top of the charts, anticipation was through the roof. Perhaps that's why the song went to #1 on iTunes in just 37 minutes, faster than any song ever in iTunes history. And after setting a record for one of the largest sales weeks ever for a single, the song seemed poised for "Song of the Summer" victory with a #3 debut. It has stayed in that region, climbing to a new peak of #2 last week, and it is entirely possible that Problem could eventually replace Fancy as the #1 song on the Billboard charts and, in the process, take over that "Song of the Summer" crown. And really, at this point, the race for that title seems to be between Problem and Fancy. It is truly a matter of if Problem can get to #1 and how long it can stay there in comparison to how much longer Fancy keeps the throne (it just snatched up its second week at #1). Fancy is on a roll and its still growing, but I don't think Problem is anywhere close to its peak yet. I call this race too close to call, but check back with me in a few weeks and I might have a better defined answer for you.

A quick note on both songs: I think it's very important to note how important having these songs at the top of the list is. Last summer, Blurred Lines was heavily scrutinized for being misogynistic and "rape-y." This year, Fancy and Problem, two songs aiming for the crown, are what could be described as feminist anthems. Fancy is all about self-empowerment and strong self-confidence, while Problem ditches the notation that a girl needs a guy to survive and ex-boyfriends are "one less problem." Both songs are led by and feature female artists. This is a perfect contrast to last summer and a good message to send to young listeners. Okay, spiel over.

But there are other songs that could perform a Hail Mary and lunge for the top spot. And even if they don't, at the very least, they'll be among some other frequently played songs this summer. Nico and Vinz have come out of literally nowhere with Am I Wrong, a hit in their home country of Norway, and a song that has already seen some success in the United States. Last week, it broke through the Billboard Hot 100 top ten and this week, it peaks at #6. It bears some resemblance to another summer hit, Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye featuring Kimbra (which was really a "Song of the Spring," but had seasonal-crossover success in summer 2012), a song that comes out of nowhere and finds success. It's hard to track where the song will go from here, but it's doing great on iTunes, peaking at #3, and as it climbs up the radio charts, this could certainly be an under-the-radar hit from a foreign act. Another foreign act (if you consider Canada foreign) is MAGIC!, who are making a splash with their debut single Rude. The song just jumped to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 top ten and, like Am I Wrong, is coming out of nowhere with big success. In my opinion, Rude has more of the feeling of a summer jam. Am I Wrong is moody and has a complex melody, whereas Rude has a reggae sound that screams "tropical summer" and instant ear worm with that chorus". If I were a betting man, I would say there is a better opportunity for success for Rude than Am I Wrong.

Another summer breakout star, I'm predicting, will be Sam Smith. You may have already heard of the British singer after he made quite an impression this spring as the musical guest on an episode of "Saturday Night Live." Since then, audiences have been craving new music and will be appeased when Smith's debut album, "In the Lonely Hour," arrives stateside on June 17th. All of the promotional singles that have been released on iTunes have gone to #1 and the album's first United States single, Stay With Me, is currently on an upswing after peaking at #31 on the Billboard Hot 100. It's #3 on iTunes right now, and if Smith's album delivers as expected, Stay With Me has the chance to take off. Smith has often been referred to as "the male Adele," and in terms of chart success, that would be a fantastic comparison. Adele's album "21," largely focused on a breakup, spawned a huge summer song in 2011, Rolling in the Deep. Smith's album also revolves around one relationship (albeit one that never occurred), and the subsequent success of his album could catapult Stay With Me to the chart's top tier. But Smith, much like Iggy Azalea, has a second shot at the crown with his collaboration with British dance duo Disclosure and their song Latch. It's a song that was a hit last year overseas but has just started making a splash now. It's not the kind of music you'll expect from Smith's album, but it is exactly the kind of music that you'd expect to hear blasting from a radio in 2014. Latch has actually topped Stay With Me on the Billboard charts, so there's a chance for dual success here like the aforementioned Azalea.

A couple of summer hit veterans have the chance to make a splash once again. Pharrell, a featured artist on last year's "Song of the Summer" Blurred Lines and the runner-up to the crown, Get Lucky by Daft Punk, struck gold this winter and spring with his own single, Happy. And as Happy begins to fall down the charts and off the radio (and I'll leave you to decide if that's a good or bad thing), Pharrell has a second single lined up that could take over radio in a similar fashion. Come Get It Bae ("bae" being slang for "before anyone else," a nickname for a loved one) has the funky soul and catchy beat that catapulted all three of the previously mentioned songs to the top. Bae has been featured recently on Red Bull commercials and boasts an uncredited vocal from Miley Cyrus, and is a song I could see being a big hit. It hasn't made a huge chart indentation yet, peaking at #82, but without a music video and only one live television performance, there's still time. Katy Perry, long referred to as the Queen of Summer with summer hits such as I Kissed a Girl ("Song of the Summer" 2008), Waking Up in Vegas (2009), California Gurls (2010), Last Friday Night (TGIF) and E.T. (2011), and Wide Awake (2012), took a break last summer to prepare for domination in the fall with Roar and winter with Dark Horse. She's back this summer to reclaim her title with Birthday, the fourth single off her album "Prism." Birthday hasn't had the instant success that's expected of a Katy Perry song, but I wouldn't bet against Katy by a long shot. Birthday still has plenty of time to go higher, recently peaking at #17. For a woman who has churned out summer hits with ease, I would expect Birthday to be a constant on radio this summer.

A few songs by some veterans have a shot in the top tier, despite already peaking and subsequently dropping out of the top ten. Justin Timberlake, who had great success with the first volume of "The 20/20 Experience" with Suit and Tie and last summer's hit Mirrors, wasn't getting a big hit from the second volume until Not a Bad Thing came along. The song went on to peak at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 last month, but has since retreated from the top tier. Is a return trip possible? While digital sales have slid, the song has been huge on radio and could potentially bounce back. Beyond that, Timberlake is beloved, and the music video was just released days ago, so Not a Bad Thing could climb back up. Paramore found its greatest success yet with their single Ain't It Fun, peaking at #10 last month. It's a funky rock song with a scream-along chorus perfect for summer, but it'll need to regain some of the energy it has lost to bump back into the top. Finally, Coldplay have had a roller coaster of a ride with their new single A Sky Full of Stars. It seems tailor made to be a summer hit, as the song strays from their conventional formula and veers into EDM, even boasting production credits from Avicii. The song landed at #10 on the Billboard charts upon its debut, but has fallen ever since. A little more promo and a music video could bump the song back up, but it'll need to happen fast before this "could've been an instant hit" becomes a "remember that Coldplay electronic dance song?"

What are the chances of a song literally called Summer becoming a summer hit? Pretty darn good, I'd say. Calvin Harris, the producer behind Rihanna's mega-hit We Found Love and his own songs like Sweet Nothing featuring Florence Welch and I Need Your Love featuring Ellie Goulding, has a solo release this time around that is making a great impression just in time for its namesake season. I imagine people would probably latch onto a song called Summer in the summertime, and this is the most straight-forward dance song that would make a rush for the throne. This week, it entered the Billboard Hot 100 top ten at #9, and digital sales are good. With radio also climbing, Summer has a great shot of fulfilling its destiny and becoming the song to define its season.

There are a number of other songs with great chances, but I'll try and highlight them briefly. Ed Sheeran went in a new direction with his first single from his new album, "X" and the result is Sing, produced by Pharrell and featuring a very radio-friendly sound for the usually acoustic Sheeran. Currently sitting at #15, I think the song could easily lift higher, especially as hype for his second album builds to its June 23rd release date. Rixton got a great lift earlier this spring when they were featured on their first American live TV performance on "The Voice." Singing Me and My Broken Heart, the group got a big boost from "The Voice" performance, much like last year's "Song of the Summer" Blurred Lines. Sensing a pattern here? Radio airplay is high and climbing, and digital sales are good, and a peak right outside the top ten spells a good future for the song. Another young boy band, 5 Seconds of Summer, also got a TV boost after performing their single She Looks So Perfect at the Billboard Music Awards. Rixton has more of a Maroon 5 sound,  whereas 5SOS sound like a more hardcore One Direction. Those comparisons are winners either way.

Jason DeRulo might Wiggle his way to another hit after the spring smash Talk Dirty. While I personally hate the song, it's clear there's an audience for over sexualized Jason DeRulo trap music. Classic comes from duo MKTO and has made a great impression on minimal promo so far. Maybe a live TV performance could boost the song's profile and hit status? The song could use the same kind of boost that a live performance on "The Voice" did for OneRepublic's Love Runs Out, which has seen bursts on radio and digital sales after the band performed the new single on "The Voice" finale. Finally, Demi Lovato is coming off a hot streak for her album with two big hits from the album "Demi," Heart Attack and Neon Lights. Her record label has pushed a summer single, Really Don't Care featuring Cher Lloyd. I personally love the song and it has a total summer feel. Demi is going to really need to promo the heck out of this song and give it a killer music video, but this has potential to be a major dark horse in the race for "Song of the Summer."

There, also, is the possibility we've not yet heard the "Song of the Summer." Last year, Miley Cyrus' We Can't Stop wasn't released until the first week of June. Maroon 5 recently announced a new single, Maps, due for release in mid-June. Adele is rumored to have a single coming out sometime this summer as she ramps up to a fall album release. The same goes for Taylor Swift, although she's likely to follow the pattern for her last album, when she dropped lead single We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together in mid-August and let it become an end of summer hit. And finally, I'm hearing rumblings of a Lady GaGa and Britney Spears duet dropping this Friday, June 6th. That could really potentially shake things up. Either way, I'll be listening and giving you the scoop on what "Songs of the Summer" we'll be hearing.