My Top 7 Summer Hits

By Kael the Sapiocrat

Music is the spice of life. No matter what divides us or causes us pain, the one thing that all cultures have in common is the systematic arrangement of sounds that come together to create a symphonic masterpiece that has a thing of uniting even the fiercest of enemies. In the middle of this political firestorm going on in America, you would think that I would be spending my time laying the facts and research on you to get a conversation going. However, even the most dedicated of sapiocrats have to let loose every once in a while and share something that doesn't make everyone's day too depressing. Which is why I'm going to do my part and share with you my top seven songs for the summer. 

DISCLAIMER: I'm Floridian and Trinidadian. So a lot of this music will probably make you want to plan a vacation. I have my tastes. 😁 #TeamEDM

7. DUST MY SHOULDERS OFF (Jane Zhang) - 2016

Starting off the list at #7 is Chinese beauty Jane Zhang with her hip and youthful tune, Dust My Shoulders Off. Jane first caught my attention when I saw a video of her performing Diva Plavalaguna's memorable (and virtually impossible) aria on the 1997 post-apocalyptic film The Fifth Element. After hearing her mastery of the Diva's extensive range and heavenly pitches, I wanted to hear more. I knew she had the capability to give Mariah Carey a run for her money, but I wanted to see if she could execute a song a bit more contemporary. 

That's when I ran into her collaboration with Timbaland (of whom I still have no idea what he's doing in this song). While playfully tipping off to some unfortunate scenarios throughout her day and encouraging the listener to ignore negativity and embrace positivity, she rides a melodic wave of exuberant notes that will almost force you to smile. 

6. INDIAN SUMMER (Jai Wolf) - 2016

Next at #6 on my Summer Hit list is Indian Summer by DJ/producer Jai Wolf. I first came across Jai while skimming through some music on Google Play waiting for my breakfast to finish. Of course, I listened to some of his other songs (which were great by the way), but this one made me hit the repeat button. The single starts off with a subtle build-up paired with Hindi vocals that are evidence of Jai's return to his ancestral roots. Starting at 1:07, the song intensifies with an rhythmic explosion that is sure to turn a stiff into a party animal before dying down again to bridge into the next explosion. If you head to a party where the DJ takes requests, make sure you write this song down and treat them with a drink or two on your tab. 

5. FALSE ALARM (HOOK N' SLING REMIX) (Matoma/Becky Hill/Hook n' Sling) - 2016

This is definitely the most complex choice. The Norwegians and British have really put out their best when they allowed DJ Matoma and Becky Hill to put together this collaboration. I almost pulled over on the side of I-185 just to look at my phone to see whose work was treating my ears. Distinct voices are definitely a thing when it comes down to singers. But Becky Hill has one of those vocals that can easily be identified among thousands. I'm quite familiar with Matoma's work (especially when I get down to #3), so I could pick that one up from the start. However, Becky Hill's addition to the mix is nothing less than flawless. 

What makes this choice so hard is that there are actually two versions of this song that I absolutely love. There's the original with just the Matoma/Hill collab, and then there's Hook n' Sling's remix of the song. I'm not sure why this LA-based DJ decided to do what he did, but I'm glad he did it. Increasing the tempo and adding a new flavor to the song while keeping Matoma's base sounds and Becky's voice was indeed the work of genius. 

4. SOMETHING JUST LIKE THIS (Coldplay/The Chainsmokers) - 2017

You can't shake me away from Chris Martin's voice. No siree! I've always been a fan of not only Coldplay's front man, but of the band itself. I own every single album (on disc, I might add) since Parachutes and I will remain an faithful listener until I am no more. Although there are only select songs from their albums that I can sing word for word, you can't deny my love for their music. And you couldn't convince me that them working with anyone else was good until I heard this...

I first heard of the Chainsmokers when they released what I thought (and still think) to be that annoying Let Me Take A #Selfie song on their 2014 album "Eat Sleep Rave Repeat." So I kinda fell off the bandwagon once I heard what seemed to be a poor choice of theme. However, all that changed three years later when I heard this collab while cramming for a midterm I had to take the next morning. PEN DOWN! VOLUME UP! "I been reading books of old, the legends and the myths..." The next thing you know, I'm tearing up from the sweet sound of Chris' voice mixed with the DJ duo's mellow synth. It was over with from then on. My play count for this song is somewhere in the 500s.

3. THE WAVE (Matoma/Madcon) - 2015

I'll just repeat Matoma's own words on this one: "I can't think of a song that makes me feel more like summer than this one." I couldn't agree more. Being a Miami Salt Life kid, I really can't think of any other song whose aquatic melodies and phrases of love fit more closely to the rhythm of the sea. What's more, my Trinidadian roots went off the deep end when I heard the steel drum additions being applied so generously to the mix. If your goal this year is to find that one person with whom you can cast all your troubles on the waves of the ocean and breeze through the summer, this song is by far the most suitable. I'm highly upset that I found this song two years after it was produced, but later is better than never. I'm just glad I found it before this summer came around. 

2. HOME IN AUGUST (Pierce Fulton) - 2017

Pierce Fulton has been active since 2011, but regrettably I haven't heard of him until early 2015. Aside from the funky album cover designs, his artistic inclination is quite amazing. Even that compliment is a clear understatement once you've heard his Home in August mix. I'm not sure why he chose August (maybe because it's still hot and jumping around that time), but this is my summer hit list and I am begging you to start listening to this song before the solstice hits the calendar. Personally, I think my favorite element is the unusual synth that choruses throughout the mix. It almost sounds like it's echoing a choral "Are you up? Are you up? Are you up?" Whatever it's saying, I like it - and trust me, I've turned up the volume on this song so many times I thought a busted a speaker. 

1. GOOD LIFE (OneRepublic) - 2009

Coming in at #1 is, by far, the oldest song on my Top 7. Let me tell you this. It doesn't matter what list I create for any occasion. OneRepublic is my all-time favorite band and Ryan Tedder is my all-time favorite singer. This song is my personal anthem. It has a feel good rhythm and lyrics that are bound to speak to your soul, despite life's difficult circumstances. This song is roughly in the play count of around 2000 in my music library. Of the thousands of songs that I've had the pleasure to listen to, this is one of the very, very few that brought tears to my eyes. The energy -- the happiness -- and the positivity that constitutes every note in this song is sometimes more than I can handle (I'm tearing up just typing this 😭). If you're moving along the highway and experiencing a rough dent in your summer, please take the time to listen to this oldie. You'll be doing me a favor. 

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