Super summer smash hits

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The only thing hotter than this summer was the music that brought us through it. It doesn’t matter how much you hate pop tunes, it’s hard to deny that they serve as great background music for pool parties, barbeques and drinking games. If you’re still not convinced, throw these into a playlist and try for yourself; it’s not as cringe worthy as you might think.

“Cake by the Ocean” – DNCE

Joe Jonas has officially eclipsed his embarrassing time as part of the Jonas Brothers band with this summer hit. While cake may not seem like the best food to bring to an ocean picnic, that’s not stopping him from inspiring us all to try it out. Although there’s next to no lyrical depth or even lyrical coherency, this song seems to miraculously hold it together with a simple hook. There are plenty of synthesizers keeping this song afloat but it’s nice to see a catchy bass line being played on an actual bass.

“CAN’T STOP THE FEELING!” – Justin Timberlake

There are a number of artists that pop up every few years and take the world by storm, they just aren’t usually writing music for animated movies. That’s right, “CAN’T STOP THE FEELING!” was written for DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls, but listening to the track would never reveal its roots. True to his nature, Justin Timberlake delivers yet another dance-centric, feel-good summer sensation chock full of funky bass and uplifting vocals. Love him or hate him, Justin Timberlake is always a sure shot for turning any floor into a dance floor.

“Treat You Better” – Shawn Mendes

It’s sad that one of the songs on this list with the most emotional depth comes from an 18-year-old. Nevertheless, Mendes delivers an honest and vulnerable performance that easily carries the song, backed with powerful drums and ambient guitars. It’s not often that a pop song can get by without a minute long synth filled ‘this is the best night ever’ dance section, so Mendes’ music always brings a breath of fresh air to pop playlists.

“Closer” – The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey

It’s probably no surprise to anyone that The Chainsmokers are popping up on this list. After a string of successful hits this year, “Don’t Let Me Down” and “Roses” just to name a few, it’s hard to pick just one summer song by the New York duo. These guys have come a long way since their viral hit “#SELFIE” and continue to prove their worth by blending meaningful lyrics with massive synth lines. The Chainsmokers are on this list because they don’t just follow whatever Calvin Harris was working on that week; they’ve got a remarkable amount of variety and originality in their music.

“Heathens” – 21 Pilots

“Heathens” is the second track on this list that was written for a motion picture. It’s also perhaps the only positive thing that came out of the Suicide Squad fiasco. For a band as diverse as 21 Pilots, it’s hard to say if “Heathens” is a step in a new direction, but it’s definitely not more of the same old stuff they wrote for the Blurryface album. The dark and cunning lyrics sit nicely overtop a downtempo drum and piano melody that still manages to keep a fascinating level of intrigue. The luscious backing pads and climatic bridge instrumentation makes “Heathens” sound like a more unique and polished track than anything from Blurryface.

“Never Forget You” – Zara Larsson, MNEK

This song might have come out a little earlier than the rest but that hasn’t stopped it from turning into a summer 2016 anthem. Straying away from the typical pop production, “Never Forget You” has a clear house inspiration, which doesn’t distract from the powerful vocalists but still keeps the song pushing forward. Zara and MNEK’s incredible vocal ranges suit each other beautifully and create an interesting and heartfelt dynamic within these lyrics.

“One Dance” – Drake

It may not have been his most popular song this year, but are we really going to ignore the whirlwind of success that is Drake? It seems that he can’t do anything wrong at this point; not even the ghostwriter controversy could stop his rise to the top. We chose “One Dance” for this list because no one has been able to release such a powerful song with just drums and bass since Lorde was still making hits. Summer 2016 has certainly been Drake’s time to shine.

“Cold Water” – Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & MØ

Tracks like “Cold Water” show that the pop world has truly gone to the DJs. If it weren’t for producers like Skrillex, Diplo and Major Lazer, then singers like Justin Bieber would have a difficult time finding their niche. Although this track isn’t necessarily the highlight of anyone’s lyrical career, these all-star collaborations never cease to satisfy. With classic stadium synth lines, Vance Joy inspired drum fills and guitars that hint at Bieber’s “Love Yourself” this song was carefully crafted from the bottom up to be a hit.

“Let Me Love You” – DJ Snake, Justin Bieber

Wait, Bieber again? What else is there to say about him? The kid’s got DJs lining up around the block with hopes and dreams of collaborating. This year it seems that anyone with a bass line and an idea can bring it to Bieber and be guaranteed a few million listens each day. Of course it helps when the producer is someone like DJ Snake, with his signature vocal synths that compliment Biebers new style beautifully. “Let Me Love You” might have only come out halfway through the summer but it’s quickly on its way to dominating the charts.

“This is What You Came For” – Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna

Okay that’s it. If I have to listen to one more singer/DJ collaboration this summer I’ll have to pack up my stuff and carve out a new life in the forest. It’s not that any of these songs are particularly bad, they’re just painfully similar. Club-inspired lyrics about love and envy that lead into a chopped up vocal-synth that plays overtop of more anthemic synths or house inspired bass lines. Lather, rinse and repeat as needed. Rihanna’s got a great voice but you can only listen to the same lyric over and over again before it gets annoying.

CREDIT: DNCE-REPUBLIC, COLD WATER- MAD DECENT, DRAKE- YOUNG MONEY ENTERTAINMENT, RIHANNA- SONY, 21 PILOTS- SUICIDE SQUAD, CLOSER-COLUMBIA, JT- 20TH CENTURY FOX, SHAWN MENDES- ISLAND RECORDS, LET ME LOVE YOU- DJ SNAKE MUSIC LLC, NEVER FORGET YOU- EPIC