You want a song of the summer?
Oh Messy Life #32
Welcome to Human Pursuits, the column that features need-to-know names and stories in media and other creative spaces. Today, my candidates for Song of the Summer, and updates from Friends of the Newsletter, including Jay Onrait, Kareem Rahma, Brynn Wallner, Isabel Pless, Adam Appugliesi, and more.
The calendar says spring, but I’ve got some new tan lines and a bottomless thirst for espresso and tonic, so it seems summer is upon us.
For those who care about chunes, the season’s sunshine is often clouded by recurring doubt.
Will a song emerge that’s so undeniable it captures the hearts and minds of most people? Or will society slide further into individual silos, embracing 1970s back catalogs and AI DJs to fill the void?
The song of the summer has become a white whale for music writers in recent years, with publications like TIME going so far as to declare the phenomenon dead.
With monoculture disappearing faster than two scoops of Rain or Shine ice cream on my walk home from Kits Beach, there’s no denying that the power of a single song is diminished. Still, I believe the desire for a summer anthem remains.
Already, some obvious front-runners have emerged. Addison Rae. Morgan Wallen. Sabrina Carpenter.
Me? I’ve always preferred to bet on a dark horse.
Here are my picks.
“How Bad Do U Want Me” by Lady Gaga — As I surveyed the musical landscape, I was surprised to see this song quietly flying under the radar. Other tracks from MAYHEM have cracked Gaga’s Spotify top 10, but this one hasn’t. Maybe it’s because it lacks her signature theatrics. With a summer tour slated to start in July, and a sound that owes a fair bit to mid-2010s synth pop (Taylor Swift, Lorde), I could see this one breaking through.
“Love Me Not” by Ravyn Lenae — At the same time, there’s no rule stating the song of the summer has to have been released in the current calendar year. Charli XCX’s “Party 4 U” cracked the Billboard Hot 100 five years after it was released. “Love Me Not” is newer than that, and there are signs it’s picking up steam.
Google Trends search for “Ravyn Lenae love me not” In April, the song debuted on the Hot 100, and Google Trends shows an uptick in searches over the past 90 days. Like “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out,” it’s good for TikTok, but also the Olds.
“She’s Electric” by Oasis — A long shot, perhaps, but with a highly anticipated (and completely sold out) tour kicking off in a few weeks, the odds of a Lads summer have never been higher. Pints and chats a plenty. Oasis has so many famous songs, and I don’t see those re-entering the charts. But “She’s Electric” is a bit of a forgotten gem. The lyrics are funny enough to attract new fans.
Oh Messy Life
ICYMI: Last week’s interview was with sportscaster Jay Onrait. We discussed the evolution of sports highlight shows, the manosphere, definitions of success, and our shared love of cable television.
This week’s reading included two profiles: on Daisy Edgar Jones, and the good brother in Pilot Magazine.
Big TIME: Kevin Nguyen’s Mỹ Documents was named one of TIME magazine’s 14 best books of 2025 so far.
Adam and the team at Libero will be at Organic Press Cafe on Annette Street in Toronto June 20-22 as part of a Canadian brand pop-up. It’s a full-day affair; 7 AM to 7 PM. They will be selling unreleased products, as well as classic styles.
Tour Talk: songwriter Isabel Pless kicks off her Workhorse Tour in Brooklyn later this month (Tickets here). is playing guitar on Thursday’s East Coast run in August (Tickets here).
Flower Power: and the team at Blank just launched a bouquet collab with UrbanStems. Meet The Mrs. Dalloway.
Forgot to mention last week, but Lindsey Hartman styled Alex G’s new video for “Afterlife”!
Proper Chune
Another contender for song of the summer? This absolute heater from . I love the gunshots in the bridge.
My next guest is…
TBD
Meme Machine
