Ahh, Summer.  The sun is shining, the grill is grilling, and the music is pumping from yard to yard, beach party to beach party.  This year brought us several new favorites that we have a feeling we’ll still have on repeat come December… 

 

 

1. “WHEN THE BEAT DROPS OUT“, Marlon Roudette
While this was topping charts overseas, we were surreptitiously falling in love with it here in the States.  Yes, we will be there for you, Marlon.  Always.  

 

2. “TALK DIRTY“, Jason Derulo feat. 2 Chainz
This one goes without saying.  Whether it’s the slinky horn section, Derulo’s flirty wordplay, or the triumphant “2 Chainzzz!” cry when the rapper comes in for his verse, there was clearly something about this song for everybody to love.

3. “OLÉ“, ADELÉN
Ah, the World Cup. The one time each four years that everyone makes time for some good ol’ futbol.  We were lucky enough to have a catalog track featured on the official World Cup 2014 soundtrack.  If “Olé” doesn’t get you in the mood for kickoff, nothing will. 

 

4. PHANTOGRAM REMIXES
While Phantogram jetted to and fro on a tour with stops across the globe, we here at home enjoyed a flurry of fresh mixes put out by synth, alt, and electronic artists like Future Islands, Nebbra, and more.  It was too hard to pick a favorite mix, so we blasted them all! 

5. “WORDS AS WEAPONS“, Seether
There’s something about Seether’s latest single that sticks with you.  It might be the melodic vocal line, or maybe the thought-provoking lyrics. Whatever the secret ingredient, something made this song a favorite for Summer 2014.

 

 

6. “DANCE ON MY OWN“, M.O
Gotta love a girl anthem.  Whether you’re a lady or not, it’s a known fact that women’s anthems are the first to get you out of your seat (see: “Single Ladies”, “I Will Survive”, the list goes on….).  With “Dance On My Own”, M.O shows us that there’s no stopping a girl determined to dance.

 

7. “WALKING ON AIR“, DJ Lia featuring Terri B!
You can always count on Terri B! to bring that hit-the-floor, hands-in-the-air, 100% fun dance chorus to the table.  “Walking On Air” is the epitome of Terri’s uplifting, energetic party vibe. 

 

8. “FREEBASE“, 2 Chainz
2 Chainz surprised us all when he released Freebase, a fan-directed EP completely separate from his projects with Def Jam.  The set’s title track is captivating enough, but when Chainz dropped his “Thriller”-inspired video, this became a must-play.

 

9. “WALK THIS WAY“, MØ
When aren’t we playing a new MØ song on repeat?  This Summer, “Walk This Way” was by far our favorite jam, its playfulness harkening back to our days in the high school halls.  Perfect way to segue into the back-to-school vibes of September.