DaBaby and Roddy Ricch’s “Rockstar” is the early leader to clinch the Song of the Summer title. With four weeks in the number one chart spot through mid-July, the track is well-positioned to be the summer pop song of 2020. Here are five other rock, jazz, and electronic tracks that can light up your socially-distant summer barbeques:
“Here Comes The End,” Gerard Way, Judith Hill – Despite efforts earlier this year, the Rolling Stones have not made a better 2020 Rolling Stones song than what Gerard Way and Judith Hill dropped on July 8. “Here Comes The End” details a flaming romance, broken masks, and a World War III doomsday clock. If the end of the world sounds this good, it might be more way fun than we anticipated.
Music fans may be familiar with Gerard Way through his work with My Chemical Romance. Judith Hill is a lesser known-entity, but the singer is a force to be reckoned with. Hill has collaborated with luminaries like Daryl Hall, Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder over the years. In “Here Comes The End,” Hill plays the “Gimme Shelter“ role of Merry Clayton with some power backing vocals.
“Here Comes The End” was written for the upcoming season of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. The second season of the series will debut on July 31.
“Final Days” (Bonobo Remix),” Michael Kiwanuka – British singer Michael Kiwanuka can do no wrong. The brilliant artist has crafted three unique LPs of nuanced soul music. Released in 2019, his third album continued his track record of excellence in merging the sensibilities of a folk songwriter with instant classic soul arrangements. One of his songs from that album, “Final Days,” received a bit of a rework this summer.
British trip-hop DJ Simon Green (aka Bonobo) added a soft electronic restructuring without meddling with the integrity of the original song. Kiwanuka’s voice remains the central part of the track, but the remix tweaks the arrangement with beats that coincide with the pensive lyrics “Final days on the planet, Here we are, on the ground. Every day, automatic, here we are, goin’ ’round and ’round and ’round.”
“No Distraction (Khruangbin Remix),” Khruangbin, Beck – Beck’s work is typically a cutting edge blend of music styles, but for once his own song took a trip back in time. Khruangbin’s spin on Beck’s music has the reverse effect of the Bonobo-Kiwanuka track. The Texas trio took a contemporary pop song from Beck’s 2017 album Colors and added rare retro flair to the star’s music.
Khruangbin’s remix dropped early to honor Beck’s 50th birthday. The remix was originally set to be put out as a Record Store Day vinyl this past April. “No Distraction” is still slated to be paired with a remix of “Uneventful Days” by St. Vincent. The physical copy of the track will find its way into record stores in October.
“Synchronize Vibration,” Ali Shaheed Muhammed, Adrian Younge, Roy Ayers – This tap-on-your-steering-wheel song rides a sweet groove from beginning to end. The song hooks the listener with two vintage attributes: the opening drum part kickstarts an ageless arrangement that sounds like a Seventies classic. The song’s first lyrics, “Move with the rhythm of the love you feel,” set a musical aphrodisiac that pairs with a humming box fan or air conditioner on full blast on a hot summer’s night.
Released in June, the song is on the serene JID002, the second album of the “Jazz Is Dead” series. The record is one of several that will drop in 2020 with Muhammed, Ayers, and a group of veteran jazz musicians. Fans can listen to each album of the massive recording project through a subscription service on the Jazz is Dead website.
“If It’s Good,” Raphael Saadiq – The track builds with a warm West Coast swirl before sinking into Saadiq’s signature crooning. “Girl, there’s nothing else better, try me. I’ll make a difference in your life, say it so sweet. Just like sweet tea in the summer, I’ll be
The one you call on.”
“If It’s Good” was released for the soundtrack of Season Four of the HBO series Insecure. Saadiq, who curates music for the show, has also created original music for the series since its inception. Insecure often showcases hidden gems and is a Spotify rabbit hole for discovering new music, like a super smooth cover of The Internet’s “Girl” by 1500 or Nothin’ and ERMIAJ’s “Conflict Of A Man.” “If It’s Good” is one more addition to one of the best soundtracks on television right now.
About the Author: John Saeger is a music and film writer from Philadelphia. He has written the pop-culture blog Long After Dark, a site dedicated to the arts in the City of Brotherly Love and beyond, since 2017. Twitter Facebook Instagram
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