Every summer, there seems to be a new song taking over social media. Last year, it was Brat Summer, with Charli XCX’s electro-pop album named Brat. The year before that, it was Barbie Summer, with the Barbie movie soundtrack filling everyone with fun pop music. But what now? To decide who has the greatest chance, I will be assessing certain Albums based mainly on genre and publicity, but also I will consider if I can imagine the singles being played at a summer festival and how past music of the summer compares to it. Here is my list of the top contenders for album of the summer for 2025!
To start off, the girl band named Haim will drop an album called “I Quit”, on June 20. They already have three songs released: “Relationships”, “Everybody’s Trying to Figure It Out”, and “Down to be Wrong”. These singles mix alt/indie and rock sounds, leading me to think that the rest of their album shares a similar genre. The Rolling Stones Philippines says that the album has an indie rock, R&B, and folk genre. These singles already have made their rounds on social media. Along with that, different TikTok trends have been done using the songs, specifically the first single, “Relationships”. Along with that, I think these songs are really fun and engaging for people to listen to. Due to the fame already surrounding the songs, I expect the rest of the album to be big as well.
The next contender is Miley Cyrus’s new album, “Something Beautiful”, which was released on May 30. She has already released an EP(extended play), containing four of the already released songs. These songs include “More to Lose” , “End of the World”, “Something Beautiful”, and “Prelude”. From the singles, I would categorize them as pop, pop rock, rock, and a little bit indie. Some songs also have a little bit of R&B influence in them. Unlike Haim, Miley Cyrus’s singles were released much more recently in the year, so they might be getting less media attention. However, Miley Cyrus’s fame could definitely help her out due to how many fans she already has.
Katseye, a K-pop style girl group, has gotten very popular over the past 2 years or so. They also have some famous songs, which are very popular on social media right now. They also have an album coming out this summer called “Beautiful Chaos”, on June 27. They already have a few singles out, and a previous EP from 2024. A few songs have gone viral, like “Touch and Gnarly”. These singles already have TikTok trends and dances going viral as well. From the music that is already out, the group’s main genre seems to be dance-pop. This genre has been big in the past couple of months, which definitely could help them this summer! Along with that, a lot of their songs have a K-pop style. They even have a choreographed dance for some of their music videos, which fans have already adopted to social media. Additionally, they have a lot of recognition due to the reality TV show that was made to pick the members of this girl group. This reality show is called “Pop Star Academy: Katseye”, and is on Netflix. The group definitely has the potential to be the album of the summer, but it also has a very narrow demographic, and others who don’t like K-pop might not like their music.
Along with that, Benson Boone will release a new album called “American Heart”. Releasing on June 20, the album has songs like “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else”, “Momma Song”, and “Mystical Magical”, which have already been released as singles for the album. These singles are pop with some indie influences as well; some could even say that it has a pop-rock style. However, some songs take a slower pace, like “Momma Song”. Though it definitely is a pop song, it doesn’t have the same type of fun/dance style as the other singles. Along with that, most of these songs are very fun, and I could definitely see them being sung at a summer music festival or a concert. Much like most of the other contenders in this list, Bensoon Boone’s recent songs have also gone viral on social media, meaning they have a lot of publicity. With this album’s fun/pop style, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to have it be the album of this summer.
Lastly, Lorde is releasing another album, titled “Virgin”. This album is set to release on June 27. Lorde has already released a single named “What Was That”, and it is her most listened-to song on Spotify to date. This single has a fun, upbeat electronic-pop sound; I would definitely categorize “What Was That” as a dance song. Along with that, it has a similar vibe to “Brat”, which was one of the biggest albums last summer; they both share an electro-pop style. What Was That has also gotten big online, but it doesn’t seem as popular online as some other songs. Along with that, many of Lorde’s other albums and songs have also been hugely popular in the past. Furthering her case, Lorde hasn’t released music since 2021, meaning fans might be very excited for new music. Personally, I think this album has a good chance of being the album of the summer.
All of these artists are so deserving of song/album of the summer, and there are so many more artists releasing music too. However, out of this list, I think the album of the summer will be between Haim’s “I Quit” and Lorde’s “Virgin”. For starters, both of these albums have gotten pretty good media attention, meaning that fans are already anticipating it. Along with that, both Haim and Lorde haven’t released music in the past couple of years, so their fans are excited for something new. Lastly, the genre of these albums is upbeat, dance songs which can be enjoyed at a music festival, or a concert. That is why I have to say “I Quit” or “Virgin” will be the albums of the summer. However, all the albums/artists on this list are extremely talented, and I would recommend listening to these new singles.
