From TikTok to Cartoon K-Pop: The Best Songs of the Summer

This season’s most popular jams

Every year, pop culture enthusiasts engage in the battle for the unofficial Song of the Summer (SoS). In 2024 (otherwise known as Brat Summer), Sabrina Carpenter, CharliXCX, Shaboozey, Gracie Abrams, and Chappell Roan–among others–provided a soundtrack to the season and topped the charts and so many playlists. But the summer of 2025 felt a bit different: a clear list of potential winners did not surface for a long while. The NPR podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour wondered if there would even be a list. Some have even proclaimed that the Song of the Summer is officially dead. But during the last few weeks of August, things might be turning around. We are starting to see lists from media outlets of what might be the Songs of the Summer. We put together a list of SoS contenders below–check out our SoS ‘25 Spotify Playlist for more selections!

“Ordinary” by Alex Warren

This pop ballad by Alex Warren is hard to miss if you spend any time on social media. The song has gone viral for being used in countless reels and TikTok videos, which makes sense. Warren gained a following as a YouTuber, and is one of the founding members of the TikTok content creation group the Hype House. “Ordinary” was all over the internet this summer, making it a perfect SoS.

“Golden” by Huntr/x

It’s not every day a fictional girl group becomes a phenomenon and tops the charts. “Golden” is the new single from K-Pop group Huntr/x in the biggest Netflix animated movie of all time, Kpop Demon Hunters. Musicians EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami are the performers behind the song (with EJAE co-writing as well). This is the song every kid in your life–and their parents–cannot get out of their heads.

“Your Idol” by Saja Boys

Not to be outdone, the fictional Saja Boys from Kpop Demon Hunters also have a SoS hit. In fact, the movie is only the fifth soundtrack to have four tracks from a movie soundtrack simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 top 10. Musicians Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, former U-KISS member Kevin Woo, and samUIL Lee make up the real voices of the Saja Boys.

“Manchild” by Sabrina Carpenter

After an explosive year releasing and touring her album Short n’ Sweet, Sabrina didn't leave fans hanging for long. Her first single released ahead of her next album Man’s Best Friend which is set to drop on August 29, just went platinum.

“The Subway” by Chappell Roan

Chappell Roan dominated last summer’s charts and “Pink Pony Club” is still high on the Hot 100. Her newest single “The Subway” captures "late-summer yearning" and while the ballad is not as peppy as her previous SoS contributions, it definitely fits the vibe of this summer.

“No Broke Boys” by Disco Lines & Tinashe

This undeniable hit reached No. 1 on the Hot Dance/Electronic chart this summer, and gave us a Brat Summer-esque mantra to live by all season: “no broke boys, no new friends.”

“What I Want” by Morgan Wallen (featuring Tate McRae)

In a rather unlikely pairing, country artist Morgan Wallen teamed up with pop star Tate McRae–a musician he became familiar with through his sister’s fandom–for this duet that stirred a bit of controversy before it was released. But bringing two fandoms together for one song is an undeniable recipe for success.

“Daisies” by Justin Bieber

The surprise album release from Justin Bieber, SWAG, is a smash, and the first single “Daisies” is a massive success reaching 100 million streams on Spotify within weeks of release and topping the charts. Bieber’s first solo hit in six years, it marks a return to his pop music roots and features his vocal talent above all else.

Honorable Mention: “Diet Pepsi,” live cover by Ben Platt

In a perfect pop culture moment we never saw coming, Ben Platt appeared at the first-ever televised annual production of the Las Culturistas Culture Awards by podcast hosts Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers. The hilarious fake awards show had guest stars from all over the pop culture spectrum. This rendition of Addison Rae’s “Diet Pepsi” by renowned Broadway star Ben Platt went so viral on social media, he released it on Spotify as a single the next day.

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