Objectively, there was a real song of the summer in 2026. Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” just became the longest-running number one song in the history of pop music. (So much for the death of the monoculture, huh?) But even if this was the summer that the radio chose Texas, we at The A.V. Club took a different approach to soundtracking our beach days, barbecues, and afternoons spent huddled by the air conditioner. With that in mind, news editor Drew Gillis asks: What’s your personal song of the summer?
As always, we invite you to contribute your own responses in the comments—and send in some prompts of your own! If you have a pop culture question you’d like us and fellow readers to answer, please email it to [email protected].
“what’s wrong with me,” Olivia Rodrigo and Robert Smith
Technically, Olivia Rodrigo’s entire third studio album is my personal song of the summer. The track I keep going back to the most, though, is the singer’s first-ever official duet—and it’s with The Cure’s Robert Smith, no less. Their distinct voices blend so smoothly in “what’s wrong with me” that it just scratches an itch in my brain. Sorry for the Taylor Swift comparison, but it also feels like a far more pop-oriented “exile,” another song I love. In Rodrigo’s case, the synth-pop beats are catchy, fun, and perfectly summery. But they also trick you into thinking this is a melodious love song, when in fact, both sides are ruminating over what depression looks like in a cursed relationship, and what it feels like to long for the good old days. I’m a sucker for deceptively simple lyrics, and this short and sweet song just hits the right spot. [Saloni Gajjar]
“CRANK,” Slayyyter
2026 has been a great summer for hedonistic and expertly executed pop music. Honorable mentions that I almost picked here will surprise no one: “Danceteria” by Madonna and “Camera” by Charli xcx could have slid into this spot on a different day. But today I am selecting the one that started the summer, one of the filthiest-sounding pop tracks in recent memory: “CRANK” by Slayyyter. The Missouri-born artist has been fighting her way up the pop food chain for the better part of a decade by now, and it makes total sense that this song and album heralded her actual breakthrough. This song makes me feel totally insane in the best way. The track is all wind-up and release with a highly quotable pre-chorus to scream along to. 2026 will be remembered as the summer of yelling “Richard, we should link later” and “I get so gay off that tequila” and, most importantly, “CRANK IT!” [Drew Gillis]
“Dancing On The Wall,” MUNA
