CUE MUSIC

BY RYLAND SHELTON @rswissarmyknife

THE SONG OF THE SUMMER. Every year,

publicists and record labels clamor to push their clients to the top of the pop song heap in a contest for the catchiest, sexiest, splashiest poolside banger that the world will listen to non-stop on repeat, Memorial to Labor. It’s gotta be sensational, but it’s also gotta be something that can punctuate the clink of ice in a shaker. Something that makes the breeze feel a little cooler, cruising with the top down. Something that rewards you, verse to verse to chorus, for working so damn hard to keep from losing it on your coworkers while the weather outside was frightful. Yes, the Song of the Summer lets you slip away, drink in hand and getting a tan - even if it’s just in your mind while you’re grinding out the 9 to 5 under fluorescent lights. Say it with me: the pool is just a work-week away!

But hearing the same track, over and over, everywhere you

go can get a little tiresome. That song you can’t get enough of at the beach loses more than a little of its sexiness when it’s piped in like muzak while you’re in the chair at the dentist. After you try singing along to “I Like It” with metal tools in your mouth, it loses some appeal. Just trust. Sometimes the summer’s favorite songs get so overplayed we end up with near-allergic reactions to them by summer’s end. “Despacito,” anyone? Like losing a child. Ok, yeah, not like that at all… but still sad, more like losing a goldfish with whom you had a strong emotional bond. Flush and farewell. Moment of silence.

So what do we do? How can we live our #bestlife and yet keep at bay the approaching regret of our summertime sonic gluttony? Fear not. We’ve chased down the best and newest undercover hits of the summer to add to your playlists. The chance of them becoming overplayed earworms is minimal, but the likelihood they will keep your summer sounding fresh is higher than the mercury. And Cardi B can still be your best friend come Thanksgiving, when you’ll need her the most. You’re very welcome.

5

WORK OUT BY CHANCE THE RAPPER

A sunshine rap with his signature big smile jokes, here’s a summer listen that forgoes the thumping beats and still gets you humming.

4

APESH*T BY THE CARTERS

The standout track on Beyonce and Jay-Z’s June collaboration release is a rapid-fire sing-along from America’s favorite power couple.