What’s 2025’s Black Song of The Summer? The Answer Will Surprise You

The time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is all about hot days at the beach, warm nights out with friends, and cookouts, of course. But you can't have all that fun in the sun without a dope playlist, including one song that sums up everything that's great about the season – the Song of the Summer.

For decades, that song was defined as a chart-topping track with crossover appeal that makes you want to get up and dance. It was also a song you'd hear non-stop on the radio, whether you like it or not.

Black artists have given us lots of great summer music. Disco queen Donna Summer had two summer hits in 1979 with "Bad Girls" and "Hot Stuff." Prince and Michael Jackson held it down in the 1980s with "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" in 1983 and "When Doves Cry" in 1984. But we're not gonna lie, we also have a special place in our hearts for the 1985 Phil Collins banger "Sussudio." IYKYK.

The 1990s gave us unforgettable hip-hop and R&B classics we can still listen to on repeat like "Summertime" by D.J. Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (1991), "One More Chance/Stay With Me" by Notorious B.I.G. (1995) and 702's "Where My Girls At?" (1999). Sadly, that decade also gave us some songs we might rather forget, like "Whoomp! (There it Is)" by Tag Team from 1993 (Sorry, not sorry).

The 2000s had plenty of unforgettable summer jams like Beyoncé and Jay-Z's "Crazy in Love" (2003), "Where the Party At?" by Jagged Edge ft. Nelly (2001) and "Umbrella" by Rihanna and Jay-Z (2007).

But in 2010, music streaming went mainstream, and Billboard started releasing an official Song of the Summer list that has included past chart toppers like "OMG" by Usher feat. will.i.am (2010) and "Super Bass" by Nicki Minaj (2011).

Most recently, the Songs of the Summer have been those that broke the internet, like Drake's "In My Feelings" (2018), "Savage" by Megan Thee Stallion (2020) and Beyoncé's "Break My Soul" (2022). Without question, 2024 was all about Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us."

So what's it gonna be for 2025? Ask the folks at Spotify, who use their instincts and streaming data to decide, and they'll tell you everyone will be listening to Drake's “NOKIA” and “Show Me Love (with Tyla)” by WizTheMc, bees & honey and Tyla. This year's Billboard Songs of the Summer list includes,  "Anxiety" by Doechii and "Luther" by Kendrick Lamar and SZA. But when we took it to the people and searched to see which summer songs were getting the biggest buzz on social media buzz, we couldn't find an overwhelming consensus.

These days, people's tastes are all over the place. So in a time when everyone is curating their own uniquely perfect social media feed and digital playlist, the song of the summer is whatever you want it to be.