The summer hits reveal some complicated vibes
Chappell Roan, Tinashe, Shaboozey, Sabrina Carpenter, and Post Malone (L-R) are all vying for song of the summer. Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Universal Music Group/Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for Spotify/Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Coachella/Marc Piasecki/Getty Images for Vogue/Jamie Squire/Getty Images hide caption
Chappell Roan, Tinashe, Shaboozey, Sabrina Carpenter, and Post Malone (L-R) are all vying for song of the summer.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Universal Music Group/Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for Spotify/Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Coachella/Marc Piasecki/Getty Images for Vogue/Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesNow that we're in the dog days of summer, host Brittany Luse wants to know - do we have a song of the summer this year? According to NPR Music reporter Sidney Madden and NPR Music host, writer and editor Stephen Thompson, there isn't one song - but many songs.
"We are more disparate than ever, that's why it's hard to chart a single song right now," said Sidney. "It's more like choose your own adventure."
So - we're choosing our own adventure today and discussing the many contenders for song of the summer - and hearing why each song tells us something a little different about our cultural moment.
Want to be featured on IBAM? Record a voice memo responding to Brittany's question at the end of the episode and send it to ibam@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Liam McBain and Corey Antonio Rose. It was edited by Jessica Placzek. Our VP of programming is Yolanda Sangweni.