Summers all about bikinis, beaches and burgers — and the ultimate fight for the song of the season.
And the winner is . . . So-Cal gal Katy Perry, who takes the crown with her chart-topping hit “California Gurls” featuring Snoop Dogg. It’s a beachy return to the top spot for Perry, who nabbed the spot two years ago with “I Kissed a Girl.”
If you think you’re hearing Perry’s megahit on the radio nonstop right now, you probably are. The track has topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart (based on national single sales, digital streaming and radio airplay) for a month straight. It’s also the fastest song in recent memory to hit 110 radio plays per week on New York’s biggest pop station Z100.
RELATED: 55 YEARS OF SUMMER SONGS
“It’s upbeat, it makes you feel happy,” says Z100 Program Director Sharon Dastur. “You can picture yourself letting your hair down and driving all the way to the beach in a convertible.”
In fact, among the eight pop experts we talked to (all of whom have diverging musical tastes), five named Perry’s catchy ditty as their No. 1 song of the summer.
“What’s more summery than a pop sensation, California, and Cali’s most chilled-out rapper?” says Alan Philips, a New York nightclub guru who connects deejays with some of the city’s best after-hours hot spots.
“California Gurls,” which showcases a partnership between two artists, is also on trend. Six of our top 10
songs of this summer feature a collaboration. Whether it’s newcomer B.o.B. or veteran superstar Usher, the hottest artists are reaching across musical aisles to bring hip-hop and pop together in holy matrimony.
“These matchups have been happening for years now, but we’ve never had so many smash hits at the same time,” adds Z100’s Dastur.
Check out our picks for which songs will be on everyone’s iPods this summer — and vote for your favorite here!
1. “California Gurls” — Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg
“This song has a real retro feel,” says Q104 deejay Jonathan Clark. “Think early Madonna — it’s incredibly catchy.” For this hit, the superstar who kissed a girl with a top summer tune two years ago teamed up with the gin-and-juice-sippin’ King of Cool, who briefly alludes to the Beach Boys classic at the end of the track. And just like the gurls in her song, the tune is — as Perry herself sings — “fine, fresh, fierce and undeniable.”
2. “OMG” — Usher featuring will.i.am
R&B crooner Usher makes an unexpected splash this season with the sexy “OMG.” “People were counting him out, then he comes back with this huge great dance song,” says Billboard’s senior chart manager Keith Caulfield. Usher is helped by producer will.i.am, the Black Eyed Peas frontman, who makes the vocal-enhancing effect of auto-tuning cool again — just after Jay-Z declared it dead. OMG indeed.
3. “Billionaire” — Travie McCoy featuring Bruno Mars
Complete with funny lyrics and a laid-back aura, this soulful collaboration has “that reggae guitar feel, the super-catchy hook, and the rap is just a fun, upbeat rap,” says Z100’s Sharon Dastur. “He’s talking about Oprah, he’s talking about Obama, it’s very pop culture and really fun.”
4. “Your Love Is My Drug” — Ke$ha
“Ke$ha is Ke$ha is Ke$ha,” says Caulfield (try that 10 times fast!). “The sound is so of the moment, contemporary, like all the pieces that make a good pop song are thrown into a blender and out comes this song.” In fact, this smoothie of a tune includes singing, rapping, spoken word and one heck of a techno synth. All the ingredients for a summer hit!
5. “Airplanes” — B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams
This is a prime example of why Dastur says young rapper B.o.B. (inset) is one of the “small handful of artists that will last.” That’s because the sound is unique, the beat is bumping, and it’s got a hook that just won’t quit.
6. “Find Your Love” — Drake
We could go on for days about the multitalented Canadian rapper’s soulful ballad, which has held steady in Billboard’s Hot 100 charts for eight weeks running, but deejay Herbert Holler of NYC nightclub Le Poisson Rouge says it best: “Everybody loves Drake! The song is both R&B and rap at the same time. His wordplay, his ability to rap and sing — it’s the complete hip-hop package.”
7. “Break Your Heart” — Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris
It could be because of the pulsating beat, or perhaps even the cocksure lyrics. Regardless, this track has been a “constant presence in the Top 10 for more than a month,” says
Caulfield. “People are just discovering Taio Cruz now, and that’s why teaming up with Ludacris has given him such great success and a good deal of staying power on this track.”
8. “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” — Shakira
It’s the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and for good reason. Blending a multitude of influences — along with a handful of languages — the Colombian sensation is swaying hips all across the globe with this hit. GOOAAALLL!!!
9. “Alejandro” — Lady Gaga
Nothing says summer like a sordid love affair with three beleaguered Hispanic gentlemen. That’s why this New York native’s newest hit, a hearty blend of Ace of Bass and contemporary Euro-pop, is picking up heat faster than you can say “Ale-Alejandro.” “It’s just a really good song. Lady Gaga’s so hot right now that it’s no surprise to see people flock to her new track as soon as its released,” says Caulfield. “Plus, a music video full of writhing half-naked guys definitely suits the summer.”
10. “AddSUV” — Uffie featuring Pharrell Williams
This Paris-based grunge princess is going to be making a splash on the dance floor. That’s because “she’s hot, young, has a dope voice, and by teaming up with Pharrell she’s crossing over to pop culture with this hit,” says DJ Jon Price.