5 Songs You Need to Add To Your Summer Playlist

I love making a summer playlist, especially in the early days of the season when I can step that little bit closer to holiday mode, and I can listen over it during my holiday and remember the songs I was loving a couple of months back. A good upbeat playlist has also been super helpful these past few weeks as I've been revising! These 5 songs I've been loving so much recently, for either a good mood boost or a little escapism to beach sunbathing, and have made firm inroads on my summer playlist. 

(PS: it's been so hard for me to write this post, I've been lip-syncing like Channing Tatum lip-syncing to Beyonce)

EXPLORE - SUNDARA KARMA

If you read my post about some of the music I've been really into lately (if not, I'll link it here), you'll know I'm totally in love with Sundara Karma. Their debut album has been on repeat since January. Though new single Explore takes quite a different direction to their other material, with disco-funk undertones and an incredibly infectious and anthemic chorus. It's fairly chilled but also brings a smile to my face every time it plays; the mellow hook and rich bass provide flamboyant foundations for the bouncy lyrics, and the snippet of brass is just so darn pleasing. This is a fairly unexplored (no pun intented) style for Sundara Karma, and I think they pulled it off brilliantly. 

REDBONE - CHILDISH GAMBINO 

There can't be a much more laid back song than Redbone. The silky vocals of Childish Gambino paired with the a deep, vivid bass makes for a match made in heaven, with the continuous build of swelling synth keeping the superficially simple track interesting. Redbone is the ultimate summer track for winding down, and any R&B fan's number 1 choice for a song to sunbathe to. I only recently started listening to Childish Gambino and I'm super sad that this next album will be his last, but I can see myself relishing in his unique take on hip-hop for a very long time. 

DOWNTOWN - MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS (FEAT.  MELLE MEL, GRANDMASTER CAZ, KOOL MOE DEE AND ERIC NALLY) 

Switching gears completely, Downtown (which apparently features everyone in the world, I didn't realise until I came to type this out) is a totally fun summer staple. It rivals the likes of Uptown Funk in its retro funk influences and quirky lyricism. The rap and chanted verses blended with the passion-driven hooks delivered by Eric Nally make for a compellingly fresh number, and plus I'm super proud of learning the rap myself. On the whole I know I can rely Macklemore & Ryan Lewis for great and original hip hop, and this is definitely one of my favourites.

CHASING COLOURS - MARSHMELLO VS OOKAY (FEAT. NOAH CYRUS) 

For a strobe-lit summer night out, Chasing Colours is a must have. It has all the ingredients for a great house track: a punchy bass drop, an extreme robotic vocal pitch shift and quickening percussion, all adding up to a track ideal for any summer playlist. Marshmello is a great DJ for this kind of stuff, and his music pops up on every upbeat playlist I have, Chasing Colours being no exception amongst his euphoric repertoire. 

SANTA FE - ANDREW BELLE

Andrew Belle is an artist that deserves so much more recognition. His first album, The Ladder, has more folky, singer-songwriter-esque material, whereas my personal favourite, Black Bear, promotes an electronic, often ethereal ambience, all summed up in Santa Fe. I listened to this song non-stop on my holiday last year, which is why it's such an essential for my summer playlist now. Its thumping bass makes it a perfect addition to a summer night out if you wanted, whilst its echoic, floaty vocals and synths also make it great for just chilling, or winding down an evening. The whole Black Bear album is so beautiful and I would 100% recommend you check it all out, but Santa Fe truly stands out to me as a crucial element of my summer holidays. 

There you have it, 5 songs to add to your summer playlists - hope you love them as much as I do:) 

From, 

Eleanor