The “Song Of The Summer” title is an honor that a lot of artist have their eyes set on every year, and 2024’s contenders were strong all across the board.
Whether you couldn’t stop saying “I’ve been a nasty girl” or “Got an attitude, but you bad as sh*t so I ain’t mad at you” over and over again, there were plenty of infectious one-liners that brought everyone together all summer long. Different genres were also well-appreciated, as the pulsating rhythm of Amapiano courtesy of Tyla had everyone on the dance floor, while Shaboozey‘s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” encouraged camaraderie.
Many people have joked that GloRilla is solely responsible for the record high temperatures this past season, as her “It’s 7 p.m. Friday, it’s 95 degrees” opening bar in “TGIF” was chanted from coast to coast. Although it has already started cooling down outside, the quality of music releases from earlier this year ensure we’ll be replaying the same tunes well into the new year.
Check out VIBE’s official ranking of “Song Of The Summer” for 2024 down below.
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“Fisherrr (Remix)” — Cash Cobain, Bay Swag Feat. Ice Spice
Image Credit: Youtube screenshot Cash Cobain has been at the forefront of ushering in a new sound that reimagined drill music, and the fruits of his labor paid off when the popularity of “Fisherrr” rose exponentially this year. As the leader of the New York City “sexy drill” scene, it was only right he tapped Bronx princess Ice Spice for the assist that would take the track to new heights.
As soon as Cobain’s “Got an attitude, but you bad as sh*t so I ain’t mad at you” seeps through the venue, everyone automatically knows what time it is. “Fisherrr (Remix)” was a key player that helped a subgenre penetrate all across the nation, and it’s always a good thing to see new flavors making waves in music. — Regina Cho
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“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — Shaboozey
Image Credit: Gotham/WireImage All the stars aligned for Shaboozey in 2024 when he found himself in the middle of a perfect storm to release “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” Beyoncé led the way as Cowboy Carter thrust country music into the spotlight, a move that had Shaboozey himself thanking her for “opening a door for us, starting a conversation.”
On his smash hit, the Virginia-raised singer’s charming “Oh my, good Lord” leads into an irresistible hook that interpolates J-Kwon’s 2004 single “Tipsy,” providing a level of familiarity that’s just right. The feel-good track was the perfect lead up to his May album, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going.
And the numbers don’t lie; “A Bar Song” went on to spend 10 weeks at No. 1 the Billboard Hot 100. The well-loved release not only set chart records, but it also garnered Shaboozey a 2024 CMA nomination for Single Of The Year. The track was absolutely unavoidable this summer, as it deserved to be. — Regina Cho
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“After Hours” — Kehlani
Image Credit: Natasha Moustache/Getty Images After successfully increasing the hype for this record to the point where fans were begging for its release, Kehlani unleashed “After Hours” just in time for the summer months. The song is anchored by a sample of Cordell “Skatta” Burrell’s dancehall riddim “Coolie Dance Riddim,” which was popularized by Nina Sky’s April 2004 Top 10 single, “Move Ya Body” featuring Jabba. A fun, viral TikTok dance challenge kicked the track into full swing, setting the tone for how much the release would get people to move their bodies all season long.
“After Hours” embodied everything a summer anthem should be: lively, bouncy, and magnetic. It’s nearly impossible to not catch a rhythm when the song starts blaring through the speakers, and if needed, Kehlani provided the choreography to match. “After Hours” was also the lead single from their Crash album, representing one of the most memorable chapters in their career. — Regina Cho
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“Jump” — Tyla
Image Credit: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage Tyla and her team expertly capitalized on her “Water” momentum by dropping off her self-titled debut album in March 2023, and “Jump” immediately rose as the clear standout. The striking Skillibeng intro, Tyla’s sleek vocals, and Gunna’s persuasive verse all fuse harmoniously over the thumpy Sammy Soso-crafted beat.
The song quickly became the one that got everyone dancing as soon as it came on at any party, making everything in sight actually “jump.” The deal was sealed with the South African star’s scorching performance of the record at the 2024 BET Awards, catapulting “Jump” into an international hit that Tyla would spend the rest of the summer performing all over the globe. — Regina Cho
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“Nasty” – Tinashe
Image Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Coachella Tinashe’s searched all over for someone to “Match Her Freak” and found compatibility in the success of “Nasty.” With the catchy song, the California native leveraged a viral moment into a summer movement. Released in April, “Nasty” took off online when X user @grruessome edited the song over a previously uploaded video of TikTok user Nate Di Winer and a partner dancing provocatively. The memeable moves found Tinashe herself whining her waist to the dance-ready beat.
“Nasty” peaked at No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 2024, making it Tinashe’s first entry on the chart as a lead artist since her 2014 single “2 On” and her first-ever solo entry. The song also landed at No. 2 on TikTok’s 2024 U.S. Songs Of The Summer chart and No. 1 on the U.K. edition.
The catchy song also gained a huge co-sign from Janet Jackson, the original “Ms. Nasty.” The legendary pop star interpolated the track with her 1986 record of the same name while performing the Together Again tour in June. — DeMicia Inman
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“TGIF” – GloRilla
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty Images GloRilla gave Hip-Hop fans a new timestamp to call out in “TGIF.” The party-ready banger’s carefree lyrics have been quoted in Congress, on weather stations, and across social media as the Grammy-nominated rapper’s star power continued to grow. Released on June 21, 2024, right as summer officially began, “TGIF” immediately took off online.
“TGIF” hit No. 1 on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, rising from No. 2 No. 2 in the list dated Sept. 21, making it her fourth No. 1 on the chart.
Additionally, a hefty cosign from Rihanna, who enthusiastically rapped the song word-for-word in an Instagram video, ushered the track to a larger audience. Bad Gal RiRi even DM’d the Memphis-bred hitmaker asking for the album. — DeMicia Inman
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‘Not Like Us’ – Kendrick Lamar
Image Credit: Timothy Norris/Getty Images for pgLang, Amazon Music, & Free Lunch Nobody could have predicted that 2024 would be the year the unspoken beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake would turn into full-blown diss tracks, yet here we are, and one of those releases dominated the charts and the streets.
Produced by Mustard, “Not Like Us” was released on May 4, 2024, via pgLang and Interscope records. The sparring match featured both artists engaging in lyrical warfare, however, as Kendrick’s last song in the battle to date (he dropped “Watch The Party Die” critiquing the entire industry on Instagram on Sept. 11), “Not Like Us” balanced timely blows and catchy one-liners over a banging beat.
With an on-time pre-summer release, “Not Like Us” was played all season during sporting events, on the radio, and at parties (where it was allowed). A standout moment for the Serena Williams-cosigned track came at Kendrick Lamar’s Juneteenth concert, where he performed the diss record to a sold-out crowd who rapped every word six consecutive times.
By the numbers, shortly after its release “Not Like Us” broke Spotify’s record for Most Streamed Rap Song In A Day, claiming the spot from Drake’s Lil Baby-assisted “Girls Want Girls.” Additionally, the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated May 14. “Not Like Us” remained in the Top 10 before returning to the No. 1 spot in July following the official music video. In August, it passed “Hit ‘Em Up” as the most streamed diss track in Spotify history and now as football season approaches, bands at Historically Black Colleges and Universities have added the single to their performance catalogs.
“Let me hear you say O-V-H*E!” — DeMicia Inman
