It can make you feel different - then when you listen to the music a few months after, you're reminded of how you felt when you first listened to it. So Summer is always wonderful to start listening to new music. The songs that you listen to are ones that you'll want to think of - warm breezes; long nights & all round good times.
What makes a great summer song? Me and a few of the Ailurophelle girls think we have some great ideas:
The theory and history behind a great summer song:
The key is always important! There are different keys used in music, major and minor, then ambiguous and atonal. Minor keys sound sad or moody (Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles is in a minor key). Major keys sound joyful and light (Rather Be by Clean Bandit is major). All that ambiguous means is that the key isn't set, and it switches between them (lot's of pop ballads have verses in minor keys then choruses in major) and atonal means that there isn't a key at all. Listen to this (if you dare!) for an atonal piece of music. Warning: train wreck?
AILUROPHELLE's recommendations:
A perfect summer song usually drifts into a major key at least once. Natalie's favourite summer song, Island In The Sun by Weezer is quite ambiguous, however it has a major base, meaning that it feels light and happy. It's also got a strumming guitar pattern that you can almost feel your head bopping to while driving along a road in the sun.
The instruments used in a song are also very important. Electric feeling songs are always great in summer, or really stripped down acoustic ones. Rach loves Sweet Life by Frank Ocean, which is a great mix of both of these things. It has a really chilled out beat which you can practically feel yourself hanging out with your friends to.
If you want something a bit more electric, Lauren's recommendation of Young Blood by The Naked and Famous is wonderful. It's upbeat, with an electric energy and an echo-ey voice that makes life feel breezy and great.
Since it is pretty rare that a great summer song is in a minor key, I have to include a wonderful one. Shanell was obsessed with High By The Beach by Lana Del Rey when it was first leaked, and it still stands as a wonderful summer song. It's all chilled out, and obviously the title of the song reflects some activities that you could get up to in summer.
Last summer, I was obsessed with all of Kodaline's In A Perfect World album. It's so chilled and soft, and with it being acoustic it could remind you of a campfire in summer. My favourite track from the album has to be Brand New Day. It's upbeat, and always reminds me of summer!
So, what's your favourite summer song? Tweet @ailurophelle, or comment below!
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