Summer is usually my least favorite season. Even when I was a kid and summer usually meant endless free time, I basically boiled alive at anything above 80 degrees. However, this summer is significant; most of North America has had their COVID restrictions stripped back and everyone is eager to get out after last summer was spoiled. I too am not immune to the reason for the season. As such, I’ve felt it appropriate to compile some of my favorite sun-kissed jams into a single mixtape.

With this playlist, I’ve tried to pack many different kinds of warmth into one bundle. Lorde’s “Solar Power” might have already won song of the summer, bringing together shimmery acoustic guitars with lyrics about the healing power of the sun. Outkast and Tyler, the Creator both embrace a simmering kind of cool on the eternal classic “So Fresh, So Clean” and the soon-to-be-classic “HOT WIND BLOWS,” respectively. Bright psychedelia was also a heavy reference point, from Santana to Shuggie Otis to Black Moth Super Rainbow. There’s a shot of bright synthpop with Carly Rae Jepsen and Tears For Fears, plus some classic funk with Kool & the Gang and Funkadelic. Finally, just for a little bit of pure atmosphere, I’ve thrown in some summery shoegaze anthems from Luminous Orange and Ride. Everything else from Cornelius to Mungo Jerry is singular in its own little shot of summer.