NEW YORK (AP) — What is 2026’s song of the summer?There’s no easy answer. Algorithmic division is certainly a factor in why there isn’t an obvious pick this year. Where have the songs like “Despacito” in 2017 or “Old Town Road” in 2019 gone? Last year, some even wondered if Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” — a ballad, not a banger — qualified, a departure from the usual up-tempo, feel-good hits.Whatever your summer mood or flavor, The Associated Press has found a song to soundtrack the season, collected in a Spotify playlist.Biggest song of the year and therefore the default song of the summer: “Choosin’ Texas,” Ella LangleyElla Langley broke out just last year with the throwback, spoken-word track “You Look Like You Love Me,” featuring Riley Green, but it’s her breakup banger “Choosin’ Texas” that has made her a crossover country star. Not only has it spent more time at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 than any other song this year, it also has some of the most distinctive lyrics of the year. “He always loved ‘Amarillo By Morning,’” she sings in a particularly melancholic verse, referencing the George Strait classic. “I should’ve taken that as a warnin’.” Indeed.Past champion: “Luther,” Kendrick Lamar and SZA (2025)
What is the 2026 song of the summer? AP offers some predictions
The song of the summer is a hot topic with no clear winner yet emerging for 2026. Last year, debates raged over whether Alex Warren's “Ordinary” fit the bill.








