Summer Recap
Welcome back to Sound Bite! After a long summer full of music and drama, I am excited to be bringing back Sound Bite bigger and better than ever before. This special extended issue will cover all major releases this summer as well as the first-ever Sound Bite “Song of the Summer”! So without any more delay let’s jump right into the long-awaited summer recap!
There were many major album releases this summer, from Clairo’s “Charm” to Lupe Fiasco’s “Samurai.” We have had a jam-packed summer full of boundary-pushing and genre-bending albums, each putting their unique spin on a summer release.
One of the most notable albums released this summer was “brat” by Charli XCX. Charli XCX has been a staple in the pop genre for years at this point, but her intro into the much more electronic side of the scene has been amazing to watch. The album has now gained over 400 million streams on Spotify, making it one of the biggest success stories of the summer. The hype surrounding the album was so big it was even adopted by the Harris campaign.
It’s been a great summer for hip-hop as well with Denzel Curry, JPEGMAFIA and Lupe Fiasco all dropping amazing projects. However, I want to use this issue to highlight an “up and coming” artist whose debut mixtape really speaks volumes for her future in the industry.
Doechii has seen major success with her hit single “What It Is” blowing up across the platform TikTok, but remained relatively undiscovered outside of that. That is, until earlier this summer when she dropped her debut mixtape, “Alligator Bites Never Heal”, her first major release under the legendary label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). The project is jam packed with hits, each one unique and insightful at a level I rarely see at such an early career stage. With TDE’s track record for signing amazing artists it’s easy to predict her career will be booming within the coming years.
TDE also signed a new artist towards the end of the summer that I think could be a game changer for the traditionally Hip-Hop label. Alemeda is an alternative rock/pop musician who recently pushed the boundaries of her music with her newest EP, “FK IT”. The project is only 8 tracks in length but each one offers a unique perspective on her experiences with finding herself in an ever changing music scene. With TDE’s past success signing SZA, I have high hopes for the future of Alemeda’s music.
In the last bit of Hip-Hop news I’ll cover in this issue, I’d like to give what I think is the conclusion to the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef that we covered earlier last year. At the beginning of this past summer Kendrick Lamar hosted a “Pop Out” concert in Inglewood California. The event featured appearances by Steve Lacy, Tyler The Creator, YG, Dr. Dre and many more. Not only did he perform every one of his disses from the beef, but he did so while live streaming the whole thing on Amazon Prime. The concert broke multiple records, and almost completely solidified Kendrick Lamar as the sole winner of the beef.
There was a lot of mainstream pop this summer as well, but one project really stood out to me over the rest. “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” by Billie Eilish not only had the hits, but had the staying power to top charts consistently all summer. It’s so rare to see an artist get so many hits so early into their career and still be able to innovate and find their style in the manner that Billie Eilish has in recent months. With standouts like “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” and “LUNCH” it’s not hard to see why this album has garnered so much hype.
Lastly, I’d like to cover the contentious topic of “Song of the Summer.” For me, this comes down to a few hits. “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar, “A Bar Song” by Shaboozey, “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter and “HOT TO GO!” by Chappell Roan. Each of these songs made the list for different reasons, from radio play to cultural impact. I feel that each of these is as deserving of the title as the others. But of course there can only be one. The song that was chosen best encapsulates what I feel are the key categories that should determine a “Song of the Summer”. From its chart topping run, to its catchy and culture defining lyrics this song is everything the summer of 2024 was supposed to be. So without further ado the official Sound Bite “Song of the Summer” is… “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter!
