The summer of BRAT by Charli XCX will forever go down in history – the lime green, the classic album font, the house music revival. Everything was absolutely iconic, to the point of Kamala Harris basing her TikTok campaign off of it. Having an album so massive that it defined an entire season is something only a few can achieve. Charli herself was teasing a song called “A different Kind of Summer” at Coachella, publicly ended the season of BRAT, yet will she take this summer too or will someone new fill the spot? This summer A$AP Rocky, Lorde and Addison Rae are all dropping albums this summer and only one can take the top spot that will hold the media’s attention for more than a couple of weeks.
A$AP Rocky hasn’t released an album since 2018, yet he still constantly finds ways to stay culturally relevant. Recently on social media, songs like “Demons” have been rising in popularity and used for trends. Along with that, the genre “cloud rap” has been on the rise, and Rocky has been a large contributor to it. Cloud rap can be defined as a subgenre of hip-hop with a dreamlike sound. This hazier version of rap is a fun summer sound, which is one reason Rocky could take this summer with his new album, especially since he hasn’t released for so long. According to Complex, Rocky purposefully seldom releases albums to make sure each is a work he’s proud of.
“I think those people who really take their time to put out timeless pieces, projects and bodies of work, that’s all that matters. I don’t think they’re putting out music to stay relevant,” Rocky said.
His dedication to his craft allows him to have a good chance of being this summer’s biggest artist.
Another artist who is known for her sparse album releases is Lorde. Since her debut album “Pure Heroine” was a defining album of the 2010s, Lorde has been more quietly producing music, focusing on passion within her art. Her most recent album, “Solar Power,” has gone mostly unnoticed by the media, as after her superstardom, she decided to revert back into being a smaller artist. However, her music has been regaining popularity on social media, with famous TikTokers like “grapejuicenads” promoting her music. With influencers who are known as “professional fangirls,” Lorde albums have been brought into the light.
People often associate Lorde with Charli XCX, as they had insecurities towards each other’s success and both marketed their music towards a similar audience. This, however, was fixed with the song “Girl, So Confusing” in Charli’s album BRAT. This collaboration potentially brought Lorde back into the spotlight, right in time for her new album.
Recently, Lorde released the single “What Was That,” which brought hundreds of fans to Washington Square Park to sing along, where she ended up making an appearance. The carefree, nostalgic sound of this single could end up curating the vibe of summer 2025.
Another artist that benefited from a collaboration with Charli XCX is former TikTok star Addison Rae. Rae started out with a song called “Obsessed” that ended up being more of a joke to her audience. Recently, though, she has undergone one of the most successful rebrands of this time. Starting out as a stereotypical popular girl, Rae has started to create more fantastical songs like “Diet Pepsi” and “Von Dutch a.g. cook remix featuring Addison Rae.” She has also focused on fashion and mystery, drawing crowds that once hated on her.
Her newest single, “Headphones On,” has also been getting attention from social media, with people questioning the authenticity of her rebranding. However, though, nobody can question the cool-girl vibe she has been curating. She has major potential to be the BRAT of this summer with her dreamy and whimsical sound.
Overall, there has been a theme of success within the music industry of both angelic-sounding music and fun house music. With A$AP Rocky’s cloud rap, Lorde’s carefree pop music and Addison Rae’s effortless whimsicality, they all have the potential to be the artist of this summer. My personal vote is for A$AP Rocky, his dedication to his craft and perfectly chosen samples make great songs that are both chill and upbeat at once. Lorde’s music is wonderful, but not as suited for all audiences, it’s targeted more towards artsy pop lovers. Addison Rae is also due for a breakout within the music industry, but many people question her authenticity. No matter who sweeps this summer, there is a lot of exciting music currently being produced.
