The 100 Best Songs of 1983, the Year Pop Went Crazy
SONGS OF THE SUMMER
MARIA SHERMANAssociated Press
The sun is shining, the beach is calling and school is out: It's time to prepare the song of the summer.
Often, there's a clear champion: In 2017, Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber's "Despacito" was unavoidable. In 2019, Lil Nas X's ubiquitous "Old Town Road" foretold future superstardom. Olivia Rodrigo's "Drivers License" did the same in 2021. But that's not always the case.
Was Harry Styles' "As It Was" the go-to jam of the 2022 season? Who claimed the title during the summer-that-barely-was in 2020? When all the world's music is available on streaming platforms, can genre-loyal listeners agree on a single song of the summer? What if they didn't have to? Well, here are AP's 2023 song(s) of the summer predictions — and some past holders of each crown:
People are also reading…
'Put It On Da Floor Again'
Rapper Latto's combative, no-nonsense flow atop a hot, minimalist beat on "Put It On Da Floor" makes it a club-ready contender for song of the summer. It also doubles as a seasonal mantra: "I'm sexy dancin' in the house/I feel like Britney Spears," guest Cardi B spits.
Past champion:"Break My Soul" by Beyoncé (2022)
SONG OF THE SUMMER THAT INEXPLICABLY CAME OUT IN JANUARY
By PinkPantheress, Ice Spice
The dream duo of PinkPantheress hyperpop-punk and lackadaisical rapper Ice Spice created "Boy's a Liar PT. 2", a treatise on modern dating with an undeniable hook, and a very creative pronunciation of the word "Liar." (That boy's a … Leo?) Few songs have six-plus months' worth of staying power, but few songs have challenged what a pop hook can sound like: space-y and, at times, charmingly self-eff acing. Like the Capricorn it is.
Past champion:"Drivers License" by Olivia Rodrigo (2021)
HOT (DIVORCED) GIRL (SONG OF THE) SUMMER
Those waiting for a Texas-sized country anthem from Miley Cyrus will continue to do just that, but in the meantime: "Flowers" is an a 1980s synth-rock for those brokenhearted — and getting over it. For Cyrus, its a song about life after divorce, but for her fans, it is a celebration in finding partnership within yourself.
Past champion:"Next Girl" by Carly Pearce (2020)
SONG OF THE SUMMER … RIGHT NOW
Like a summer fling, Kylie Minogue's disco heartbeat "Padam Padam" is crush worthy pop music for those who like their songs to burn bright, fast and hard.
Past champion:"Work From Home" by Fifth Harmony (2016)
BIGGEST SONG OF THE YEAR, AND THEREFORE THE DEFAULT SONG OF THE SUMMER
The reign of Morgan Wallen continues into the summer, with his country pop-rock breakup record "Last Night" dominating terrestrial radio — and, likely, the headphones of the person next to you.
Past champion:"Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye, Kimbra (2011)
SONG OF THE SUMMER THAT'S ACTUALLY A COVER
The country star takes the Tracy Chapman classic and turns it into a North Carolina campfire tune. Perfect for driving in your car, speed so fast.
Past champion:"Fast Car" by Jonas Blue, Dakota (2015) — or really any another cover of "Fast Car," past and present
SONG FOR THE SWIFTIES' SUMMER
In a phrase: Karma is my boyfriend, Karma is a god, "Karma" is everywhere this season … just like Taylor Swift, as her Eras Tour continues.
Past champion:"Red" by Taylor Swift (2013)
SONG FOR PEOPLE WHO ALWAYS LIVE LIKE IT'S SUMMER
With a title like "WHERE SHE GOES," it might seem like the Puerto Rican reggaetonero Bad Bunny was preparing to release a crossover hit recorded in English. But that's not his style. Instead, Benito (as he's lovingly dubbed by fans) marries the world of dembow and drill, still sung in Spanish — perfect for a late-night party or the early morning at the beach that follows.
Past champion:"Mi Gente" by J Balvin, Willy William (2017)
SONG OF THE SUMMER OF REVENGE
SZA's genre-ambivalent soulful pop reaches new levels of self-actualization in this revenge fantasy. "I might kill my ex," she croons, a soft exorcism of her worst impulses. "Not the best idea."
Past champion:"Where My Girls At" by 702 (1999)
SONG FOR SINGLES READY TO MINGLE THIS SUMMER
By Eslabon Armado x Peso Pluma
Is there a greater success story than the sierreño hit "Ella Baila Sola" from Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma? Regional Mexican music has entered the American mainstream — horns and all — and this flirty track about a woman dancing on her own is proof.
Past champion:"Buy You A Drank (Shawty Snappin')" by T-Pain, Yung Joc (2007)
SONG OF THE SUMMER ROMANCE
The inescapable Afrobeats track from Nigerian singer Rema and pop star Selena Gomez isn't slowing down this season. Expect to hear it at an oceanside hang and inside your local grocery store in equal measure, but mostly, playing quietly during a backyard make out session.
Past champion:"I Swear" by All-4One (1994)
EMPOWERING SONG OF THE SUMMER
A children's choir, a trap beat and an inspirational hook make "All My Life" the feel good track of the summer, a reminder that positive attitude is a potent medicine.
Past champion:"Born This Way" by Lady Gaga (2011)
SLOW BURN SONG OF THE SUMMER
Bangers come and go, but ballads live inside the soul. Rapper Toosii's "Favorite Song" is for those hoping to have a romantic summer spent inside with a loved one.
Past champion:"If Your Girl Only Knew" by Aaliyah (1996)
SONG OF THE SUMMER FOR SAD GIRLS
Apologies to all fans of the indie-adjacent pop group Boygenius (Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker), but the sad girl song of the summer comes courtesy of the K-pop girl group Fifty Fifty. The harmonies on their lovelorn bubblegum pop song "Cupid" are sweet like candy, ripe for rolling the windows down and scream-singing along.
Past champion:"Summertime Sadness" by Lana Del Rey (2012)
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
RICHARD JOHNSON: Justin Bieber, Wife Hailey Surprise Fans In Southampton, L.I., With Casual Village Stroll
Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey Bieber surprised fans when they showed up with no security at the Golden Pear in Southampton for the second year in a row.
The lovey-dovey duo, who held hands and smooched while walking in the village, were both dressed casually in t-shirts and shorts.
The singer ordered matching vanilla iced lattes at the counter. Everyone stared, but no one asked for selfies or autographs as this was, after all, the celebrity-filled Hamptons.
****
Gary Player had three good reasons to follow the 151st Open Championship, also known as the British Open, finishing Sunday at Royal Liverpool.
The South African, 87, is the only golfer to have won it in three different decades.
Player told Hampton Sheet Magazine why he always dresses in black.
"I watched a show called 'Have Gun — Will Travel,' it's about a man dressed in black with a silver holster and a cowboy hat. He gave everyone he met a business card with a black knight logo that read, 'If you have problems call me and I'll help you.' And I loved that. So I decided to wear black and that's why they called me the Black Knight."
"And yes, it's a little hot, but when you are hot, your muscles are far more loose than when they are cold."
****
Legendary photographer Harry Benson, who has shot everyone from Greta Garbo to Princess Diana, also took iconic shots of the Beatles, who became his friends while he toured with them in 1964.
"I still talk to Paul [McCartney]," said Benson. When asked who his favorite Beatle was, he said "Paul was the leader, if you wanted something done, he was the one that got it done; Ringo and George, not so much."
Of John Lennon he remarked, "He was the least show-bizzy of the group." Guests at a reception for his show at the Southampton Cultural Center were moved to tears by his photograph of Robert F. Kennedy dead in a pool of blood on the floor of a Los Angeles hotel.
Benson confessed, "I have frequent nightmares about seeing Bobby Kennedy shot. The screaming of the people around him still haunts me. The last thing Bobby said to me was 'See you in Chicago' but of course he never got to Chicago. In my job you always have to be ready for something awful — or beautiful — to happen."
Story continues
****
The usually conservative Parrish Art Museum in Southampton hosted a shocking performance by Narcissister, a Brooklyn based performance artist, at its Midsummer Dance co-chaired by billionaire heirs Ivy Getty and Larry Milstein.
The artist appeared as a masked doll with clown shoes and stripped down before extracting a seemingly endless blue ribbon from between her legs, not unlike what you'd see in the sex clubs of Bangkok.
She proceeded to tie helium-filled balloons to the ribbon and sat on them, crushing them until they popped.
Some theorized the performance was about giving birth and cutting the umbilical cord. Others ran for the bar.
The young crowd cheered her on but some of the older folks found it a bit awkward.
"The Parrish has gotten cool and edgy," said one art collector. "I can't wait to see how they'll top this next year."
****
"Star Trek" star William Shatner, Pierce Brosnan and "The Sopranos" Vincent Pastore are a few of the actors who have who been honored at Roberto Rizzo's NYC International Film Festival.
This week at The Dolby Theater on Sixth Ave., Rizzo featured over 30 TV shows by independent filmmakers.
The winners included "Hot Angry Mom," "Timeless Love" and the inspirational documentary "UNDIVIDED: Pandemic with a Purpose," produced by SOMOS Community Care founder Dr. Ramon Tallaj and Anel Pla.
Although SOMOS lost 12 doctors to Covid, the organization's 700 doctors delivered over 1 million free vaccines to the most underserved in the five boroughs, saving thousands of lives.
****
Chuck Zito, Chazz Palminteri, Mario Cantone and Andrew 'Dice' Clay were all on the red carpet for the season two premier of their mafia crime series "Gravesend 2″ by filmmaker and actor Will DeMeo at Floral Terrace on Long Island.
Also on hand were "Karate Kid" stars Martin Kove and Ralph Macchio, who celebrated their reunion at the screening.
The second season will continue the saga of Benny Zerletta, a Brooklyn based Italian-American soldier in the Colezzo crime family played by DeMeo.
Fans of "The Sopranos" will be happy to hear that Pastore, Tony Darrow, Sofia Milos and Al Sapienza will also star in what's being called the "Expendables of Organized Crime Cast."
****
An edition of the iconic Astor Place Alamo Cube, whose permanent home is in the East Village, was sold for $250,000 to The Pauline & Austin Neuhoff Foundation in Dallas.
It was the first of nine editions by the late sculptor Tony Rosenthal, who was posthumously honored at the 4th Annual Hamptons Fine Art Fair.
The original cube is now back from repairs in its iconic spot downtown.
Over 10,000 people attended the four-day event, which featured over 1,000 artists and 300 galleries, including M.S. Rau, which sold a 5.5-million-dollar Picasso.
****
D'yan Forest, Guinness world record holder for oldest working female comedian, will celebrate her 89th birthday with a standup performance at Gotham Comedy Club on July 31.
Forrest has been called the naughty version of Betty White and has worked with Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan and the late Joan Rivers.
Justin Bieber's Ups And Downs With Mom Pattie Mallette And Dad Jeremy Bieber Through The Years
Pattie Mallette, Justin Bieber, Jeremy Bieber. Matt Baron/Shutterstock ; thecelebrityfinder/BauerGriffin/INSTARimages ; Courtesy of Jeremy Bieber/InstagramJustin Bieber has had periods of closeness — and times of estrangement — with his mom, Pattie Mallette, and dad, Jeremy Bieber.
The "Yummy" singer was born in March 1994 in Toronto, Canada, where he was primarily raised by Mallette — then a teen mom who struggled financially.
"As a single mother [I sometimes said], 'I have no idea how I'm going to feed Justin,'" Mallette told Canadian Christian talk show 100 Huntley Street in 2008.
While the "Baby" artist has insisted that his dad was in his life as a child, Justin told Billboard in 2015 that Jeremy "left for like a year when I was about 4, went to British Columbia, came back on Father's Day," Justin added: "I remember my mom said, 'If you're going to be here, you have to be here.'"
After skyrocketing to fame in 2009, Justin's relationship with his parents waxed and waned in the spotlight, with the singer admitting to Billboard in 2015 that after years of headline-making behavior, he "never wanted my mom to be disappointed in me and I knew she was."
Keep scrolling to see Justin's ups and downs with his parents over the years — and where they stand now:
'90sBoth Mallette and Justin have been honest about their struggles during his childhood. Mallette even wrote a book about her journey as a single teen mom, called Nowhere But Up: The Story of Justin Bieber's Mom.
"I grew up with not a lot of money," Justin later told The New York Times. "We never owned a house."
2000sAs Justin honed his talent for music — as well as a variety of sports — he earned enough money busking on the streets of Stratford, Ontario, to take Mallette, who always supported his interests, to Disney World.
"Growing up, I actually used to busk on the street. I'd play my guitar, sing, and people would throw money in the case," Justin told Interview magazine in 2015. "That was really fun, and I actually got enough money to bring my mom to Florida to go to Disney World, because I always wanted to go but we never had enough money."
As Justin began his music career on YouTube as a young teen, Mallette was with him every step of the way — from being discovered by Scooter Braun to touring with him in the early days of his career.
2009 to 2018As Justin skyrocketed to fame in 2009 after being discovered on YouTube, his family also grew as well. Jeremy welcomed son Jaxon in November of that year, followed by daughter Jazmyn in 2013. He shares both of his younger children with ex-wife Erin Wagner. (After Jeremy married Chelsey Rebelo in February 2018, her daughter, Allie, became Justin's stepsister. The couple later welcomed Justin's third half-sibling, Bay, in September 2018.)
Justin has often shared his close bond with his siblings throughout the years, frequently posting sweet photos with them on social media and even taking Jaxon as his date to the Grammys in 2016.
2015 to 2016In 2015, Justin he explained to Billboard the reason for his estrangement from Mallette:
"I was distant because I was ashamed," he explained. "We spent some time not talking, so it takes time to rebuild that trust. She's living in Hawaii now, so it's hard, but getting better. She's an amazing woman and I love her."
In a February 2016 interview with GQ, Justin revealed that he was, at the time, "a lot closer to my dad than I am to my mom."
August 2016After nude photos of Justin leaked online, Jeremy seemingly bragged about his eldest son's penis size on social media.
"My boy," Jeremy wrote via Twitter alongside a cactus emoji. He also shared a photo of Toronto's famously tall CN tower and tagged Justin in the picture. His social media posts were quickly deleted.
2017Justin expressed his gratitude for his dad via Instagram.
"I love continuing to get to know my father. I love working through hard things to get to the good things," the "Let Me Love You" singer penned at the time. "Relationships are worth fighting for especially with family!! Love you forever and always daddy!"
February 2018Justin's then-girlfriend, Selena Gomez, jetted to Jamaica to celebrate his dad's wedding to Rebelo.
"They were having a great time, it was very relaxed," a source exclusively told Us Weekly at the time. "The guests along with Justin and Selena enjoyed the entire day. They were very sweet, very affectionate."
September 2019After Justin and Gomez split for good in June 2018, the "Love Yourself" singer wasted no time in getting back together with Hailey Bieber, whom he also dated on and off for years. The two tied the knot that September, and later celebrated with a blowout bash in September 2019, which was attended by both Mallette and Jeremy.
"What a whirlwind. So proud," Mallette gushed over Justin and Hailey's marriage via social media. "Happy ever after baby."
June 2023Jeremy came under fire after sharing a series of tweets during Pride Month that many found deeply offensive.
"Don't forget to thank a straight person this month for your existence," he tweeted (and deleted) at the time, alongside a Pride flag.
In response to the backlash, Jeremy apologized in a follow-up tweet.
Sign up for Us Weekly's free, daily newsletter and never miss breaking news or exclusive stories about your favorite celebrities, TV shows and more!
"Acknowledging the nuclear family is offensive?" he asked. "My apologies to those offended. Was not my intent. Not that my opinion matters."
Comments
Post a Comment