I’ve been making my friends’ 4th of July playlists since they were called mixtapes. I love this holiday because my favorite weekends involve celebration, recharging, and reflection.
July 4th checks all of those boxes, in part because it’s also my birthday weekend. Music, of course, enhances the conversation and sets the tone for not just the big day, but the whole season.
Duke Ellington famously said, “There is good music and bad music, I like good music.” In this genreless world based on mood and context, I think I know what he means now more than ever.
When people ask me what genre I like most, my answer is “new music.” New music is the lifeblood of this business. New music is what’s most exciting. New music tells the story of the times.
With 125K+ songs being released daily on Spotify, it’s hard to parse. I like to collect new songs, ideas, and music like we used to collect baseball cards. We save some, star some, and maybe never go back to others.
Trusted curators are the sonic machetes cutting through the noise. Making this playlist allows me to center songs and artists I believe in. There are many more but this is a good start!
At the recent PTTOW NXT conversation I led with Billboard’s Chief Brand Officer, Dana Droppo, she told me, “I think we are doing our job when the charts reflect the sentiment of the times.”
From a data and insights perspective, you can learn more about a person by what they are listening to than what they virtue signal on social media. Why do you think Spotify’s stock continues to soar?!
So, without further ado, here are 25 songs I’m digging so far this summer. The beauty of a playlist over a mixtape is that it’s living and breathing. I can add or subtract as the summer heats up, and I will!
Here is the link to the playlist.
Let me know what you think, and enjoy!
**Rules of engagement for this mix: songs must be released in 2025 and everything is PG13. I know many Beats + Bytes readers listen with their kids. Rest assured…you good.
