With the arrival of Labor Day weekend, summer has unofficially come to an end. So, it’s time to choose the song of summer – the tune that defined summer 2026 and racked up the most attention, airplay, streams and media buzz.
The song of summer for 2026 is “Choosin' Texas” by Ella Langley. The country-pop crossover hit "Choosin' Texas" spent 20 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. It also was the top pick for Song of Summer by the editors at streaming music service Spotify.
A strong runner-up was "hate that i made you love me" by Ariana Grande. It was Spotify’s global most-streamed song of the summer after spending 89 days inside the Spotify Global Top 10.
Ariana Grande is my pick for music artist of summer 2026. Her hit song "hate that i made you love me" and her Eternal Sunshine Tour created a lot of buzz. The tour started on June 6 in Oakland, Calif., and ended on Sept. 1 at the O2 Arena in London, England.
My honorable mentions for music artist of summer 2026 are Harry Styles and Zara Larsson.
Harry’s Together, Together World Tour earned glowing reviews. Instead of a traditional stadium concert tour, Styles opted for multi-night residencies at large venues in major culture capitals. The tour included a 30-night run at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Meanwhile, Larsson owned the digital aesthetic of the summer season. Her remix album “Midnight Sun: Girls Trip” was a smash and she became the face of TikTok's "Pop Girl Summer" with viral dance choreography, beauty trends, and heavy festival coverage.
Recent songs of summer
2018 “In My Feelings” by Drake
2019 “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
2020 “Rockstar” by DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch
2021 “Good 4 U” by Olivia Rodrigo
2022 “As It Was” by Harry Styles
2023 “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen
2024 “I Had Some Help” by Post Malone and featuring Morgan Wallen
2025 “Ordinary” by Alex Warren
2026 “Choosin' Texas” by Ella Langley
Music artist of summer
2018 Cardi B
2019 Billie Eilish
2020 Doja Cat
2021 Olivia Rodrigo
2022 Harry Styles
2023 Taylor Swift
2024 Chappell Roan
2025 Morgan Wallen
2026 Ariana Grande
Related articles:
From Country Roads to Football Anthems, These Are Spotify’s 2026 Songs of Summer (Spotify; Sept. 3, 2026)
So, What Was Song Of The Summer 2026? (Nylon; Sept. 3, 2026)
Ella Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Breaks Record With 20th Week at No. 1 (The New York Times; Aug. 31, 2026)