The Song of the Summer

As the temperature outside inches higher and the humidity skyrockets, the inevitable, important question arises - WHAT is the "Song of the Summer" for 2006? Yes, some people actually care about these things. Qualifications for song of the summer include: catchy tune and lyrics that either make no sense or have no substance. Basically something good to relax to, or to dance to.


If you think back to summers gone by, you will most likely remember certain songs that seemed to sum up the season, or even the year, for you. For example, when I was working at "The O.G." (The Olive Garden, for those not familiar with restaurant slang that I made up in the mid-nineties), every single day when I would drive to work, "Whoomp! There is it!" would play - sometimes multiple times within 20 minutes. Ever since that summer, any time I've heard that song I have associated it with garlic bread from The O.G, as well as my drive to and from work.

Similarly, the song "Hip Hop Hooray" is forever burned into my memory as the song played at the huge campus celebration when the Fab Five led the Michigan basketball team to the Final Four in 1993. I shall not speak of the infamous "faux time-out" that occurred a bit later...

Other summer songs of note include:
- Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince (probably the #1 all-time best summer song)
- Hot in Herre - Nelly
- Let's Get it Started - The Black Eyed Peas
- Lean Back - Terror Squad
- Yeah! - Usher
- Crazy in Love - Beyonce

The list goes on and on. Now, I'm not saying I necessarily like all of these songs - I'm just reporting the facts according to Billboard's Top 40.

So what about this summer? Songs that have been thrown into the ring for consideration include:
- Ain't No Other Man - Christina Aguilera
- London Bridge - Fergie
- SexyBack - Justin Timberlake
- Crazy - Gnarles Barkley
- A Public Affair - Jessica Simpson. Uh, this isn't even out yet, so it can't count. Plus I don't like her.


But for me, it is a toss-up between "Hips Don't Lie" (Shakira and Wyclef Jean) and "Promiscuous" (Nelly Furtado and Timbaland) . The funny thing is, I don't like any of these singers on their own. But in their little duets together, they do alright. Some would argue that "Hips Don't Lie" came out too long ago to be considered a summer song, but it was just recognized as the most played song on the radio EVER, so obviously it is still around.

My criteria for Song of the Summer is that the song must actually make me want to sing it out loud and embarrass myself if it comes on my iPod when I am in a public place, such as on the El, walking home from work, etc. Both songs above qualify. The videos are also both high energy (even though I get slightly creeped out by Shakira's incessant belly-dancing). But hey, if you've got it, flaunt it, right?

- e