MUSIC: Have We Decided on the 2013 Jam of the Summer?

While a large part of the country suffers through a heat wave we at Couch Sessions wonder about what songs makes us forget what is bad about the season (excessive heat, flip flops as a fashion statement, body odor) and what big radio songs make us think about the good (everything else).

Past summer kings Kanye West and Jay-Z have just dropped brand new albums yet neither has a contender for this crown. Kanye is probably one remix away from making one of more difficult tracks into a monster. My guess is “Send It Up”; it has got a dark dance core that reminds me of the two Cruel Summer standouts “Clique” or “Mercy”. Jigga has a few contenders on Magna Carta, my money’s on the trap friendly “Tom Ford” or the horns in “Somewhereinamerica”. Maybe even "Picasso Baby" since even even avant-garde artists like it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9ntmDGrFwo

I guess we can consider “Blurred Lines” a contender. It's got things I love: Thicke finally got some mainstream pop and it's the the first music video to make bare breasted models frolicking seem like chaste family fun. Unfortunately it’s a little too smug, a little too self aware and in a short period of time already seems to have worn its welcome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyDUC1LUXSU

I will be honest: I was a Daft Punk “Get Lucky” hater. When Random Access Memories leaked like many fair-weather Daft Punk fans I was like, “What is this boring disco shit?” It took a random night at the TGI Friday’s to make me realize how great a song it is. It came on and the whole mood shifted while I downed my bacon potato skins; waitresses were popping around on beat and the old dudes at the bar had a bit more swagger while hitting on interns. Notice this is the second Pharrell guest appearance on this list, if we factor in "Happy" he might win off odds alone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orFeZj7OuGU

If you asked me who had the biggest chance of pulling off the jam of the summer in around Memorial Day my money would have been on Disclosure. While it’s got its standouts (for me the excellent “F For You”) any track off the album is melodic bliss; it’s a killers row of dance pop/r&b hits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TUIciKQzxI

Now that we are almost half way through the season if I had to put my money on anything to represent this summer it would be on retard rappers Migos’s “Versace”. Never heard it? Repeat Versace over and over until AFTER you stop annoying yourself and start to enjoy it. It’s reminds me of the one minded genius of classic Gucci Mane but even more ignorant. As great as it was I still figured it would languish in mixtape hell but with a remix featuring Drake, Meek Mill and Tyga expect this to be inescapable during the month of August.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ovceP-327U