New school year, new music. This week, I jump back into it all with my top five songs of this summer.

At number one is “7 de Mayo” by J Balvin. This song is a beautifully written testament to Balvin’s success and the road he has been on to get to where he is now. The song starts with his mother giving him some advice and talking about how important it is that Balvin doesn’t lose who he is while he is on this journey. The song continues while he speaks about how he broke barriers and sold out stadiums. While rapping about his own success he takes time to recognize the greats in Latin music and thanks them for their support and inspiration. Personally, this is one of my favorite songs of his.

Next up we have “Mystery Lady” by Masego featuring Don Toliver. I actually found this song off of an Apple Music ad while watching the UEFA Euro Cup this summer, and I thought it was fantastic. The premise of the song and his way of writing a love song about a woman he doesn’t know yet, seemed so out of this world. His lyrics and production on this song was amazing. This is definitely going to be another one of my favorite songs.

At number three is “Industry Baby” by Lil Nas X featuring Jack Harlow. Honestly I wasn’t a big Lil Nas fan but after listening to “Montero,” I couldn’t have been more hyped for “Industry Baby.” Also Jack Harlow has a special place in my heart. The message this song is sending about being yourself and everyone else can back off is really strong. One thing I don’t like about it is the music video. Sure, it’s a cool video, but I feel like it distracts the audience from the message that Lil Nas is trying to send.

Last but not least is “Redecorate” by Twenty One Pilots. This song killed me slowly. It is so relatable it hurts. The point of this song was to point out just how awful and cruel depression can be. Even without lyrics this song sounds so deep. There are very few songs that really hit as hard as this one because it’s not a very straightforward definition of depression. Instead it’s a more raw look at it from the point of view of someone who feels they have had enough.

These were my songs of the summer that guided me through the ups and downs of it. I recommend everyone check them out sometime because they are truly some fantastic beats and lyrics to just sit and vibe to.