In 2025, the song of the summer is no longer a singular designation but a window into how music consumption and culture writ large has become increasingly fragmented. With monoculture dead, any number of tunes could take home the title if they boast an influence sphere that’s big enough.⁠ ⁠ Still, it’s tradition at the FADER to make our bets for song of the summer (check out our SOTS podcast from 2024), so this year we decided to shake things up by funneling our picks into context-appropriate categories. Ahead, find our 2025 song of the summer contenders as filed away by where you’re most likely to encounter them: on the charts, online, in-the-know music communities, and our very own playlists. At the very least you’ll pick up some nice tunes for a perfect sunny day.⁠ ⁠ Hit the link in bio for our full SOTS roundup, featuring tracks by charli_xcx, rob49up, lorde, pinkpantheress, meovv + more.⁠ ⁠ #SongsoftheSummer #Charlixcx #WTHelly