We don’t get to choose the song of the summer. It chooses us. It’s the one that you hear blasting out of passing cars, on street corners and – this summer – from beach parties, which are returning after the pandemic put a damper on 2020’s summer get-togethers. Last year, that definitive summer song wasn’t so definitive. It was either The Weeknd’s omnipresent earworm Blinding Lights , which continued to reign throughout the autumn and winter months, and only recently started to recede; Taylor Swift’s Cardigan , an appropriately intimate anthem for a year when everything turned inward; or Fleetwood Mac’s 40-plus-year-old Dreams , which enjoyed an unexpected resurgence thanks to a popular TikTok video, which shows just how unpredictable the song of the summer race can truly be. As long as another song from yesteryear doesn’t crash the boards and make a run for summer supremacy (Cyndi Lauper’s All Through the Night , anybody?), here are 10 contemporary candidates for song of the summer, 2021 edition. 5 yellow shoes to brighten up your wardrobe like Kylie Jenner Lorde, Solar Power It doesn’t matter what the calendar says; Lorde says it’s summer, so it’s summer. The New Zealand mood-pop sensation returned last week with this light, airy, upbeat celebration of the sun, which nods to US hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest (“can I kick it? Yeah, I can!” Lorde says, sounding, gulp , happy) and is genetically engineered by producer Jack Antonoff to get the summer party rolling. You have no choice but to submit. BTS, Butter The latest smash from the worldwide K-pop sensations is a smooth, fun, melty summer dance track that nuzzles right up to its fan base – it’s never a bad idea to shout out your fans, in this case the BTS Army, in song – and which happens to go great with a certain limited-time-only value meal at McDonalds. Inside Kelly Osbourne’s most dramatic transformation yet Olivia Rodrigo, Good 4 U Can an entire album be the song of the summer? Teen pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo is making a pretty good argument for the case, with her full debut album “Sour” blanketing the charts since its release last month. This punk-pop kiss-off is the current favourite to rule the airwaves – we still need justice for Déjà Vu , the overlooked middle child between this and Driving Licence , but that’s another story – which is part of a popular resurgence of guitars (remember those things?) which also includes recent hits by MGK and Willow Smith. Progress! Silk Sonic, Leave the Door Open Bruno Mars doesn’t miss. So in teaming up with multi-hyphenate performer Anderson Paak – this is the first offering off the duo’s upcoming debut album, “An Evening with Silk Sonic” – he’s created a timeless-sounding, retro-R&B love jam that is crafted with care and precision and actually sounds romantic, a quality missing from so many of today’s wham-bam odes to hooking up. Here’s to hoping the album fully carries on that vibe. Queens of Covid: Lady Gaga to Blackpink – 15 albums that got us through 2020 Billie Eilish, Lost Cause Slamming a loser boyfriend (“I know you think you’re such an outlaw,” Eilish whisper-sings, “but you got no job”), the 19-year-old (she turns 20 in December!) returns with her most rubbery single since Bad Guy . One potential roadblock in its path to airwaves dominance, however, is that without it’s accompanying girls-night-in video – which finds Eilish and a group of pals dancing, eating crisps, drinking Faygo and generally having the best time – the song loses a bit of its punch. Doja Cat featuring SZA, Kiss Me More With a chorus that borrows its chord progression from Olivia Newton John’s former No 1 knockout Physical – songwriters Stephen Kipner and Terry Shaddick are credited on the song – this playful ode to making out features a shimmering disco-lite beat and a bassline that grooves for days and begs for repeat listens. Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ net worths, ranked Dua Lipa featuring DaBaby, Levitating With its hand claps, nostalgic disco feels and nimble contribution from chart-topper DaBaby, Levitating is the mirror ball spinning, roller rink anthem that makes you want to glide across the hardwood and spin in circles. It’s current and a throwback all at once, the encapsulation of Lipa’s current “Future Nostalgia” era. Cardi B, Up If it’s up, then it’s up, then it’s up, then it’s stuck – in your head. Say what you will about Cardi B, she knows how to make hits that breathe their own air and make their own space in the culture, and she’s got no problem releasing them one at a time (see last summer’s WAP ), album cycles be damned. Up is catchy, colourful and motivational, and works just as well in the background at a summer cookout (depending on who’s around, you may want to opt for the clean version) or at the gym. 4 celebrity first-time mums in their 50s Masked Wolf, Astronaut in the Ocean Australian rapper Masked Wolf’s recent top 10 hit has been hanging around since 2019 but got a recent bump from TikTok, as its opening – which goes silent before Wolf’s first line and a hard-hitting beat drop – makes it perfect for the video platform. It’s the rare song that peaks at the very beginning, which makes it ideal to cross-fade into mixes; you don’t need to hear the whole thing to get the full effect. John Mayer, Last Train Home Is it summer 2021 or summer 1998? Pop-rock survivor Mayer channels Bruce Hornsby on this synth-heavy light-rock throwback, which seems custom built for cracking a cold one after mowing the lawn or taking the dog for a walk. We can’t all be late night partiers or cutting edge cool kids, and Last Train Home is the sound of enjoying the sunshine at your own leisurely pace. If uncool is the new cool, Mayer’s got the summer on lock. Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .