Does anybody even care about the “song of the summer?”
I didn’t even realize it was an official thing until yesterday. I always thought it was just a social media thing, people saying “Oh, that’s the song of the summer.” But apparently not, because yesterday Billboard announced that Post Malone and Morgan Wallen‘s duet “I Had Some Help” was the “Song of the Summer” for 2024.
.@PostMalone and @MorganWallen‘s “I Had Some Help” has officially been crowned Billboard’s #1 Song of the Summer 2024. pic.twitter.com/nEOpmzYuSb
— chart data (@chartdata) September 3, 2024
So what are the criteria for picking the “song of the summer?” Who knows. Could I look it up? Probably, but like I said, does anybody really care about it?
Well as it turns out, there ARE some people who care, and they’re not happy with Billboard’s selection.
After the announcement yesterday, fans of Sabrina Carpenter and rapper Kendrick Lamar took to social media to express their anger at “I Had Some Help” getting the honor.
Carpenter’s fans argued that her song “Espresso” was the real song of the summer, while Lamar’s fans claimed it was his diss track “Not Like Us.”
Both Lamar and Post Malone’s songs have topped the all-genre Hot 100 chart, with “Not Like Us” holding the honor for two (non-consecutive weeks), while Post Malone and Wallen sitting at #1 for six consecutive weeks over the summer. And while it wasn’t a #1 on the Hot 100, “Espresso” has managed to rack up over a billion streams on Spotify. (For comparison, Lamar’s track has around 730 million, while “I Had Some Help” is currently around 592 million).
Well, aside from being upset that their artists were snubbed, critics also accused the chart of racism for presenting the honor to Post Malone and Morgan Wallen. (Just to be clear, Carpenter is also white).
Billboard is racist as fuck
— THE WAVY ONE (@SundayDreads) September 4, 2024
it objectively wasn’t. this is just blatant racism at this point lmao. https://t.co/w2A9gmGQgP
— Wasd (@WishingWasd) September 5, 2024
@billboard why you hate black people https://t.co/81ptr8fYpQ
— water (@kcwater__) September 5, 2024
white privilege i think https://t.co/VqRO1A1XCM
— KibryHouse 💛🤍💜🖤🔜 RIPTIDE 2024🌊 (@KibryHouse) September 5, 2024
this gotta be racially motivated https://t.co/6qAeg73oek
— catgirlmeth727 🇻🇪 (@catgirlmeth727) September 5, 2024
Musically, picking this over Espresso or Not Like Us is weird? Like, real weird.
Socially, awful pick. Wallen has suffered basically zero consequences for his racist remarks.
A shame either way https://t.co/eNaEk8pKWr
— M+ | Br0wn (@Br0wn__) September 5, 2024
This seems like a racist decision. Like, ain’t no way Kendrick dropped banger after banger after banger and wasn’t awarded “Song of the Summer 2024”.
Shit, my mother had “Not Like Us” stuck in her head FOR DAYS. Ya can’t tell me that Mahonkey and Cracken had the best song. https://t.co/e3vRfejmqd
— Reverend Luci Dracul (@LuciDracul) September 5, 2024
now THIS is white male privilege in the music industry bc compared to its contenders, ive never heard this even by accident https://t.co/NKg4uAIXrd
— bini eillish (@jihyopay) September 5, 2024
This is white supremacy and patriarchy at work!!! No I won’t elaborate, but I think we can all agree that the REAL song of the Summer is Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter https://t.co/HzAqIaTBkJ
— *ੈ✩‧₊˚ (@untiltzuyu) September 4, 2024
racism wins https://t.co/Jpopqdkp25
— josey (@joseyokok) September 4, 2024
Of course a lot of people were also complaining that they have never heard “I Had Some Help,” but I’ve never heard either “Espresso” or “Not Like Us,” so that really just proves that we all live in our own little bubble and don’t understand things that are popular outside of it.
Either way, I’m not really sure why anybody cares about what Billboard thinks was the “song of the summer.” But then again, I guess it’s just another reason for people to be mad about something online.