Spotify has revealed its 2026 Songs of Summer predictions featuring Tems, Drake, Ariana Grande and more, while launching fan voting inside the app for the first time.
Nigerian singer Tems appears on the list through Dave’s Raindance, while Ghana’s DopeNation also earns recognition with Kakalika.
For the first time, Spotify users can vote for their own Song of the Summer directly within the app.
Spotify has unveiled its annual Songs of Summer predictions for 2026, releasing an organised list of 30 tracks it believes will define the season across the Northern Hemisphere, and for the first time, fans can vote for their own pick directly inside the app.
The list, assembled by Spotify’s editorial team, spans a wide range of sounds and artists, from Drake and Ariana Grande to Nigerian vocalist Tems, who features on Dave’s ‘Raindance’, and Ghanaian duo DopeNation, whose Amapiano-Azonto fusion track ‘Kakalika’ has already been picked up by footballers in viral goal celebrations globally.
To cast a vote, listeners can simply tap the “Vote” button at the top of the Songs of Summer playlist and share their prediction across social channels.
The trends shaping summer 2026
Spotify’s editorial team identified four key movements driving this year’s list.
Dance music is leaning heavily into nostalgia, with tracks like ‘New Religion’ by Bebe Rexha and ‘Girl Like Me’ by PinkPantheress sampling sounds from summers past. Zara Larsson’s ‘Midnight Sun’ draws from 90s house and early 2000s French electronica.
Global dance records are pulling inspiration across borders simultaneously, with DopeNation’s ‘Kakalika’ standing out as the clearest example of that cross-continental exchange.
There is also a distinct melancholy streak running through the season, what Spotify calls “Sadboy Summer”, with tracks like ‘Babydoll’ by Dominic Fike and ‘Earrings’ by Malcolm Todd pushing emotional angst into mainstream summer listening.
Rounding out the trends is “Postcard Country”, introspective tracks tied to specific places, led by Kacey Musgraves’ ‘Mexico Honey’ and Noah Kahan’s ‘Doors.’
The full list
1. ‘Talk to You’ – ANOTR, 54 Ultra
2. ‘CHÉVERE (premium_remix)’ – ARIA VEGA, Ryan Castro
3. ‘hate that i made you love me’ – Ariana Grande
4. ‘New Religion’ – Bebe Rexha, Faithless
5. ‘Kingdom of Fear’ – Cameron Whitcomb
6. ‘Bangaranga’ – DARA
7. ‘Raindance’ – Dave ft Tems
8. ‘Freakin’ Out’ – Dexter and The Moonrocks
9. ‘Babydoll’ – Dominic Fike
10. ‘E85’ – Don Toliver
11. ‘Kakalika’ – DopeNation
12. ‘Janice STFU’ – Drake
13. ‘Choosin’ Texas’ – Ella Langley
14. ‘NOBLE’ – F3miii
15. ‘L.U.C.K.Y’ – Fcukers
16. ‘Jamaican (Bam Bam)’ – HUGEL, SOLTO
17. ‘Mexico Honey’ – Kacey Musgraves
18. ‘Earrings’ – Malcolm Todd
19. ‘Maladie’ – Mauvais djo
20. ‘Doors’ – Noah Kahan
21. ‘drop dead’ – Olivia Rodrigo
22. ‘KOKO’ – Omar Courtz
23. ‘Girl Like Me’ – PinkPantheress
24. ‘Free Your Mind’ – Prospa, Cloonee
25. ‘Rein Me In’ – Sam Fender ft Olivia Dean
26. ‘DANCE…’ – Slayyyter
27. ‘Boston’ – STELLA LEFTY
28. ‘Dracula (JENNIE Remix)’ – Tame Impala, JENNIE
29. ‘Self Aware’ – Temper City
30. ‘Midnight Sun’ – Zara Larsson
Tems makes Spotify’s 2026 Songs of Summer list, as fans can now vote in-app
