song of the summer

Song of the Summer: Steamroll Pop

Yesterday we kicked off our annual search for the definitive Song of the Summer by looking at the top contenders in the Hipster Cookout division. Today, we turn to the pop charts. What inescapable sugary radio jams will you have a serious love-hate relationship with all summer long? The top contenders are below. Note that as of right now, the field is wide open, but do brace yourself: It very well could be a Ke$ha kind of summer.

• Katy Perry, “California Gurlsâ€Don’t let the
Big Star shout-outs
or Beach House beef distract you from the basic truth here: By blatantly cribbing off her past three radio hits, Mrs. Russell Brand has cooked up another.

• Usher, “OMGâ€
The SOTS credentials are legit: It’s already a radio smash, ladies love Usher, and annoyingly Midas-touch-possessing Will.I.Am is involved. But does it bother anyone else that he’s actually saying “oh my gosh�

• Ke$ha, “Your Love Is My Drugâ€
If you manage to bite your lips through the spoken-word verses (plus lyrics like “my steez is gonna be affected if I keep it up like a lovesick crackheadâ€), you find yourself smack in the middle of the biggest, brashest chorus on the charts. Sorry, did we just ruin your day?

Song of the Summer: Steamroll Pop

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