Even though summer doesn’t officially start till just after midnight on June 21st we all know Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start of the summer season and so, once again, I will take this time to boldly make my predictions for The Song of the Summer of 2017.  No doubt, all of these tunes will be cranked up all summer long (and many of them should be packing my dance floors too).  And even though sometimes there is no clear winner for Song of the Summer, these are the songs that (in my opinion) have the best chances to be #1 from now through Labor Day:

Damn._Kendrick_LamarSomething by Kendrick Lamar.  Lamar is as hot right now as Drake was last year and everything coming off his new album, Damn, is blowing up the charts.  “Humble” has already hit #1 and started its decent as has “DNA” so while we’ll be hearing both of those a lot this summer they probably won’t be the biggest song over the next few months.  Maybe it’ll be  “Loyalty” (with Rihanna) or something else Lamar releases in the next few weeks but if I had to bet on the Song of the Summer of 2017 I’d take Kendrick Lamar against the field.

Despacito” by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee.  It’s not a very bold prediction to pick the #1 song as the summer begins but this one is hot and has staying power and with the star power of Bieber on vocals, we’ll be hearing a lot of “Despacito” this summer.

“Malibu” by Miley Cyrus.  Cyrus’ newest release is already racing up the charts.  It’s not exactly a dance floor banger but it has a slow and steady build to it and Cyrus’ beautiful voice and lyrics about the beach and ocean make it a no-brainer to get plenty of air play this summer.

“Galway Girl” by Ed Sheeran.  Sheeran’s already had two hits off his 3rd album, Divide, (technically the title is the division sign but I can’t find that on my keyboard so I just wrote it out) and “Galway Girl” is his newest single so you know it’ll be getting plenty of radio play.  I love the mix of Sheeran’s singing/rapping and the traditional Irish instrumentation.

“Attention” Charlie Puth.  Maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part because I love the vibe of this song and hope to be hearing it a lot this summer but I think Puth’s newest release has a great chance to climb the charts and be a big song this summer.  It’s sexy and sultry and perfect for a hot summer night.I'm The One Cover

“I’m The One” by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, Lil Wayne.  This song debuted at #1 on the pop charts, the first hip hop song to do that since “Not Afraid” by Eminem in 2010.  It’s got plenty of guest-artist star power and a great hook and will definitely be a favorite this summer.

“Thunder” Imagine Dragons.  If they’d released “Believer” closer to the summer I think that song would have had a great chance to be a big summer hit with its sing-along chorus but it’s already peaked so I doubt it.  “Thunder” is almost as catchy and could make a strong climb up the charts as the weather heats up.

“That’s What I Like” by Bruno Mars.  Everything Mars touches these days turns to gold and that’s certainly the case with his newest hit.  The only thing working against Mars is “That’s What I Like” has already peaked (it was #1 in early May) and though it’s still hanging at #2 its decent on the charts is inevitable.  By the way, Mars has already announced that his next single will by “Versace on the Floor” which has a definite throwback, R&B ballad vibe to it and could potentially be a big wedding song as long as couples don’t mind the obvious sexual innuendos in the lyrics.

“Slide” by Calvin Harris featuring Frank Ocean & Migos.  Once the beat kicks in I love this song.  Calvin Harris is still a big enough name that this song will get plenty of radio play and I expect to hear some great remixes that make it even more danceable.

“Mask Off” by Future.  Future’s original release of this song has already peaked on the charts but a remix which features Kendrick Lamar has just been dropped and I think that will only help this hip hop meets trap track to get more and more play.

“Bad Liar” by Selena Gomez.  This song just got released and I think it could be big.  Gomez offers a smoldering delivery over an infectious sample of The Talking Heads classic “Psycho Killer.”

“There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” by Shawn Mendes.  We’re going through a phase in music where everything seems to be around the 100 BPM range so it’s nice to hear a dance song at 120 BPMs.  I think this could be a big summer track

Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj team up for "Swish Swish"
Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj team up for “Swish Swish”

“Swish Swish” by Katy Perry featuring Nicki Minaj.  I don’t really hear the hook in this song but it wouldn’t be the first time a song blew up that left me shaking my head.  Plus, Katy Perry is in full promotional mode with a new album coming out next month so who knows?  This song could surprise me.