Every summer has a story: one told through sunburns, long drives, and the perfect summer playlists. No matter where students were, whether it was exploring ancient castles, riding waves, or simply enjoying the absence of an alarm clock, music was there for the long nights. A single song blaring through the car speakers has the power to turn a late-night froyo run into a lasting memory. Music has this uncanny ability to send people back to the laughter and fading freedom of summer. So, is it possible to summarize the season into a single song?
Not every Warrior spent the summer listening to Benson Boone squeal about ice cream in his hit single “Mystical Magical.” For some, this summer took a more classic turn. Freshman Jackson Clay spent his summer in Belize, where the 1980s classic “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor was a daily hit. The song filled his long, technology-deprived days, and even fueled a talent show performance. Whenever he hears it now, he feels like he is back on stage with his friends. “Whenever I listen to it, it takes me back to Belize,” Clay said.
Music even followed students to some of the world’s biggest events. This July, sophomore Simone Davy traveled to the Meadowlands to watch Chelsea face PSG in the FIFA Club World Cup final. She expected soccer, but the halftime show surprised her with Coldplay, Tems, Doja Cat, and her personal favorite, Bad Bunny. Davy was especially thrilled when Bad Bunny performed “Mi Gente”. “Before the game, I found out that Bad Bunny was going to play and I was super excited,” she said.
But summer memories don’t have to come from big events or faraway places. It can also mean the simple summer nights that everyone dreams of—the buzz of cicadas, contagious laughter, and a song faintly playing through a nearly-dead speaker. For Junior Laurel Touwsma, that song was “Missed Call” by Treaty Oak Revival, which she played daily in the car on the way to the pool with friends. “We had the sunroof open and our windows down,” Touwsma said. “It was awesome.”
The heat will fade and the playlists will change, but the memories of summer 2025 will remain. Whether in a stadium, a car, or a campsite in the middle of nowhere, one song can always bring students back. Simple words and a catchy beat that hold the power of time travel. Maybe there isn’t just one song of the summer, but one for everybody, because no two summers sound the same.
