Summertime is the perfect time to lean into pop music. It’s typically bright, grooving, and all-around a good time. Is that not the ideal descriptor for the perfect summer day as well? If you want to stay up to date on the latest perfect pop albums, find our three recommendations, below.
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3 Pop Albums for Summer 2024
1. Radical Optimism (Dua Lipa)
Dua Lipa never fails to make the perfect songs for the summertime. In fact, her entire career has been built around creating sunny, dance-able tunes. Her latest release, Radical Optimism, takes her typical style and turns it up a notch. She gets more introspective on this record than is typical of her. It’s an added edge to an artist who is already killing it.
1. “End Of An Era”
2. “Houdini”
3. “Training Season”
4. “These Walls”
5. “Whatcha Doing”
6. “French Exit”
7. “Illusion”
8. “Falling Forever”
9. “Anything For Love”
10. “Maria”
11. “Happy For You”
2. Eternal Sunshine (Ariana Grande)
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Ariana Grande‘s latest release, Eternal Sunshine, is perhaps her best yet. She strikes a strong balance between radio-friendly hits and personal think-pieces. From commentaries on her recent divorce, to the breakdown of love in general, this album is a triumph for Grande.
1. “intro (end of the world)”
2. “bye”
3. “don’t wanna break up again”
4. “Saturn Returns Interlude”
5. “eternal sunshine”
6. “supernatural”
7. “true story”
8. “the boy is mine”
9. “yes, and?”
10. “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)”
11. “i wish i hated you”
12. “imperfect for you”
13. “ordinary things (feat. Nonna)”
3. COWBOY CARTER (Beyoncé)
It was highly anticipated and well worth the wait. Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER took the experimental drive she had on Renaissance and added a country flare to it. The songs across this sprawling tracklist fall somewhere between Texas country and pop, but it has enough floor-fillers that we feel comfortable adding it to this list.
1. “AMERIICAN REQUIEM”
2. “BLACKBIIRD”
3. “16 CARRIAGES”
4. “PROTECTOR”
5. “MY ROSE”
6. “SMOKE HOUE – WILLIE NELSON”
7. “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM”
8. “BODYGUARD”
9. “DOLLY P “
10. “JOLENE”
11. “DAUGHTER”
12. “SPAGHETTII”
13. “ALLIIGATOR TEARS”
14. “SMOKE HOUR II”
15. “JUST FOR FUN”
16. “II MOST WANTED”
17. “LEVII’S JEANS”
18. “FLAMENCO”
19. “THE LINDA MARTELL SHOW”
20. “YA YA”
21. “OH LOUISIANA”
22. “DESERT EAGLE”
23. “RIIVERDANCE”
24. “II HANDS II HEAVEN”
25. “TYRANT”
26. “SWEET – HONEY –BUCKIIN'”
27. “AMEN”
(Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for TIME)
