PASS THE SUNSCREEN: IT'S SPOTIFY'S FORECAST OF SCORCHING SUMMER HITS

Summer is here, which means it’s time for Spotify’sSpotify Summer Songs 2023 prognosticators to wipe the residual ice crystals off their crystal balls and start predicting the hottest tunes and trends of summer. While top seeds Taylor Swift and Barbara Millicent Roberts (aka Barbie) seem poised to dominate the season's streaming derby, let’s dive right in and see what’s popping—besides our buttons after a long winter spent eating our weight in cheese.

(Our effort to get back into a shape suitable for viewing in a bathing costume, we might add, is further flummoxed by the radiant visage of Spotify's Jeremy Erlich, seen here in his stunning new headshot.)

Anyhoo, utilizing streaming numbers, current song trajectory and good old-fashioned know-how, Spotify’s team of soothsayers assembled their list of predictions for the top tracks, including Swift’s “Cruel Summer,” Eslabon Armado's "Ella Baila Sola," Lil Durk's "All My Life" f/J. Cole, Bad Bunny’s “WHERE SHE GOES,” Luke Combs’ “Fast Car,” Toosii's "Favorite Song," Young Nudy's "Peaches & Eggplants" f/21 Savage, boygenius’ “Not Strong Enough,” "Cupid–Twin Ver." by FIFTY FIFTY, Doechii's "Where It Is (Solo Version)" and plenty more.

But what’s driving the trends on the 32m+ user-generated “summer” playlists on Spotify? We're glad you asked.

With more than 96m streams, “Cruel Summer” tops the list of most-streamed songs with the word “summer" in the title. Runners-up span “Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey, “Summer” by Calvin Harris and “Summer of '69” by Bryan Adams.

There are, as of this writing, over 500k user-generated “Barbie” and “barbicore” playlists on Spotify—with playlist creation spiking 270% in the wake of the 5/26 trailer release for the upcoming (and heavily buzzing) Greta Gerwig-helmed Barbie film. Among the Spot's predicted summer hits is Dua Lipa's "Dance the Night" from Barbie: The Album. There are few songs about Ken.

For Spotify’s full list of predictions regarding this summer’s most-scorching streams and top trends, click here.

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