[2025] Recommended popular melancholic summer classics in Western music

One KissCalvin Harris, Dua Lipa

Calvin Harris, Dua Lipa – One Kiss (Official Video)

This collaboration between Scotland’s Calvin Harris and the UK’s Dua Lipa is a heart-pounding dance anthem that captures the exhilaration of falling in love with just one kiss.

Its modern reimagining of 1990s house music pairs perfectly with Dua Lipa’s cool, crystalline vocals, creating an instantly captivating allure.

Released in April 2018, the track spent eight consecutive weeks at number one on the UK charts and topped charts in more than 32 countries worldwide.

It’s the perfect song for a sunset drive or a relaxing moment with a gentle breeze.

I Don’t CareEd Sheeran & Justin Bieber

Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber – I Don’t Care [Official Music Video]

This collaborative track features a poignant melody that tugs at the heartstrings at dusk.

Created by UK-born Ed Sheeran and Canada’s Justin Bieber, it delicately portrays the comfort found in being with a loved one while grappling with anxiety and loneliness in social settings.

Released in May 2019 as the lead single from the album No.

6 Collaborations Project, it became a major hit, earning Platinum certification in the U.

S.

and 3× Platinum in the U.

K.

It’s a perfect song for quietly reflecting on time spent alone at summer’s end or on your feelings for someone special.

Only HumanJonas Brothers

Jonas Brothers – Only Human (Official Video)

The reunited American pop-rock band of three brothers, the Jonas Brothers, deliver a summer anthem that envelops us in a breezy reggae-pop sound.

This track, a modern take on tropical grooves from the ’80s, stands out with glittering keyboards, a groovy bassline, and a brass section weaving a light, buoyant rhythm.

The lyrics, which affirm human emotion and joy, gently convey the importance of being natural and true to yourself.

Released in July 2019 as the third single from the album “Happiness Begins,” it reached No.

18 on the U.

S.

Billboard Hot 100.

It’s a song whose soothing melody eases everyday fatigue—perfect for sunset drives or relaxed conversations with friends.

drivers licenseOlivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo – drivers license (Official Video)

There are countless ballads that sing of the pain of heartbreak and the bittersweetness of youth, but few capture the complex emotions of the teenage years as vividly as the debut work of American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo.

Its lyrics, in which the joy of getting a driver’s license intersects with the sorrow of losing a lover, express the cruelty of adolescence, where growth and parting arrive at the same time.

The protagonist’s state of mind—imagining an ex spending time with someone new yet unable to let go of their feelings—lays bare the contradictions of love that everyone experiences.

Released in January 2021 and spending eight consecutive weeks at No.

1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the song is included on the album SOUR.

It’s a perfect classic for a solo drive on a summer evening when you want to look back on the past.

SunflowerPost Malone, Swae Lee

Post Malone, Swae Lee – Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) (Official Video)

A beautifully crafted collaboration by America’s Post Malone and Swae Lee that sings of the bittersweet ache of twilight and the complexities of love.

Using the sunflower as a metaphor, it portrays the struggle of a relationship where steadfast affection can at times become a burden, conveying with striking clarity the wavering emotions caught between dependence and freedom.

Released in October 2018 as the theme song for the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, it reached No.

1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

It also achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first song to receive double diamond certification from the RIAA.

A track that offers comfort to those facing the end of summer or wrestling with matters of the heart.

Girls Need LoveSummer Walker

Summer Walker – Girls Need Love (Official Music Video)

A gem of an R&B track that voices a woman’s candid feelings, resonating at dusk.

Released in 2018 by American artist Summer Walker, this song has become a signature work that lays bare the real emotions and desires of modern women.

Blending ’90s classic R&B with contemporary neo-soul, the sound is seamlessly fused, and her whispery, gentle vocals layer over it to evoke an intimate, bittersweet summer night.

Included on her debut mixtape, Last Day of Summer, it later drew attention for a remix featuring Drake.

Tenderly portraying the complexities of love and a woman’s inner life, this song is perfect for nights when you want to cherish time alone or moments when you want to face yourself.

Havana ft. Young ThugCamila Cabello

Camila Cabello – Havana ft. Young Thug

This is a signature Latin pop number by Camila Cabello, who was born in Cuba and found success in the United States.

The song is crafted as a nostalgic and passionate piece that portrays the protagonist’s heart wavering between her hometown of Havana and her current home in Atlanta.

Through the expression that half of her heart remains in Havana, the lyrics delicately depict deep affection for her roots and the inner conflict of identity, conveying the complex emotions of living as an immigrant.

Released in August 2017, the song reached No.

1 in the U.

S.

, and its sound—an impressive fusion of traditional Cuban music elements with contemporary pop—is another highlight.

It’s a track that will resonate with anyone who finds themselves thinking of home at dusk or feeling a longing for a faraway place.