Quakertown-native pop star Sabrina Carpenter’s hit single “Espresso” has been captivating fans and dominating the charts.  

The single reigned among the top ten on The Billboard Top 100 for eight weeks, only to be dethroned by Carpenter’s most recent hit, “Please Please Please.”  

Both songs are simultaneously ranking among the top five on Billboard, Apple Music, and Spotify.  

As Barbara Ellen writes for The Guardian, “Espresso” could be the Song of the Summer. 

 But what qualifies a song to earn such an esteemed title?  

Ellen describes it as an “all-engulfing seasonal mega-hit that defines the cultural moment and transcends categorization and market demographics.” 

 “It’s an irresistible earworm with sand dusted between its toes and wind ruffling its hair. It’s unstoppably ubiquitous, swirling all around you, like an odourless cultural gas,” she writes.  

Songs of the Summer are known to have “upbeat” and “flirtatious” vibes that evoke images of beaches, festivals, holidays, and freedom, targeting a younger audience.  

The music industry considers the Song of the Summer as a peak business moment; however, it can be unpredictable which songs could gain traction.  

While industry professionals have attempted to crack the “code,” on what makes a song an overnight summer mega-hit, it’s dependent on the whims of the public and the cultural moment.  

“Whichever artists and product the industry breadheads want to push, whatever they want to be the song of the summer, ultimately it doesn’t matter. The people always decide.” writes Ellen.  

Sabrina Carpenter’s sixth studio album “Short n’ Sweet” will be released on August 23, 2024.

Read more about Sabrina Carpenter’s mega-hit and the phenomenon of viral songs in The Guardian.  

Sabrina Carpenter – Espresso (Official Video)