Summer playlist: Celebrate the summer with these 40 scorching songs
From an instant classic by the queen of pop to a sunny anthem by Portuguese Eurovision stars, here are the tracks to cue up when heading to the beach or hosting a garden party.
Fernando Augusto Pacheco, Monocle’s senior correspondent, has many guises. As the host of The Stack, he is a connoisseur of print; but he is also the curator of the musical segments on Monocle Radio’s airwaves. Pacheco is our resident DJ of the summer season too. To help you handle the heat as well as he does, he took some time (while lying by the pool) to pick 40 tracks that will keep you feeling sunny until August – best enjoyed with a caipirinha in hand.
‘Rosanero’, Mind Enterprises
A chunky Italo-disco hit taken from the duo’s latest album.
‘I Feel So Free (Peggy Gou Energy Mix)’, Madonna
The queen of pop is back with a spiritual sequel to 2005’s Confessions on a Dance Floor.
‘Coeur’, PPJ
Sunny bossa nova, techno and electro from Franco-Brazilian duo PPJ.
‘Areia’, Silva
This breezy release from Brazilian singer Silva reflects on life’s transience.
‘What You Want’, Angèle (featuring Justice)
A real summer sizzler. Read our interview with the Belgian star in Monocle’s July/August issue, out on Thursday.
‘Bangaranga’, Dara
Bulgaria won its first Eurovision Song Contest with this perfect pop song. What is “Bangaranga”? Who cares? Let’s just dance along.
‘She Waits’, Collect 200
We love the euphoric, sunny beats of this British-Canadian duo, who have just released their debut album, Everything Will Be Alright.
‘Girl on the Beat’, Shermanology
Caribbean-Dutch vibes meet Chicago house: a perfect combination.
‘How I Need You’, Bad Boys Blue
This dance-pop group from Cologne has recently found new fans online. This track is from 1990 but will still light up the dance floor.
‘Delulu’, KiiiKiii
The coolest girl group right now. K-pop made for dancing.
‘I Like Your Style’, Freddy Butler
This 1960s soul gem is a perfect accompaniment to the season.
‘The Beach’, Miss Kittin & The Hacker
A sharp track by French electro queen Miss Kittin and longtime collaborator The Hacker.
‘Doing It Too’, Rochelle Jordan
A slick track inspired by 1990s R&B – think Mariah Carey meets Janet Jackson.
‘Nano’, Tul8te, Saint Levant
Two of the biggest names in the Arab music world get together for this smash hit.
‘Salvador’, Zeca Veloso, Caetano Veloso, Moreno Veloso, Tom Veloso
This delicious collaboration between members of the Brazilian musical family celebrates the city of Salvador.
‘Vivre’, Simon Mény
Missing Paradis? Listen to this work of crystalline peacefulness from half of the Parisian duo.
‘Diaspora’, Tära
Italian-Palestinian singer Tära is an artist to watch. She has even coined a new term, Arab’n’B, for her sharp beats.
‘Hileli’, Manifest x Ajda Pekkan
The Turkish queen of pop partners with new girl group Manifest in this ode to the season.
‘Tornado’, Ayra Starr
The Nigerian superstar once again delights with this Afrobeat track, mixing synth-pop and Latin percussion.
‘Walila’, Bongeziwe Mabandla
The award-winning South African artist mixes folk and electronica on this uplifting track sung in Xhosa.
‘Solitudine’, Valentino Vivace
Known for his glittery disco, the Swiss-Italian musician has returned with a more pared-down album. Hit play next to the ocean.
‘Feel the Real’, Fcukers
These New Yorkers are one of the hottest bands of the moment and this lush, slightly trip-hoppish track demonstrates why.
‘La Villa’, Ryan Castro, Kapo, Gangsta
So sunny and bouncy that it hurts. Best enjoyed with an ice-cold beer.
‘YDH’, Chloe Qisha
We love the work of this Malaysian singer and “YDH” is particularly infectious. She’s on the hunt for her knight in shining armour (maybe it’s me?).
‘Night Lover’, Natalia D
J-Pop via Mexico – one of my most fun discoveries this summer.
‘It’s a Shame’, Aaron Frazer
The softly spoken singer from Baltimore has a voice that we want to hear on unforgettable summer evenings.
‘Segredo’, Zé Ibarra
With his 1970s-inspired sounds, Zé Ibarra’s music harks back to a Brazilian golden age.
‘Carousel’, Cannons
Delicious, dreamy pop from the Los Angeles-based trio.
‘Vanille Fraise’, L’Impératrice
One of our favourite songs from this French band. Any song by L’Impératrice would elevate your summer dinner party.
‘Sailing Away’, Antoine Bourachot
A Monocle Radio mainstay. We can’t get enough of this track by Antoine Bourachot, who mixes disco, fusion jazz and French touch.
‘Bella Menina’, Lord Funk, Moar
Brazilian disco-suaveness – just feel the beat.
‘Sesquicentennial’, Sofie Royer
This Austrian-Iranian pop artist will be releasing a new album in September and, judging by the first single, it’ll be something special.
‘Sortudo’, NAPA
This Portuguese band, which appeared in last year’s Eurovision, became a streaming success around the world. They are back with the sunny “Sortudo”.
‘Partenope’, Merk & Kremont, Serena Brancale, The Kolors
Could this be the tormentone of 2026 (the name given to the song of the summer in Italy)? We think so.
‘Summer Skin’, Desire
A song for those who feel that summer should never end. It’s sexy and euphoric.
‘Rivers Run Free’, Horsegiirl
The German DJ gets it right with this ethereal track, which feels like a lost track from Madonna’s 1998 album Ray of Light.
‘Only Love’, Ezra Collective (featuring Pa Salieu)
This elegant and passionate track is built around West African beats and Gambian influences.
‘I Want to Live’, Naomi Campbell
Every playlist needs an element of randomness and though Naomi Campbell’s debut album from 1994 didn’t rock the charts at the time, “I Want to Live” is an underrated gem that deserves a spot in our selection.
‘Eurosummer’, Zara Larsson
We all want to live in the Eurosummer where Swedish pop star Zara Larsson resides.
‘Something’s Wrong’, Caroline Alves
This Swiss-based Brazilian singer makes dance music for the heart.
You can listen to all of the tracks on Spotify here.
