As the school year comes to a close and summer break begins, everyone is looking for the best new playlist for the summer. Whether it be for swimming, walking, reading, traveling or more, I’ve curated a playlist full of songs — both old and new — from various artists and bands.

A lot of my inspiration for the playlist came from my personal music taste; I included some of my favorite summer driving songs such as “Animal” by Neon Trees and “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers. I also grabbed some inspiration from popular summer TV shows’ soundtracks. For example, I added the song “Left Hand Free” by alt-J, a song heavily featured in “Outer Banks,” a show set in a beach town that I like to think of as the show of the summer.

I also used a cop-out, including a song literally by the name of “Summer” by Calvin Harris. But, come on, it is the summer song. Not only does its namesake fit though, but the overall vibe of the song is so fun that you can’t help but tap your feet and snap your fingers to the beat.

Even though most would not think of “Empire State Of Mind” by JAY-Z and Alicia Keys as a typical summer song, especially not in terms of lyrics, it’s one of my personal favorites. Even though it’s a little bit of a wild card, you will find it hard not to sing and dance to this song. Its lyrics are inspirational, and its beat is sensational.

When curating this playlist, I attempted to find songs that all had the same upbeat and quick-paced rhythm, and I hope I accomplished that. This playlist is full of dance-worthy, good vibe-inducing songs to brighten your mood and set the stage for summer.

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