TR.BIZ: 5.28.2026
From songs of the summer to some cringe tech slang, this is your late-mid-week check-in š«
Welcome to The Trend Report: Business Editionā¢, a midweek look at top stories, trends, and more of whatās happening online and off by Kyle of The Trend Reportā¢. Today, weāre exploring options for the song of the summer, AI music targeting Black women of a certain age, and a rise in physical media as tech salve.
š¤© Hollyweird Insider: Brainstorming the 2026 song of the summer
Every year, I try to forecast the song of the summer because I think itās 1.) fun to play forecaster and 2.) very stupid because the socio-political context always shifts at some point between late June and early August, making any May prediction moot. But I digress! Here are a few songs Iāve been keeping an eye on as far as songs that could, should, would, etc. have a summer breakout ā
Zara Larssonās āMidnight Sunā: This 2025 late summer smash has presented us with Zara Larsson as a new āitā girl who was hiding out in the open, which meant this Jersey club adjacent song has had a slow burn for nearly a year now. Plus! With her new PinkPantheress remix and her not-new Muni Long version, there are ample ways to skin and reskin this very summery song. This feels right on time, as last summer was so haunted.
Trimās āCoconut Waterā: The insanely catchy āCoconut Waterā feels like it was designed in an Atlanta lab to capture the past, present, and future of rap at a time when conservative culture is trying to push rap out of the mainstream. The song is ridiculous, but itās also so, so fun and feels like the only song that can wrestle Zara out of the title, which is all aided by the artistās matching the pop starās aesthetic. Trim supremacy incoming.
Drakeās āCheetah Printā: One of the corniest man on earth, Drake collab with Sexyy Red that samples Peggy Gou feels like a recipe for super success. While I am not a fan of his, the song feels like his freshest and most fun something since āHotline Bling.ā Plus, given the mid-song āCha-Cha Slideā breakdown feels like it may force an actual dance. Itās so weird and so good that it might actually work. Escapism, all thanks to a dude who genuinely sucks.
