What will it be this summer?

Brat Summer. Cruel Summer. The Summer I Turned Pretty.

Belly Conklin (from The Summer I Turned Pretty) once said, “My whole life was measured in summers. Like I don’t really begin living until June, until I’m at that beach, in that house.” This is a quote I wholeheartedly believe in, because to me summer is the time for turning moments into keepsakes.

Arguably summer is the best season of the year. School is out, the weather is nice and there is endless time to indulge in entertainment. For each summer of my life I can pinpoint a single trend or memory that was the most prevalent. Whether it’s a movie, artist or song, we can all pick out a moment in pop culture that defines summer.

Personally, I would peg the summer of 2023, Barbie Summer. “Girlhood” was at its peak with friends showing up to the movie theater dressed in pink and deep talks of what gender inequality looks like in the modern world.

I mean if the distinct neon “Brat” green doesn’t come to mind when you think of the summer of 2024, what does? Last summer was most iconically known as Brat Summer, when Charli XCX’s album was a hit. Even after the songs of “Apple”, “360” and “Guess” became popular and Tik Toks of them flooded our “for you pages”, in the fall the Brat movement continued when it was embraced by the Kamala Harris campaign.

These trends we remember might not be the same for every person. While I was focused on Brat last summer, someone else could have thought it was Zach Bryan summer or Chappell Roan summer. And while there might be some differences between country and pop music, our ability to reminisce on the past makes us a bit more similar.

As humans we love to associate small moments with a broader reality. Any big fan of an artist, especially Swifties, Taylor Swift fans, can agree that they remember the exact moment, location and people they were surrounded by when they listened to a newly released album. Beyond even just a trend that lasts one summer, we all link pieces of art and entertainment with certain seasons. Arguably, the show Gilmore Girls reeks of fall and the song “Brazil” by Declan McKenna screams endless summer. Thinking of my favorite seasonal watches or listens overwhelmed me with memories of late night drives and fun times with friends.

As we approach summer, we should all be on the lookout for the trend we will latch onto. The cultural moment that defines our memories, that we will carry beyond summer, but into the rest of our lives. We must be thoughtful consumers, so as to not decide on the overarching idea too fast, but tastefully select our summer souvenir.

Brat Summer came and went, but now it is time to find a new trend or moment to rally behind. I am a little biased as a fan in predicting that it will be Lorde Summer. But the beauty of this nostalgia is everyone can remember their summer in a different but iconic way.