Summer is just around the corner, and let’s be real here. Your playlist needs a refresh. Nobody’s blasting Phoebe Bridgers out their car with the windows down. Get that sad girl indie out of here. Summer is a break from school, a time to recharge and feel good. The only sad girl allowed is Lana Del Rey. You need some more fun music. Lucky for you, you clicked on this article. Below is a list of fun, exciting, summer albums. Get ready for a good time.
Megan: Act II
Megan Thee Stallion
This double album is 82 straight minutes of Megan Thee Stallion’s personal brand of sass, confidence and attitude. 31 songs with similar subject matters may seem like it would get boring, but Megan uses a seemingly infinite supply of clever double entendres and interesting beats to keep each song fresh. She has a rare gift to make angry or sad songs sound fun without cheapening the emotion. This is demonstrated on the rap rock tracks, which include her second collaboration with alternative metal band Spiritbox. When blasting it out the windows, you might want to make sure there aren’t any kids around first, as it is quite explicit. But other than that, it’s a perfect summer album: put it on, turn it up and you’re good for an hour and a half.
Viagr Aboys
Viagra Boys
Viagra Boys are a Swedish dance punk/crankwave band, and their new (almost) self-titled album is probably the weirdest release of 2025. Lyrics such as “I stole a shrimp from the local zoo / I’ve got a tank at home, how about you?” are strange, but the strangeness seems intentional and meaningful, rather than pointless or frustrating. It’s sound is somewhere between the Ramones and Charli XCX, danceable or headbangable depending on your mood. There are a couple of more serious songs as well, but not so many they make the album sad. It’s a good party album if your friends are into alternative music, though if they only listen to mainstream hits you’ll get some strange looks. Viagra Boys are also coming to Portland in September, so get on board now.
Unity
Joost Klein
Unity is a gabber album, which means hardcore dance. This description might make it seem unapproachable, but if you like dancey pop in general you’ll probably like this. The basslines go crazy hard and the melodies are catchy and compelling. The album’s theme is European unity, as is much of Joost’s music (he represented the Netherlands at Eurovision in 2024 with a song about the same thing). The way he communicates this message is drenched in irony in an incredibly fun way. It’s not preachy at all, but it is heartfelt. Tracks like “Filthy Dog” will set the party off and are pretty approachable for most people. Joost’s energy is strange but in a way that works with the music, which goes hard and is perfect for summer.
Who Let the Dogs Out?
Lambrini Girls
Lambrini Girls may be from the UK, but they call back to the Riot Grrrl movement of the Pacific Northwest. It blends pure punk with some danceability to make a unique sound. This album is unapologetically angry, but in a fun way. It takes on themes of feeling oppressed or unsafe in society and turns them into tracks like “No Homo” and “Big D*ck Energy” with choruses you can chant along to. And speaking of chanting along, “C*ntology 101” is your new summer anthem, whether you want it to be or not. It’s an empowering track about being messy and owning it, and good mental health. Lambrini Girls’ sound is going to be new for most people, but easy enough to understand. Their lyrics have an explicitness and attitude that make them easier to get on board with than other political punk bands. Lambrini Girls are also coming to Portland twice this year, so it’s a good idea to check them out.
Honorable mentions
(Great summer albums you’ve probably already heard of)
Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi
This album is much older than the others on this list. You definitely know some of the songs, like “Living on a Prayer,” but it’s still worth mentioning because of how perfect an album it is for summer. Blast it out your windows and you will have the respect of every dad for a full mile. It might be the quintessential 80s rock album, with its sound pulling from pop and metal but ultimately rock at its core. It’s a good album to play at a family gathering, as long as some younger family members don’t listen to all the lyrics.
GNX
Kendrick Lamar
A recent chart topper, GNX is a safe choice for a very good album that most people will get on board with. Not everyone is going to appreciate some of the more obscure albums, but most people are going to appreciate Kendrick Lamar. He appeals to both music connoisseurs and mainstream consumers. And this album has a good ratio of chill songs and exciting ones, so it will fit the mood of most parties. It has Kendrick’s usual endlessly dissectable lyrics and beats that vary song to song but pair well with his flow.
Everyone’s summer albums are going to be different. You might not like any of the albums on the list, because you are a lame person with bad taste. But hopefully you can find some new and exciting albums for the summer to play loud and get in a good mood.
