Taylor Swift and the songs of summer 2023
Realistically speaking, the summer season does not exist in the Philippines. This is just like we do not have spring, winter or fall. We only have wet and dry seasons. It is actually sunny summer with some rain out here all year round.
But thanks to colonizers from temperate countries, we have come to consider that two-month break in between school terms as summer vacation. And who would deny himself the summer idea of no work, no classes, all fun and games? Nobody. And what better way to celebrate being lazy in the summer than with the right sounds?
Philippine summer is now almost over and now in our memory banks are the songs by which we will remember how it was in the summer of 2023.
Our songs of the summer this year were a hodgepodge of pop sounds. From the local front, there are the gentle swaying rhythm of Uhaw by the breakthrough group Dilaw; the lovelorn pleadings of Zack Tabudlo spiced by the R&B of Al James in the song Gusto; and the return of Lola Amour with the sparkling Raining in Manila.
Miley Cyrus was in it, too, with a surprising duo of the new Flowers from the album Endless Summer Vacation and Angels Like You, a track from the three-year-old Plastic Hearts album. SZA had indestructible Kill Bill and Snooze. The duo of Ariana Grande and The Weeknd contributed Die for You. And there was, of course, some K-pop with Like Crazy by Jimin, Cupid by Fifty Fifty and Super Shy by New Jeans.
A latecomer to our summer but also making her sound felt is Olivia Rodrigo with her new single vampire. Then, I think we should also keep watch on Dua Lipa’s fun, summery Dance the Night from the Barbie movie soundtrack and the fast-rising Seven by Jung Kook featuring rapper and singer Latto.
And then, there is the impossible to ignore Taylor Swift, who is really phenomenal out here. Note that only a few days ago Pinoy Swifties became the top buyers of the Klook’s Taylor Swift Experience Package in the region. This is a bundle of two tickets to Swift’s ERAS concert and a one-night stay at a four- or five-star hotel after watching the show, most probably in Singapore which will be the only Asian stop of Swift’s ongoing ERAS tour.
So, it is now a fact that there will be no ERAS show for most Swifties out here. But no matter, because they are certainly gorging themselves with Taylor Swift sounds. Just take a look at the latest hit list from the Billboard Global Philippines chart. Swift has practically taken over the entire thing.
The tracks subtitled Taylor Version are the recently released re-recordings from her album Speak Now. Those named From the Vault are songs that did not make it to the final cut of the original Speak Now and which are now included in the new issue.
Back to December (Taylor Version) by Taylor Swift; Mine (Taylor Version); Sparks Fly (Taylor Version); Enchanted (Taylor Version); Speak Now (Taylor Version); Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift; Dear John (Taylor Version); The Story of Us (Taylor Version).
Gusto by Zack Tabudlo and Al James; Mean (Taylor Version); Uhaw by Dilaw; Better Than Revenge (Taylor Version); I Can See You (From the Vault); Angels Like You by Miley Cyrus; Never Grow Up (Taylor Version); Long Live (Taylor Version); Cupid by Fifty Fifty.
Super Shy by New Jeans; Last Kiss (Taylor Version); Ours (Taylor Version); Die for You by Arianna Grande and The Weeknd; Electric Touch (From the Vault); Raining in Manila by Lola Amour; vampire by Olivia Rodrigo; and Haunted (Taylor Version).
Make no mistake about it. Philippine summer 2023 belongs to Taylor Swift.
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