It usually is not realized until the fall, but every year, there is a new “song of the summer.” Sisqo had the ?Thong Song,? ?N Sync had ?It?s Gonna Be Me,? but who?s going be the victor in 2002? The song could already be on the airwaves now, or it could be a few weeks away. It could be from a respected veteran, or a rookie could prevail. Hip-hop, pop, rock, who knows? The only thing certain is the radios will be blasting all summer long. The uncertainty is if there will be a clear cut winner.

Take 2001, for example. Some people considered Destiny’s Child’s “Survior” to be the song of the summer, while others thought it was surely Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me.” Interestingly enough, “Lady Marmelade” by Pink, Christina Aguilera, Mya, and Lil’ Kim, actually won the Teen Choice Award for Song of the Summer. But it wasn’t until late August when an unknown rhymist named Afroman burst onto the scene with “Because I Got High.” The very catchy song, which actually discouraged pot smoking, was a late candidate, but a prominent choice for the summer’s most memorable song.

Afroman never did release another single, and the last anyone has heard from him was in December of 2001, when a judge ordered a teenager to listen to his song to repel him from smoking marijuana. Besides the assumption that we’ve seen the last of Afroman, nobody can take away the instant fame he received last year, even though it was for such a short time. When it was unclear who would come out on top as the song of the summer, Afroman had a very fortunate and timely release to capture the gold, with almost no time to spare.

So which artist will take away the distinction of owning 2002’s song of the summer? It is probably way too early to tell, as seen by the late-summer release of “Because I Got High,” but that doesn’t mean the song of the summer for 2002 will follow in Afroman’s footsteps. In fact, we might have already heard this year’s offering.

One song comes to mind immediately: Nelly’s “Hot in Herre.” It’s very catchy, it features sexual lyrics, and is getting a hell of a lot of airtime on hit radio and urban stations- all the ingredients needed. However, ask anyone who’s heard the song a handful of times, and most will agree that they get sick of it. That is definitely a no-no when it comes to picking the summer’s favourite song.

My personal pick is The Rascalz’ “Crazy World.” The song has a great beat and can cross over to hit radio stations, something that is must to have your song recognized. The only problem, and it is a big one, is that it is Canadian. It is very rare for a Canadian hip-hop act to cross over to the States, unlike rock acts such as Nickelback, Sum 41, and Our Lady Peace- all Canadians enjoying the U.S. money. With little U.S. success for Canadian urban acts, Canadians become reluctant to accept them as the real deal. The unfortunate trend is true in film, television, and other means of entertainment.

?Supersexworld? is another track that could very well be the winner, but like ?Crazy World,? it?s by a Canadian artist, One Ton. With Canadians taking the U.S. by storm, it?s questionable whether or not they can break in, but they could get lucky.

Some have prematurely predicted Beenie Man?s “Feel It Boy.? The Neptunes produce the song, which also features Janet Jackson. The star-studded track has instant success written all over it, but it?s much too soulful to be considered the summer?s hot track.

There are so many choices, but so much time before the summer is over and a song can prevail as champion. If the Billboard Hot 100 chart is any indication, a hip-hop joint will surely come out on top, as 6 of the top 10 songs are urban material. Rap, R&B, and Hip-Hop acts have serenaded the charts this year, representing a large portion of all record company earnings. There is no doubt that the major labels will be pushing hard for urban songs to get airplay, and this will influence the public?s choice for this year?s highly regarded title of song of the summer.






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