- Chart investigator: summer heat is still on
Unlike in previous years, no clear-cut summer hit has emerged on the German music market yet in 2024. "Summer has been slow to arrive, and so has the summer hit," GfK Entertainment, the compiler of the Official German Charts, reports. There's currently no obvious contender.
Last year was similar: "It took a while for the summer hit to be determined last year as well. 'Girls on Horses' was crowned at the end of August 2023," GfK Entertainment explains from Baden-Baden. In the year prior, "Layla" by DJ Robin & Schürze was already established as the ultimate party song by the end of July.
No Ballermann hit wave this year
The anticipated continuation of an unapologetic Ballermann hit wave has not materialized so far. Only at the start of the season did songs like "Topless" by Isi Glück and Marc Eggers, "Topless" by Julian Sommer, or "Handwerker" by Mickie Krause and Julian Sommer gain some traction beyond the Mallorca party scene.
Speaking of Krause: This year marked an anniversary. The first so-called Ballermann hit, "Ten Naked Hairdressers" by Mickie Krause, celebrated its 25th anniversary.
The tradition of the official summer hit is that the song comes from lesser-known interpreters or those who haven't had a big hit in Germany yet.
"Macarena" by Los del Rio (1996), "Dragostea din tei" by O-Zone (2004) were big summer hits. However, this apparent rule has been broken before, for example, in 2021 with Ed Sheeran ("Bad Habits") or in 2019 with Shawn Mendes ("Señorita", featuring Camila Cabello).
Among the famous summer hits in German pop history are "I Kissed A Girl" by Katy Perry (2008), "I Follow Rivers (Magician Remix)" by Lykke Li (2012), "Wake Me Up" by Avicii (2013), and "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi feat. Daddy Yankee (2017).
There are a few potential summer hit candidates this year based on their chart success. According to GfK Entertainment, one of them is "I Like The Way You Kiss Me" by Artemas.
Artemas (24) is a British music producer who landed a global hit with this electronic track and earworm, thanks in no small part to its popularity on TikTok. Experts explain that the piece features a post-punk instrumental with high-pitched vocals.
Another candidate is "Move" by Adam Port, Stryv, Keinemusik, Orso & Malachiii.
Berlin-based DJ Adam Port has made a name for himself internationally with his collective Keinemusik. He performs at festivals like Coachella, Burning Man, or Fusion, and is celebrated in clubs in Berlin or Ibiza. His electronic track "Move" offers genuine summer sunset sound.
Also in the running for the summer hit of '24 is "Pedro" by Jaxomy, Agatino Romero & Raffaella Carrà.
This danceable track is a new version of the namesake Italo-disco classic by Raffaella Carrà. The original, released in 1980, was one of the Italian singer's most famous hits, along with "A far l’amore comincia tu" (also known as "Love Affair"). The version by Jaxomy and Agatino Romero is a homage to disco, diva, dolce vita - the cliché sound of summer holidays in Italy. Tagline: Off to the land of pizza, Vespa, and ice cream.
Despite the lack of a clear summer hit so far in 2024, "Topless" by Julian Sommer managed to garner some attention beyond the Ballermann party scene at the beginning of the summer. In the annals of German pop history, less renowned artists or those without significant hits in Germany have often been the ones to secure the title of the summer hit.
