Hi fellow music fans,

We’ve hit mid-July and there still isn’t a clear frontrunner for song of the summer — but we think that’s the norm now instead of an outlier.

Long gone are the days when a song becomes so ubiquitous that multiple generations know all the words, as music listening habits have become increasingly niche. Of course, there will always be a few juggernauts that break through, but more and more, songs can hit the top of the charts while a large number of people have no clue about them.

So this year, we’re making the case for 13 songs we believe deserve to be on your summer playlist: from chart climbers (hello, Bad Bunny and Drake) to party starters (a last-minute addition from Kaytranada) and understated bangers (thank you Lorde, and Penny & the Pits), all moods and needs are served.

Did you know this Peaches performance was deemed too racy to air on TV?

When The Teaches of Peaches met British chart show Top of the Pops, things didn’t go as the groundbreaking Canadian musician had planned.

Juno-winning rapper Tobi on his brand new album — and a vibey song you should have on your playlist

Tobi just dropped an exceptional new album, Elements, Vol. 2, the followup to 2020’s Elements, Vol. 1, which garnered the Toronto rapper his first Juno Award. He recently stopped by The Block to chat about his new project, and we also ran into him in his hometown and asked what he’s listening to right now — you’ll want to add it to your playlist.

Justin Bieber's unexpected new sound, and 4 more songs you need to hear this week

Justin Bieber’s Swag really took over our brains this month, and our choice song from the new additions to the R&Bieber genre is the sweet and languid number Devotion, featuring Dijon. But there’s lots more to love from Canadian music this week: the return of Shad, a long-awaited single from Kaytranada and new Rochelle Jordan all make the cut.

Mustafa deals with a crisis of faith on his Polaris-shortlisted album, Dunya

Every year, CBC Music takes a deep dive into the 10 Polaris Prize-shortlisted artists with a one-hour radio special dedicated to each album. The first episode in the 2025 season of The Ten is on Mustafa’s Dunya, and features the expertise of special guests and CBC Music producers Natalie Harmsen and Kelsey Adams.

'It was super hurtful': Simple Plan on enduring early 2000s pop-punk hate

In a Q interview, bandmates Pierre Bouvier and Chuck Comeau discuss Simple Plan’s new documentary, The Kids in the Crowd, which shows fans that the band didn’t just face musical criticism — they also dealt with threats, thrown bottles and fights.

The Black Keys hit No. 1 on the Top 20 while Olivia Dean, Jonita Gandhi, Sarah McLachlan, Billianne enter

This week on the CBC Music Top 20, Ohio rockers the Black Keys roll their way into the top position with their new song, No Rain, No Flowers, while Oji-Cree singer-songwriter Aysanabee makes a push for top spot as he settles into No. 2 with his new single, Home. 

Entering the chart this week is Nice to Each Other, from British singer Olivia Dean, as well as the new single from Toronto's Jonita Gandhi called Beparwai.  Sarah McLachlan and Billianne start off the countdown with their singles hitting No. 19 and 20, respectively.

Thanks so much for joining us for this issue of Listen Up! If you loved it, feel free to let us know at listenup@cbc.ca — and use the same email if you have questions or suggestions. Please share it with your friends, family and even enemies via cbc.ca/listenup.