Summer tunes: the Spanish language turns out to be the ingredient for a summer hit!

Summer is in full swing and that means sun, beach, and of course summer hits! Every year there are certain songs that capture our hearts and haunt us all summer long. But what is actually the summer hit of the moment and what role does language play when it comes to summer hits? Language platform Preply delved into the world of summer hits and found out.

Sunny hits

Every year it is a waiting game: which artists will have a summer hit? Every summer a number of sunny songs come to the surface, but one thing is always certain: there is something Spanish in between. Spanish songs are always popular, every summer again.

The Spotify analysis by Preply also shows that Spanish songs play a major role in the summer charts. This year, there are again five (partly) Spanish songs in the Dutch top 25! In particular, the song If You Have Been Were Known by Karol G is popular. With over 258,000 streams, it is the number one summer hit of 2024. Which songs complete the top 5? You can see that below:

Top 5 Summer Hits 2024

1. If You Have Been Were Known - Karol G - Spanish
2. Mwaki - Zerb - Kenyan
3. I Don't Wanna Wait - David Guetta - English
4. For Life - Kygo feat. Nile Rodgers - English
5. Contigo - Emma Heesters - Spanish/Dutch

Spanish magic

Spanish songs have become an indispensable part of the summer charts in the Netherlands. In the summer of 2023, there were also quite a few Spanish songs in the top 25. There were no fewer than six of them. The attraction to the Spanish language in summer music is clearly great! The Spanish language is very popular and certainly useful to know, did you know that you can also Spanish lessons can you follow?

But what exactly is so infectious about Spanish music? According to language expert Sylvia Johnson of Preply, it's like this: ' The answer lies mainly in the musicality and rhythm of the Spanish language. Spanish has a natural melody that fits perfectly with the summer vibes. Moreover, we often associate the Spanish language with holidays and sunny destinations.'

Dutch summer hits

The analysis shows that Spanish is popular. But what about the Dutch language? This year, there are only three partially Dutch songs in the top 25 and five in the top 50. The Dutch summer hits are less popular this year than in the summer of 2023, when there were eight songs in the top 50. However, there are also home-grown artists who are achieving success this summer. For example, the half-Dutch, half-Spanish hit Contigo by Emma Heesters and Rolf Sanchez at number five in this summer's hit list. Spanish again!

And we close with an all time favorite that screams summer!! 💛