Monthly Report: July 2026 Singles
1. Jon Pardi - "Boots Off"
About a decade ago, Jon Pardi released "Head Over Boots" and "Dirt On My Boots" as back-to-back singles and they became his first two #1s on country radio, and remain arguably his two biggest hits (both 7x platinum while none of his other songs are more than 4x platinum). Now, country music is full of songs about boots, so that's not incredibly unlikely, but that always amused me, and PardiNextDoor finally released a third song with that word in the title. So far "Boots Off" doesn't seem to be in any danger of being as big as those two songs, but I like it. Here's the 2026 singles Spotify playlist that I update every month.
2. Tems - "What You Need"
This is quickly becoming Tems's biggest song since "Free Mind." Maybe she just resonates more with her inconsolably sad songs, which is I guess an interesting thing about the international success of Afrobeats, like dancehall never really had songs like this become huge crossover hits.
3. Cannons - "Starlight"
I feel like Cannons singles would get played on pop radio instead of alternative radio if they were credited to Michelle Joy as a solo artist instead of a band, but I'm glad they do well on alt radio, I like their glossy '80s synth jams.
4. Kehlani f/ Usher - "Shoulda Never"
Over the years some rap and R&B producers have taken to making loops that sound like old records when they're incorporated into new songs -- sample-free sampling, which is pretty clever. Apparently that's the case with "Shoulda Never," but the first few times I heard it I was paranoid that the 'sample' was generated by AI. Anyway, good song, I'm glad it's not AI.
5. The Last Dinner Party - "Count The Ways"
This didn't jump out to me as a single when the Last Dinner Party's second album came out last year, but it sounds good on the radio, I'm glad this record is finally gaining a little more traction, "This Is the Killer Speaking" was a really cool song but maybe a little too risky as a lead single.
6. Carly Pearce f/ Riley Green - "If I Don't Leave I'm Gonna Stay"
A good smoldering duet, their voices sound great together and I like the line "we're getting close to losing clothes, I should go look at the time, it's getting late." Devin Dawson co-wrote this, he released one album that was pretty good in 2018 but I guess he's still in Nashville working as a songwriter.
7. Latto f/ GloRilla - "GOMF"
I didn't like Soulja Boy's "Yahhh!" at the time because I felt like it commercially overshadowed the other single he had out at the time, "Donk," that I liked a lot more. But history has been kinder to "Donk," so I feel vindicated there, and can admit that "Yahhh!" is a fun song to hear sampled on "GOMF." The Latto album is solid, this isn't necessarily one of the more impressive songs but the whole thing is good.
8. Beyonce - "Morning Dew (Donk)"
Speaking of "Donk"! I love B'Day so I'm glad Beyonce is doing a 20th anniversary reissue. But it's a little irritating that the first song she's released from it is a song that everybody already knows was recorded for a different album roughly 7 years later, like can you please take your own catalog seriously?
9. Victoria Monet - "Let Me"
I don't know something this low key is really the song she can launch her next album with, but I'm glad it's at least doing pretty well on R&B radio.
10. Social Distortion - "Born To Kill"
Some bands I just appreciate them still being around doing what they've always done. Their latest album has a cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" that works better than I would've expected and could probably be massive. But I also like the old-fashioned sneer of the lead single, especially the line "look out, man, you're in my pissing range."
The Worst Single of the Month: Chris Brown - "Obvious"
Well it's aptly titled, I'll give him that.
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