Summer is a lovely time for pop culture. Movie studios line up the biggest blockbusters for release, musicians prepare songs they hope define the season and people everywhere get to consume media to their heart's content.
However, navigating the often convoluted list of what’s coming out during the summer can be hard. Determining what TV shows are worth devoting your binging time to or what albums are worth listening to is a major question for the masses.
To help with that, here is a list of the most anticipated and worthwhile releases:
Most anticipated album: “BRAT” by Charli XCX
Charli XCX has been a pop music force for years and has released numerous chart-scaling hits. “Boom Clap” peaked in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, and her presence on the song “I Love It” was certified five times platinum shortly after its release in 2012. More recently, her song for “Barbie” was her first song to make it into the Billboard Top 10 in eight years.
Her newest album, “BRAT,” will likely continue XCX’s winning streak. Her two most recent singles, “Von dutch” and “B2b,” have racked up millions of streams on Spotify since their respective releases. Both songs deliver dance-oriented hyperpop perfectly written and produced to be the songs of the summer.
XCX’s newest project is slated for a June 7 release. Her announcement post on X gained instant attention with over 1 million views and almost 25,000 likes.
“BRAT” is definitely an album to get hyped for this summer.
Most anticipated movie(s): “MaXXXine” and “Deadpool & Wolverine”
Summer hits are not confined to the music industry; Hollywood pumps out its biggest projects while kids aren’t in schools and parents everywhere are looking for something to keep them occupied.
Luckily, there are two movies generating audience buzz right now. “MaXXXine,” the third installment in director Ti West’s “X” trilogy, and the third Deadpool film, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” are proof that the third time's the charm.
“MaXXXine” is set for a July 5 release date, and “Deadpool & Wolverine” hits theaters less than a month later on July 26. The first two movies in each series were incredibly successful with audiences and critics, and the newest additions will likely not disappoint. The trailers for these movies have gathered over 18 million combined views since their posting to YouTube, so A24 and Marvel Studios, respectively, can expect to have some success.
Most anticipated TV show(s): “Bridgerton” Season 3, Pt. 2, “The Boys” Season 4
Want to repeat Barbenheimer but with TV show episodes? Look no further than the new episodes of the hit shows “Bridgerton” and “The Boys.”
Part 2 of Bridgerton Season 3 and the first episode of “The Boys” Season 4 both premiere on June 13. Both shows have been hugely successful for parent companies Netflix and Amazon, and the releases are sure to give viewers enticing royal drama and brutal action scenes, respectively.
Some of your friends may have to do some catching up to make the “Bridgerton”-“The Boys” equivalent to Barbenheimer happen, but it’s definitely worth it. When the summer pool days are over, watching either of these shows is sure to deliver great entertainment.
Most anticipated video game release: “Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erd Tree”
Video game company FromSoftware has delivered some of the most iconic video games of all time. Each of its “Dark Souls” games have been played millions of times, and “Bloodborne” is one of the highest-rated video games ever. However, nothing FromSoftware created before “Elden Ring” quite matches its critical and commercial success.
Luckily for gamers everywhere, the “Shadow of the Erd Tree” DLC for “Elden Ring” is coming out this summer. Its release will add to the already massive world of its predecessor, and preorder prices for the DLC currently sit at $39.99.
“Elden Ring,” named 2022’s Game of the Year at The Game Awards, sold over 23 million copies in Feb. 2022. The anticipation around “Shadow of the Erd Tree” indicates FromSoftware can expect a similar level after its June 21 release date.
