Songs of the Summer 2023 contenders: Leigh-Anne, Dave and Central Cee, Kylie Minogue and more

With the sun shining and everyone from Harry Styles to Pink playing massive outdoor concerts, summer has well and truly arrived. This can only mean one thing – the Official Song of the Summer 2023 race has begun, and following last year's curveball victory from Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill, it's all to play for.

So, let’s take a look at the leading contenders to become this year’s defining summer smashes.

Dance tunes

Joel Corry & Caity Baser – Dance Around It

Joel Corry is no stranger to the Official Song of the Summer Race – he came close to the crown in 2020 with his MNEK team-up Head & Heart. This collaboration with rising star Caity Baser has already cracked the Official Singles Chart.

Jazzy – Giving Me

Irish rising star Jazzy told us recently: "If you can't play it in the club, it's not Jazzy!" That's definitely true of Giving Me, a glistening, sun-kissed house tune that is already a UK Top 10 hit. Expect to hear it blasted from Margate to Mykonos all summer long.

Nathan Dawe, Joel Corry & Ella Henderson – 0800 HEAVEN

Here comes Joel Corry again – joined by fellow Song of the Summer veterans Nathan Dawe and Ella Henderson on 0800 HEAVEN. This euphoric Eurodance banger will bring a bit of Ibiza heat to even the dingiest British office.

Becky Hill & Lewis Thompson – Side Effects

Becky Hill, the UK's queen of dance music, really knows how to deliver a big summer dance anthem. This collab with Kettering producer Lewis Thompson is climbing the Official Singles Chart (and diving right into our ears).

TECH IT DEEP – Maria Maria

A nostalgic remake always hits the spot in the summer months – remember Jonas Blue's tropical house take on Tracy Chapman's Fast Car? This club-ready cover of Santana's 1999 hit Maria Maria will be inescapable as the weather keeps getting hotter.

Bou & Slay – Closer

Manchester drum and bass artist Bou is also bringing the nostalgia with this future smash that samples Robert Miles's iconic trance hit Children. Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding are already spearheading the trance revival with their Number 1 smash Miracle, so this banger arrives with impeccable timing.

David Guetta, Anne-Marie and Coi Leray – Baby Don't Hurt Me

David Guetta has major Song of the Summer form going right back to 2009's Kelly Rowland collab When Love Takes Over. This electro house banger based on Haddaway's Eurodance classic What Is Love has cracked the Official Singles Chart Top 20 and won’t be slowing down any time soon.

Switch Disco & Ella Henderson – React

This dance-pop anthem also samples Robert Miles's Children – and has climbed all the way to Number 4 on the Official Singles Chart. Could it be a future Number 1?

MORE: The Official Top 40 biggest songs of 2023 so far

Luude & Bru-C ft. Kevin Lyttle - TMO (Turn Me On)

This dub remake of Kevin Lyttle's dance banger Turn Me On is another winning mix of box-fresh beats and instantly familiar melodies. The original peaked at Number 2 on the Official Singles Chart in 2004, but can this version go one better?

Pop purveyors

Dua Lipa – Dance the Night

It's already a Top 20 hit, but Dua's blissful disco bop will surely get a second wind when the Barbie movie opens in late-July. It's one of many mouth-watering tracks from the film's soundtrack album.

Taylor Swift – Cruel Summer

This synth-pop bop charted at Number 27 when its parent album, Lover, dropped in 2019. Buoyed by its prominent position in Taylor's Eras Tour setlist (and eternally relatable subject matter), this fan favourite's gaining momentum on social media.

Olivia Rodrigo – Vampire

The first track from Olivia's second album era will drop on June 30. Vampire might not be a super-summery title, but fan reaction so far suggests it'll be big.

BTS – Take Two

The K-pop superstars are currently on hiatus, but this hasn't stopped them from sharing 10th anniversary single Take Two that their incredibly loyal fanbase, ARMY, are rallying behind in a major way.

MORE: The Official Top 40 biggest albums of 2023 so far

Rising stars

Leigh-Anne – Don't Say Love

Little Mix star Leigh-Anne has already scored a Top 20 single with her debut solo release Don't Say Love and, with its nostalgic UK garage influence, it has definite Song of the Summer potential.

Noah Kahan - Dial Drunk

Niall Horan is a big fan of this hugely talented indie singer-songwriter. His dreamy new single Dial Drunk is the perfect soundtrack to lazy summer evenings.

Caity Baser – Leave Me Alone

Brighton-based Caity is the new queen of sharp, spiky and slightly-sweary pop songs. This follow-up to her Top 40 breakthrough hit Pretty Girls is a catchy clap-back to a boy who kept bugging her after she thought they’d broken up.

Kali – Area Codes

Georgia-born rapper Kali is having a moment on TikTok with this stripped-back brag track that interpolates Ludacris' 2001 hit of the same name. It's now crossing over to the Official Singles Chart in a big way.

needanamebro – Not A Lot Left To Say

Girl band fans are really getting behind this new all-female R&B trio, who've recently been in the studio with Kylie Minogue and Little Mix collaborator Kamille. Their latest single is a breezy bop par excellence, delivered with totally dreamy vocal tones.

Current big-hitters

Kylie Minogue - Padam Padam

Can anything stop the Padamic? Kylie's Padam Padam has been embraced as a Pride Month anthem, but could it become her first Top 10 hit on the Official Singles Chart since 2010, too?

Jonas Brothers – Waffle House

Named after a US restaurant chain, the JoBros' sun-kissed funk tune is a slow-burn hit that's really gathering heat. It's sure to be a favourite on summer road trip playlists.

Burna Boy – Sittin' on Top of the World

Burna Boy is having a red-hot summer. He recently became the first African artist to headline London Stadium, and this track currently reigns at Number 1 on the Official Afrobeats Chart.

J Hus feat. Drake – Who Told You

This Afrobeats-flavoured collab debuted at the top of the Official Trending Chart and is currently competing for the same position on the Official Singles Chart. It's off to a flying start and sure to dominate in the coming months.

JAE5 & Lojay ft. Libianca – I Wish

Pioneering Afroswing producer JAE5 has recruited Nigerian artist Lojay and Cameroonian singer Libianca for this balmy summer bop. Chilled and blissful, it's a tune that sets a flawlessly laid-back mood.

Dave & Central Cee – Sprinter

This rap banger debuted at Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart with the biggest opening week of any song in 2023 - and the biggest week of streams for any rap song in the UK ever. So at this point, it's not just a contender for Song of the Summer, but surely one of the frontrunners.

What's your Song of the Summer 2023? Let us know in the comments below, or tell us over on Twitter.