Songs for Sunning

10 songs to soak up the rays

May 26, 2026

A.N: A short one today, like literally every other human being living in the UK right now, the past three days have been spent basking in this glorious sunshine. There are moments each year that I think ‘this is what I work for,’ and this week has been one of them. Not to make anyone too jealous, it happens to also be my half term break from teaching- so I am quite literally the luckiest girl in the world.

I thought it would be apt to share with you some tracks that ooze sunshine to me, you might know them and you might not, but they are very special to me and have soundtracked hours spent laying in the garden with an ice cold bottle of Corona. I have aimed to order the tracks somewhat logically, and the playlist is available at the end of this article.

All I Need - Air ft. Beth Hirsch

I’ve always thought Air absolutely nailed their band name - their music is utterly weightless. Usually recognised for their stellar work soundtracking Sofia Coppola’s ‘The Virgin Suicides,’ Air had been a defining duo in French Electronic Pop for years before. This track comes from their debut album ‘Moon Safari,’ and features the dreamy vocals of American singer-songwriter, Beth Hirsch.

Le Coeur Au Bout Des Doigts - Jaqueline Taieb

Remaining in the sultry sounds of France, we join the effervescent Jaqueline Taieb. One of the effortlessly chic girls of the 60’s, Taieb sings of simple tales of romance. The track ‘7 heures de matin’ brought her fame with her very cool ‘The Who’ reference which I’m surprised hasn’t become a Tik Tok trend yet.

Le Coeur Au Bout Des Doigts remains one of Taieb’s most poignant tracks, yet remains powerful in it’s melody and instrumentation; she is in charge of her music, never shying away from the bold brass lines in the backing.

Sugar Water - Hollie Cook

Hollie Cook is a London based singer/ keyboard player. She made her name as a backing vocalist punk/reggae band The Slits in 2005, but when your Dad is Paul Cook, drummer of The Sex Pistols, you know you’re destined for greatness.

This track comes from Hollie’s eponymous debut record released in 2011 and feels like the love child of Bob Marley and Portishead- she describes her music as ‘Tropical Pop,’ perhaps this is a more fitting description. Her sound ultimately stems from the ‘Lover’s Rock’ movement that was developed in the 1960’s by black British artists like Janet Kay and Carroll Thompson who sought to create a feminine voice within Reggae.

Only Woman DJ With Degree - Sister Nancy

Sister Nancy is one of those artists who has done more for women in the music industry than I’m capable of describing. Born into a conservative household in Kingston, Jamaica, she was quick to set the record straight, rebelling against her upbringing and instead ran away from home to DJ with Junior Chalice around the island.

Sister Nancy went on to be the first female dancehall DJ, her hit single ‘Bam Bam’ was described as “a classic” by the observer. This track comes from the same record as Bam Bam, but I think it’s a bit of a forgotten gem that unfortunately has fallen victim to the massive success of the hit single, but it’s great- even if only for the absolutely iconic title. Her degree later led her to work as a banker in New Jersey, her reason for stepping back from music was to “give other female artists a chance,” which might be one of the most brilliant quotes ever.

Sun Is Shining - Bob Marley and The Wailers

Would it be a summer playlist without a bit of Bob?! Perhaps this track is a bit on the nose, but sometimes that is just what you need mid way through a playlist. Kaya is possibly one of my favourite albums of all time - bold statement I know - but valid I think. The Black Uhuru version is also great, but the Wailer’s version feels simpler in a sense; more pure- and that’s probably what I’d rather on a hot day. It almost feels hypnotic and the minor feel throughout gives it that political and powerful undertone similar to tracks like Get Up, Stand Up and Redemption Song.

Tin Tin Por Tin Tin - Joao Gilberto

Amoroso is an album I was only introduced to a couple of years ago, but it fast became a firm favourite. Widely thought of as the father of Bossa Nova, Gilberto was born in 1931 in Brazil, and to his own father’s dismay, immediately fell in love with music. He went on to famously collaborate with legendary jazz saxophonist, Stan Getz, who he quickly converted to the church of Bossa.

One of the reasons I adore Brazilian music is the way the syllables of the Portuguese language almost feel like a percussion instrument, so the vocals become more than just a voice but utterly integrated into the song’s texture. ‘Tin Tin Por Tin Tin’ is a perfect example of just this; the vowel sounds mimic the lush strings and the consonants act as almost a second pair of claves.

Lost In The Paradise - Gal Costa

When I was in music college, one very hot day we were taken into the recording studio to practice laying down some string tracks for a song - the song in question was ‘Baby’ by Gal Costa, which I mentioned in my previous article. Gal died three days after we recorded that. I played her records on repeat all that summer; fell right into the Tropicalia wormhole that I urge you to fall down too, as it is wonderful.

This track comes from Costa’s debut album, the orchestration is by the fantastic Rogerio Duprat and the words were written by the legendary Caetano Veloso. The lyrics are whimsical and beautiful - the idea of a ‘grasshopper airplane’ is one which plays on my mind frequently.

Sugar Magnolia - Grateful Dead

I fear it would be a disservice to my upbringing not to mention The Grateful Dead in this post. Sugar Magnolia is one of those tracks that I already knew the words to the first time I consciously listened to it, my spongey baby brain must have soaked up the lyrics from a highchair in 2004.

Though their discography is so vast that I feel I’ve barely scraped the surface of the Grateful Dead, I think American Beauty is probably a hard record to beat: the poetry is exquisite. Sugar Magnolia is one of those tracks that I could paint so easily, the colours and faces jump out the song like a pop-up book, and to be honest, it just makes me want to jump around and dance.

Peg - Steely Dan

Any song from Aja could have taken this spot, I gave it to Peg for a rather silly reason which is linked to my soft spot for De La Soul’s “Eye Know,” which famously sampled the song and couldn’t quite make the list.

Pitchfork called Peg “one of the strangest hits to ever grace the mainstream.” I think strange is perhaps the wrong adjective in this case, I would prefer ‘futuristic.’ The harmonic progressions are genius, but in the context of Aja wholistically make perfect sense. Despite the extreme technicality behind the tracks composition, it remains accessible and by no means feels conceited, probably why it was one of the band’s biggest hits.

Golden Lady - Stevie Wonder

So many Stevie songs could have taken this final spot, I went to see him last year in Hyde Park and it has gone down as one of the greatest nights of my life, so it is only right to give him this prestigious final place on the playlist. Golden Lady is one of those songs that is truly perfect for me, and I don’t really think I can pin down why. I think that’s the best kind of song though - sometimes music just exists to fill a listener with joy, not to be analysed to its very core.