The search for InMusic’s Song of the Summer 2026 is officially underway, with 32 songs entering a fan-voted bracket after a season packed with major releases, unexpected hits and global crossover moments. From Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift to Karol G, LISA, KATSEYE, Shakira and Sienna Spiro, the field reflects just how wide the summer’s biggest music stories have been.
Fans can now check the full InMusic Song of the Summer 2026 bracket below, with Round 1 voting taking place exclusively through InMusic’s Instagram Stories. Each matchup puts two of the season’s most notable songs against each other, leaving the result entirely in the hands of listeners.
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The 2026 summer race never produced one universally dominant anthem. Shakira and Burna Boy’s “Dai Dai” became inseparable from the FIFA World Cup, while Karol G, Judeline and Rusowsky’s “Bby Wow” turned into a major global streaming story, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200. Taylor Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” delivered another blockbuster moment after debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, while Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drop Dead” opened her third-album era with the same chart-topping impact.
K-pop also made a major impact across the season. LISA and Anyma’s “Bad Angel” became a festival-ready dance record, LE SSERAFIM’s “BOOMPALA” brought Latin-house energy to the group’s summer campaign, and KATSEYE’s “Pinky Up” continued its international run after reaching No. 28 on the Hot 100. The HYBE collaboration “Iconic By Mistake,” featuring LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT and KATSEYE, added another fandom-driven moment to the mix.
Elsewhere, ADÉLA’s “Ain’t In LA” emerged as one of the summer’s breakout stories, helping make her the first Slovak artist to enter the Billboard Hot 100. Sienna Spiro’s “Great Expectation” followed a slower trajectory before reaching No. 1 on the UK Official Singles Chart, while Stella Lefty’s “Boston” became another summer favorite.
The bracket also includes songs that found their audience outside the traditional definition of a summer smash. sombr’s “My Body Isn’t Ready” connected through its vulnerable songwriting, Tinashe’s “Melatonin” maintained a strong streaming and playlist presence, and Beyoncé’s “Morning Dew (Donk)” turned a long-circulating track into a surprise summer release. Drake, Ariana Grande, JENNIE, Tyla and Zara Larsson, Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter, Stray Kids and BTS add still more variety to the competition.
That range is what makes this year’s vote particularly open-ended: chart performance, streaming numbers, viral moments, festival impact and sheer fan attachment all helped define the summer in different ways. Now, the question shifts from what dominated the season to which song fans remember most.
Scroll down to see the full InMusic Song of the Summer 2026 bracket, then head to InMusic’s Instagram Stories to cast your Round 1 votes.
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