i don’t know, i don’t know…

In the U.K., the goal is the have the #1 single on the charts during Christmas, but here across the pond, the ultimate pop honor is to have the “song of the summer.”

In 2008, there was no clear winner: a toss up between the provocative “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry and the pulsing “American Boy” by Estelle and Kanye West. In 2007, there was Rihanna and Jay-Z’s unstoppable “Umbrella” which followed another year where the winner was clear, with Shakira & Wycleff Jean’s “Hips Don’t Lie” went head to head with the Gnarls Barkley “Crazy” in 2006. Wrapping up our look back at recent history “songs of the summer” is Mariah Carey’s comeback hit “We Belong Together” in 2005, and she might be trying to give it another shot.

The common theme we see above is that it’s usually a female artist headlining the summer track, occasionally with featuring spot by a male artist, and it’s almost always the lead track for a new album (or in Mariah’s case, the first single to really garner attention since “It’s Like That” didn’t quite take off like “We Belong Together”).

Here are some of the songs I think are contenders:

Mariah Carey – Obsessed

Mariah jumps on the auto-tune bandwagon with a comeback lead single that is …a diss track? Shouldn’t this be on a mixtape or something. And to make matters worse, it is geared towards Eminem of all people. Mariah, you are so 2000 and late; nobody cares about Eminem.

Pros:
+ It’s Mariah
+ It has one of those empowering messages

Cons:
- Mariah doesn’t need auto-tune
- “All the girls say “ouhaouhohuikjlakjls”, how are you supposed to sing-along to that?

David Guetta featuring Kelly Rowland – When Love Takes Over

After the terrible album “Ms. Kelly,” the other one from Destiny’s Child is back with a GREAT song. David Guetta had some serious success with “After the Love is Gone,” and he’s back with Kelly headlining the lead single of his new album, and this live love is taking over instead of being gone.

Pros:
+ Easy to sing-along to
+ Very danceable
+ Samples Coldplay’s “Clocks” without actually sampling it

Cons:
- It’s very gay
- Can Kelly Rowland still carry a single to a high position on the charts?

Cobra Starship featuring Leighton Meester – Good Girls Go Bad

This is Cobra Starship’s first single to actually chart on the the Billboard Hot 100 which is a good start, and the song appeared to have a ton of momentum when it first came out a month ago, but it seems to have stalled ever since. We were given a behind the scenes look at the filming of the video back then… but where is the video already?? Perhaps the Leighton Meester sex tape scandal that just broke last night will give the song the shot in the arm it needs right now.

Pros:
+ Summer loves collabs
+ Gossip Girl buzz
+ The kind of song that is fun in a bar, a car, and everywhere in between

Cons:
- Neither are well established pop acts
- Not enough promotion

Keri Hilson featuring Kanye West & Ne-Yo – Knock You Down

After being the behind-the-scenes kind of gal for years now, Keri Hilson tries after many attempts at a lead single to come up with SOMETHING and she finally does with “Knock You Down.” It is already all over the radio, but does it have the legs to last the rest of the summer? As a comparison, this song was released March 23, 2009, and “Umbrella” came out March 29th, 2007.

Pros:
+ Kanye and Ne-Yo
+ Great beat, interesting lyrics, etc.
+ Collab!

Cons:
- Keri Hilson is one of the least interesting pop personalities out there
- Will we still be jamming to it in August?

If I had to put my money on one of these songs, it would be “Knock You Down,” but my personal favorite is “When Love Takes Over.” I’m sure the second Black Eyed Peas track has a shot, but I’m not really feeling it. If it was up to me, I think Little Boots’ “New in Town” that I mentioned just a few posts ago would be a contender as well, but I don’t think that song will take off in time in the United States.

What do you think will be 2009’s song of the summer? Leave a comment with your guess.