It’s always warm in Singapore, but at this time of the year, the rest of the world shares the same collective feeling: scorching heat, cooling nights, the occasional rainy morning, and vacation plans floating around. Summer break means exercising freedom, whether lazing around till ‘11 in the morning, a short cycle to your favourite eatery at dusk, or going out for ice cream in the midnight hours, you’ve a lot of time on your hands. What’s better than letting music score the activities and memories that you’ll keep for the rest of your life?
Men’s Folio has prepared a special 2025 summer playlist for your perusal, with special recommendations by the team.
A Song For Lounging At The Park
Sometimes, you just need a good song to relax. Summer’s all about taking it slow and easy, and a break from your fast-paced life. Here are songs that we’d recommend:
A Solo Dance Party In Your Bedroom
Late night packing for a flight tomorrow? Or just bored at 3AM? There’s no shame in turning your bedroom into a mini discotheque. Here are the high-BPM bangers we’re listening to:
A Midnight Drive Down The Highway
The windows are down, and you’re driving on an empty highway. Music’s loud, and you turn up the tunes that feel like the truest pursuit of freedom. Here are our selections:
Special Recommendations By The Team
Izwan, Editorial Director
The Waterboys – The Whole of the Moon
I’m sharing my pick after spending some time in Europe, where summer nights feel especially fleeting. And by fleeting, I mean the moon doesn’t even rise until after 10 p.m. There’s something quietly magical about the evenings here — it’s warm, eerily calm, but worth savouring. That’s why ‘The Whole of the Moon’ by The Waterboys feels like the perfect summer soundtrack to me. We spend so much time talking about what happens in the day, but what about the night?
Asaph, Managing Editor
Young Man by HYUKOH and Sunset Rollercoaster
‘Young Man’ is a coming-of-age song about youths struggling to find direction in their life, but instead of writing it as a melancholic sob song, South Korean indie band HYUKOH and Taiwanese synth-pop band Sunset Rollercoaster went with a lighthearted take. Imagine friends singing half drunk along to this song by the bonfire. That’s the vibe HYUKOH and Sunset Rollercoaster are going with ‘Young Man’ both lyrically and melodically. It is also reflected in the outtake ‘2F年輕人’ where they purposefully wanted it to sound like a psychedelic silly song.
Manfred, Fashion Editor
Tove Lo – No One Dies From Love (DJ_Dave Edit)
What’s summer without a little fun? And what’s the best way to lean into it? Play a track you’d love to hear in the club. But not just any dance track — real ones know that the perfect dose of euphoria comes from something that makes you want to dance and cry at the same time, at least for me. DJ_Dave’s remix of Tove Lo’s 2022 single ‘No One Dies From Love ’ captures that exact energy. Blending hypnotic left‑field trance elements with cinematic intensity, it’s as epic as it is emotionally charged, and my idea of a perfect soundtrack to a warm night that blurs the line between joy and catharsis.
Charmaine, Associate Digital & Lifestyle Editor
Must Be Love (feat. India.Arie) by Eric Benét
In the neo-soul singer’s latest album ‘The Co-Star’, Eric Benét taps on several female artists to expand his sound beyond its famed sultry timbre. While this track highlights more than deviates from this colour, his call-and-answer with yet another genre heavyweight rings in genuine and warm, their complementary tones are gentle on the ear and prove that sometimes the experts still know best.
Danessa, Associate Art Director
Summer Forever by Addison Rae
Cause doesn’t it feel like summer forever?
Dhani, Editorial Assistant
Ce Jeu by Yelle
‘Ce Jeu’ by Yelle is a mid-2000s French electropop record that sings about romantic pursuit. It’s lovey-dovey, a little toxic on both ends, but it’s sung on fizzy synth arpeggios that make an irresistibly good pop song. In the chorus, she sings, ‘The two of us, we’re victims of this sweet lovers’ game’, which describes the perfect season to pursue human connection, no matter what the outcome may be. The dance break at the end captures feelings left unspoken, building pressure until the synths explode into a million glittering particles. ‘Ce Jeu’ was a song I’ve listened to in the car on my iPod since I was a kid, and now it’s one of my all-time favourite songs.
Ammar, Intern
La Isla Bonita by Madonna
‘La Isla Bonita’ is a Latin Pop track by Madonna that brings me right back to my recent summer trip in Bali, where I was riding my motorbike down the winding streets, feeling the tropical breeze on my face. The song became a gentle reminder to sit down and live in the moment.
Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our June/July 2025 issue.