> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.protein.xyz/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Sounds Of The Season - URL: https://www.protein.xyz/sounds-of-the-season/ - Published: 2026-08-20T08:54:24.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-20T08:54:24.000Z - Description: The songs and sentiments of SEED CLUB'S summer. - Author: Protein - Tags: Seeds Just like last summer, this year has left us without a unifying anthem; no single song that encapsulates the sentiment of the season. In the summers of years gone by, we had global hits like Sabrina Carpenter's ‘Espresso’ in 2024, or the breakout ‘B.O.T.A (Baddest of Them All)' by Eliza Rose and Interplanetary Criminal in 2022\. There are certainly contenders for 2026’s song of the summer, but no track has managed to achieve the same ubiquity as before. [SEED CLUB](https://www.protein.xyz/contribute/) is our decentralised research community of 450+ researchers, strategists and journalists; cultural experts who sow the SEEDS you read and help deliver projects for Protein [AGENCY](https://proteinagency.com/?ref=protein.xyz). Curious to understand the energy defining summer (and in some cases, winter) 2026 around the world, we asked SEED CLUB what song embodies the past few feverish months for them, and the feelings and movements shaping this sound. While their selections vary widely, one idea reverberates throughout: instead of jetting off, there’s a desire to stay put and embrace the existing power that resides in ourselves, our surroundings and one another. --- ### HEAL by Kinari *Selected by Mithran Samuel in New Delhi, India* Many understand that India banning TikTok in 2020 was a symptom of state-driven Sinophobia (anti-Chinese sentiment), but it's also cut short a burgeoning revenue channel for peri-urban, low-income, non-English-speaking creators. Regardless, post-globalisation cultural exchange persists, a prime example being the high-energy Brazilian phonk musical genre soundtracking Indian block parties, festivals and weddings. I can’t exactly explain why this has happened, but maybe Brazil’s youth unemployment rate – which roughly stands at 14% – resonates with how almost 40% of young Indian graduates are also struggling to find work. Maybe we all just want to let loose. A song that embodies the sentiment this summer for me is ‘HEAL’ from Kinari’s recent record *PEHCHAN*. Kinari is a trans rapper and producer from New Delhi who creates off-kilter, high-reverb trap-hop that’s blazing across the lives and parties of unemployed Indian youth right now. Kinari raps with quicksilver lucidity, reflecting, absorbing and refracting metropolitan life. It’s the song of my multiple-gigs, 20-job-applications-a-week-and-not-hearing-back summer. --- ### Temperature by Sean Paul *Selected by Eylül Bombaci in Istanbul, Turkey* By July, Istanbul has turned into a giant frying pan. To beat the heat, I hydrate myself with as many Aperol Spritzes as possible and escape the city whenever I can. In August, I went to Turkey’s first-ever drum & bass festival, Bass On The Coast, on the island of Burgazada. ‘Temperature’ by Sean Paul captures this summer’s particular stickiness and sweatiness. The song doesn’t avoid the heat but embraces the all-consuming nature of it. Whether the spiking thermostat or political climate, Sean Paul’s easy charm and captivating beats make both feel a little more bearable. --- ### PUTINHO PIRU RODADO by Bia Soull ft. NandaTsumani *Selected by Matheus Dick Lee in São Paulo, Brazil* In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s winter right now, a season which has been soundtracked by Bia Soull’s debut album, *PORNOGRAFIA AUDITIVA*. Originally from Paraná in southern Brazil, the 24-year-old rapper is part of a new generation of female artists talking about sex without shame or restraint. Her perspective is unique: she’s spoken openly about doing sex work in order to make enough money to leave the countryside and move to São Paulo to try and make a life for herself. One of my favourite tracks is ‘PUTINHO PIRU RODADO’, which moves from intimate desire into something much bigger: “I can’t stay locked inside your room / I want to fly in the sky, not be a fish in an aquarium.” I love how naturally Soull moves between sex, desire and freedom. This also reflects something happening in Brazil right now: a generation looking inward and finding value in local and personal references, scenes and stories. --- ### Margot Tenenbaum by Brat Star *Selected by Nadia Gopaul in Montreal, Canada* My song of the summer is ‘Margot Tenenbaum’ by Brat Star. I’m obsessed with her orchestration of the mundane. From her vocals, to her subject matter, to how she presents herself, she transforms the everyday into something magical. Like a plain sheet of paper being folded into a fortune teller. In a similar way to how Brat Star makes the ordinary feel extraordinary, this summer feels less about travel or exoticism, and more about cherishing our locality and home. Pleasure found in being far away from buzzy destinations like Marseille or Cape Cod, rather than in the midst of them. Recently in Canada, we’ve had our own Barbenheimer of sorts, with Canadian comedy films *Mile End Kicks* and *Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie* embraced by my fellow countrymen; a pride that isn’t rooted in nationalism but in celebrating home-grown craft, talent and creativity. In this vein, Canadian filmmaker Sophy Romvari shared how she loves working at her local cinema between projects. In a world that moves so fast, staying put just might be the ultimate summer vacation. --- ### Fuma Fuma (ormeye remix) by Glitter Boy *Selected by Gaia Carnevale in Milan, Italy* Last summer, Milan was deprived of its most important community centre: Leoncavallo. Founded by anti-fascist squatters in a deserted pharmaceutical factory in 1975, Leoncavallo quickly became an essential hub for social movements all over Italy. Somewhere that brought people from all different backgrounds together, and supported those who needed it most. Leoncavallo was an important part of the country’s DIY and protest rave scene, and honouring this, my song of the summer is 'Fuma Fuma' by the punk artist Glitter Boy. There’s a euphoria embedded deep within the track, and which pumps out a sense of bacchanal fun. Glitter Boy’s echoing voice spits out, “Pioltello sembra Ibiza” \[Pioltello looks like Ibiza\], aligning the Milanese hinterland with the Second Summer of Love – summers of the late ‘80s which saw acid house explode and birthed the rave scene as we know it. Glitter Boy sings and we dance in rural abundance, the fragmented city looming on the horizon. As the music rises, we laugh in the face of control. --- ### Lurk by Oklou & Casey MQ *Selected by Wendela Rang in London, UK* My song of the summer is ‘Lurk’ by Oklou and Casey MQ. The song’s ethereal, plucking chords and enchanting rhythm sound like running through magical woodland on a dusky summer night; a sheer white nightdress billowing as my bare feet pad across the forest floor. Back home in Sweden, summer is filled with swimming in deep, cool lakes, and picking tart, juicy berries. The forest is never far away, and is still as spellbinding as it was when I was growing up. ‘Lurk’ evokes that dreamlike haze of childhood. Something potent, yet fleeting. Summer in London has felt far from fleeting this year. The never-ending heatwaves fuelling a strong yearning to rediscover that sense of enchantment that filled the summers of my youth. It also tugs at an urge to get lost somewhere green and wild. --- ### La Nave Del Olvido by José José *Selected by Emily Harrison in Mexico City, Mexico* Mexico City is a city of sounds; whether it’s fierro viejo coming from a distant van, the whistle of the camotero, or music emanating from a taco puesto. In the summer these sounds are joined by the thunder, lightning and rain of the temporada de lluvias, which turns the skies dark and dramatic almost every afternoon. My song of the summer is fittingly dramatic. First heard on a hazy night in a bar in the city, the performer's heartfelt rendition was entirely captivating and everyone around me was singing along to every word. Genuinely moved, I asked a friend from the city to share with me the song and any others like it. He willingly obliged and proceeded to send the playlist titled 'Drunk Mexican Dad' music. And with that I discovered ‘La Nave Del Olvido’. Gloriously overwrought, the song includes the line that roughly translates to “I would die if you leave”. All rising strings and unfiltered emotion, it captures something I love about Mexican culture; whether laughing, crying, singing or dancing, it's a culture of expression and ‘La Nave Del Olvido’ is a song that needs to be sung out loud. Sadly, José José's life had all the drama and sadness of his songs, and he stopped singing in the ‘90s. However, the bar singer regularly busks down a main street in the city, and if you close your eyes, it's almost like the man himself. --- ### Roobaroo by A.R. Rahman *Selected by Garima Katiya in Indore, India* Monsoon has finally arrived in Indore, my hometown. I’ve been cycling in the evenings and also taking very long ginger chai breaks between work. At the same time, the last few days have felt incredibly heavy. My song of the season is ‘Roobaroo’ by A.R. Rahman, which I’ve been playing on an endless loop. It's a song of hope and encapsulates the feeling of the current protest happening in India which started from a [meme](https://www.protein.xyz/do-memes-still-matter/) page and somehow turned into a massive youth-led movement, known as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). It’s been incredible to watch young people show up for their rights like this, but it’s also been quite anxiety-inducing. There’s been a lot of doomscrolling, constantly refreshing the news, trying to understand what’s happening. --- ### Friday Morning by Khruangbin *Selected by Finn Bohn in Hamburg, Germany* This summer has been marked by a certain indecisiveness: sunny days gave way to oppressive heat, then cold rain, then muggy cloudy heat, with a few genuinely perfect days somewhere in between. Overall, it felt like a mixed bag, unable to settle on its tempo or energy, yet somehow we managed to make the most of every glimpse of sunshine. ‘Friday Morning’ by Khruangbin reflects this summer’s unpredictable yet uplifting feeling. With its slow, almost sluggish tone, laid-back guitars and vocals drowning in reverb, the song occasionally tries to pick up its pace, but falls away time and time again, sitting back and surrendering control. --- ### BOSS TRIX (BENNY'S SONG) by Nirosta Steel *Selected by Dimas Henkes in Barcelona, Spain* ‘MY SKYSCRAPER’ by Nirosta Steel is a patchworked album of edits and lost songs that Steel’s been working on over the past 40 years. The opening track of the album was originally written and produced for Madonna, but Steel managed to snap it up after she rejected it. ‘BOSS TRIX (BENNY'S SONG)’ from the album has become my song of the summer. Cool and tacky at the same time, it’s a balance of extremes; a liminal space where you can let yourself float and dream. There’s also something fortifying about it, making me feel brave enough to tell someone I love them. In 1999, Steel recorded a live album at an LGBTQ+ bookstore in Taiwan – *COOL FIRE* – which became the first queer album released in the country. This summer’s theme has been about self-knowledge, and is something I’ve noticed a lot of people around me seeking too. This seems to be for two reasons: to understand and develop their own taste, and to care for their mental wellbeing. I’m lucky to live in Barcelona, which is filled with places and spaces that come alive in summer, and surrounded by the sea and mountains, it’s somewhere that holds you while you let yourself free. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fc/71/fc716215-5729-441a-bd07-e2b50bc413b1/content/images/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-20-at-01.52.33.png)](https://www.protein.xyz/contribute/) [Click here to join SEED CLUB ](https://www.protein.xyz/contribute/) | SEED | #8438 | | ---------- | -------- | | DATE | 20.08.26 | | PLANTED BY | PROTEIN |