Song of the Summer 2014 Contender: Am I Wrong

Either I'm even more out of the loop with music than I usually am, or this is a weak year for summer jams. Normally by this time, I'd be having to comb through dozens of contenders. Instead, they're filtering to me in tiny little chunks. Today's pick first came to my attention from a list published by Entertainment Weekly. I don't normally trust them when it comes to music, but I decided to work my way down their list. Yup. 12 of their 20 contenders were immediately deemed unworthy. The remaining eight aren't bad, and the one that quickly muscled its way towards the top of my list is "Am I Wrong", performed by Nico & Vinz.

One unusual thing about this track being in the running is that it's much slower-paced than most summer songs. Not that it's melancholy or anything, but it's a lot more earnest and smooth than energetic and cheerful. Here, take a listen:

It's clearly not as obsessed with sunshine, sex, or cruisin' down the street as most hot-weather songs are, but something about it still calls to me. Maybe it's one of those songs like "Closer" that works more as a year-round track than one specific to summer. But right now is when it's getting a lot of play, so it's automatically entered in the contest. I really enjoy it, though, so even if it doesn't rule the summer, the fact that it'll be equally welcome in November should count for something.

Song of the Summer Odds: 4:1