Spotify has included “Raindance” by British-Nigerian rapper Dave and Nigerian singer Tems in its 2026 Songs of Summer predictions.
The annual list, released on May 31, 2026, features 30 tracks that Spotify’s editorial team believes could shape music consumption during the Northern Hemisphere summer.
“Raindance” was released in October 2025 and appears on Dave’s third studio album, The Boy Who Played the Harp. The track was co-produced by Jo Caleb, Kyle Evans, Jim Legxacy, Dave and Tems.
According to Spotify, selections for the playlist are based on a combination of streaming trends, listener activity, playlist additions and cultural conversations across its global audience.
However, BTS fans expressed disappointment that “SWIM,” the title track from the group’s comeback album ARIRANG, was not included.
The reaction was particularly strong because BTS recently won multiple awards at the 2026 American Music Awards, where “SWIM” received the Song of Summer award. Fans argued that the song’s commercial performance and streaming numbers warranted a place on Spotify’s predictions list.
Many described the omission as “disrespectful” to a song they said had become one of the year’s most-streamed releases.
One post read: “‘Song of the Summer’ and yet you choose to overlook the song that actually won the ‘Song of the Summer’ award at the AMAs and is one of the most streamed songs of 2026.”
Despite the criticism, Spotify’s list also received positive attention from fans of the included artists. Supporters of Dave and Tems welcomed the selection of “Raindance.”
Raindance has recorded more than 500 million streams worldwide since its release. It also reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Tems’ first chart-topping single in the United Kingdom.
For the first time, the streaming platform has introduced an in-app voting feature that allows users to choose the song they believe will define the summer season.
Other songs featured on the 2026 Songs of Summer list include Ariana Grande for ‘hate that i made you love me’, Drake’s ‘Janice STFU’, Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘drop dead’, and Zara Larsson’s Midnight Sun. Other artistes on the list include DopeNation, Kacey Musgraves, Noah Kahan and PinkPantheress.
Spotify said the playlist was compiled by its global editorial team using listening data and emerging audience trends from its worldwide user base.
Whether “Raindance” ultimately becomes one of the season’s defining records will depend on its performance over the coming months.
