MP3 PLAYLIST: 7 Songs That Defined the 2023 Festival Season

Whether you’re hitting the gym or exploring a forest trail, the right soundtrack can elevate any activity. In MP3 PLAYLISTS, we curate the perfect tunes for your everyday routines. This week, we’re focusing on seven songs that defined the 2023 festival season. If you’ve been to a music festival this year, big or small, no matter what genre, you’ve definitely heard these bangers. Let’s dive in:

Where You Are — John Summit, Hayla

John Summit has become a huge name in dance music with his addictive, iconic main stage bangers, including this year’s “Where You Are.” 

The track’s infectious melody and catchy lyrics from Hayla have had his fans singing this one even before it was released. It brings forth sweet emotions that put a smile on the faces of anyone who listens.

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Counting — Hamdi x Princess Superstar

Dubstep fans all over have been going wild to Hamdi’s “Counting” since hearing it this summer at events and festivals all over, including Deadrocks and Lost Lands. 

Hamdi’s powerful bassline and distinct dubstep flair, paired with Princess Superstar’s vocals, made this one of the most played songs this year, especially now that it’s finally out on Zeds Dead’s label, Deadbeats. It shook systems anywhere it touched and got every crowd moving.

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Pulse — LYNY x FLY 

LYNY has been making huge waves in his corner of bass music and trap-adjacent bangers over this last year, and each of his IDs get fans excited and eagerly awaiting their release. “Pulse” is no exception.

When fans heard his collaboration “Pulse” with FLY, the excitement skyrocketed. This track has been shaking sound systems across festival stages with a truly unique, eerie sound that stands out amongst the rest.

READ: LYNY — Tapping into Intuition, Creating Sounds from Scratch, and a ‘Thank You’ Note to Skrillex

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Supersonic (my existence) — Skrillex, Josh Pan, Noisia, Dylan Brady

With Skrillex return, he’s brought along with it a massive new arsenal of releases, including “Supersonic (my existence),” which was released in 2022. 

Even a year later, it’s still being played out all over, proving the impact all of these tastemakers have made on this scene, especially when they come together and combine talents.

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Eat Your Man — Dom Dolla x Nelly Furtado

Worlds collided this year when Dom Dolla and Nelly Furtado collaborated to create the saucy, sexy track, “Eat Your Man.” 

Nelly Furtado’s vocals flow seamlessly over Dom Dolla’s exceptional frequencies and lit the festival circuit on fire all year long. Anywhere this song is played, people have been unable to sit still, pushed by excitement and the track’s groovy melody.

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Badders — PEEKABOO, Flowdan, Skrillex, G-Rex

With heavy bass, Flowdan vocals, and a melody that cuts deep, “Badders” made a massive impact over this summer on a huge chunk of the dubstep community and beyond.

This comes as no surprise — each artist that contributed to the track has had a massive impact in the global dance community throughout the last decade. While this one might be a little fresh, its recent release and hype it’s received prove it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

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Ecstasy Of The Soul — GRiZ x Zeds Dead

GRiZ and Zeds Dead made massive, sonic waves with the release of this collaborative heater in December of last year. It melted winter blues away and brought the heat at festivals around the US throughout this 2023 summer. 

With a heavy, aggressive melody mixed amongst bass-fueled distortions, “Ecstasy Of The Soul” had dubstep lovers going wild.

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Stay tuned for next week’s MP3 PLAYLISTS, where we’ll be curating a list of spooky season tunes perfect for your Halloween festivities. Remember to check out our Official MP3 MAG Spotify Playlists for more music to elevate your everyday activities.