In the darkest recesses of April, Scottish singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt needed escapism as much as the rest of us. “Summer Fling” was written as her way out of the gray gloom, imagining a happier time of romance and partying when the warmer months arrived; sometimes we all need some summer color in our lives.
Nesbitt wrote and produced the track (which came out on July 9) herself, and it’s her first solo release since the 2019 album The Sun Will Come Up, the Seasons Will Change. After previously trying her hand at ballet (“Loyal to Me”) and horseback riding (“Is It Really Me You’re Missing?”), the music video for “Summer Fling” sees Nesbitt performing impressive aerial acrobatics in a hoop, which she trained for weeks to do.
She’s been venturing further into pop territory since first rising to fame as a folksy singer-songwriter, and “Summer Fling” only cements this progress. There’s a keen ’80s sheen to the song, filled with pitter-patter glistening synths. Her voice is focused and fierce, eliciting that yearning for freeness.
“’Summer Fling’ is inspired by wanting to escape,” Nesbitt said in a statement. “I always caught myself dreaming of going back to Sweden to spend the summer there, so it’s a fantasy of that world. Where there’s no stress.” Indeed, Nesbitt is half-Swedish (her mother is from the country) and there’s a sweet nod to ABBA in the song as she sings “Move my body like a dancing queen.”
“Summer Fling” also feels like a sister to Lorde’s single “Solar Power”: both emphasize this need to escape the cold and to find warmth; both talk of finding happier times with dancing and merriment. “Sunsets on a rosé sky / We’re drinking that southern wine (Yeah),” Nesbitt sings and you want to be in that moment with her.
This tasty teaser of her as-yet-untitled upcoming third album provides some much-needed positive vibes; sometimes we all need a summer fling in our lives. And with a bit of luck, the song should push Nesbitt further into Britain’s pop mainstream landscape.