Summer comes slowly in Portland. May and June typically have plenty of warm days, but oftentimes we find ourselves bearing down on July before “shorts weather” becomes a reliable phenomena. The next thing you know, it’s the middle of August and you realise that there are far fewer warm days ahead than there are behind.

Perhaps it’s a result of growing up in this environment, but I’ve never been very good at that quintessential seasonal trope: The Summer Fling. I’ve dated in the summer, sure, but seldom if ever has it been the sort of carefree, heady experience that we see depicted in popular culture. I’ve never walked down the street with my hand in the back pocket of bae’s Daisy Dukes, nor have beachside bonfires ever played much of a role in my dating life.

Due to this lack of real-life experience, I’ve always been fascinated by pop music (it’s always pop music) dedicated to this phenomena. I have a soft spot for tracks like like Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love,” or Demi Lovato’s “Cool For the Summer” because they offer a window in a world that I have never inhabited. There’s usually at least one or two of these songs that come out every year, and the best of these tracks have a certain self-referential sadness to them, as though they know just how painfully ephemeral these love affairs typically are.

This summer, that track is “Closer,” another boss joint from The Chainsmokers. It’s a little more rueful than your typical summer love song, and I suppose that appeals to me. Also, while I’ve never flogged a Blink-182 song to death over the course of a season, I’ve definitely wanted to date the type of girls who did.

If all this talk of romance has made you grow wistful, it’s not too late! (For you, at least – my heart has long since grown three sizes too small.) The summer is still relatively young. So put this jam on repeat and get out there. You ain’t never getting older… unless you want to.

As always, you can download this track on iTunes or Amazon.

Also, if you ever wondered what sort of meal prep goes into our FRIDAYNIGHTSALONE, make sure to check out our sister website, Fast Food Babylon!