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Rosé Rising: 24 Songs For Your Summer Star Chart

You don't have to believe in astrology to believe in roséwave.
Emily Bogle
/
NPR
You don't have to believe in astrology to believe in roséwave.

Stream: Spotify, Apple Music.

We've all been there, right? After a glass (or two — or, maybe, several) of rosé, you almost work up the nerve to shoot your summer crush an innocent text: Hey, quick question. What's the exact time, date and location of your birth? Just wanna make sure we're astrologically compatible lol!

OK, so maybe you're coming on a little strong — but what if she's a sensitive Pisces and you're a hot-headed Leo? What if your moon sign doesn't mesh with his rising? What's the perfect song to convince a judicious Libra to go on a second date?

Not to flatten anyone's personalities, of course. Even the most invested astrologers know that people are more than just one characteristic. So we've assembled a playlist that highlights each sign's best features and some of their more challenging attributes. Starting with Aries — the first sign of the astrological calendar — all the way through Pisces, each duo of songs pays homage to your (or your love interest's) highlights and lowlights for you to mull over while sipping some pink wine. (We've intended these for your sun sign, but feel free to cross-reference with your rising sign, too, if you'd like.)

Aries, we know you can easily be the coolest person in the room — which is why our playlist kicks off with Anderson .Paak's "Come Down" — but you can also risk being a touch self-involved (taking a cue from Taylor Swift's "Me!").

Taurus, you're as luxurious and decadent as Kehlani's "Honey" — and if you sometimes take it too far, at least you have Ariana Grande's lead on "7 rings" to follow.

Gemini, you crave constant learning and innovation (the shapeshifting production on Tame Impala's "Borderline" runs as background music to your day), but that also means you can teeter into know-it-all territory fairly quickly (cue Kendrick Lamar's "HUMBLE.")

Frank Ocean (we've included his song "Self Control") is a natural soundtrack for Cancers — perhaps the most sensitive sign of them all — but they can often feel misunderstood when they get stuck in their own heads (like in Courtney Barnett's moody track "City Looks Pretty").

This playlist will publish during Leo season — as if we needed another reason to celebrate Leos. Your optimism and collaborative spirit helps others step up their game (like Rosalía, J Balvin and El Guinchoon "Con Altura") but your headstrong nature means you might "flip the switch" — as Drake sings on "Nonstop" — and bulldoze a debate at a moment's notice.

Beyoncé is the embodiment of a Virgo — meticulous, reliable and basically a perfectionist, just like on "Formation." But that tendency for perfection means you can sometimes over-analyze every move, the way Solange does in "Cranes in the Sky."

Libra, you can be a picture of balanced calm — sit back, pour some wine and listen to Kacey Musgraves' "Golden Hour"; just make sure your desire for stable companionship doesn't tip into the heartsick chaos towards the end of Mitski's "Nobody."

Scorpio, you're a charismatic rule breaker, but you always have the moves to back up any "Boasty" moves (actor/DJ/rapper Idris Elba understands). But confidence, when left unchecked, can turn into cockiness and invite ire; just ask Megan Thee Stallion on "Cocky Af": "You don't like me, get in line, hoe / I be on yo' mind, though."

Robyn's "Ever Again" has all the infectious warmth and endless optimism we love from our Sagittarius friends — so long as they don't turn into your "sweetheart psychopathic crush" (Lorde's words from "The Louvre," not ours!)

Riri's "Work work work work work" is the obvious pump-up mantra for the slow-and-steady Capricorn, but it's OK to stop every once and awhile and enjoy your success. As Skeptasays on "Energy (Stay Far Away), "I saw the turn up button and I pressed it twice."

The last air sign of the zodiac, Aquarius is delightfully free-spirited (Björk is a style icon, so we included "Venus As A Boy") but can also wind up coming across as aloof (though hopefully as charming as SZA makes aloofness seem on "The Weekend").

And as a highly emotive water sign, Pisces, you are artistic, compassionate and wise — sometimes beyond their years like teenage phenom Koffee on "Toast." But being so in tune with emotions can make one heartache feel world-shattering (You might as well get "You make my earth quake" tatted à la Tyler, The Creator's "EARFQUAKE").

So open a bottle and get to stargazing. You don't need to believe in astrology to believe in roséwave.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Sidney Madden is a reporter and editor for NPR Music. As someone who always gravitated towards the artforms of music, prose and dance to communicate, Madden entered the world of music journalism as a means to authentically marry her passions and platform marginalized voices who do the same.