It’s getting closer to summertime, and with summertime comes pool parties, summer parties, day parties and any other excuse for a party you can think of. However, no matter how much you love hosting/going to parties, there’s always one question everyone dreads – “What’s up with this playlist?” Luckily, we’ve got you covered when it comes to making the perfect party playlist. Music can make or break a party, and with these tips you’ll be remembered as a legend long after the hangovers have disappeared.

There’s nothing worse than rocking up to a party where the mood is flatter than a punctured tyre. Some people might tell you differently, but it’s important to play some of your trump cards. New cuts from Kodak Black, Bad Bunny and Drake, and Lil Peep and XXXTentacion are sure to get people dancing from the moment they walk in, and get the vibe of the party going. It’s important to start the night right, as from there, everything will unfold just as you hope they will.

Sometimes, you’ve just gotta work out who you’ll want to talk to for the rest of the night. Throwing on a few songs that not everyone will have heard, but are set to become huge will not only make you a favourite at the party, but might just win you a lot of credibility for parties in the future. Win-win right? A perfect tune for such a situation is Sheck Wes with his banger Mo Bamba. Sheck Wes is right on the cusp of becoming huge, and you can’t help but get sucked into the energy of the song.

Now’s where you bring out the sure-fire hits. You don’t want to waste all the best songs early, so you better have held some for this point in the party. You also definitely don’t want to get too predictable. Throwing in pop, hip-hop and EDM in at different points will keep people guessing, but also make sure you’re catering to everyone’s tastes. Charli XCX, Cardi B and Dynoro are all artists that have dropped mega-hits recently, and if you put them in your playlist, you’ll have the dancefloor (or your living room) heaving in no time.

At this point in the night, it’s time to start winding down the party. After all, you don’t want to be stuck with 50 people sleeping in your lounge room when you wake up tomorrow morning, otherwise it’s going to be one hell of a clean-up job. Kali Uchis is the perfect choice, because not only can people chill out to her, but keep dancing if they’re still looking to bust a move. How can you go wrong?

Finally, here’s a couple of things you should avoid when you’re building a party playlist. Firstly – no songs that go beyond 5 minutes. It might be really, really tempting to chuck on Bohemian Rhapsody (trust us, we know the temptation), but if you put that in the playlist, you might just be kicked off aux duty. After all, people are at the party to dance, not awkwardly sing along! 3-4 minutes is the perfect mix between variety and familiarity. Every song has a place, but long songs shouldn’t have a place in your playlist. 

Secondly, no repeats of artists in quick succession. You’re not listening to an album – variety is the spice of life, and also the secret to a great party. You wouldn’t have a party with only a few people, so why have a playlist with a few artists? Show off your love of music, and you’ll impress everyone there.

Now, where's the bottle opener?