It’s the icing on the cake, it’s the cherry on top, the very highlight of summer, yes the summer fling is an old classic that never gets old, and I’m glad Nina has captured this vibe in her latest effort “ Summer Fling “. 

Setting the scene beautifully, this track starts with sounds of a crackling fire, insects buzzing, birds chirping and a breeze swirling, with some ambient synth sounds. 

This intro lasts for a good 40 seconds, which is a really strange way to start a pop song. It’s different and it certainly catches your attention. 

The beat starts and Nina’s vocals swing into the verse, building slightly into the pre-chorus, then onto the chorus.  

The chorus is understated vocally, and this creates a cruzie vibe. The chorus kind of leans on the lyrics to lift it up and separate it from the verse/pre-chorus. The visuals Nina provides throughout the chorus by mentioning ocean drives, sunsets on a rose sky, drinking that southern wine, and the line “love me like a summer fling”, do an awesome job painting a picture for the listener. Setting the scene here helps the listener visualize and imagine their own summer fling, which is the main point of the song. 

As the song progresses, the second verse and chorus are essentially the same as the first. There is a bridge which diverts ever so slightly, and builds for the chorus, and there is a section after the last chorus which emphasizes the idea of a summer fling. 

Interestingly, there is a nice long outro, which kind of mirrors the long intro. This time, instead of all the ambient summer sounds, the outro relies on vocal interludes and melodic harmonies. 

The long intro and outro of this song really help separate it from most other pop songs you’d hear in the charts at the moment. I think the producers have done a marvelous job including the intro and outro, which extends the song into the four and a half minute territory. This is definitely a departure from the standard three to three and half minute template we hear so much of, especially in pop music. 

I’m hoping there is no “radio mix” version of this song that trims the intro & outro and slims it down into three and a half minutes. I think that would change the song drastically, and kill the summer fling vibe altogether. 

Author: Rob Costa

Rob Costa is a freelance writer & Ghost songwriter from Melbourne, Australia. Rob helps us out with music reviews.