My Favorite Songs from June 2026

Just like that, we are halfway through 2026 or should I say we’re “halfway to everywhere”? Sorry people, no Black Crowes songs are included in this post. However, I’ve noticed that the band has been playing more Warpaint (2008) songs live lately, besides “Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution.” So, it’s only a matter of time before they bust out “Wee Who See the Deep” again. For June 2026, I’ve compiled a list of songs that have helped me process odd emotions I’ve been experiencing since seeing the Michael (2026) biopic. Just like My Favorite Songs from May 2026 post, I could’ve compiled a list of my favorite Michael Jackson songs from June 2026, but that would be boring. With all that said, let’s get on with the music!

10. “Maybe This Time” performed by Liza Minnelli from Cabaret (1972)

I just finished Liza Minnelli’s memoir titled, Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! (2026), and enjoyed it so much that I’m lowkey considering reading it again! I knew she had her fair share of hardships being the daughter of Judy Garland, but I had no idea about her long battle with drugs and alcohol. Her refusal to surrender inspired me to look at life in a much more positive light. I wouldn’t consider myself a pessimist, but let’s just say, when a glass is half full, I see it as half empty. Throughout the entire book, I kept hearing “Maybe This Time” in my head because that’s the song I always associate Minnelli with. She performs it in the movie, Cabaret (1972), as Sally Bowles, the role she is best known for. I’m not a fan of musicals, believe it or not, as I find them to be corny, but Minnelli’s vocal performance is stunning. 

9. “Determinate” performed by Bridgit Mendler and Adam Hicks from Lemonade Mouth (2011)

Seeing the Michael biopic made me want to reconnect with my childhood, whether that was because Jackson spent his whole life trying to make up for his lost childhood, I have no idea. One of the things I did was bust out my Lemonade Mouth CD and I have a new appreciation for the musicality displayed on the album. “Determinate” was my favorite song from the album because the chorus is insanely catchy and it’s such a fun vibe! I love how it starts off with a beautiful keyboard melody for the opening lines and then, BAM!!! Screw you, Mudslide Crush! If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Shortly after the success of Lemonade Mouth, there were talks of a sequel and I was so bummed when those plans never came to fruition. However, looking back now, I’m glad Disney stopped with that one film because I’m not sure how they would’ve topped it anyways. 

8. “Opportunity” by the Rossington Collins Band from Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere (1980)

The Rossington Collins Band are one of those “what if” scenarios that I keep replaying in my head because they had so much potential to be something great! The debut album is a tasteful southern rock record, but the sophomore album didn’t exactly exceed expectations. Still, gotta give props to Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere when it’s due because holy cow, Dale Krantz-Rossington can sing! What I love most about the record, though, is that a good chunk of the songs promote determination and never giving up. “Opportunity” is about taking every opportunity that comes your way without hesitation because you may never get that chance again! Krantz-Rossington sings with so much force and power that you believe every dang word that comes out of her mouth.

7. “One Less Lonely Girl” by Justin Bieber from My World (2009)

This is going to sound strange, but while watching videos of Jackson performing “She’s Out of My Life” and “You Are Not Alone,” I kept thinking, “this is basically Michael Jackson’s version of ‘One Less Lonely Girl.'” The reason I thought that was because Jackson brought up a girl on stage during the song’s second verse and made her feel special until it was time for security to escort (or drag) her away. While security wasn’t necessary for “One Less Lonely Girl,” at least from the clips I’ve seen, Justin Bieber brought up a girl on stage for the song’s bridge, gave her roses, and made her feel special. I was lucky enough to see Bieber live in 2010 on his My World Tour and not going to lie, I was so disappointed when I wasn’t chosen as the “one less lonely girl.” Since Bieber came after Jackson, however, I guess you can say “One Less Lonely Girl” is Bieber’s version of “She’s Out of My Life” and “You Are Not Alone.” The former was one of the songs that made me a Belieber because he was so freaking cute and it was a nicely written pop song. 

6. “Bombshell” by Halestorm from Back from the Dead (2022)

Though “Brightside” is my favorite song from Back from the Dead, “Bombshell” is slowly creeping up to be my second favorite song on the album because it freaking slaps! I love how Lzzy Hale is the complete opposite of the stereotypical female leads I’ve seen on Korean dramas. She’s tough, aggressive, doesn’t wear pastel colors, and doesn’t need a man to rescue her. She does her part in making the world a better place by promoting female empowerment. “Bombshell” is a big middle finger to record executives who make women feel insignificant and small. It’s got a stomping groove and the live version is really cool because you can hear Arejay Hale’s unhinged backing vocals in the chorus. 

5. “Xanadu” by Rush from A Farewell to Kings (1977)

Rush began their Fifty Something Tour on June 7, 2026 and the opening song was “Xanadu.” As mentioned in my Songs with the Same Title – Rush Edition post, Neil Peart’s drum fills after the “decreed by Kubla Khan” line are so much fun to play along to. I don’t air drum often, but since getting into Rush, I’ve been doing it more than I’d like to admit. Geddy Lee’s vocals are still questionable, more so in the high register, but the instrumentation is incredible. He and Alex Lifeson can still play their instruments like rock gods, and Anika Nilles fits in perfectly with them. I think Peart would’ve approved of Nilles because of her performance in “Xanadu” alone. 

4. “Pretending” performed by Cory Monteith and Lea Michele from Glee

When I first heard “Pretending” on Glee during the second season finale, I had high hopes for Finn and Rachel’s relationship going forward, believing they were endgame. Now that Cory Monteith is no longer with us, however, I feel sad listening to it because of the “what if” possibilities. What if something else could’ve been done to save him? If he had lived, would he and Lea Michele have gotten married? The Glee writers said that the plan was for Finn and Rachel to get back together (after breaking up in season 4), but honestly, they shouldn’t have broken up in the first place because it’s not worth messing with a good thing! “Pretending” is a heartbreaking ballad about possibilities, wondering if a relationship is worth fighting for.

3. “Unsaid Emily” performed by Charlie Gillespie from Julie and the Phantoms: Music from the Netflix Original Series (2020)

Not sure if I’ve repeated songs before, but I know for sure that I included “Unsaid Emily” in a previous post for the My Favorite Songs series. What’s great about a song is that you can interpret it in many ways based on life experiences and circumstances. That’s what happened to me for “Unsaid Emily,” in a bizarre way that made sense for my complicated and annoying brain. Because I believed all the nasty things said about Jackson in the press, I said some mean words about him publicly, one time was during my first or second semester of college to my Spanish professor. “Unsaid Emily” focuses on the idea of going back in time to fix your mistakes, which will forever be an impossibility. Now, I look at “Unsaid Emily” as a way to express my regret for misjudging Jackson and not doing proper research on him before making any conclusions. 

2. “Hate That I Made You Love Me” by Ariana Grande from Petal (2026)

Ariana Grande released the first single from her upcoming eighth studio album, Petal, on May 29, 2026. The song, “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” is a midtempo, pop and R&B ballad about how the public perceives Grande a certain way and are disappointed when she doesn’t live up to their expectations. The song’s music video, which was released a few days later, features Justin Long trying to quit her but keeps seeing her face everywhere he goes, leading to deadly consequences. A YouTuber named Cedric Johnson points out that the song is very different from the Ariana Grande we fell in love with years ago. “Hate That I Made You Love Me” is subdued and understated, meaning no Mariah Carey-like vocal runs nor whistle notes are present whatsoever. She’s no longer the diva who sang in a bunny mask that made me think of Donnie Darko (2001). No, she has matured as an artist and embraced the idea of less being more. 

1. “D.S.” by Michael Jackson from HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995)

Because of Jackson’s dance hits, I only saw him as a pop artist with not much variety to his repertoire. But as I kept diving into his music, I was proven just how wrong I was. I don’t even remember how I came across the song, but the Lord blessed me with “D.S.”, which is a diss track about Tom Sneddon Jr., the district attorney of Santa Barbara County, California. Sneddon Jr. was the one in charge of the investigation for when Jackson was first accused of child sexual abuse in 1993. He was also in charge of the investigation for when Jackson was again accused of child sexual abuse in 2003. Jackson was shy and soft-spoken when not performing, so it was really cool hearing him get angry and feisty in “D.S.” The chorus is very repetitive, but the riff is fantastic, it’s got a nasty groove, and Slash does the guitar solo. The highest compliment I can give this song is after only hearing it once, it was immediately stuck in my head!

There you have it, people! Those are my favorite songs from June 2026. Next month should be interesting because Michael will be released on Blu-ray on July 14. Though Ariana Grande’s Petal won’t be released until July 31, I have a slight feeling I’ll include a song of hers for My Favorite Songs from July 2026 post to get hyped up for the new album. Also, I want to give a shoutout to “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story (1995) because though I have yet to see Toy Story 5 (2026), the song will always have a special place in my heart!

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Lana