We’ve all had one. That messy, hot, blink-and-it’s-over kinda fling that leaves you pressed and maybe a little wrecked—but you’d still do it all over again just for the chaos. That’s exactly where Mary Middlefield takes us with Summer Affair, her new alt-pop track that’s dripping in sweat, sex, and those gloriously bad decisions.
I hit play, and instantly, I’m right there—sunburnt shoulders, gloss sticking to my lips, making out with the wrong person just ‘cause it feels good. The guitars are all sun-soaked and bold, the beat struts in with that fuck-it energy, and Mary’s voice? Soft and sharp at the same time.
Sweet, short-lived, vivid summer affair—I mean, yeah. It starts out exactly like it always does. You’re bored, kinda lonely, then six months ago, out of the blue, I stumbled into you. The drinks hit, the music’s too loud, and before you know it, two months just slipped away. You’re sneaking around, bodies tangled up, convincing yourself maybe this is love. Maybe it’s real. Spoiler: it never is. But fuck, it’s fun while it lasts.
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And Mary’s whole vibe? It hits differently. She’s not just singing about some fantasy. She’s been in it, she’s been messy, she’s been soft and raw and selfish and still standing. Her voice glides over the track, but there’s that little edge to it—the sound of someone who knows exactly how this story ends and is still down to play the game.
Produced by Jim Abbiss (yep, Arctic Monkeys and Adele Jim) and Gwen Buord, mixed by Barny Barnicott (Sam Fender), and mastered by Randy Merrill (Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo)—this track is stacked. But it doesn’t feel overproduced. It’s tight, sexy, just loose enough to make you wanna sneak into someone’s backyard pool in the middle of the night, naked, drunk off your ass, making promises you won’t remember.
That chorus is giving main character energy in all the worst and best ways. Undress me while the weather’s hot, show me how two can become one, enjoy the view, take me anywhere, fall in love, have a summer affair. It’s basically a dare. A reminder that your friends can warn you all they want—when the vibe hits, you’re gonna lose your damn mind for a minute. And that’s fine. Fuck him. Literally. It’s summer.
Then Mary drops the second verse, and it’s so savage. Fast forward, the sun has set, we tied the knot, put it to rest. You know that moment when the cute accent turns annoying, the sex isn’t enough to distract you anymore, and suddenly their Spotify Wrapped is giving you the ick? Yeah. I wish I had it in me, but I’m getting really busy. Been there, babe. And the way she sings it? Pure side-eye with a smirk.
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But my favorite part? She doesn’t lie to herself—or us. The bridge lays it all out. Truth is I don’t like you enough, truth is I’ve been lonely. It’s messy, it’s selfish, and it’s exactly how we get into these situationships in the first place. Sometimes, you just wanna feel something—even if it’s temporary, even if you’re both faking half of it. So stick around in case I want to—we’ve all done it.
Mary calls this a celebration of freedom in its rawest, most joyful form, and damn, it shows. The 16mm film music video is a literal pastel fever dream. A summer garden party where no one’s behaving, everyone’s glowing, and Mary’s floating through it all with this unapologetic, hot-girl energy. Shot between Lausanne and London, the whole track has that city-meets-coastal recklessness built in.
I love that she’s not selling some polished, perfect version of love. She’s giving us the sweaty, impulsive, could-regret-it-tomorrow—but still worth it—kind of summer. We’ve all been that girl. And I hope we all still are.
Stay unhinged. Stay hot. Fall in love. Have a summer affair.
