Songs of Summer 2013? Our Jury Says...

Hayley Williams: I love Q-Tip, I love Fergie. But a little too much of this party might actually kill somebody, and that somebody might be me.
Ester Dean: Did they put ''It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing'' in there? I think that feels classic. This is my favorite.
Zedd: Fergie's vocal performance is really solid, besides the part that sounds a little bit like ''Party Rock Anthem,'' but that's fine in this case.
Ed Sheeran: That was quite a surprising one, actually. It kind of has a hint of old-school soul-funk and then just suddenly drops into an EDM tune. I think those songs always do well in summer.

Ester Dean: It's got that funk feel, a real Donna Summer thing. I love it.
Hayley Williams: This is my current favorite song! A perfect collaboration. I would die for our band to work with Pharrell or Daft Punk.
Zedd: It's really groovy, very soulful. It's good to hear dance music that doesn't sound like the thing we've heard a thousand times before.
Ed Sheeran: I like that it's well written but it's still dance music. It's good to listen to. It's probably a good barbecue song as well.

Ed Sheeran: I love Miguel, and I think it was a smart move for them to team up. If it does [become a hit] it will be a creeper. It won't just smash out in people's faces.
Zedd: It doesn't blow me away, but it's a very solid production, very solid vocal takes, even though Mariah is not in that song that much. I would have titled it ''featuring Mariah Carey.'' She's always great, though.

Hayley Williams: If I say I don't get it, does that mean I'm getting old?
Ester Dean: I just don't hear Justin on this thing. Same with that Britney song [Spears' 2012 collab with will.i.am, ''Scream & Shout''].
Zedd: I personally love the song. I think it sounds really good from a production and engineering standpoint.
Ed Sheeran: It's not really my thing, but will.i.am songs usually work in clubs. I think it will be a top-down kind of car-blasting record.

Ed Sheeran: It kind of echoes a bit of, like, Madcon's ''Beggin'.'' It's that kind of vibe. It's a fine line between pop and hip-hop, but this fills it.
Ester Dean: I get some New Boyz mixed with Macklemore going on there. It's a fun summertime jam for a 15-, 16-year-old kid, but it's not for me. I'm not going to that party.
Hayley Williams: I was all confused by the band name, then the chorus kicked in and it didn't matter anymore. Feels good!
Zedd: I personally thought that it sounds too much like ''Nothin' on You'' by B.o.B and Bruno Mars.

Ester Dean: This has a chance, but I like the Fergie one better.
Hayley Williams: I like to hear Ke$ha sing, so I'm into this. Give me more.
Ed Sheeran: Although Ke$ha isn't the type of music that I would listen to on a regular basis, I think she's consistently coming up with very, very catchy choruses, so I wouldn't be surprised if that ended up being one of the songs of the summer.
Zedd: This reminds me of Far East Movement, which is a good thing.

Ester Dean: I love Iggy. She's one you can bet on.
Hayley Williams: This just sounds like Ke$ha to me.
Zedd: I'm not the biggest fan of rap music, but I think it's a very solid work. The production isn't bad at all.
Ed Sheeran: I think it's going to be a club hit, but I've been very wrong about songs. [Laughs]

Hayley Williams: I'm a fan of all of her singles. Girl can sing her ass off!
Ester Dean: I f---ing love her. You can be sad in the sunshine, or you can be happy in the pouring rain. It's all about where the heart is.
Zedd: This has been stuck in my head for a while now. The only thing for me is that it doesn't really take any risks, but that's not necessarily bad.
Ed Sheeran: I actually really like the hook. This is definitely a radio hit.

Hayley Williams: I think Nelly just jumped the shark.
Ester Dean: I love it. I just have to figure out where Nelly is. Maybe I just have to listen harder? I'm from Oklahoma, so I am country. Nelly's as Southern as I am, and he'll be forever out of the box.
Zedd: Nothing good or bad I can say about it. It's just, I'm probably not the right person to judge that song.
Ed Sheeran: I'm English and we don't really get a whole lot of country, so I like the really countrified version of it, without Nelly. Not to say I don't like Nelly. I just prefer the other one.

Ester Dean: This feels like the old Avril Lavigne, and when I say old, I mean it's the one you've been waiting for, where her voice is cracking and she's doing that yodeling thing, and you're like, ''Oh my God, I love her!'' This might end up being my ringtone.
Zedd: This has a little bit too much Auto-Tune for me to be able to love it.
Ed Sheeran: When I first heard it, I was like, ''Oh, why is Avril Lavigne trying to copy so-and-so?'' But actually everyone's been copying Avril Lavigne, so it's nice that she's come back.

Ester Dean: It's kind of heavy. Not for me. I thought it was cool, but it's not on my iPod right now. Not today. Maybe tomorrow.
Zedd: A really good and catchy pop song. Though it doesn't necessarily sound like the summer, if we're talking about that.
Hayley Williams: This song is a little slow-paced for my taste, but I'm hoping to catch them live soon. I heard their show is amazing.
Ed Sheeran: I really like this, actually. I don't know if it's necessarily a summer song, but it's good, so I hope it's a hit.