‘Just the Right BPM to Make You Happy’: Tim Ream, Timo Werner & More MLS Stars Pick Their Songs of the Summer, From Ella Langley to Rod Wave

While we won’t unveil our official 2026 Songs of the Summer chart-topper until next week, a dozen MLS stars are sharing their personal Songs of the Summer with Billboard as Labor Day closes in.

We’ve got a trio of 2026 FIFA World Cup players onboard — Charlotte FC’s Tim Ream (Team USA), FC Dallas’ Petar Musa (Croatia) and Orlando City SC’s Maxime Crepeaú (Canada) — and we have 12 different MLS teams across the country represented, from San Jose down to Orlando.

Related DJ Premier on Producing ‘Can I Kick It?’ Cover With Samara Cyn for MLS Campaign: ‘I’m Not Trying to Outdo Tribe’s, But I Don’t Want Mine to Sound Wack’ Different genres also dot our soccer-fueled summer playlist, including country (Ella Langley, Riley Green, Stella Lefty), dance (Swedish House Mafia, Francis Mercier, Jonas Blue), rap (Rod Wave, Lil Durk, Mauvais Djo), and pop (Shakira, Justin Bieber).

Oh, and one player even chose his very own song: Ghanaian soccer star Joseph Paintsil, a winger for the LA Galaxy, also makes music that crosses genres, including Afrobeats, R&B and hip-hop.

He picked his own 2026 single (aptly titled “LA Galaxy”) as his Song of the Summer.

“Our fans come out in their numbers and give us that extra motivation to keep going,” Paintsil tells Billboard of his selection.

“This song was another way for me to give that energy back to them.” After pausing for a month-plus to accommodate the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which wrapped in mid-July, the MLS season is back in full swing, leading up to the MLS Cup Playoffs in November.

If you want to tune in to watch one of the 12 players below, or another of the 30 total teams, you can watch every match (plus in-depth coverage and analysis) on Apple TV .

Find our full MLS Songs of the Summer playlist below.