Song of Summer 2015 Poll: Sia’s ‘California Dreamin’ vs. Jason Derulo’s ‘Want to Want Me’

Which song will reign supreme as the Song Of Summer 2015? We’re going through some of the top contenders of the year so far. Place your vote for your fave!

There are few certainties in life: death is one, and the over-saturation of inescapable earworms on the radio is another. The latter is the one we're focusing on today; we'll save the former for winter. Summer is the best season to embrace the pop hits that just won't quit, because our increased contact with sunlight puts us in the mood that really allows us to embrace otherwise repetitive (and sometimes grating) songs.

Yesterday (May 20) we put Flo Rida’s "I Don’t Like It, I Love It" up against Galantis' "Peanut Butter Jelly," and the day before that we put Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea’s "Pretty Girls" vs. Major Lazer and DJ Snake’s "Lean On (feat. MØ)."

Today we continue the tough choices with two more songs facing off. Let's get to listening, judging and voting:

Contender One
The song: "California Dreamin'"
The performer: Sia
The producer(s): Unconfirmed
The video: No official video, but a small snippet of the track is in the San Andreas trailer, successfully elevating it from blockbuster preview to actual art.
The reasoning: "California Dreamin'" may, admittedly, seem like an odd nomination for Song of Summer. It's a longing plea for those temperate California days during a particularly dreary winter. But Sia's spin on the classic '60s song (originally by The Mamas & the Papas) is so good that it's suitable for year-round listening. She takes a mournful track and turns it into an orchestral vision -- starting off with a slowed-down, haunting intro that tricks the listener into believing she's taking the ballad route with this one. And while Sia has the vocals to pull off a more subdued version of the song, her decision to come in strong with a booming drumbeat turns it on its head and kicks the listener awake. It brings even more depth to the track, and if you don't think Sia's version is at least better than the Beach Boys' legendary cover, we get it — but you're wrong.

Contender Two
The song: "Want to Want Me"
The performer: Jason Derulo
The producer(s): Ian Kirkpatrick
The video: Derulo goes the literal route with this one, using the lyrics to map out the video's premise: It's literally too hot to sleep, so he books it to his lady's place where they get real physically intimate.
The reasoning: Do you remember when Jason Derulo broke his neck and almost died? That incident must have lit a fire under his ass, because while his first few albums were fun (Justice for the song "Fallen"!), he was pretty much an auto-tuned mess of a punchline for a while there. You absolutely know when you're listening to one of Derulo's songs, because his name echoes in the background for a while and sometimes forever. Yet his new song, "Want to Want Me," is next-level catchy with just the subtlest whisper of his name at the top of the track -- because who even is he without a dash of the cheese factor? The song has a decidedly '80s feel in all its synth-pop glory, a departure from his more R&B-infused tracks of the past. But Derulo is no stranger to infectious pop songs -- ask anyone who destroyed their radio in a rage after hearing "Trumpets" one too many times last year. "Want to Want Me" is about heat -- as it pertains to the weather, his lady, their relations -- and it may be his catchiest track yet. The overtly sexual nature of the lyrics paired with the song's deceptively innocent danceability makes it just appropriate enough to listen to with your parents -- so long as you don't make eye contact with them at any point.

Now that we've presented a case for both prospects, it's up to you to decide which one will move on to the next Song of Summer round. Vote wisely!