Top 10 songs of the summer

The academic semester is in full swing, TV shows are coming back for season premieres and there's a definite chill in the air. All these things signify the end of summer 2015, which officially concluded on Sept. 22.This summer was filled with impressive singles and albums alike, and this is the perfect time to reflect on the best of the best. These may not necessarily be the most popular songs of the summer, but they were the ones of the highest quality, and they're presented here in no particular order.

1. "In the Night," by The Weeknd was a track from his latest studio album "Beauty Behind the Madness," released on Aug. 28. It is reminiscent of a Michael Jackson track, which is unusual for The Weeknd, but he pulls it off flawlessly. The track, overshadowed by his two popular singles "Can't Feel My Face" and "The Hills," released earlier in the year, is definitely the most underrated selection on the album.

2. "Unbreakable Smile" by Tori Kelly, from her album of the same name released on June 23, is an upbeat, catchy song that still shows off Kelly's incredible vocal abilities. Kelly is best known for her single, "Should've Been Us," released on June 2. The verses of "Unbreakable Smile," especially the second, almost resemble slam poetry due to Kelly's conversational way of singing and the power that she puts into her lyrics. The 20 seconds of layered and harmonized vocals at 2:25 are striking every time.

3. "Castle" is the first track on Halsey's album "BADLANDS," released Aug. 28. The song has a dark, mysterious tone to it, which is supported by strong vocals and a gorgeous (and catchy) pre-chorus and chorus. The album had some hits and misses, but "Castle" is the strongest showing on Halsey's debut studio album. It experiments with creative background noises that manage to come together seamlessly.

4. A Great Big World collaborated with rapper FUTURISTIC to release the single "Hold Each Other," an upbeat love song, on July 22. The song is fueled primarily by simple piano chords, strings and the sturdy vocals of A Great Big World. The rap portion provided by FUTURISTIC is creative and fits snugly into the rest of the song.

5. Lana Del Rey released the single "High by the Beach," from her new album "Honeymoon," on Aug. 10, and it shot up on the iTunes top 100 almost immediately. The song has, in typical Lana style, soothing vocals, a memorable chorus and a full background. The album follows suit as an impressive collection.

6.  "Soap," from Melanie Martinez's Aug. 14 debut album "Cry Baby," is a surprisingly innovative track from the young singer-songwriter. She incorporates exaggerated sounds of soap bubbles forming and popping, which serve both as background beats and as central themes in the song. The track has a bit of a creepy vibe to it, emphasized by Martinez's distinctive voice.

7. Ryn Weaver first released the single "Promises" on her EP of the same name last summer, but also included it on her debut album,"The Fool," released on Aug. 25. The second release gained more traction. The song begins with an excellent sonic layering that builds suspense, and shows Weaver taking advantage of subtle electronic noises and focusing on her voice, which somewhat sounds like that of Sara Barellies. It's the kind of song you'd blast on a road trip with the windows down.

8. This is for all those who have suffered from Beyoncé withdrawal: "Runnin' (Lose It All)" was a single released by Naughty Boy featuring Beyoncé and Arrow Benjamin on Sept. 18. Anything featuring Queen Bey deserves multiple listens, and this whole song is actually pretty good. The music video, which was shot underwater, is a spectacle in itself.

9. Collaborators Disclosure and Sam Smith joined forces again for the single "Omen," released on July 27. The two artists first worked together on 2012's "Latch," a single that saw mainstream U.S. success in 2014. "Omen" will surely join "Latch" on the list of successful collaborations. Sam Smith's vocals are always strong and clear, but on this track they are given more of an electronic feature to match Disclosure's sound, which is a nice change of pace for Smith.

10. "Expensive," also from Tori Kelly's recent album, rounds out this top 10. Take a listen to this song (and the entire album while you're at it), and you'll realize why she takes up two spots on this list. Her vocal strength, dexterity and range are highlighted in this power anthem about refusing to let a guy buy her love. The background instruments, especially the brass section, support Kelly with an energetic beat.