There's nothing better than a solid playlist for your next road trip--or even for just relaxing by the pool, on the beach, or at a park this summer. Creating a playlist with the right mood is key. You want to listen to songs with the perfect summer vibe. Taste is very subjective, so I'm not going to tell you what songs to put on your playlists. But I do want to share some of the thought processes that went into creating my own summer soundtrack.

First of all, I associate many things with certain seasons. For instance, even though it's set over an entire school year, The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord reminds me of springtime. So I think it's important to choose songs that, even if they don't mention summery activities, are still going to remind you what season it is. (So any song that mentions leaves falling or cold weather is probably not a good idea, just saying.)

Secondly, you want a mix of upbeat, semi-danceable songs--even if you're just dancing in the passenger seat--and songs that are a little more low-key. They should almost always be ones you want to sing along to, though. (Or if you're like me, you just mouth the words.)

Whether you make your playlist on Spotify, iTunes, or some other music service is up to you. Mine's on Spotify, but I wish I had all of those songs on iTunes so I could add Taylor Swift to my playlist. (Seriously, she'd be on every single one of my playlists.)

You do want to think about genres. Obviously, this is where your personal taste really comes into play. I like country and pop mostly, which are perfect for summer vibes.

If you like rock or indie or Broadway musicals, there are ways to tailor those genres to the season and still create an awesome playlist.

And when in doubt--go with your gut. If a song feels right, than add it! Don't worry if your playlist is too long or has too much country/pop/insert-genre-of-choice music. Just make sure it has a good title and you're set to rock out on your next road trip (or wherever you'll be this summer).