Fire's Chill Pick - August 2025

 Hi everyone!! It’s Fire back with the monthly Chill Pick article!! And even though the summer is basically over, why don’t we take a look at a timeless summer classic from my childhood?

Phineas - Summer (Where Do We Begin?)

Release: January 1, 2011

Genres: Power Pop, Pop Punk, Film Soundtrack, Pop, Television Music, Alternative Rock

I’m sure that for plenty of people my age, Phineas & Ferb was like the defining show of their childhood (like, top 3 at least), and I’m no different from that camp; Phineas & Ferb was basically the defining show of my elementary school years and is responsible for several of my best elementary school memories. Like, I was into the show before I was even into music. But okay...I really love the show, but what prompted me to review a song from it? Well, earlier this year, the show got renewed for a 5th season a full decade after the show’s initial run ended. And having watched it, I was super underwhelmed. I could go on about how this reboot undid a lot of the emotional growth that came to crystalize some of the most powerful episodes of the show and how it felt like nothing more than cheap nostalgia bait (somewhat fun nostalgia bait, but still cheap nostalgia bait all the same), but that’s an article for another day. Point is, since I watched the reboot, this show has been all I could think about. But in case you’re uncultured you’ve not watched this Disney classic that’s stood the test of time, Phineas & Ferb is a show that has the titular brothers, Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher build crazy inventions in their backyard every day in an effort to seize every day of their summer vacation. Their older sister, Candace Flynn, tries to bust them to their mom, Linda Flynn-Fletcher, but every time she tries, the boys’ creation always disappears before Linda sees, usually thanks to a side plot of their pet platypus Perry going undercover as a secret agent to thwart Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, an evil scientist with a tragic backstory of abuse and neglect whose schemes always go awry. It’s a simple template that the show beats into the ground but somehow keeps it fresh by routinely subverting their own cliches with note perfect timing. “Summer (Where Do We Begin)” was a song on the soundtrack to the big movie from this show, Across The 2nd Dimension, and if you were to ask me what the thesis statement of this show is, my answer would be this song (I remember when in one episode it was counting down the top 10 songs from the show as voted by fans and this was only #5 on that countdown and I was super salty lol, may or may not still be). It captures everything that the show represents, pure unabashed love for summertime and the small moments, like running through the sprinklers in your T-shirt, shoes, and jeans or rolling down a grassy hill or trying to beat the heat with ponds and pools and garden hoses and a glass of lemonade. Even just crickets and cicadas. And Vincent Martella playing as Phineas has this youthful appreciation for the simple joys that come with the summer that I just find so charming. The guitars supply a very summery melody and the groove is energetic yet relaxed to match the summery vibe. This whole aesthetic makes the song feel just as summery no matter the season. Yes, maybe it’s just my nostalgia talking, but I’ll be damned if I don’t think the production has held up so well even now, 14 years later. In summation, “Summer (Where Do We Begin?)” is an iconic song from one of the most iconic Disney shows ever and a fitting thesis statement to the show. The fact that it’s such a timeless summer anthem that plays well in any season is just the cherry on top of all this; in other words, I think it’s a 10/10. And if you still haven’t seen this show somehow, catch up on your childhood!!