Interesting article, but I think the author is reading too much into it. The public didn't collectively decide that Blurred Lines and Call Me Maybe were to be the "summer songs" of the past couple of years. Most people aren't aware of the charts. It's just the timing. People just bought/listened to those songs a lot at the time and the chart calculated that.
Had Gangnam Style blew up a bit earlier, or had We Are Young blew up a bit later, they would have been the summer songs too. It's just timing really. We don't have a really massive hit on the level of Blurred Lines right now, but in the autumn we might do. There doesn't have to be a song which dominated all summer, it's just coincidence that it happened that way the past couple of years imo.
Also, he does point out that there aren't many alternative/rock songs crossing over to mainstream radio, but isn't Rude an example of such a song? It's played on alternative and pop iirc.
I think Fancy will be #1 on Billboard's summer chart when things are all said and done. I love the song, but I can agree that it's not as universal, since the older audience probably aren't very aware of the song. Blurred Lines and Call Me Maybe did well on adult contemporary radio (especially Blurred Lines considering it's genre and subject matter), whilst I don't think Fancy will.
But seriously, if Def Jam supported it and pushed it to Pop too, then it could have potential to be one! Now it's going to be a fall smash even if the song is summery. Stupid Def Jam and Mariah.
Didn't know BB was hiring ATRL interns this summer