How Did We Go From Hot Girl Summer
to Virgin Summer?

It’s been six years since Megan Thee Stallion officially declared it “Hot Girl Summer” with her hit single of the same name, and a lot has changed.

For one, we’ve survived a global pandemic. But more than that — or maybe because of that — society’s feelings on sexuality have shifted dramatically. Look no further than Virgin Summer for proof.

It all started when Lorde announced her highly anticipated fourth album in April, titled Virgin; when it was released in June, the album art featured an X-ray of a pelvis, IUD fully in view.

The V-word made another appearance in June when TLC premiered the reality series Virgins, which is about (guess!) people in their 30s and 40s hoping to finally have sex.

Lorde’s ‘Virgin’ album cover Universal New Zealand

Hulu followed suit by announcing the August show Are You My First?, a reality dating series cohosted by Bachelor Nation’s Colton Underwood and Kaitlyn Bristowe that brings together adults who are in search of love and yet to do the deed.

“People are craving honesty more than ever,” Underwood, 33 — who made headlines as a virgin Bachelor in 2019 before coming out as gay two years later — told Us Weekly exclusively of the new series. “Virginity might sound like a throwback topic, but the way we’re telling these stories now feels refreshing and modern.”

Executive producer Karen Plumb adds that she thinks there is an abundance of media centered around virginity this year “quite simply because there are a lot more adult virgins than ever.”

‘Bachelor’ and ‘Bachelorette’ Virgins Through the Years

She’s not wrong. The CDC’s most recent National Survey of Family Growth reports the highest rates of adult virginity in U.S. history, with one statistic reporting that one in four Gen Z adults have never had sex. (Gen Z-ers currently range from 13 to 28.)

“Instead of casual flings, they’re leaning toward emotional connection. Add to that a broader digital culture where social media often replaces in-person interaction, plus the impact of movements like #MeToo and abstinence-based education — which still receives billions in federal funding in the U.S. — and you start to see the layered reasons behind this shift,” Plumb says.

Colton Underwood and Kaitlyn Bristowe in ‘Are You My First?’ Disney/Jeff Daly

EP Peter Geist adds that the “level of authenticity and sincerity” Are You My First? brings to the reality dating genre makes it feels “especially powerful and relevant in 2025.”

Add to all that a general shift toward conservatism in the United States (see: tradwives and right-wing anti-contraception platforms), and it all starts to make sense.

Colton Underwood, Kaitlyn Bristowe Cohosting New Dating Show for Virgins

In the case of Lorde, 28, despite her provocative album title, her latest project has less to do with sexual inexperience and more to do with gender and independence. The artist explained about her project, “I was trying to make a document that reflected my femininity: raw, primal, innocent, elegant, openhearted, spiritual, masc.” Think purity in a conceptual, not charged or judgmental way.

Joseph Okpako/WireImage

Maybe we should view Virgin Summer similarly, as a way to release individuals from oppressive sexual stigma — whether they’re doin’ the dirty or not.

“People just can’t win when it comes to sex,” Bristowe, 40 — who was publicly shamed for her sex life while on The Bachelorette — told Us. “I hope [our show] empowers [viewers] to live more authentically — to be who they truly are, not who they think they should be.”

Maybe Virgin Summer can be your chance to embrace sexual agency, reclaim your independence or even just listen to some Lorde.