Cruel Summer
Single | Lover (2019)
Table of Contents
Background
«Jack and Annie [Clark] did the track and a lot of the instrumentation and I did the topline in whatever language that is. A topline is all the notes and the lyrics you hear. So whatever you would sing, that is what I wrote on this. It was just so fun to write this one and I really love this one. Jack and I like to do ranting bridges. Like in 'Out Of The Woods' where the bridge is the biggest moment of the song—we revisited that concept.»
Taylor Swift
Lyrical Theme
«This song is one that I wrote about the feeling of a summer romance, and how often times a summer romance can be layered with all these feelings of pining away and sometimes even secrecy. It deals with the idea of being in a relationship where there’s some element of desperation and pain in it, where you’re yearning for something that you don’t quite have yet. It’s just right there, and you just can’t reach it. So, this has some of my favorite lyrics in it, and it was so fun to write this!»
Taylor Swift
Single Release
«'Cruel Summer' was on the Lover album that came out four years ago. And I just need to let you know something: 'Cruel Summer' was my pride and joy on that album! That was my favorite song. And you know, you have conversations before the album comes out and everybody weighs in on what should be the singles. And I was finally, finally about to have my favorite song become a single off of Lover. And I'm not trying to blame the global pandemic we had but that is something that happened that stopped 'Cruel Summer' from ever being a single. So, what's happening right now, thanks to you, and no one understands how this is happening: You guys have streamed 'Cruel Summer' so much right now, in 2023, that it's like rising on the streaming charts so crazy. And my label just decided to make it the next single! This is truly, truly perplexing to me because I just haven't had something like this happen in my career. So thank you to anyone who's been listening to that song like 500 times a day. That was my favorite one!»
Taylor Swift
«We just wanted to say thank you so much for making ‘Cruel Summer’ a Hot 100 No. 1 and it’s not even the summer anymore. It’s deep fall, I’m wearing a sweater. We love you guys!»
Taylor Swift
Live Performances
«One thing I knew from the start: We had to open with 'Cruel Summer' to blast us into the energy of this show. Something about the combination of that song and that Versace glittery bodysuit I got to wear could pull me out of any funk, fix any headache, heal sore muscles.»
Taylor Swift
Critical Reception
In the years since, “Cruel Summer” has been celebrated as the signature track of Lover. In a 2021 ranking of the best bridges of the 21st century, Billboard placed it at No. 11. It consistently ranks highly in critics’ assessments of Taylor’s discography, including No. 11 by Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone and No. 6 by Hannah Mylrea of NME. Clash named it one of Taylor’s 15 best tracks, praising its “highly addictive” structure. In 2022, Exclaim! ranked it second on a list of her top 20 songs, lauding St. Vincent’s artistic contribution. Entertainment Weekly called it a “buzzer-beating, angst-wielding anthem,” while Rolling Stone‘s Brittany Spanos noted its rock-star edge and romantic urgency, calling it one of Taylor’s finest songs.
Commercial Performance
In March 2023, “Cruel Summer” gained new momentum when it was included in “The Eras Tour” setlist, where it quickly became a fan favorite. The song went viral on social media, re-entering the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 49 on June 3, 2023. Subsequently, Republic Records officially released it as the fifth Lover single to US contemporary hit radio on June 20, 2023.
Following its single release, “Cruel Summer” became Taylor’s 41st Top 10 hit, solidifying her record as the female artist with the most Top 10 entries. It also became the fourth Lover track to enter the Top 10, following “ME!”, “You Need to Calm Down,” and the title track, “Lover.” A massive global fan campaign helped push the song to No. 1 on the Hot 100, where it stayed for three weeks. On November 13, 2023, Taylor made history as the only female artist to replace herself twice at No. 1, when “Cruel Summer” replaced “Is It Over Now?” (she first accomplished this feat with “Blank Space” and “Shake It Off” in 2014).
On May 20, 2024, it became Taylor’s longest-charting song on the Hot 100, surpassing “Anti-Hero” (54 weeks). The song also topped multiple airplay charts, including Pop Airplay (10 weeks) and Adult Pop Airplay (8 weeks), and reached No. 1 on the Radio Songs chart in October 2023.
By October 2023, “Cruel Summer” peaked at No. 1 in Singapore, No. 2 in Australia, Canada, and the UK, and No. 1 in the Philippines. The song also reached No. 2 on the Billboard Global 200.
Interpolation
Legacy
Its late-blooming rise to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, years after its original release, underscored both the enduring power of Taylor’s songwriting and the devotion of her fanbase. “Cruel Summer” came to embody the second wind of the Lover era—revived through nostalgia, social media virality, and the sheer momentum of “The Eras Tour.” Its legacy is now a testament to Taylor’s rare ability to create songs that only grow more resonant with time.
Lyrics
[Intro]
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
[Verse 1]
Fever dream high in the quiet of the night
You know that I caught it (Oh yeah, you’re right, I want it)
Bad, bad boy
Shiny toy with a price
You know that I bought it (Oh yeah, you’re right, I want it)
[Pre-Chorus]
Killing me slow
Out the window
I’m always waiting for you to be waiting below
Devils roll the dice
Angels roll their eyes
What doesn’t kill me
Makes me want you more
[Chorus]
And it’s new
The shape of your body
It’s blue
The feeling I got and it’s
Ooh
It’s a cruel summer
It’s cool
That’s what I tell ’em
No rules in breakable heaven but
Ooh
It’s a cruel summer
With you
[Verse 2]
Hang your head low
In the glow of the vending machine
I’m not dying (Oh yeah, you’re right, I want it)
We say that we’ll just screw it up in these trying times
We’re not trying (Oh yeah, you’re right, I want it)
[Pre-Chorus 2]
So cut the headlights
Summer’s a knife
I’m always waiting for you just to cut to the bone
Devils roll the dice
Angels roll their eyes
But if I bleed you’ll be the last to know
[Chorus]
It’s new
The shape of your body
It’s blue
The feeling I got and it’s
Ooh
It’s a cruel summer
It’s cool
That’s what I tell ’em
No rules in breakable heaven but
Ooh
It’s a cruel summer
With you
[Bridge]
I’m drunk in the back of the car
And I cried like a baby coming home from the bar (Oh)
Said, “I’m fine” but it wasn’t true
I don’t want to keep secrets
Just to keep you
And I snuck in through the garden gate every night that summer
Just to seal my fate (Oh)
And I scream, “For whatever it’s worth,
I love you, ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?”
He looks up grinning like a devil
[Chorus]
It’s new
The shape of your body
It’s blue
The feeling I’ve got and i’ts
Ooh
It’s a cruel summer
It’s cool
That’s what I tell ’em
No rules in breakable heaven but
Ooh
It’s a cruel summer
With you
[Outro]
I’m drunk in the back of the car
And I cried like a baby coming home from the bar (Oh)
Said, “I’m fine” but it wasn’t true
I don’t wanna keep secrets just to keep you
And I snuck in through the garden gate every night that summer
Just to seal my fate (Oh)
And I scream, “For whatever it’s worth,
I love you, ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?”
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Artist | Taylor Swift | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Album | Lover | |||
Released | August 23, 2019 | |||
Studios | Electric Lady (New York City) Conway (Los Angeles) | |||
Genre | Synth Pop Electro Pop | |||
Length | 2:58 | |||
Label | Republic Records | |||
Songwriters | Taylor Swift Jack Antonoff Annie Clark | |||
Producers | Taylor Swift Jack Antonoff | |||
LOVER CHRONOLOGY | ||||
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