Cruel Summer

"Cruel Summer" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her seventh studio album, Lover, released on August 23, 2019. It was written by Swift, St. Vincent, and Jack Antonoff, who produced the track with Swift. "Cruel Summer" combines synth-pop, industrial pop, and electropop styles, making use of pulsing synthesizers, wobbling beats, and vocoder-affected vocals. The lyrics are about a summer romance under intense, painful circumstances. Met with acclaim from music critics, "Cruel Summer" was often praised for its catchy melody, rousing production, and the composition of its hook and bridge. Year-end lists from Billboard and Rolling Stone ranked it one of the best songs of 2019. Contemporaneous and retrospective reviews deemed it a highlight on Lover and one of Swift's finest songs. Upon the album's release, "Cruel Summer" debuted in the top-30 region of various national charts, including the United States' Billboard Hot 100. It became a fan favorite over time and was regarded by some journalists as a song that deserved to be released as a single. Swift explained that she had intended to release it as such in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her plans. Swift embarked on the Eras Tour (2023–2024), which featured "Cruel Summer" as one of the first songs in the set-list. The song began experiencing viral popularity on social media and resurged on several charts, including a top-50 re-entry on the Hot 100. As a result, Republic Records released the song to US contemporary hit radio on June 20, 2023, as the fifth single from Lover. "Cruel Summer" has since become Swift's 10th, 12th and 8th number-ones on the Hot 100, Pop Airplay and Radio Songs charts, respectively, the last two of which are all-time records. Elsewhere, it has topped the charts in Canada, the Philippines, Singapore, and peaked within the top 10 in Australia, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. On the Billboard Global 200, "Cruel Summer" marked her third number-one single.