Global Courant
“Cruel Summer” has officially taken over the Fall.
More than four years after Taylor Swift’s Lover track was released in August 2019, the song has finally topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, the publication announced on Monday, marking yet another victory for Swift that likely would have been unexpected until a few months ago. The song finished last week with 18.6 million streams and over 41,000 sales, the latter figure representing a 1,400 percent increase from the previous week.
“Cruel Summer” marks Swift’s 10th Billboard Number One single and the first song off Lover to top the chart. Co-written by Jack Antonoff and St. Vincent, the track marks St. Vincent’s first Number One Single. Elsewhere, Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red” came in at Number Two, SZA’s “Snooze” took Third, Drake and Yeat’s “IDGAF” took Fourth, and Bad Bunny’s Monaco — off the rapper’s Number One Album Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana rounded the Top Five.
“Cruel Summer” first entered the Hot 100 Chart when Lover was released, debuting at No. 29 and falling soon after. It re-entered the chart by the end of May of this year after surging in popularity thanks to Swift’s Eras Tour; the song was a fan favorite in her set and went viral on TikTok as well, featured in about 2.3 million videos on the platform as of this story’s publication. “Cruel Summer” had floated near the top of the Billboard chart for several months this Summer, peaking at Number Three until this week.
The song was designated Lover’s fifth single after it gained in popularity this year, but “Cruel Summer’s” prospects to top the chart appeared to be waning in the latter half of the summer, as it trailed behind major country streaming hits “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs’s cover of Tracey Chapman’s “Fast Car.” Then Number Ones, including Oliver Anthony’s unexpected “Rich Men North of Richmond,” Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves’ “I Remember Everything,” Doja Cat’s “Paint The Town Red,” Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire,” and Drake’s “Slime You Out” and “First Person Shooter” seemed to make the path to the top insurmountable. By last week, even Drake took seven of the top-10 slots following his release of For All The Dogs, “Cruel Summer” dropped six spots to Number Nine.
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But as Swift’s Eras Tour itself helped turn “Cruel Summer” into a hit, the Eras Tour film may have contributed to its final push to the top. The song further surged after the film dropped this month, and Swifties looked to continue to drive momentum as they started buying the single last week, pushing “Cruel Summer” to Number One on the iTunes chart. Apparently seeing the potential, Swift discounted the single from $1.29 to .69 cents, fanning the sales further. She also dropped a remix and a live version of the song last week.
“One of my favorite things you’ve done was when you supported Cruel Summer SO much, I ended up starting The Eras Tour show with it,” Swift wrote on Instagram when she announced the song’s new versions. For old times sake, I’m releasing the live audio from the tour so we can all shriek it in the comfort of our homes and cars PLUS a brand new remix by @lpgiobbi. Thank you, so much, forever, wow, just thank you!!!”
