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On 2012sRed, it was the wounded breakup ballad All Too Well.
On 2017sReputation, it was the exhilarating, bittersweet Getaway Car.
Swifties ride hard for their favorite deep cuts to get selected as singles.
But the reaction to Cruel Summer felt different, ranging from thefantasticalto thesweetly deranged.
What was it about this neon-toned synth-pop track that resonated more than others?
Cruel Summer, with its empathetic narrative, anthemic chorus, and dazzling bridge, was.
1 on the Hot 100.
Ahead, a full recounting of the long road to Cruel Summer singledom.
Good luck with everything.
This is the first time Clark and Swift collaborate.
November 10, 2017: Swift releasesReputation, her sixth album.
This realization sparks a desire to write an album thats more open and vulnerable than the steelyReputation.
In the clip, Adam Lambert can be seen giving a Cruel Summer tattoo to Ellen DeGeneres.
August 16, 2019: Swift releases theLovertrack list; track two is Cruel Summer.
August 23, 2019: Swift releasesLover.
September 1, 2019:Loverdebuts at No.
1 on theBillboard200, becoming Swifts sixth chart leader.
Cruel Summer debuts at No.
September 2, 2019: Swift performsLoversongs on the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge.
(Not really relevant to the timeline; I just think its just a nice cover.)
September 9, 2019: Taylor plays a promotional concert dubbed the City ofLoverconcert at Pariss storied LOlympia venue.
She runs through a lot ofLovers lengthy track list, but omits Cruel Summer.
On social media, she tells fans shell be onstage as soon as I can.
Although fans dont know it yet, this marks the end of SwiftsLoverera.
Swift praises the performance on Instagram, writing, THE TALENT.
Love This!!!
August 31, 2020:Another cruel summer passes without Cruel Summer getting the single treatment.
To be fair, this season was pretty cruel for everyone.
February 26, 2021:Swift officially cancelsLoverFest for good, citing the unprecedented pandemic.
April 1, 2021: Rodrigo releases deja vu, the second single from her debut album,Sour.
I wanted to do something like that.
Just some people in a room jammin.
I dont exactly remember why, she tells Jessie Ware on theTable Mannerspodcast.
I dont remember if she experienced that I couldnt cook and thought: Im going to help this girl.
August 31, 2021: Another cruel summer passes.
Her producer, Dan Nigro, says people get funny about things when songs become really popular.
Cruel Summer is featured in one of the episodes, leading to a resurgence in the songs popularity.
August 28, 2022: Swift announces thatMidnights, her tenth album, will be released on October 21.
August 31, 2022: The end of another cruel Cruel Summerless summer.
March 17, 2023: The Eras tour begins in Glendale, Arizona.
Cruel Summer is the second song on the set list.
147, and the U.S. Spotify charts at No.
April 9, 2023: Swift and Alwyn break up after six years.
June 3, 2023: Cruel Summer reenters theBillboardHot 100 at No.
On the U.S. Spotify chart, its sitting at No.
Cruel Summer, that song was my pride and joy on [Lover], she told the audience.
Hope she sees this, bro!
July 10, 2023: Cruel Summer enters the top ten of theBillboardHot 100 at No.
7, nearly four years after its initial release.
Its Swifts 41st career top ten.
August 14, 2023: Cruel Summer peaks at No.
Chart-obsessed fans are confident that Cruel Summer will finally hit No.
1 a week later.
August 21, 2023: Except that it doesnt Cruel Summer slips back down to No.
October 19, 2023:In honor ofTheEras Tourmovie (and almost certainly to get another No.
October 23, 2023:Our long cruel summer is over when the songfinally reaches No.
1 on the Hot 100.
