Cruel Summer

“Cruel Summer” is track two and the fifth official single from Taylor’s seventh studio album, Lover (2019). It narrates the fragility and uncertainty of a summer romance. One of Taylor’s most popular songs, “Cruel Summer” became Taylor’s milestone tenth No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in October 2023, over four years after its release.

Background

Taylor wrote “Cruel Summer” with Jack Antonoff and St. Vincent, and produced it with Jack at New York City’s Electric Lady Studios in 2018. It is a breezy pop song with swirling synths, robotic voice effects and distorted vocals. Speaking to iHeartRadio in 2019, Taylor said:

«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

In the “Lover Enhanced” Spotify campaign, Taylor added: “I wanted this song to feel like a desperate summer love that might be doomed from the start. My favourite line from this song is, ‘I love you. Ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?’”

NME asked co-writer Annie Clark (St. Vincent) about the creation of “Cruel Summer” in a 2021 interview. She recalled: “Gosh, it was really casual. Just some people in a room jammin’.”

Single Release

After Taylor embarked on “The Eras Tour” in March 2023, “Cruel Summer” gained significant traction on streaming services. That is why the song was finally made the official fifth single from Lover. It impacted US Pop Radio on June 20, 2023, almost four years after its release. Taylor commented on that decision during her show in Pittsburgh on June 17:

«'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 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 way my favorite one!»

Taylor Swift

Upon its release as a single, “Cruel Summer” became Taylor’s milestone tenth No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in October 2023. The song broke the record for “Longest Climb to No. 1 on the Hot 100 For A Non-Holiday Song” by a female soloist in history (over 4 years after debut). It also became Taylor’s 41st Top 10 hit on the Hot 100, extending her record as the female artist with the most Top 10 entries in the chart’s history. Furthermore, Taylor became the first female artist in history with ten No. 1 hits on the Hot 100 and ten No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200.

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)

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