Grinning Like a Devil
The 2019 Lover favorite has enjoyed a massive resurgence this year thanks to its prominent placement in the Eras Tour
Not even fall can slow down the year of “Cruel Summer”: Taylor Swift has released a live version of the Lover favorite, taken from the new Eras Tour concert film, as well as a new remix.
On Wednesday, the artist announced the drop on Instagram, writing, “What a truly mind blowing thing you’ve turned The Eras Tour Concert Film into. I’ve been watching videos of you guys in the theaters dancing and prancing and recreating choreography, creating inside jokes, casting spells, getting engaged, and just generally creating the exact type of joyful chaos we’re known for.”
She continued, “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. 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.”
“Cruel Summer” has enjoyed a major resurgence this year, not only re-entering the Billboard Hot 100 but sticking around the upper echelons of the chart for much of the summer. In recent weeks, it reached a peak position of Number Three, before falling to Number Nine amidst the deluge of Drake tracks from For All the Dogs. But with the release of the live version and new remix — and the unparalleled dedication of Swifties — it’s possible “Cruel Summer” could make it to Number One.
While “Cruel Summer” was never made an official single around the original release of Lover in 2019, it quickly became one of Swift’s best and most beloved songs (it landed at Number Four on Rolling Stone’s list of the 50 Best Songs of 2019, and it sits at Number 11 on our ranking of Swift’s entire catalog). Its revival was fueled by the song’s prominent placement at the very top of the Eras Tour setlist, serving as the effective show opener after a truncated version of “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince.”
In the first month of the tour, “Cruel Summer” surged in streams and and cracked the Spotify U.S. Top 100. It eventually re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 in early June, and a few weeks later, Swift’s label, Republic, fully leaned in and released the song to radio as the fifth single from Lover.