Taylor Swift releases 'Cruel Summer' as an official single
"The weirdest, most magical thing is happening," says Taylor about one of her old songs hitting the airwaves in 2023.
Taylor Swift's 'Eras Tour' is the gift that keeps on giving. The 33-year-old revealed at the weekend that the 2019 song, 'Cruel Summer', will officially be released as a single.
"It’s never happened to me in the whole time I’ve ever been doing this," she told concertgoers on Saturday, according to Billboard.
'Cruel Summer' featured as track number two on Taylor's award-winning album, 'Lover', which was released in August 2019.
It's one of the 44 songs Taylor sings during her three-hour plus 'Eras- Tour' set-list. The concert has resulted in several of the 'Lavender Haze' singer's songs going viral on social media and streaming platforms.
The increase in streams saw 'Cruel Summer' entering the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it currently sits at #47.
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Due to the increased interest in the song, Taylor's label, Republic Records, has decided to release it as a single on June 20. The track will also be promoted on pop radio stations.
“‘Cruel Summer’ was on the Lover album. That album came out four years ago. And I just need to let you know something: ‘Cruel Summer,’ that song was my pride and joy on that album," Taylor told the crowd at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium on Saturday.
She added that it is her "favourite song" from the album. Her team originally planned to release it as the fifth single from 'Lover', but the 2020 COVID-pandemic put a damper on their plans.
"I’m not trying to blame the global pandemic that we had, but that is something that happened that stopped ‘Cruel Summer’ from ever being a single. No one understands how this is happening, but you guys have streamed ‘Cruel Summer’ so much right now in 2023."
'Cruel Summer' is one of five Taylor's songs on the charts in America. 'Karma' featuring Ice Spice (#10), 'Anti-Hero' (#11), 'Hits Different' (#65), and 'Snow On The Beach' (#87) are also on the Hot 100 chart.
'Karma' is also at number 26 on the ECR Top 40 with Danny brought to you by CTM.
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'Cruel Summer' is not the only drop her fans can expect over the next few weeks.
Her re-recorded version of 'Speak Now' will be released on Friday, July 7. 'Speak Now' (Taylor's Version) is the third album the Grammy Award winner has re-recorded since 2021.
The original version of the album was released in 2010. Taylor is busy re-recording her first six albums following a dispute with businessman Scooter Braun over the purchase of her music masters.
"I first made Speak Now, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20. The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their brutal honesty, unfiltered diaristic confessions and wild wistfulness. I love this album because it tells a tale of growing up, flailing, flying and crashing … and living to speak about it," she said in May.
Main image credit: YouTube/Taylor Swift (Official 'Lavender Haze' music video')
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