Taylor Swift: Cruel Summer back in UK top 40 again four years later

Four years after we first heard it, Taylor Swift’s Cruel Summer is back in the UK charts.

The track, from her album Lover, has blown up again thanks to its place in the singer’s Eras Tour setlist.

She’s credited her army of fans for streaming the song, which first entered the top 40 at number 27 in 2019.

It returned last week just one spot behind at number 28, and has now surpassed its original peak and reached number 12.

Taylor’s previously described Cruel Summer as her “pride and joy” out of the tracks on Lover.

It’s all about the pain of a fleeting summer romance, following the album’s theme of a “love letter to love, in all of its maddening, passionate, exciting, enchanting, horrific, tragic, wonderful glory”.

Fans who’ve caught her Eras shows have been hooked on the track, leading the singer to re-release it.

She recently told fans at one show: “You guys have streamed Cruel Summer so much right now in 2023 that it’s rising on the streaming charts.

“So crazy. My label just decided to just make it the next single.”

One of those fans who’s been listening non-stop is Jessica Retson, who is, in her own words “an official Swiftie”.

The 25-year-old student, who’s currently working on her dissertation, is proving her dedication by doing it on the popstar.

As you might expect, she loves Cruel Summer.

“It’s such a nice song, all of the lyrics,” she tells BBC Newsbeat.

“And it’s a bit cat and mouse, quite romantic and upbeat and encapsulates the feelings you get when you’re first liking someone.”

Lover is Taylor’s seventh studio album – and the first release after leaving previous label Big Machine Records following a dispute with the company.

The star recently said the second wave of popularity for Cruel Summer felt “truly perplexing”.

“I just haven’t had something like this happen in my career,” she said.

Jessica says there has been a big demand among fans for a single release – and she’s glad it’s finally getting its dues.

“There’s definitely a place for it in the fandom and it’s really nice that there’s a new appreciation four years on.”